Referring back to the original topic subject:
If you use MIDI files that you did not personally create, if you play along with internal styles (or user styles that have been converted from other arrangers), if you play mp3 files or other audio files that you did not personally create, then yes you are cheating. You are letting the audience assume that you yourself are creating right in front of their eyes and ears everything they are listening to and that is lying. No two ways about it.

On the other hand, you can take the position of 'what the audience doesn't know won't hurt them', right? The audience wants to be entertained. And if the venue can't pay or is to cheap to pay for an actual group of live musicians or if the room is too small for anything but a single, then having the option of some form of live entertainment like someone playing an arranger keyboard or a DJ is better than nothing.

What does the arranger player get out of the situation (other than a little spending cash in order to buy the next latest greatest end-all instrument every couple of months or so )? He/she gets the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience which under other circumstances may not be available to him/her. And as long as he/she is not bothered by the fact that the audience is being deceived into thinking that the person standing behind the keyboard is an incredible musician, even though in reality the incredible musician(s) is the person who actually created all or at least the vast majority of what the audience is hearing, then everybody's happy.

I don't mean to upset anyone here, but this is the dirty truth. On the other hand, who cares? I always prefer to play with other musicians but there are situations that call for a lone musician and it is great to be able to go into a single act gig as something other than an acoustic guitar/vocal act doing James Taylor tunes (not that there is anything wrong with that mind you) or heaven forbid, a DJ . And many of the members of this forum, while maybe not really playing all or most of the music coming from their equipment, are fine performers and entertainers and like I said, all an audience wants is to be entertained. So more power to the arranger players; enjoy what you do and enjoy how you do it.

[This message has been edited by WDMcM (edited 07-21-2007).]