I had the good fortune to record a live show this week that features a (female)vocalist and a (male)keyboard/vocalist. The kb man played a Triton (yup) and used an Alessis SR16 (my old fav)drum machine. He played manual bass lines (killer chops) under nice Rhodes/string pads, and the ocasional piano sound (weakest in the biz). Sounded AWESOME.

My point is this:
The simplicity and the interaction of the 3 voices (kb/bass/drums) was SO refreshing that I am inclined to keep my Korg i3 just as the core of such a system. The key feel is great, the Rhodes and bass sounds are all there, and although the acoustic piano sound is not so hot (being VERY kind here) I do enjoy the feel of playing a more professionally built kb. After going back to this psr2100, the key feel(and size) is becoming more of an issue with my comfort zone.
I don't expect to take the i3 out too often (if at all), but having a solid, functional piece in the closet makes me happy.... takes away the fright of using the psr on 5pc band gig ( happy? ) and pounding out a Jerry Lee Lewis tune and hearing the plastic crack underneath my fingers. I think the construction of the Korg is top notch, and even though it's a dinosaur ...... Rhodes, bass and drums (my three passions) are ALL THERE.
So - nothing new here...just random thoughts that I thought you might like to hear.

Remember:
Turn those auto arrangers off at LEAST once or twice a set to provide contrast. Even if it's just for a rubato piano intro to a ballade. Make sure you get to PLAY each night, and not just connect the dots.
I'm certain my bass chops have diminished to a degree after useing arrangers. I want to stop that from getting worse.

You know, you guys may be right abou the feel and size of the keys on the 2000 and 2100, but I have a friend that has had one more than a year, and he pounds the hell out of it, never cleans it, has spilled at least two drinks in it, has burned half of the keys with cigarettes, and it still is going strong. I haven't looked inside, but I'm not so sure it is all that fragile.
I used my 2000 almost every night for almost two years, and, while I don't play that hard, certainly let loose on more than one occasion.
On previous Yamahas, I've had to replace the srip beneath the keys fairly often, but not the 2K. It must be different??
DonM

The 2k has single rubber caps underneath vs the dreaded expensive key strip under the 9k...

Uncle Dave,

Twice a week, I play acoustic piano for church and this is for refreshing indeed. Nothing can beat acoustic piano. As you once said in the past, auto-accompaniment is simply a tool. A good musician knows how to utilize various tools to make good music.

WHAT? A yammie with no key strips?

That's the best news I have had this week.

Eddie

I just gotta add my 2 cents here.

I always play arrangerless in my band. But at home in the quiet of my Studio I love having those Arranger features at my disposal. They come in very handy when I am looking for ideas to new songs and arrangements.

Turn off the accompaniment tracks 'except' the drums; use manual Bass in the left hand voice, use my right hand voice, eg., Acoustic Piano, etc., and you have what UD wants, ie., Drums, Bass, and right hand voice. For fuller accompaniment tracks just turn the lot of them on or use them at your discretion. Having accompaniment backing gives the feel of a real band so when I am trying to come up with ideas for a song what better way to do it?

What I want to see; and I think before too long we WILL see it, is; a 'full blown' Synth Workstation that is also an Arranger.
It will be the best of both worlds and I would expect them to sell like hotcakes. It will ALL be in there, ie., Sampling, Full Blown Editable Song Sequencer, Polyphony up the Wazzoo, a USB 2.0 or Firewire interface, Large LCD screen, built in Professional Harmonizer, Lo Z Mic input, built in speakers that will knock your socks off, XLR inputs/outputs, sizeable User Flash RAM- (no more puny, miserly quanities)- were talking 'living large here'. Digital I/O's, OS updateable, Hardware upgradeable, SD Memory capability- (NO more SM Memory spec.), Streaming Audio from a 15,000 RPM internal Hard Disk and CPU's and sophisticated Hardware inside the Keyboard rivaling the fastest Pentium 4 and faster. WAV ROM that will make todays Keyboards look like kilobytes in comparison.

And the nice thing about it is; when they are made available to the public, prices for all of this high technology that will be incorporated into the Keyboard[s] will have dropped enough so that the average person will be able to afford one or even two- (to have one as a back up) - like many gigging musicians have.

This is Moore's Law were seeing and it applies in a similar fashion to the advancement in Music Keyboard technology IMO. LOOK OUT!!! It's COMING!!!!!!

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by Idatrod (edited 09-27-2003).]

I WISH I could play accoustic piano, but I can't. No left hand. I can play left hand OR right hand, but not together, unless it's chords on the left.
That's o.k. though, there are a lot of piano players around here that wish they could play the arranger!
Don

I still think playing your own bass lines is the best way to personalize any song. You can do kicks for emphasis, you can stop the action, or punch up a run in unison with the right hand ..... it's the best way to really CREATE a live arrangement. Following an arranger pattern is just that - following. I like to lead sometimes.
I like using the arranger when I need it, but I try not to use it as a staple sound. I want to be more known for what I do, not what Yamaha did.
Different strokes, I guess.

For this reason alone, is why I am contemplating taking my 76 key DGX with me, and putting it with the 2100.

I love the full box keys, and have more "space" to play "arranger-less" songs.

Jill

Great idea U.D. for my solo and trio jobs. Like Don I don't play acoustic piano. I do kick a mean bass with my left foot( Roland PK-5 pedals Midied into the X1). I'm going to set up a couple of user patterns for just drums then kick bass with the foot and comp and solo with the hands. Sometimes the arranger gets too busy and we need a break from it. Thanks for the reminder.

Tom