How Much of YOUR Arranger KB DON'T You Use?

Honestly I would have to say at least 50% of the features &
75% of the sounds & on-board styles I never use. I just pick & choose out of all features within and only use what I need to perform and create music for my needs. If I record backing tracks or some studio work then I dig in a little more to use the editing tools available.
I know there is so much more inside and will probably never have a use for it, but if I don't really need what I seldom use although I know how. How about you?

I'd say I use a bit more than you do but as I learn new things it expands my ideas for future use. IE: Chord Sequencer. Never paid much attention to it but now I'm thinking of a way to use it when I want to focus on some audience participation.

I basically use some factory styles the rest third party for so many reasons.....I use about 20 GOTO sounds total...features Vocal processor for small gig setups otherwise I use FX in my Mixers,, VH2 very little, KB lyric readout very seldom when needed...otherwise my Laptop, Mp3 player again small gigs otherwise my Laptop, style creator to tweak and change parts, sounds, etc, Mixing console for EQ, etc,..that's basically it as the S950 and mostly all of the arrangers out today don't have what I personally need navigationaly on-board at this time that would make me use more of its features.....each company makes something the other doesn't have & believe me I've tried almost all of them.....so you weigh YOUR needs and with some good "workarounds" choose your instrument and go play it! I hope things change quick while I'm still on this earth....
just sayin"

I use 100 percent of the features on the G70..there is nothing that I avoid...everything works as I would expect, and what it does, it does as well as I get from the laptop..

Sure there are styles I do not use, I am not interested in Trance, Rap or a lot of ethic styles...They don't fit my needs..

I can't think of a single feature I do not use when needed..
It could be the sequencer, harmonizer,guitar mode,singer key range,effects both for instruments and master,drawbars, synth editing, separate outs,crossfades,and velocity switching,3 zone splits,SMF with markers,all editing tools (make up and cover, eq,etc),expansion boards (SRX), USB for transfer of data and also USB midi..External storage,Playlist,style list, Program (user)list, search features for SMF,Style and User program...Song indexes,...D-beam for controls and sounds..
All 76 keys..Left hand bass, slash chord, Full piano mode...Accompanient "off" buttons..

Like I said..I use everything..why not, I know I have them...and they work, and work great..

I use everything atleast once.... And try to figure out how to use all features.... But some for some styles i can never find a song to play with them... And while i assume i havent used all sounds as solo parts, i asume i used most of them in styles

But since i dont sing, the one thing i never use myself is the vocal harmoniser

Fran with all those great features your describing why is it that more people aren't still using the G70 anymore?, age?, features?....
I had one as you know ...I enjoyed it for a while,....but certain things just didn't fit my needs,...and that is aside from how heavy it was The Bk series I had the Bk5 is no match for the G70 IMO...Roland really dropped the ball not making a TOTL lighter version updated version of the G70 with a touch screen and all the newer features the G70 didn't have back in the day..buy hey to each his own...we all do it different Pro or Home Player.

I'm not saying I never tried everything on-board at least once, but if it don't fit into MY needs I'm done with it and move on,.....also if something comes out to market that can do it for me BETTER I certainly will get it and continue my musical journey!
Nuff Said!

I use drum patterns and drum breaks. I use right hand internal sounds 40% of the time. I use automatic bass line about 50% of the time, after a free-hand intro, using manual bass.

This is more reflective of my style than the equipment. Lead lines are from a 2nd (or third) keyboard.


R.

Now you start to sound like that grumpy friend of mine that only uses the same ten right hand sounds time after time... Because according to him, they are the best...


Personally i prefer playing with the not so usefull stuff untill it fits my needs...
Needless to say, that we obviously are two very different abusers of our keys

Grumpy? hardly my friend...I always think of my arranger as my band on stage ....6 or 7 pieces.....
which becomes 6 or 7 sounds playing together,........that said those 6 or 7 sounds are almost always the same but they are great 6 or 7 sounds Plus add lead vocals & harmony that creates the live band sound for my needs,... although for certain songs I'll throw in a few more to create the mood.... I can do anything with my 10 or so solo RH goto and 30 styles, no need for all the others in my world..

less is more.

