Dean can do whatever he likes with his money. Of course he can !
No one Is saying any different. What the hell does how much money any of you have got to do with it ????

Money won't buy talent !

Dean said he was going to focus his energy on improving his performances and his playing ability. I simply suggested to him that it can be easier for him to do that using one instrument ,learning to use that one instrument rather switching between three and changing his workflow between three. I could not give a rats ass how much money any of you have Or how well off you are in your retirement .

Enjoy whatever you play Dean . Good luck

...but I can understand what Diki is saying. I have (3) boards and it would impossible to take even (2) to small hour gigs.

However, being able to record some sounds with the MOx6 and my P-155 (which has the best and fullest sounding piano in the mix) and make an mp3 will be great. This way, I have my own arrangements still (I abhor midi file playing - sorry) and can use the PA900 live that way too.

When I retire, I'm sure to have the time on hand to master several arrangers and take whichever I choose - to this, I say great job Deane!

Personally, I prefer to have just the one arranger, especially now that I'm not gigging and don't need a backup.

With only the one, you tend to dig deeper into it's features, and, of course, it does simplify things in the long run.

If I do ever add another keyboard, it won't be another arranger, nor will it be from the same company, as I want contrasting and/or complimentary sounds to the Yamaha set.

I do, however, feel that Deane's way is every bit as valid. Variety is the spice of life.

Ian

I guess I look at an arranger keyboard a bit differently than some forum members here. I really don't mind playing some of the same songs day after day, mainly because I love the response those songs bring from my audiences - young and old. I love it when an 80-year-old grandmother sings at the top of her lungs "Ride Sally Ride" when I play Mustang Sally. She's having fun and I'm having fun.

My musical goal, ever since I was a snot-nosed kid fresh out of the Navy and playing a 12-string guitar in a smoke-filled redneck bar, has been to learn at least one new song every week. For the most part, I've been able to do that. Sure there are weeks when I don't learn one new song, but then there are some weeks when I learn 2 two or three. Some take me longer to master, some I never seem to master, but I get the job done.

I never seem to get bored with any keyboard I've owned, especially the Yamahas. Over the years I've accumulated more than 50,000 third party style files, many of which are song specific, and many of which are original products created by some of the best style makers on the planet. Consequently, each time I download and get emailed a batch of new styles, the very first thing I do is sit down at the keyboard and go through each of them, one at a time, evaluate their quality, and try to figure which song they would go best with.

Then there are friends, such as Don Mason, and many others, that hit me with challenges to learn a song. So far, I've managed to meet those challenges, but there have been some, such as Merry Christmas Darling, that were a real struggle. I posted two lousy renditions before I posted one acceptable rendition. Uncle Dave did a fantastic job with this one. Most players, those who sing, would never attempt this particular song, but for the life of me I don't know why.

As for creating your own arrangement from scratch, I've done that many times, and I believe a lot of pro players here have as well. It's a long, tedious process that can take days or weeks to get it right, and only a wrong push of a button to loose all that work in the blink of an eye. Damned I hate when that happens!

Most of the time, though, I can quickly go through my massive style collection and find a style that is very suitable for a specific song. Ironically, there was another player at one of my jobs a couple weeks ago and he thought I was playing to backing tracks or a midi file when I performed about a dozen songs. After the job he asked if that were the case. When I told him that they were all live, he was flabbergasted. I copied the style files to his USB thumb drive and he was happy as a clam. Now he could play them live as well on his Tyros2. I talked with him a couple days ago and sent him a few thousand style files to play with - he said it was just like getting a new keyboard.

I'm currently going through the Tyros5 styles, all of which sound fantastic on the S-950 as well. I have to redo the OTS settings on most because those voices are not on my keyboard, but the styles themselves really sound great and I'm already applying some to new songs. So, as far as I'm concerned, getting those T5 onboard styles, at least to me, was just like someone giving me a T5 for Christmas.

Cheers,

Gary

My thoughts exactly ... who is ANYONE to tell someone else what they should be doing regarding KBs ? ... as long as the individual is enjoying it and the audience is enjoying it, "it's all good" ...
I use to have a KB for every day of the week - it was an accordion !!! - (no comment needed, chas) ... now I have an accordion, a cordovox, a Fender Rhodes, a technics kn6000, a Pa600 and a Pa900 !!! -(WOW, how the heck did that happen?!?!?) ... one more and I WILL have one FOR EVERY day of the week ...

Bernie said it best. It truly breaks up the boredom and provides many hours of fun in the process. I'am not looking for that "perfect" keyboard - it doesn't exist.
I like the variety.

Deane

Hey Tony, about that accordion........never mind.



chas

I tried that angle with my wife....she didn't go for it

Are you sure, Fran? You may never know.

Gary

The best way to alleviate boredom is by concentrating on what you PLAY, not a constant, ever changing rotation of expensive gear...

But that is the EASIEST way, if all you want to do is hear something different while you keep doing the same thing, over and over again.

But the major drawback to it, as far as I can see is that, for every tune you play, you know have to work out THREE different setups, styles, lead sounds, and songlists. Every minute spent doing that is a minute NOT spent learning new tunes or improving your technique.

Add to that, each arranger does something better than each other one. So, do you do a song, knowing it is not going to be your best version when you find yourself on a gig with a request for it and you don't have the optimum arranger on hand? Or do you plow on, and essentially demonstrate that you CAN adapt to whatever you are using..?

No-one is telling Deane what he can't or should do, we are merely trying to point out that he is tripling his workload for the same result. Seems like a lot of work to alleviate boredom, when simply learning a bunch more tunes would do the same!