[klodolph]

This looks like a software alternative to having an arranger keyboard / (or arranger workstation), which is nice. Arranger keyboards are great and all, but they cost money and take up space.

You may have used an "arranger keyboard" without knowing what that product category is. An arranger keyboard is designed to provide automatic accompaniment--backing tracks--at the touch of a button, in many different styles. Common low-end keyboards fall into this category, like the Yamaha PSR series and the Casiotone series. You may have one, or you may have purchased one for your children. There are also much more expensive, high-end keyboards in this category, like the Genos.

The simplest way to use the accompaniment is to trigger it from the left hand with a keyboard split. Here's what that looks like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWW9tyB__3o&t=706

The general two purposes for arranger keyboards is (1) to let you perform as a solo act and (2) make it easier to write songs.

The other three common types of keyboards are synthesizers, stage pianos, and keyboard controllers.

[pantulis]

I would add another keyboard category, the workstation synthesizer (Fantom, Kronos/Nautilus, Montage...) which also let you perform solo and allow you to create your own productions (the Kronos will even burn a CD!)

Supposed to be the flagship product, I find very interesting how musical instruments manufacturers carefully differentiate the features between arrangers and workstations.

[xhevahir]

There's a lot of overlap between the Montage and the Genos. A lot of the "Performances" and "Arpeggios" in the workstation are derived from Yamaha's arranger keyboards. Arranger keyboards, though, are anathema to a lot of musicians because of their association with the kind of one-man-band acts that perform in nursing homes, airport lounges, Oktoberfesten, and so on. (It's no accident they usually have whole banks of presets dedicated to genres like Schlager and Polka.)

[klodolph]

I think of the Montage/et al as fitting into the synth category. I have an older keyboard like the Montage.

There is feature differentiation, sure. But I think the biggest difference between product lines is the controls. Arranger keyboards need convenient buttons for changing song sections. Synthesizers need dedicated controls for sound design. Stage pianos have dedicated buttons for the common sounds—acoustic piano, electric piano, and electric organ.

If there is a keyboard that “does it all”, I’d guess that it’s something like the Genos. It costs a couple grand more than the Montage.

[type0]

> Common low-end keyboards fall into this category, like the Yamaha PSR series and the Casiotone

To my knowledge there is no clear distinction between arranger keyboards and some more advanced home keyboards. For software, Korg had released their arranger wave-sequencing engine as a plugin. Yamaha has their cheapest hardware board Yamaha PSS-A50.

[brudgers]

The general two purposes for arranger keyboards is (1) to let you perform as a solo act and (2) make it easier to write songs.

There’s noodling for fun too.

They can produce a lot of music like sound for not much effort.

You’re one button away a from bossa nova drum track.