But I'm playing it with live bands as much as I can

Now, I've heard arranger pieces that I thought got VERY close to a live band sound. I've heard acoustic pianos that can fool even the pickiest of ears. I've heard brass section work, organ playing, flute solos, guitar solos, all of which get me to within a hair's breadth of thinking I AM listening to the real thing.

But I've never heard an arranger harmonizer that got within a country MILE of convincing me I was listening to a real singer.

Which is why I don't use it. I'm not saying the rest of you shouldn't, it's up to you and your style, and your audience. But I am saying that, IMO, of all the areas of an arranger's sound, it is the most hideously obviously fake.

But, who knows? There's a new generation of harmonizers out there that sound (to my ears) far better than any of the built-ins. In fact, a couple of things I've heard got close to the Orville So, who knows? Maybe this newer technology might trickle down into our new arrangers and make the effect less vocoder-ish, in the future.

But for now... Sorry, but I'll take a pass
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An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!