What is or was your favorite arranger of all time!

Mine is Solton MS50 & Korg ix300 and yours?

Yamaha PSR-8000 and PSR-S900.

Ian

Yamaha Psr-8000 and Tyros2

Eric

Thats easy..........

It HASN'T BEEN Made YET!!!

The arranger that I was content with the longest...Roland G1000...

The current arranger that answers all the bells for me today..Roland G70..

Solton MS 60. Still using two of them today...14 years, still working great!

Russ

The KN7000, it was one-of-a-kind.

John C.

The question should be why DON'T You still Have your favorite arranger KB of all time still?

Donny, One word, Technology.
The sequencer in the KN7000 was ahead of it’s, it is better than the one in my S900. The brasses and Big Band are great. In all other areas Technology left the KN7000 far behind.

I am no longer playing gigs but my desire for a new great keyboard has not diminished – I’m waiting for a new whatever which turns me on.

John C.

My Wersi Abacus, which I have had for about 4 or 5 years, and which I will probably still have 10, 15, 20 years (And probably more) from now, when it will probably still be one of the most advanced arrangers out there.(All voices sound modelled, as samples will have been consigned to history)

Bill

G70

Toss up between G1000 (with it's chord sequencer) and the G70 (with it's amazing sound).

At least it's nice to STILL be playing my favorite

Definitely the KN7000 for me.. Stuff I recorded on that still sounds better than anything I've done on either Tyros.

My current one - the kn6000 .....
t.

Me !!!!!
and whatever i play

KN6500
PSR-S900

Roland G800 ! Bought it in 1996 in Germany; it flew with me to the USA; sold it in 2003, but the guy managed to brake it in half after having it for a month!

That G800 made me a ton of money and survived a lot of drinks!
I miss it very much!


[This message has been edited by hitman (edited 05-27-2008).]

I actually find myself agreeing with you..!!

My favourite hasn't been made, I am just using the ones to now as temps!!!

Dennis

Dennis exactly............I predict at least another 20 years to even get close to what will be close to perfect. They will just drag us along year after year with little tidbits, leaving out this & that, & never putting it all in one complete package. Its all about making money first.

hmmm. My favorite arranger has 'always been' the one I own at any given time. If a given arranger doesn't best meet my personal performance requirements, I'd return/sell it right away (within 30 days).

The only reason I'd move/upgrade to another arr keyboard is if: "significant" improvements and/or new features are added of which I believe would substantially benefit my performance, and/or the audience's appreciation of it.

My current arrranger kb favorite remains Tyros2.

- Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 05-27-2008).]

Generall Music WX2...

It sounded better then the competition and allready had most feautures of todays top arrangers.


Its the only thin i never should have sold.

Hi,
in it's day, KN7000 was my favourite up till that time. Luved all 15 or so ( lost count) that I had up till that period, but the KN7 was outstanding.
Currently my Korg PA800.
If they were still making Technics, it would probably be a toss up.
best wishes
Rikki

Red Nichols, Duke Ellington, Don Redman, Billy Mays, Quincy Jones, Andre Previn, John Lewis, Billy Strayhorn.

chas

I never played a GM arranger that I liked....it just didnt have the goods.

Ha Ha...good one, Chas...I must say, I do agree with you.

Ian

I feel fortunate in having had the best for my needs, except the Wersi perhaps. The KN7000 is a great board, and I still have it. The PA-800 was a fine instrument also, but I had to choose between it and the G-70. The G-70 and KN7000 are both my favorites in a different way.

Stick to my KN7000 (have also the KN5000) until technics one of these days brings out a new masterpiece.

Sadly that shall never happen....

Well, that would be a miracle, but most likely only wishful thinking ....
or??

I loved all my Technics kboards, but KN3000 & KN5000 are the no.1's i.m.h.o.
and that's why I never bought a KN6 or 7k, did not find any big reason to
change as long as KN5 did what I wanted it to do.

Now it's Ketron SD1 and Roland G-70 who compete, and when it comes to just
sit down (or stand) play "as it is", Ketron are the winner.
Anyway.... keep the new kboards coming, who knows, someday " the ultimate
arranger kboard for my ears and way of use will be born.
Maybe a new Techtron or a Kethnics would knock out the rest??

Happy Playing, whatever kboard!
GJ

Well for me its the PA1X. 4 years on and i still play till early in the morning most evenings with a silly grin on my face. (Actually that cant be too healthy !!)

I'd have to say the G 1000. It's still my go to board for recording. I must admit though, I really like my Tyros out on the road. It does everything I need it to do and then some, and it's easy to haul around. I'm still like a kid in a candy store with any decent arranger.

Ciao,

Joe

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

I'd have to say Ketron X-1.

There have been a few that were far ahead of their time. These include Technics KN2000 and Yamaha PSR8000.
Now, unless or until the other companies catch up with the Ketron "live" sound, I will play them.
Before some of us go crazy, I KNOW the sound is very subjective. I also know I'm right.

