I played 4 jobs since I got rid of my psr2000, and I did not use the arranger ONCE, since then. (Mostly because the G7 is pretty weak in pop styles ... but OH those polka's !!!)I played left hand bass, piano (RH) and used the drums .... alone. I was happier than I've been in ages, and I got paid the same money as I would if I had a rack of gear up to the ceiling!
The feel of the keys gave me back a comfort zone that I had lost with the 2000, and that is why i was able to play the whole night without the aid of the arranger. I didn't even miss it a little. I LOVE playing my own bass lines, and to tell the truth - there is a simple beauty to that "trio sound" that gets lost when you add all the bells and whistles in the arrangement section.
All these tools have thier places in our shows, but I am happy to report that nothing can replace the "live" energy of human hands. I've said this before, but it's worth repeating -
Turn OFF those accominiment parts sometimes. No one wants to hear a full orchestral arrangement in every song. Treat your listeners to the "rests" They are a BIG part of music, an too often forgotten, and ignored.
So, it looks like I'm back with the trusty old G7 till further notice. This means that for important jobs, I need to bring my rack bag (for the harmonizer), but for the little 1 hr stuff, the mic input in the keyboard is working out just fine ......and that BUILT IN mic stand boom - it's UNbelievable how cool that is. EVERY keyboard should have this as an option. It's a real space saver.