The thing is, arrangers per se are NOT incapable of making contemporary musics. In fact, their capabilities for song construction completely outclass WS and loop tools, who offer little in the way of Intro/Variations/Fills/Endings structure... you just keep stringing loops together in a far more disconnected sense, IMO.

But unless the manufacturers show a willingness to pay for the creation of modern sounding styles, they are simply not going to land in the hands of younger players, who's need for polkas might be a little bit less than some of us here And without them being in the hands of younger players, what manufacturer looks FORWARD to a diminishing demand for a type of product?

Trouble is, of course, they have created this diminishing demand themselves, but probably can't admit it to themselves. But if anyone is responsible for the slipping of arranger sales, it has to be those who chose the ROM styles and sounds.

The DJX was an amazing product... and sold pretty well, from what I remember. You have to ask yourself what could possibly have gone on in some secret meeting to make them stop making successful follow-ups to it...

More profit for the WS division if making loop based music is made harder than the DJX made it, perhaps? Tough to get those high WS dollars when a cheap arranger could do it as well and simpler, no?

Maybe it's simpler to assume a whole conspiracy theory than admit PERHAPS it was simple incompetence by the Marketing Division...