There are differences, Tony, but the bottom line is that we use whatever instrument works best for our needs.

For solo (or duo) "live" play, the arranger wins out by a long way, in my opinion, unless you're one of those Karaoke type entertainers who only really need a good SMF player, and something that they can fake playing on now and again.

An arranger or a workstation will work in that situation.

For those of us who play live as a solo act, I still feel the arranger is the better deal, although, it is generally more expensive.

As far as using VST's etc., I really can't see the need with the Tyros4, as it has stunning sounds to suit every genre and every occasion, although adding sounds is still possible if one needs something really special, as evidenced by Telmo's incredible pieces.

Ever since arrangers started using sounds that were the equivalent of workstations, plus styles that had character and realism, my choice for solo work has always been the arranger, specifically Yamaha arrangers.

Ian