Well, all I can say is that workstations (the darlings of Keyboard Magazine) are in no way any LESS a technologically driven form of instrument than the arranger. The pitfalls of allowing them to drive us, rather than the other way round are no less.

If the ability to sit down at a piano and play unaccompanied is the criteria for good musicianship, both workstation and arranger allow exactly the same experience. If you would like a rhythm section to follow your improvisation, well, forget the workstation!

Nowadays, the primary difference between arrangers and workstations seems to be in the basic sound-set, with most modern arrangers having a far less contemporary, but far more utilitarian choice of basic patches, and the depth of editing they allow.

This gap is continually getting smaller. Hopefully, with the emergence of the all-software keyboards like Lionstracs, the big boys will FINALLY allow the true convergence of workstation and arranger, rather than the arbitrary crippling of workstation features in arrangers to avoid scavenging their own sales.

Personally, when faced with a gig of unknown needs, I would MUCH rather take my G70 than my Triton or K2500, knowing it will be MUCH simpler to call the right sounds and effects to a split or layer than any workstation. In the studio, they all have their sound, and their place, but live, top-end arrangers are MUCH easier to gig with.... even if you DON'T use the arranger section!