Spot on Tony,
one doesn’t have to have registrations or song lists , but facility is there for those who want it.

"I think it depends on the level of 'sophistication' one wants in their playing ... If one is familiar with the styles, and just wants to 'play', then it shouldn't be all that difficult ... It's when players are modifying styles to fit certain songs that it becomes more of a painstaking process." Tony Mads

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I hear what you're all saying, but....why....would you want to go through all this?

I don't think I ever mentioned my basic history. Been playing arrangers since 1980. Been doing nothing but parties, events, corporate, weddings, etc. Then, somewhere around 1990. I auditioned to play this large shopping mall and ended up being there every Saturday for 10 years. Then I spent two (lucrative) years playing in Saks Fifth Ave. My point being...I never dealt with registrations, orchestrations, manipulations etc. I just decided what style I wanted to play to what song, set the tempo on the digital readout and away I went...only adding "fills" on the fly (to spice up the song). Otherwise, I don't think it would have made a hill of beans difference to those who stopped to watch me play whether I set the song up or not. Actually, it would have impeded me since I go from one song into another.

But I do understand those of you who want to customize a tune....get it down just the way you want to hear it. There's nothing wrong with that. For myself, I made the decision years ago to spend more time practicing and learning/studying music and only learning the basics on each keyboard I went through.

BTW...that's the way it was for all the players back in the 80s and 90s. How many of you think we should go back to that pre-technology period? That's why I haven't touched my PA3x since I bought it. I'd rather spend the time working on music productivity than pouring through manuals 24/7.

Please note that I'm NOT knocking anyone's approach to their keyboard. I'm a dedicated subscriber to "different strokes for different folks!"

You've answered your question in full...

I just spent a few minutes going over all the responses here. I think Gary summed it up nicely. Yes, now I get it.

To be fair to me though, I spent the first two decades (from the birth of the magic keyboard in the 80s) with just the arranger basics: style and tempo some fills and an intro and ending. The keyboards didn't do what they do today. We never thought in those days about dressing up a song. All we knew is ....hit the start button and "take the song and play the heck out of it!"