Please Help ...Workstation or Arranger ?

**Denis007** · 12-09-2001, 09:49 PM

Hello,

In the past few months I have been looking for a perfect arranger for me but even the best ones(Sd-1,9000pro ...)didn't have what I was looking for.
This made me think if I expected too much from an aranger or maybe the workstation is what I need.
I've decided to aks for help from you guys hopping that someone can help me.

Here is my story ...
I used to play profesionaly in a Funky/Jazz band but since my graduation I completely stopped with gigs,... don't have time for that any more.
My passion for music is still around and I want to contionue playing for myself and improve my musical skills.
Mainly I play instrumental funky/jazz tunes by guys like
H.Hanckok, Bill Cobham ...

Since I am not in a band any more I figured out that maybe a arranger would be very good for practicing at home but no arranger impressed me.
On the other hand I was so impressed with workstations like Phantom and Motif because they have many cool patherns and arpeggiators which i can use for practicing.
I know that in arrangers there are also some funky styles but not with hundreds of diferrent pattherns which I could combine to make my own accomp.I know that I could use a sequencer but it takes a lot of time to create everything
from scratch and I am not so good in drums.
In the same time arrangers have something that I couldn't find in workstations, ..a CHORD RECOGNITION.That's why I started to look for an arranger and then here we go
again, missing pattherns and arpeggiators.

Is there any arranger with large set of funky pattherns and arpeggiators ?
Is the arranger more suitable for me or a workstation, what do you think ?

Do you know if with Roland Fantom I can create some kind of
chord recognition by editing arpeggiator ?
Can I create my own or simpy modify preset arrpeggiators on
Fantom at all ?

Thanks a lot !

Denis

**Mike Martin** · 08-15-2003, 12:36 PM

The new Motif ES has over 1700 arpeggio types, in addition it does do chord recogonition. There is also over 600 drum patterns available. Plus you can easily create your own arpeggio patterns from any sequence or phrase. Its amazingly fast to put together some tracks! Check out the demos at -
http://www.motifator.com/listen/es/es_listen.php

Mike Martin
Yamaha US

**KeyZ** · 08-15-2003, 05:09 PM

Sky - Do you work for Casio or something? No offense but you can't seriously recommend a Casio wk 3500 over the Motif, Motif ES, S90, Fantom S, Triton, Triton Studio or Kurzweil k2600? It appears you 've been doing that with many posts and some over a year old. Its obvious you like Casio stuff and that's great, but Casio isn't in the same league as the keyboards and represented manufacturers mentioned above.

Denis - I'd wait for the Motif ES to come out. When it does listen, play and experience everything. Mainly the ones I mentioned above. Then make an informed decision based upon your experiences. Since you mentioned Jazz, the original motif would be an excellent choice and will be cheap when the ES comes out. The Motif ES may be even better. Ultimately make sure you make the decision.

**JJB** · 08-16-2003, 12:23 PM

My suggestion would be to look at your requirements slightly differently. You mentioned not liking to build your own patterns because you didn't feel you were good at drums. I am not sure you have to be that good. Many of these keyboards have methods of building a "drum loop". If you can listen to a basic rhythm you like and replicate just 2 or 4 measures of it on one of these keyboards, you would be in business. Another help with this is that, in my case I own a Kurzweil, you can quanitize the drum track meaning that the machine will put the drums in perfect meter which gives you a perfect drum loop to jam with. I would imagine other keyboards could do the same. Also building drum loops is a good skill to pick up now a days. Just don’t tell any drummers you are getting good at it.

**Buddtopps89** · 09-01-2003, 05:04 PM

Does the regular Motif do chord recognition? (Just curious). Denis, sounds like the Motif ES, or the Motif if it has chord recognition, is for YOU. I'd get that in your case. Thanx.

Austin

**Buddtopps89** · 09-01-2003, 05:12 PM

After reading some other stuff around here, a Yamaha PSR 9000 could also be a consideration. I don't know much about it, but Bob does. Hope this helps!

Austin