just wondering ....anyone?

I would say Yamaha around 1980:

Yamaha History
Yamaha PS-2

Kind regards,
Tommy

1978/9
http://www.batesuk.cwc.net/wersi_gallery/instruments/Entertainer.htm

Bill

the earliest form of auto accompaniment was a drum machine built into an organ so that the organist had a percussion section whilst they played . It was roland 1960's

"The first commercially available rhythm machines were included in organs in the late 1960s, and were intended to accompany the organist. The first largely successful drum machine was the Rhythm Ace. It was produced by a company then called Ace Tone (later called Roland). In 1964 it developed the Ace Electronics R1 Rhythm Ace. The R1 was possibly the world's first fully transistorised rhythm machine but, despite interest and sample orders from American manufacturers, it didn't get any wider success."

Yes the history of drum machines and electronic organs is well known and documented, but the early history of arranger keyboards - or portable keyboards as they were called then - is much less known. A reason could be that they were mainly considered toys at that time.

Bill, thanks for the info about the Wersi Entertainer.

Kind regards,
Tommy

Or here:

Sonic State

but neither site is complete and a lot of early models are missing.

Kind regards,
Tommy

http://www.keyboardmuseum.org/ar/k/korg/s/sas20.html


This was one of my earliest Korg arranger KB's....I still have pics playing it on stage from years ago....

It's from 1983. Read more here:

Korg Arranger History

Donny, did it actually do what the brochure says:

A built-in computer analyzes the MELODY you play and adds a complex accompaniment that matches the chord progression.

Kind regards,
Tommy

Tom yes It was a very kool Kb way ahead of its time.....the sliders were nice also.
I would play it with a yamaha CS01 on top for manual bass.
http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 06-07-2007).]

I remember those. Weren't they generally known as "knocker boxes"?

My first arranger keyboard was a Lowrey Genius Model G 80. It came with bolt on legs, a music stand and a cord to plug it in.
It had 61 keys and 10 onboard voices. It didn't have much poly and I believe it was mono although It had both a L and R outlets and I ran both through a pair of amps they offered as accessories. The amps are 35 amp with a 3 band eq and were built by Japanese Victor Corp. I still have this setup in here somewhere and it still works.
The styles and rhythms were in a box about the size of an 8 track cartridge and plugged into the top of the keyboard. they had their own micro processor in them. Each one had 4 or 5 styles, and for their day they were really good.
this unit had a fx bar which was used as a fill in bar at any time by holding it with your thumb or just touching it for one break.
I think I paid 2600.00 for the keyboard and the two amps were 300.00 each.
I am open to offers if anybody is starting a museum.
Bebop

Yet, the first rhythm machine was the Rhythmicon created during 1930 by Lev Thermen.

Paolo


[This message has been edited by ptram (edited 06-11-2007).]