Arrangers are just a small portion of each manufacturer's product line. When you see arranger functions on home digital pianos, organs and discount keyboards you must realize that manufacturers include them for the "fun" aspect of playing and hearing oneself sound like an entire orchestra. This has been around since the 60's and is always used as a selling point with customers. This, I believe is as big a share of their arranger business as pure arrangers - or arrangers for hire.

Arranger features will only advance as the DEMAND (from people like us) increases. The guy with the $12,000 home organ isn't going to make as many demands as we do. With the advent of boards such as the Pa1X Pro, G70 and possibly Tyros II and Kurzweil the power of the arranger is at its technological peak for now. There is no impetus or profit in advancing it further - for now.

Forums such as this need to advance ideas for the future. What about making the creating of styles more intuitive or more a focal point of a new arranger? What if styles were as simple to edit or create as a simple loop recording (ala Roland XP's, Motif and others)or if Korg Karma technology was adapted into the style creation process.

So many of you have been espousing softsynths and arrangers - not completely there yet. That's a possible future. Go back and read the forum archives and see some of the previous ideas thrown out here. We've talked about roll-up keyboards (they got 'em). We've influenced and pre-suggested features now taken for granted. This is a REAL and SERIOUS forum that holds a lot of weight in the music community. It's also a fun place to be.

So, toss out your wildest and best ideas and let's discuss them. Something could happen.