Just not quite sure from your posts where you stand, chas. I don't care much for the semantics of pro vs. home user... I think that the 'skilled' player can probably use many of these ideas, and the 'unskilled' will probably ignore them (like they do 90% of what's in current arrangers).

But I don't think their usefulness or not has anything to do with whether one is a 'pro' (gigging regularly) or a 'home' player. It is more about whether you push yourself to improve your playing, and understanding of how the arranger can help you achieve that musical goal.

I think this thread got off track somehow with the suggestion that these ideas (what the thread was SUPPOSED to be about) were unlikely to be implemented because a) they are somehow 'pro' features (and I STILL don't understand that logic), and b) the manufacturers (at least according to Donny) are bloodsucking leeches that somehow haven't got our desires as ANY kind of priority, despite magically coming out with some amazingly useful stuff just recently. And I disagree with BOTH those viewpoints.

Admittedly, with Roland in particular, I often get the '2 steps forward, 1 step back' impression, vis a vis the ease of operation and musical focus, so I just wanted to start a thread where we could discuss improvements of a musical nature (or not, I just wanted NEW ideas!) that haven't yet appeared (or long since disappeared) in our current arrangers. No big wup...

But if the opinion is that features that favor the 'skilled' player are not likely because the arranger is somehow designed for the 'unskilled' or 'home' player (other member words, not mine!), I would simply point to just how many already VERY complex features they already have, and say 'balderdash!'.

BTW, chas, 70ºF today, a cooling trend, but still warm by the weekend. If you come down, email me (my profile is on view) and I would be honored to meet you and show you around. Although it's out of season, there are still a few good players gigging that might be worth seeing (but little good jazz, sadly). Don't worry about my forum attitude, I don't REALLY bite...

PS Ian.... I completely agree. MP3 players are the ONLY 'pro' feature on arrangers.

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 01-10-2008).]