Roland are quietly reinventing themselves. The BK-9 has the most forward looking approach of any of the arrangers so far. Easy use of audio loops within an arranger or SMF is something that's new to mass produced arrangers, and, to be fair, it has a HUGE selection of modern dance styles onboard. More Ibiza and House and techno than I could ever use (because I don't use it at all!), and an overall emphasis on more modern stuff.

But none of this counts while it remains stuffed with Latin, Ballroom and 50's and 60's stuff too...

Kids today want a keyboard built for THEM... You look at any modern WS, and there's virtually no arps and grooves in them suitable for oldies music. There's a few smooth jazz patterns, the odd swing, but that's about IT. That's why they love 'em. What self respecting 20 something wants to buy something that is OBVIOUSLY designed for his grandparents?!

But the arranger workflow, tied with a modest arpeggiator is going to be the easiest system for them to use, just as it is the easiest for us. Sure, a TOTL workstation could do bigband or jazz or ballroom MUCH better than an arranger (if you have the talent to play and program it well), but we go with arrangers because it's a lot easier... Same deal for the kids.

But they have to overlook those banks of old fart music (as they see it!) before they can get one. And wonder why most of that ROM is not set up so THEY can use it. Let's be honest, if you were 25 and under, you can use a bare 20% of the styles in any modern arranger, and that's being generous! Who's going to waste their money on that?

But stuff an arranger FULL of modern stuff (and let them buy or download an 'oldies pack' if they want it) and I predict they would fly off the shelves. But we HAVE to lose the banks of grandparent styles! As was pointed out earlier, even NH gigs are becoming less and less ballroom, more and more 60's and 70's...

Time for the arranger manufacturers to ditch the old stuff and put in a LOT more new (70's, 80's, 90's...). And Jeez! Would it KILL ya to include an arpeggiator on a decent arranger?