Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

That is a great idea, Fran...see, it's just a tool...some will never use it, and some will find creative uses for it that others wouldn't even dream of.

And as far as open minds go, yours is about as open as a mind can get.

Maybe a BK-9 is in your future after all?

I know I'll feel much better about the instrument if you bought one, as I found it very strange to see you pass on an instrument, not just made by your favorite manufacturer, but that also receives excellent reviews from two SZ members, both pro players like yourself.

I think Deane's (Hammer's) BK-9 is still up for sale.

Ian

I guess there's something I'm just not seeing, or reading into this. I would think you could just record a midi file and loop it like a multi-pad and end up with the same results. Same holds true with a looping audio file.

What I also believe is that not having this feature wouldn't be a deal breaker of whether or not someone would purchase a particular arranger keyboard. Maybe I'm wrong!

Cheers,

Gary

As I said in my post Gary, "Would I sacrifice what my present arranger does already, to have to buy another brand or model to get that particular feature?

Nope.

In other words, it wouldn't be THE reason I would buy or not purchase a particular keyboard...the way the instrument sounds is the most important aspect to me...the instrument could have all kinds of extra features, including a chord sequencer, but if the sound doesn't totally please my ears, or the instrument doesn't feel good under my fingers, I'd have no trouble passing on it.

I think the aspect that people are focusing on with the chord sequencer is being able to record the chord changes in a verse or chorus while playing the tune, and then when it comes time to solo, you press "Play" and it does the progression over and over...it only records the notes in the chords you played and the space between them.

On playback you can change styles, tempo, Variations, fills and even the key. When you are done soloing, you hit the button and go back in the song at the end of the loop.

I think Fran's use is very interesting and a clever way of using it to test out song styles and feels.

Also, I could be wrong, but I don't think Fran would buy a BK-9 solely for the chord sequencer...the sound and feel are probably higher on his priority list as well.

Ian

A chord sequencer is an awesome tool to free up your left hand and either play a paino part with both hands or use both hands to controll an SA or DNC instruments solo.. Or just to have a drink with your left hand...

Its an awesome tool and its fun to use.... Its currently korg that has several of these tools build in as they aim at the pro players and their DNCs need much more controll then the Yamaha SA2 voices...

Do i need it? Well, do i need an arranger at all as i can play on top of midi and song files?

Gary, I had to have one to play my sax and my i30 has the best of any. I didn't have to record all 15 or more choruses to play some of the blues chord charts that all serious jazz players perform.

I said this before but I don't think anyone is getting it. I record the first 8 bars copy and paste them for the next 8 bars and just change the turn around for the bridge It's different then the first turn a round 99% of the time.

Then I paste the first 8 bars again after the bridge and I have one complete song. Then I can copy the whole tune and paste it for as many choruses as I need. After a few tunes of course with many chords plus passing chords I could still do a tune in under an hour. I could do a three chord tune in 5 minutes. Ha ha!

On a gig, all I need is my keyboard speakers mic etc. Sing and play a few tunes. Switch the sequencer on (No Laptop or any other gear necessary) stand, pick up my sax and jam with the sequence.

After your question, I finally understand why no one here could understand what I was looking for or had any clue of what I needed when I was shopping a keyboard that could do everything. The i30.

With the keyboards of that time, I would have had to record all 5 or 6 choruses of "All The Things You Are" without any mistakes. There's not a player here on the forum that could do that unless Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner or maybe a Bill Evans is hiding here. Ha ha.

None of the arrangers of that time could copy and paste like the i30. I could even go back where I might need to fix a wrong chord and just record that one chord in the middle of the tune effortlessly.

Y'all still don't get it, right? Maybe Diki, I said maybe Diki gets it and maybe he doesn't get it and that's OK Diki. You really need to be a solo instrumentalist who desperately wants to be a OMB to have to do it for yourself to get it. Even a hi-tech expert may not be able to grasp the concept. It does not, or I am not implying that y'all are stupid. The point of this is it is comparable to supply and demand. If you want to, the need is there and you do this, you will understand.

Read Frans' post 50 times and it will help you to understand, maybe.
Don't forget I only played the sax but knew chord theory. I had to learn to play the chords with my left hand, learn the keyboard and the lyrics and figure out this all out from scratch.

Here a short list of things you can ONLY do with a CS in arranger mode...

Play another instrument.
Play another keyboard.
Solo using the bender like you would if you DIDN'T have to play the chords.
Solo and use the synth knobs or sliders to mess with the sound.
Play the head with simple chords, then play full piano and get REALLY 'outside' without screwing up the chord recognition.
Set it to vamp, and go out into the crowd.
Scratch your arse, while STILL playing 'Peaches en Regalia'!

I've always said, generally it is a feature for the better player. If all you can do right now is simple chords and a simple melody, it doesn't make much sense (but it COULD help you develop a lot more skills...). But if you have a very strong LH (pretty much wasted inputting the same rote chords over and over again), or well developed soloing skills using the pitch and mod wheels, or want to try more outside stuff that the chord recognition isn't happy dealing with, it can open some pretty big doors.

Don't forget, the CS can be anything from a two chord vamp, to the entire verse and chorus of a song, to the whole darn thing (especially if your arranger allows the CS to be saved, and loaded)!

I am actually having more fun playing in arranger mode than I have had for ten years. Now I have my CS back, I am not quite as tempted to make an SMF of the arranger doing the backing for a song, so I can play with TWO hands! I can solo as strongly in arranger mode as I can over an SMF...

It isn't a MUST HAVE... But you sure miss it when you don't have it, if you have the skills to use it.