The biggest thing driving the lust for the 'latest/greatest' is the notion that the new gear is going to instantly make you sound better (with no additional effort on your part)....it isn't. Marco Parisi with a ten year old arranger is going to sound better than 99% of Synthzoners with the latest state-of-the-art TOTL Arranger. There are no free rides. If you want to sound like a pro, then develop pro-level playing skills. Practice, boys, practice. It's cheaper than buying new (and largely unused) technology every year or so.

Bachus is right. At a certain age, most of us don't have the patience, desire, or cognitive abilities (left) to take full advantage of the technological features available on modern keyboards. Don't believe me? Check out the way your kids and/or grandkids use their smartphones and the way you use yours.

One thing you can do though, at any age, is improve your playing through study and practice. Use your arranger kb's to study how styles are constructed; play (mimic) the style parts manually; manually play familiar tunes in different styles just as your arranger would do; you'd be supprised how much you'll learn (and how much fun you'll have). Lastly, if appropriate, try to mix some acoustic piano (or organ) playing into your practice regimen. Just some thoughts.

chas