Jocko, by all means, press the auto play feature and solo over the top. And if you make great music that way, and delight your audience, then you have achieved your objective.

But for me, this just isn't the way to play, or create professional arrangements. More is needed. If one is going to play an arranger keyboard to produce versatile sounds, I would at least use the "Pianist" mode that is available on top arrangers, and actually play the thing!(using advanced chords as well) - with two hands. If one can't play the keyboard anyway...then the "auto backing" maybe the only way out for those lacking the ability to string a few chords together with BOTH hands.

Jock, I've been down this workstation road, and started off with the Korg M1. It wasn't easy to work with at first, but I soon got into it. Now, however, workstations are different animals, with the ability to trigger arpeggios, Loops & grooves at the touch of a button - or key (Did I say Auto??). You say you once had Karma. Well, there are people on the Triton forum who eschew this keyboard...because they say it is like an arranger!! (Chord recognition etc), and "Does it all for you" etc etc.

It all depends on your style of music, and what you want to play that determines whether you are a "Workstation" or an "Arranger" man. If you like Dance/Techno/...don't buy a PSR/Casio, they won't be up to the job (at least, not in the professional sense of the word - even if there are "Dance" preset Rhythms etc). A Triton/Karma/Motif etc will be more suitable for these applications.

On the other hand, if you like "easy listening" type of music, then the last thing you need is to spend hours, weeks, even Months, doing “button” pressing for most of your time. There are many ways to get you music to sound good, but I still have to say that: "Arranger keyboards are the "easier" way out". I like to work a bit for mine – just to get that “extra” professionalism into my music.

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J5