DonM

Can't get any more "live" than the PA800 Don - you must've had a lemon, that's all I can say - same on my end

The Wersi Abacus is the best arranger I've heard or used so far but I'd still love to see many more features implemented. The great part of the OAS system is the ability to continually add features and sounds without having to buy a new keyboard every few years. I've watched the Wersi grow in leaps and bounds and it's miles ahead of anything I've owned from Yamaha, Korg, Roland, and Technics. Even if the "Big Three" come out with an open system arranger Wersi is years ahead of them in R&D. It's hard to catch up when your miles behind in the race.

It's always just a matter of time before the answers to a simple question turn into a "mine is better that yours" dialogue.

Some people are so predictable.

Ian

PS...I know, I know...I'm sometimes guilty as well.

But Ian WE all know which is the BEST Arranger don't we?

Yep...usually the one WE have/had...
Ian

Yes ......or, the one that has Everything we need but Never use !

Still curious why anyone would move off a 'favorite' to something else...

By definition, if you are not playing your favorite now, you gave it up for something you like LESS. Why would anyone want to do this?

You don’t know what you got until its gone, and then find out the grass is not always greener over the hill, so consequently you wish you had never moved.

Bill

Presumably because they were swayed either by some person or persons on fora such as this or, most likely, by manufacturer's blurb which turned out to be not quite up to expectations.

Everyone makes mistakes... But one realises the mistake when its to late.

Hi Diki,
mine was the KN7000. Technics stopped producing.
I prefer a brand with a future. When I get round to updating my Korg, hopefully all the styles I've collected & created will work on the next generation of Korg , they'll probably need tweaking, but all would not be lost.
Didn't see much future in continuing on with Technics, even though I owned 6 of them over the years.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Diki:
[B]Still curious why anyone would move off a 'favorite' to something else...

So very true.

This is definitely in my case. I got the 800 and gave up too quickly because of my heavy play load and time constraints on learning a new OS. However, the little time I had it was impressive. After a coule weeks gone and playing my PAST board, I realized I needed to get the 800 back and make it work - I am so very glad I did

I cannot see going any other route at this time.

I find this to be a simple answer[in my case]...The G1000 was my favorite for what it did...Why I changed?...Added features that I needed ..other than sound/styles/and get around convenience...I needed a mic input and harmonizer with effects.[of high quality]....carrying the Digitech etc was not the answer....The G70 was...

Now it would take a doozy of a board to make me sway from the G70..they haven't made it yet..

I'll agree.....


ONLY the size & weight made me sell my G70 nothing else swayed my reason....its a SUPER arranger all around.

I have to haul my G70 up a double flight of stairs today..same with my Roland Cubes...Where are the elevator law enforcers..

Well, for you Roland fans, it sure would be nice if the company wised up and made the next G-series a lot lighter.

Seems mostly everyone dumped the G70 because it was too heavy.

Can't say I blame them.

Ian

Ian I hope Roland is READING & LISTENING to the public outcry on this and really looking into the weight issue & bring it down to a comfortable transportable unit for the everyday in the trenches performer. Otherwise they already have most features down pat!

I hope they are too, Donny...even though I wouldn't purchase a G70 for other reasons as well as weight, I'm sure there were many fans of the instrument that became frustrated with hauling it around.

Ah well, we'll see if they are listening if and when the new G-series arrives.

Ian

Ian please elaborate further ....what didn't you like on the G70?

In all fairness, the G70 isn't THAT much heavier than previous G-series arrangers. About four or five pounds over the G1000, if I remember correctly.

A keybed that good (read heavier) and a stiff enough case to support it that well (no flex is good on a heavy action) will dictate at least a certain weight, without any of the electronics taken into account. And lets face it, the 40 or so lbs. of the G1000 (and about the same for the G800) didn't stop it from being one of the most popular arrangers of it's day...

But, yes, shaving the weight back to the G1000 level would be welcome, but I would insist on NO compromise on the action or stiffness of frame, otherwise you are in the 'toy' quality that a lot of Yamaha products are. No offense, but I shudder at having to spend years on those things, despite the OS and SA voices. Just like a car, where the rubber meets the road is one of the most critical areas for high performance. Ask any real piano player... there's a huge difference between a good piano and a bad one, action-wise.

IMO, same thing applies to electronic keyboards...

I love my toy!

Best money I ever spent, and worth every penny.

May you all be as lucky.

Ian the Smitten

Ian but that doesn't answer my question on the G70....
I also enjoy the S900 to a point & make it work with workarounds & wish it had a few changes like a better VH & transpose Save MFD....but I was referring the G70 which is a killer arranger just a bit heavy...I really think Roland can trim down the weight without any loss to features/key bed etc & probably will add & change some more features on the next model for sure...there are a few lighter weight very durable plastics they can use for sure for the body.

