Do arranger keyboard players have a short attention span?

I'm asking because of how certain members keep changing keyboards. Today a must-have, tomorrow a must-go. What I really cannot comprehend is that's usually a tiny thng that doesn't please them which certainly can be improved by some tweaking and editing. Considering their knowledge of technology and experience in changing settings (editing and tweaking), it seems to me that perhaps their attention span must be very short. Mind you, I don't mean this post to be an attack, it's just that, given the short time they actually own the keyboard, it must be quite impossible to have such a dislike and can't wait to get rid of it. Changing several keyboards in a couple of months or even less really has me wondering. I always thought, still do, that it's the player that makes a keyboard sound great and not the other way round. The best keyboard in the wrong hands won't impress anyone. You can have all the SA, Mega voices and VSTs in the world, on their own they won't mean a thing. It's still the player that has to make them shine. So why this constant changing?

Wouldn't it also not be fairer, if those keyboards end up for sale on eBay, that the sellers post their dislikes or what they perceive as shortcomings as well instead of making it seem a very reluctant sale of their "beloved" keyboard?

Taike

sorry what did you say again?

see?

lol

Taike i really think the issue lies within the player...

person sees a new keyboard, listens to the demos done by the pros. Buys the keyboard, has a lot of fun listening to all the styles and sounds for a few weeks / months, then gets bored... buys another keyboard for the same reasons... gets bored and the cycle continues.

G1000..... over eight years. G70..... two years and counting......

Myself I do not change keyboards very often and 5 or 6 years being my past limits. I spend time with any new purchase and tweak it to make it my own preferences, but it has to be initially acceptable out of the box. I recently had an experience of buying a new board which as stated above had to go.

My present boards were PSR3000 + Korg Pa50 both excellent boards and both value for money. We attended a seven night keyboard festival recently and I was interested in the Pa800. In between the seven nights evening concerts I spent all seven nights on the Pa800 with my own reference headphones in quiet conditions on Korg display stand. By the end of the week I had decided that this was my next purchase by part-exing the 3K & Pa50.
The Pa800 was delivered 12 days later and I obtained that sinking about making the right choice and feeling to find that it did not sound the way as I remembered it, and again in the same conditions on my own reference headphones.
Just how much more can one do before a purchase. Even the low priced Pa50 inspired me to want to play it every day. The only true way is to have a keyboard at home for 2 to 3 days, only then can one be sure of its true potential

Anyone considering the Pa800 don't be put off with my remarks above, it is good value, it has a lot of option, it's well made and will possibly sound good to your ears...it's all personal.

The only explanation is my ears must have decided to go on holiday after the seven nights keyboard festival...

I too have been guilty of ditching a board before I found its true capabilities. Since I've explored the 3000 - I can see a keeper here for a long time. But I can assure it won't be my last one

What was the subject again?

zuki

Hi Graham
Has it got the very latest software version installed, (v 1.5 I think) as this is supposed to give a significant improvement.

Bill

heres another angle on it Taike.
The majority of arranger players are more mature (shall we say) and so they tend to have more disposable income than real strugling younger musicians. For them the purchase decision is not going to have any real impact upon their standard of living and they may not have had to sacrifice in the same way a young musician would have to in order to buy an instrument that costs the same as a small car !! So they can swap and change more freely simply because they can.

However i believe that this swaping and changing has a direct impact on their ability to create and improve their musicality because so much time is spent with their heads in a manual or asking questions about the basic operation of the instrument, saving registrations, transfering setups so that they can play the same old songs they played on their last instrument, trying to figure out how to make the latest toy do EXACTLY WHAT THEY TOOK 3 MONTHS TO MAKE THEIR LAST TOY DO ...... As a rsult arranger players tend to spend more time "tweaking" new instruments and "making it their own" rather than actually playing and developeing an affinity with the instrument. I cannot believe that anyone can have truly explored the potential of a modern day arranger in just a couiple of months let alone a few weeks.

I think some of the guys that play 5 or more jobs a week get tired of the same sounds,styles & songs and are looking for something to tweak their interest. I know I did when I was gigging, always looking for that new piece of gear to keep things interesting.


[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 05-23-2007).]

If you are bored with what your arranger does, turn off some of the parts and play them yourself. Then you don't have time to get bored....

Also, I've been to the websites of some of our most fevered 'what's new?-bies', to check out their demos, and trust me, a new arranger isn't going to fix THAT

No matter where you go (or what you play).... There you are.
-------------------------------------------------
I put my Chord Sequencer down for a minute,,,, Anyone see where it went?

Pretty bold statement Where's your website?

zuki

I played my G-1000 for 8 years and I still wouldn't part with it. I switched to a Tyros because of a good price and the lighter weight. I must admit after playing it for close to a year now, I love it. It's got a great OS and at some 300 gigs per year, it's easy to schlep around. I will probably play it for some time to come.

Joe

------------------
Songman55
Joe Ayala

Shoot the messenger?

Note that I said 'some'. You saying there aren't any? Or just getting defensive?

Defensive only for those who at least post their work

Graham,

The Master EQ in OS 1.5 which should be available by the end of June should allow you to adjust the sound to your liking. It is very possible that the Pa800 you tried at the festival had OS 1.5 installed since Korg have demonstrated the new OS since Musikmesse in March. This might be the reason that your Pa800 sounds different than the one at the festival.

I don't quite understand why we have have to wait until OS 1.5 to get the Master EQ. In my opinion it should be standard on every pro keyboard these days.

Kind regards,
Tommy

Yea, Mr. Music critic diki, where's your website? I don't have one but I ain't a music critic either.

Don't have one, don't need one (stay booked without it).

There are a few of my pieces (not many) at Roland-Arranger.com.

So, no-one actually wants to address the actual post, just attack back (even though they weren't criticized)?

The history of this site, and it's brutal honesty for member posted demos is well known. You start mobbing me for saying similar things, you'd better go back and revisit some other posters, too!

Huh,whats this "short attention span"..i've owned my 9000 since july '02,and refuse blatantly to..upgrade?..until yamaha releases something worthy.