Something I’ve noticed on both Arranger Keyboard Forums, and Social Media platforms in low member participation. Yes there are 100s of members but most of the posts are of members performances rather than actual discussions about the creative aspects of Arranger Keyboards in terms of getting the best of arranger’s and learning more about style creation and sound editing etc etc.

Thing is, I have been coming here for a very long time. This forum, and I rather feel most others, weren’t ever really a hotbed of technique advice and creative use, style creation and sound editing tips and tricks.

You tended to find that mostly on single brand forums, korgforums, PSRworld, the old Roland Arrangers forum etc.

These general arranger forums tended to revolve around discussions of the latest release models, which due to the longer and longer development cycles has dropped to one or two at max every year or so. A long drop from the days if several new models cane out every year. Roland left the market altogether, and the remainders are dropping a new model only every five years or so. So, a lot less to talk about!

I think also that the worldwide recession and Covid pandemic put a fair bit of pressure on the pro end of the arranger users, and modern music keeps moving further and further away from what arrangers do best, and younger players that once would have got an arranger to gig with or home use are now moving to things like Maschine and computer driven clip launch systems, which current arrangers are only just starting to look at, with a decade or so to catch up on.

We’re a dwindling breed. I get a lot of flashbacks to the years of decline of the ‘home organ’ phenomenon. Newfangled gadgets called ’arrangers’ were coming out, far cheaper, far easier to play, far more portable, far better sounding for ‘modern’ synth heavy pop music and rock, etc.. And coincidentally, the newsletters about home organ dwindled as the player base dwindled. Not that we had the internet back then!

It’s kind of hard to hit a good balance with tips and tricks posts. We’ve got members with really basic home player skills, and others with full time pro player skills, it’s hard to balance advice for one against useful stuff for the other.

But I really feel that, if you’re looking for creative tips and a more serious approach, the single make forums are where that’s happening…

Actually sound editing and style/beat creation is not unique to arrangers, but are used in synths, drum machines etc. all of which can be transferred to an arranger . (Just go for the easy stuff as arranger editing features are very limited)

Bill

Well, I'm still here, and the way it seems at times, I was born here. Most of the technical questions have already been answered at one time or another in the past. Now, I also frequent the psrtutorial.com where much of those questions and answers have been categorized and easy to find. However, the site pertains to Yamaha Users, therefore, Korg, Roland and other brands of arrangers are not covered, consequently, owners other than Yamaha will not benefit by visiting that site.

Good luck,

Gary

Correct except about one subject :
on PSRtutorial, Ketron Event users (or interested by) find many adequate answers, despite scepticism of Yamaha Genos owners

ha a look at this, for example

Event topic on Psr

facts by real pro user

Yep, that thread has been growing for a couple weeks, and thus far, offers nothing more than speculation. From what I have read thus far, the product is not yet available in the US, and most other countries. I was going to delete the thread, mainly because it had no value to Genos users, however, I let it ride on advice from some of the other moderators who thought it may be of interest.

All the best,

Gary

I replaced the battery in my 1994 Solton MS60. I don't normally play arrangers out. I use them to create quick roughs for sound score projects.

Just for laughs, I took the Solton on a 2 hour cocktail job last week, along with a Hammond SK1, for organ sounds and left-handed bass.

The old thing performed like the gem that it is. I have 2. This one was used 4 nights a week outside for 14 seasons on a patio.

Love the drums and 13 note pedals for breaks, etc.

This thing works so good I still have the replacement; an SD-5 I got from Zuki years ago in a box.

The old Soltons are key to my sound score production company.

Russ

But then you'd have to question the value of your woodwork projects on an Arranger forum. Also, I think it's ok to mention a general health update of a longtime, well-known member but don't think it's necessary or even appropriate to share all the gory details. We're internet friends, sure, but not family members. Besides, isn't that what the BAR was supposed to be for? Bear in mind, these are just MY opinions.

chas

Er, Chas… not sure if you realized, but the Event/Genos discussion was over at psrtutorial site, not here…