The fact that you guys are still here, on this arranger forum, is proof enough to me that WS's do NOT provide the degree of control and live ease that arrangers do. Or you would already be WS users, plain and simple. I simply feel that there is a small window of opportunity for arranger manufacturers to grab the reins, or a couple more generations of WS's will obsolete them completely.

Whether they have the sense to do this or not, I am in doubt

Personally, I believe the market ALREADY exists, but really only Ketron and Lionstracs do not already have a WS line, doing considerably better than the arranger line. Dom has the hardware, but not enough money to develop the content, Ketron has enough money to develop the content, but the hardware still has a ways to go, and the content they ARE developing is focused on markets they already have.

Really, there's only a few things that WS's need to improve, and then it's game over. First is the 'always in sync' loops that you can switch between on the fly, not cued a bar in advance, and the other thing is bass inversions, and chord inversions, that current WS's don't do. Other than that, with work, a MoXS could be a decent arranger... and beat the pants off any contemporary arranger at modern music.

I feel that WS's are excellent for creating loop music at home and in the studio, but the arranger still beats them pants down for live use. That is, if 'live' means any flexibility whatsoever. Ableton Live is the success it is because it allows complete creative control, even in a live situation (contrary to most computer apps). So far, WS's can't do this. Now is the time for arranger makers to step up to the plate. Now, or never. Unless they make the investment, the market will be GONE, and all you are left with is ethnic musics and legacy style for an aging, dwindling market.

And let us not think for one minute that the ethnic markets won't disappear as well, once WS's (with all their mature audio capabilities and developed modern content) can do an arranger-like control system. They either do it NOW, or it's the 'home organ' story all over again. There's a product that had an enormous market, but failed to follow trends, to stay contemporary, and now they do, what? Maybe 1% of their 70's numbers...