Originally posted by Diki:
Yes, Kingfrog... I believe all but the self-taught 'home' arranger player has FAR more important things to do with their LH than slavishly play the damn chords all the time...
Doesn't stop me from using an arranger in preference to any other kind of keyboard, though, because in the ONE keyboard, you get all the rest thrown in. Most arrangers play sequences well, some play MP3's, and they have a live interface FAR better than WS's. Yet most of the capabilities (other than arp and loop stuff, which is only good for more contemporary musics).
I have LONG preferred plastic 76's as a size and action choice, because of the need to play both organ and piano from the same keyboard, and had several WS's in this size (still have a couple, actually!).
But a WS is kind of screwed when asked to do something you haven't already programmed in. In fact, you can't even get a drum machine with the kind of flexibility that a TOTL arranger has. The best of them merely link two patterns and maybe two fills. An arranger's drum section can have four patterns, seven fills, four Intros, four endings, breaks, you name it.
In fact, why HASN'T anyone made a drum machine this capable? 
To be honest, other than modern beats, an arranger beats a WS hands down even at the things it is SUPPOSED to do. I certainly have never had to explain my use of an arranger in the studio or on 'call' gigs. I simply turn it on, start to play, and watch them smile! Drummer shows up late, no problem. Rhythm section shows up late, no problem. EVERYONE shows up late, no problem... 
Can't really say that about a WS....No you can't . the shear flexibility of an Arranger "on the fly" beats a pre programmed Workstation. However the problem comes for people who play using both hands across the whole keyboard and expect perfection in the arranger chord recognition.especially when I MIDI an 88 key board to it or on the Clavinova, For some reason the keyboard cannot follow the player the way it should. It simply is not there. I cannot speak to the Roland but I can the Korg and the Yamaha, I have asked numerous players to play any song like they would normally and I set the recognition on full keyboard and a royal mess results.
Not for me because I understand there is a different technique needed to pay an Arranger effectively and with that comes the flexibility to hit breaks and repeat choruses live when the room is live. I think the Arranger is far far better suited to LIVE OMBs then any workstation. I just cannot convince people around here that make their living in small clubs and bars to use one. Not even my own wife.
Don't get me wrong I personally love Arrangers and would not hesitate to use one live. My wife on the other hand finds it difficult to play and get the chord recognition exact where and when she wants it, so she takes the more predictable tracks and 88 keys. But she doesn't use the organ live either just piano. The tracks contain the other parts, Plus she plays the guitar live in some tracks and that would be tought with an arranger without a good foot pedal set up. She wants to KISS,,,,keep it simple Home made tracks and a couple live instruments in a Bose LT1.
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