Well, that stirred up a (teeny) hornets nest, didn't it!

The fact that I'm here MIGHT clue you in to the fact that I have, and use, arranger keyboards in my profession. I play at least 7 or 8 gigs a week during my playing season (from March through October) and then do session and recording work through the off season. I have just recently moved from a G1000 (which I gigged with for 6 or 7 years) to a G70, which is sonically one of the best keyboards I have owned (my studio rig includes K2500S etc.)

What I DON'T do, is kid myself that things are better using machines rather than musicians. It is, and always will be, a purely financial decision, rather than an artistic one. If the only musicians you can get to play with you are hacks, well perhaps you should look inwards.

And shafting your sidemen by bringing an automatic accompaniment device with you and paying them a pittance, well, need I say that those sidemen are probably looking for an automatic partner, and they sure as s*it won't be calling you after they realize how easy it is to replace YOU!

I use my arranger in both arranger modes and SMF playback, and don't consider there is any difference. What works best for one situation works worse in another.

But if anyone thinks that the pre-canned rhythms and especially basslines, in any arranger keyboard are any kind of substitute for a live rhythm section, all I can say is you don't play with great players often, do you?

Just kidding......... Sorta.........