Let me put it this way, Donny...it all boils down to the sound...for the same reason there are those who love the sound of the G70, there are those of us who favor the Yamaha sound.

Don't get me wrong, the G70 is a nice arranger...but it doesn't have the sound that I want to hear...and conversely, Yamaha doesn't have the sound that Roland fans want to hear.

Just slightly different tastes, and all very subjective.

Ian

Thank You for your thoughtful answer it is appreciated & solidifies the confusion.

Sorry to hear you're confused...I know I'm not...I know what I like, very definitely.

Ian

I think the main difference between Yamaha and Roland has a lot to do with what and how you are playing...

Yamaha, IMO, is exceptionally good at doing background music, music that isn't 'in your face', grab your attention stuff. Roland, OTOH, have a VERY 'live', 'look at me' kind of sound, and doesn't do polite, polished stuff as well.

How each of these work for you depends VERY much on the venues and types of music you play. I would certainly have a harder time playing background stuff with my G70, and (strictly my opinion) I would have a hard time getting the Yamaha to grab the audience's attention the way the G70 does. It isn't just a question of volume, it's just how much 'snap' and attack and dynamics the Roland's drums have. Great for forefront, not so good for background...

Different strokes....

Anyway, somehow we all manage to make them work for us, and that's what's important

Its obvious to me that when you compare build quallity of T2 and G70 that Roland is aiming at live performers and Yamaha at home players...

You just can't compare those two things... Yamaha has a very clean naturall almost CD like sound. Roland has a phat[but still less naturall to my ears ] sound to cut its way on stage solo or in a band.

Don’t forget the title of the thread.

Bill

Just for my own knowledge i searched for some keyboard weights...

Roland E80 22,5 kg
Roland G70 20,5 kg
Korg PA2X 18 kg
Wersi Abacus KS1 18 kg
Ketron SD5 17 kg
Yamaha Tyros 2 15,5 kg
Korg PA 800 13,3 kg
Roland E60 13 kg
Yamaha PSR S900 11,5 kg

------------------------------

Some extra info on synths and stage piano's to compare :

Roland Phantom G8 32 kg
Roland Phantom G7 16,5 kg
Roland Phantom G6 14,5 kg
Roland Phantom X7 14,5 kg
Korg Oasys 76 25.7 kg
Korg Oasys 88 32.1 kg
Yamaha Motif XS 7 17 kg
Yamaha Motif XS 6 28,6 kg
Yamaha S90ES 22 kg

Roland RD700GX 25,6 kg
Kawai MP 8 II 35 kg
Yamaha CP300 32,5 kg

Roland V-synth GT 13.8 kg
Korg Radias 8.7 kg

-----------------------------------


Its obvious that ROland can build lighter 76 key arrangers that are very stable, just have a look at phantom G7 thats only 1 kg heavier then Yamaha T2

I think the Korg PA2X is at a nice weight for a sturdy 76 key arranger. While the Roland E80 is a bit to heavy for a 61 key arranger.

Only the G70 out of all those contemporary keyboards has Roland's TOTL action (IMO!). FantomG has a far more regular action. Just the weight and feel of the keys themselves is heavier than FantomX/G, and would add a fair bit to the overall weight...

It still amazes me that Roland don't use that action on the FantomG7. The best 76 on the planet! AFAIK, Roland have only used that action on one other type keyboard... the long out of production A70 controller (still one of the best MIDI controllers ever made).

Mya favorite waza da Lone Arranger.
http://tinyurl.com/3sqhag

Jerry

Hi-Yo Silver — A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo
Silver … the Lone Ranger!
With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of
the plains led the fight for law and order in the early West. Return with us now to those
thrilling days of yesteryear. The Lone Ranger rides again!

Appearing soon at a Yamaha dealer near you.

Uh, I'm guessing no TV reception up you way, eh Ian?

chas

Ha Ha...actually I've never been much of a TV watcher...don't have cable, and only use my TV for my video car racing game.

Rather be playing my keyboard.

Love radio...especially CBC Radio Canada...great jazz programs, and nice mix of other music.

I still remember the Lone Ranger on the radio, although I was quite young at the time...now I'm just immature.

Ian

As are we all, else why would all be here, fighting the same old unwinnable battles, day after boring day. At least I have an excuse; I'm retired, have too much time on my hands, and no friends (except Fran).



chas

And me, Chas. We're pretty much "joined at the hip" on almost every issue!

Be well!


R.

Both of you are WAY too 'hip' for here

Actually, I enjoy the diversity on this board; from near-genius intellect to a handful that thinks 'Roe vs. Wade' has something to do with Washington crossing the Delaware.

chas

Glad I'm neither of those

Me, I thought Roe vs. Wade was Bush's options for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina...

... careful, people.

Whaddyu trying to say, Dave? Are you accusing me, Diki, and Ian, of straying off topic? I resemble that allegation.

chas

I reassemble that allegory...

Nice to have a thread everyone can learn something from