What is a Workstation ?

What's a workstation? what can you do with it? what do people use it for? I own an arranger. I want to know what a worstation and an arranger can do together. Thanks for your time.

See the Yamaha demo videos at: http://www.yamaha-europe.com/yamaha_euro...ovies/index.php


Armando

No offense, claudiu, but don't you have a local music store to answer these questions? Or musician friends?

A quick demo in a store will do more than a pageful of writing here to clear up your confusion.

i don't have musician friends in the USA. And i don't go often to the store. Why would i .. ? I go there only when i wanna buy a product.

they showed me a demo - but what does a workstation and what does an arranger ? arranger makes you the negatives and the workstation electronic music.. ? house trance.. ? that's what i saw.

Hi,
a workstation is basically a synthesizer with a sequencer included, plus it can have additional functions, like arpeggiators, loops etc. You can create midifiles/songs in them. They do not have styles built in , like arranger keyboards do.
So if you want something that plays styles in realtime like your VA7, a workstation won't do it.
The last workstation I had was the Korg O1W, but that was many years back, the modern ones probrably do a bit more.

best wishes
rikki

Thank you rikki !

Ok - Thanks - Now i know what a workstation is - Now please tell me what can it do ? what styles ? Please be more specific - BTW - I hace a thick skull. what can i do with a workstation ? I don't know what sequence is and all that. Best wishes !

Hi Claudiu,
your VA76 has styles that give you your automatic accompaniment when your press a chord with your left hand, you'll hear bass, drums, guitar etc in the rythm of your choice, be it rock, pop, waltz, bigband etc.

If you hit the RECORD button in your VA76, you can record your performance & save it to zip or disk, this is called sequencing. You can then also go further & edit your performance in the sequencer & save it, and play it back or whatever.

A work station doesn't have styles like your VA76 has. If you decide you want to record a performance, you have to record each track individually ie you have to play the bass part, then you have to record the drum parts etc you more or less build up your song track by track and you have to know what notes you want to play. This is multitrack sequencing.

The above is a very simplified explanation,


My understanding is some of the newer workstations have loops ( musical phrases) that you can use in your songs. These are not the same thing as styles in an arranger keyboard.

It really depends on what type of music you play and what you really want it for ie to play styles ( workstations don't) , to sequence, ( workstations usually have very good sequencers) to use for melody sounds. ( workstations usually have a good variety of sounds)
Personally I don't have a workstation anymore because I need the styles from an arranger type keyboard for my songs. I don't have the musical ability to to record a song from scratch ie know what the bass player, plays, or create a good drum part etc

best wishes
Rikki




[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 10-24-2005).]

Thank you for answering. BTW - You can "sequence" with the roland va-76 arranger, too - using the 16 track sequencer. Recording each sound and then putting them together. I know what an arranger can do. I will use the arranger for playnig at weddings - my question is - If i'm using the arranger at weddings, do I need a workstation? My friend is gonna play, too, with me and i thought to buy him a workstation because a workstation and an arranger may comple each other and they're really good for live performances. So If i have the arranger for weddings, do i need a workstation too? just to sound better and stuff. Thanks again.

Easier - An arranger has styles in it - and a workstation doesn't - That's the only difference. The arranger has the styles and on the workstation you have to create them. But the workstatoin has the arpeggiator - and other features and effects. so these 2, will complete each other perfectly. One has something that the other one doesn't.

am i right ?

yes you are basically

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jam on,
Terry
http://www.musicchops.com/forums/

just basically ? that's a step forward LOL i'm proud. So i can buy the Motif 6, or ES6, OR ES7 besides the roland va-76 arranger because they complete each other.

Hi Claudiu,
why don't you wait and familiarize yourself a bit more with your VA76. It has a lot of unctions that you're probably not even aware of including a sampler that plays loops. Can't remember what they call it.
If I'm not mistaken, you have another keyboard anyway, why not give that to your friend to play for the time being, till you decide what it is that you want or need.
best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by claudiu:
[B]just

Good idea - My friend says the same thing - learn to do the stuff with my arranger and after that think about -> a workstation or something - but first - familiarize with my arranger - Thanks for the advice ! Anyway - i don't know what he can do with a Casio - WK-3500 !!!