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#172572 - 02/06/05 06:55 PM Why I didn't buy an arranger keyboard...
ocomain Offline
Member

Registered: 05/17/01
Posts: 163
Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed using arranger keyboards, and have owned 3 Yamahas (includig the 540 and 740). Though I'm not a professional musician by any means, I've had the pleasure during these last 25 years of performing mainly as a vocalist\guitarist in church choral groups, bluegrass\folk gospel street bands, rock bands, folk and rock duos, and as a solo performer. I have never used an arranger keyboard on stage but would definitely not be adverse to the idea.

In December of 2004, I was ready to buy a new keyboard after selling most of my E-mu stuff (PK-6, PX-7, a bunch of expansion ROMs), and a couple of digital recorders. The reason I didn't buy an arranger keyboard came down to a combination of 2 factors: price and expandability. The arranger keyboards that can be expanded with new samples\sounds are just way too expensive! I really don't understand why arranger keyboards remain such closed systems...there are only so many ways you can layer or otherwise combine the limited collection of sounds on an arranger keyboard! For the money (around 1k), I thought the Korg PA-50 was interesting because it used the basic Triton soundset, which meant that new presets could be added. Still, its limited sample set just didn't go far enough for me. Along with good quality bread-and-butter sounds (like piano and organ), I like to have a lot of textural color and movement..especially with ethnic\world instruments, ambient synths and pads. I enjoy experimenting and playing with a well-rounded sound palette and I just didn't get this with the current crop of
reasonably-priced arranger keyboards.

My dilema was that I had a total budget of around 2k, and this included funds for a small mixer. I missed out on some B-stock Triton Extremes that sold for under 1600.00 in November (loved the huge onboard sound library, in-track sampling and tube processor...not that crazy about the touchscreen). As I saw it, my only other alternative was the Fantom S (didn't even consider the Yamaha Motif because the display was much too small and the operating system seemed to be convoluted...at least that's how it felt after originally viewing the official Yamaha Motif promo DVD a couple of years ago). I was able to purchase a B-stock
Fantom-S 61, the World and Orchestral (and recently, the new Piano SRX-11) expansion ROMs, as well as an Edirol M100FX 10 channel mixer, for a few dollars under 2k. I freely admit to having a brief flirtation with the Fantom X after Roland announced the new operating system at Winter NAMM but quickly came to my senses after realizing the extra money involved! I am extremely satisfied with my purchase but wish there had been more options available, especially because I
truly dig arranger keyboards! Has anybody else experienced the same frustration?

Michael

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#172573 - 02/06/05 10:03 PM Re: Why I didn't buy an arranger keyboard...
renig Offline
Member

Registered: 02/20/00
Posts: 643
Loc: Canada
Your points are well taken but I doubt if many people here have experienced the same frustration as yourself.

Most of the folks on here are arranger players, so they're quite happy with their arrangers. 'Horses for courses,' isn't it? There seem to be two separate camps - arranger people and synth/workstation people. Almost a Hadfields and McCoys situation at times, I think. There are overlaps, of course, and no doubt you'll get some interesting replies from them.

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#172574 - 02/07/05 12:20 AM Re: Why I didn't buy an arranger keyboard...
rikkisbears Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6020
Loc: NSW,Australia
Hi
why not get arranger functions via software.
I did. http://www.1manband.nl/omb.htm

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by ocomain:
[B]
_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸

Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022

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#172575 - 02/07/05 01:23 AM Re: Why I didn't buy an arranger keyboard...
trident Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/22/04
Posts: 1457
Loc: Athens, Greece
Michael,
I believe that a PSR 3000 along with a decent mixer would probably fit the budget of 2K that you had, "limited" sound palette and all.
Anyway, most people her swear by One Man Band. Give it a try. I think you ;ll be amazed!

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#172576 - 02/07/05 06:39 AM Re: Why I didn't buy an arranger keyboard...
The Pro Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 07/09/02
Posts: 1087
Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
The arranger that fits your needs is the Yamaha 9000 Pro. It fits all the requirements you stated. The only problem is availability because they were discontinued a year ago, but they do pop up for sale on eBay or here by other forum members from time to time.
_________________________
Jim Eshleman

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#172577 - 02/07/05 07:00 AM Re: Why I didn't buy an arranger keyboard...
Bluezplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 11/10/00
Posts: 2195
Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY
I'm more in the same camp as you Michael, but I do have an arranger kb ( korg PA80 ). I find it to be a marvelous machine for me for playing live. It has a sampling option, but I don't use it, simply because it requires Smart Media Cards that have to be preprogrammed by Korg and are expensive to boot. It has voice editing functions that are on par with the average workstation. The PA80 isn't a very popular board for many of the forum users here, but I am just so used to it that it feels as if it is part of me when I play live. The comfort factor alleviates any jitters for me.

I use a Yamaha Motif ES, and several softsynths and samplers to make up the difference.

I use OMB as well, although I've had a few issues with it, mainly with style creation and adaptation for the Motif. I suspect though that this can be corrected, and it might possibly even be something in the Motif that is causing it. It works fine with softsynths, although I lose sonic quality at times, mainly because the softsynths I've used to this point are all GM modules. I also have used it with an old XG module, and it has worked fairly well. Playing it live isn't an issue though. It's quite simple to assign a few of the assignable knobs from the Motif to OMB, and I feel just as comfortable playing with it as I do with any arranger I've used.

I don't use my arranger at all for studio work, composing, or band work, except occasionally sometimes as a controller for a softsynth. The softsynths, samplers and Motif ES far outshine the PA80 sonically for me. I just don't see arrangers in their current state as an optimum tool for this kind of work, although Pro makes a good point that the 9000 pro might be an exception.

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 02-07-2005).]
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AJ

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