Awareness..is the question...Most folks are not even aware what their keyboard can and cannot do...

Here is an example...Folks that are close minded to using SMF's...not much different from styles (sequences)..How many even know what markers are, let alone that their keyboard has them...allowing a very similar play to their beloved style play...but frees up both hands to play way more than with styles..(with the exception of piano mode)..

I disagree, at one third the price of the G70, the BK5 is a heck of a keyboard...There is no way you could get a handle of the BK5 after less than a week

Heck, I am a smart guy and I even learned things after a couple months

Good points Fran....none the less pros like us know within a week or less if a KB will fill your needs....I always get anxious & want to love them....but that usually fades quickly...

don't have time to dilly dally and move on no big deal it's only another piece of gear.

I'd say I use pretty much everything on the arranger, and even though I don't sing a great deal, I use the vocal harmonizer/processor for vocoding my little Yamaha CS-01 analog synthesizer, and, of course, processing other instruments as well. It's there if I have guest vocalist or someone who wants to record a song and I spent time learning how it works and how to use its many features like compression, delays, harmonies to name only a few.

As Fran said above, many folks aren't even aware of the capabilities of their mid to top line arranger.

Lately I've been having fun with my own home-made FreePlay styles and enjoying not having to play to a fixed tempo...especially good for orchestral/symphonic type music or just plain improvising on a simple theme.

Having an arranger is like having a studio packed with a huge variety of instruments and players, the latter being prepared to play at a moment's notice no matter what the hour.

Ian

I find the direct internet connection on my Tyros3 of very little value to me.

Jerryghr

I don't use the vocal harmoniser at all. I rarely use the sampler although it has been useful at times earlier on in my musical development. I use the sound editing features quite extensively to tweak existing sounds but rarely create anything from scratch. I don't use any Of the easy chord recognition functions, I play almost exclusively piano start using the entire keyboard. I rarely use the one touch settings.


There is probably still a good 30 to 40% of the potential of my instrument that I have not used or tried to apply in a musical setting

I'm a techie sort of guy....or at least think I'm a techie sort of guy.

From what I can tell....I've probably tapped into about 50% of what my S950 and Tyros 4 can do...and that's with a lot of time on the OS of each.

My guess is also that I've tapped into less than 50% of what my outboard computing systems and recording systems can do.

Rog

Just because all these features are inside doesn't mean you have to use them all to enjoy your Arranger KB...
we all play differently, have all kinds of playing technics, needs & wants, not all features interest everyone but at least they are there if you choose to use them to an extent....even with all the drawbacks and things you might wish to have on-board someday Arranger KB's are still very amazing instruments for those who choose to play them..
There is no right or wrong, however you use it is good enough. And remember down the road soon enough another model will come out tempting your Ego, Psych, Abilities & Pocketbook again & again.

have fun !!

I have utilized just about every feature on the S-950 and all previous keyboards, and still use most of them during every performance. I've modified styles, used all of the onboard programs, most of the voices, even some that I didn't like at all, mainly to hear how they sounded in a song.

I agree with everything Fran said - and most people are just too damned lazy to delve into the bowels of their keyboard to discover all that advantages that the manufacturers have provided for our use and improve our arrangements.

In fact, I know of several forum members that have never taken their user manuals out of the plastic bags they came in.

Cheers,

Gary

Good thread topic.

I'd say I use about 55% of the sounds / styles / features of the three keyboard I own but I know that the other 45% is there should I want to explore things further, this keeps things refreshing.

For example, whenever I purchase a new keyboard I only analyse the sections that I would most be interested in, not the whole unit, and if I like what I hear then purchase it regardless of whatever else is there.