I've found that the musicians who inquire about my keyboard are generally amazed at the capabilities. They all assume I'm playing with "tracks", and often ask if I made them or bought them. They have no idea about arrangers.
Here lies a big problem as ignorance, knowledge, is certainly lacking and manufacturers need to start putting more efforts into the education to the end user of their products....
Donny, you know as well as I do, the vast majority of the musicians on this, and most other forums, rarely take the instruction manual out of the Zip-Loc bag it arrived in with their arranger keyboard. It's a fact!
I still get a dozen emails every week from forum members on this and a couple other forums asking how to do something that is clearly spelled out in the manual. Of course, all of this takes time to learn, and like most folks today, that is the last thing they want in their world of instant gratification, I phones, touch screens, etc...
If it takes any effort other than pushing a single button or touching a single icon on a screen to get the results they want, they just won't put forth the effort. No one on the planet can learn all of the intricacies of a top end arranger keyboard in one year, let alone one hour, which some believe they can do. Those that take the time to learn each and every feature, which is indeed a rare individual, love their arranger keyboards.
Some just reject them because they believe it's not a real instrument, but in reality, it is as real as any guitar, piano, organ, flute, etc... You still need to master it as an instrument as well as master the operating systems and features. This, obviously, takes a lot of self discipline, which I've found that many individuals no longer seem to possess, especially the younger generation. In that respect, the arranger keyboard's future is dismal at best.
A good example of this occurred today when I took my 10 year old grandson fishing today. After catching only a single, small, white perch in 30 minutes of fishing, he was ready to go back to the dock where there was Wi-Fi available for free. He left everything for pop-pop to do as soon as we tied up, and within seconds, he had his cell phone out and staring intently at that tiny screen. Then he wanted pizza, to which I acquiesced, and was elated because he could live stream at the Italian restaurant where they had high speed wi-fi for free.
Bottom line - it's not the manufacturers fault that people have been dumbed down to the point where they cannot follow, simple, easy-to-read, instruction manuals provided with the equipment.
Gary
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