Arranger Keyboard vs Synthesizer Workstation - Review & Demo

Helpful advice and buying guide for choosing between an ARRANGER KEYBOARD (Yamaha PSR, Tyros, Genos etc) and SYNTHESIZER WORKSTATION (Yamaha Montage, Roland Fantrom etc).

Including lots of music demos, plus review of the pros and cons of each instrument category.

Featured instruments -
Arranger:
► YAMAHA PSR S970
► YAMAHA PSR SX900
► KORG i3
Synth:
► YAMAHA MODX
► YAMAHA MOTIF XF
► KORG NAUTILUS
► KORG KROSS 2

► WRITTEN ARTICLE

MORE WOODY PIANO SHACK

[vodkaman]

There's one group of people who always seem to get overlooked. That's people who play other instruments. As a guitarist, I have an arranger keyboard as a practice tool and composition aid. It's useful for any musician to be able to play a keyboard even badly to understand musical relationships between notes even if you can't play at a performance level. I can record loops and basslines to play along with but someone really ought to invent an arranger footboard so I can change chords or get a fill on the fly.

[ALVAREZ]

Ciao Woody!!! Thank you for this valuable video and information. I know nothing about pianos/keyboards. My 21 year old AUTISTIC step daughter, who can miraculously sing very well, is learning to play the keyboard. She's somehow, composed on her own 14 songs with melodies and chords on a Yamaha PSR6700 that my sister gave to me in the mid 1990s. I am thinking of buying my step daughter the latest Yamaha GENOS Arranger. It will cost me an arm and a leg with much sacrifice. But, after watching THIS video, I've made up my mind. Thank you and God Bless YOU for taking the time to teach us! I was going berserk watching countless videos talking about the GENOS, but after watching your video, it was clear that what my step daughter needs at this moment is an Arranger .

[procta]

Great to see you back woody! I was told, by my former keyboard and piano teacher, that a keyboard, has more control over backing styles rather than sounds, and the synths you have full control over sounds, and midi features. Workstations to me are a blank canvas you have the full world at your finger tips, with a very large sequencer and audio features, so you can built tracks from scratch etc, where with arranger you are sort of a one man band. I have owned a Arranger keyboard in the passed Technics Kn1000, and the sounds on that were fantastic. I now have a kurzweil kn2600 XS, that's used as a home piano, due to the cost and that i can load more pianos into it. All depends on what you want or need as you say, have the best of both worlds is where its at. Some synths don't have the sequencer just the sounds, so you can have an entry level on and a nice arranger on the stand with it. Id love to change my casios for two arrangers, Different sizes though, and have the kuzweil for piano. All have one thing in common, and that's they are bags of fun!

[thomasschatton]

First I thought: "What a strange comparison!" But after watching your video I have to admit that it actually makes sense somehow for many people. You really nailed that unusual topic!

[Marianst.]

Great voice. You’re like David Attenborough. Your programs are so well made. Real documentaries.

[vanessajazp]

Arrangers are ideal for one-man-band types of performance, whereas a synth is ideal as one instrument in a band. That’s really where the core difference exists.

[Persun_McPersonson]

Oo, this one is gonna be fun! I love videos comparing the differences between things in detail.

[lundsweden]

Arrangers are meant for full arrangements, hard to do that on most synths. But synths usually give more sound shaping possibilities.

[Apollo_Music]

Hey Woody! I just stopped in to say how much I enjoy your channel! You make everything enjoyable and clear 👍
I use a Korg PA4X76 Arranger for performing and as my sound engine. I connect a Novation 61SL Mk3 to it and combined it gives you the best of both worlds.
Thank you so much for your amazing videos!

[saricubra]

Synthesizers are the electric equivalent of an acoustic instrument, arrangers usually imitate instruments (romplers) and that is a big difference. There are keyboards that combine both, but in my opinion, arrangers are overshadowed by PCs with DAWs,

[cindygroves]

Great overview, Woody - you hit all the important points. I'm a home player who loves arranger keyboards - They're fun, fast, and you don't have to have a whole band to sound good. I agree that they can sound cheesy, but lucky for me - I love cheese 😁

[WoodyPianoShack]

Additional points raised in the comments and stuff I overlooked -
► Whilst many musicians dislike arranger styles, the general public absolutely lap it up (which is perhaps most important because we generally play for the public)
► Arrangers are fabulous for live performers like one-man-bands, troubadours, entertainers
► Arrangers have simpler operating systems, with clearer GUI and larger fonts
► Arrangers are better for ethnic and oriental music, with some models specializing in these styles
► Workstation synths are usually extremely complex, complicated and somewhat intimidating to use and program

[lesalmin]

I have both and this is how I see it: the arranger keyboard is my orchestra that I'm conducting and the synth is my instrument factory where I design and build new instruments when needed.

[vanessajazp]

At 14:28
Basically, “To all the synths (and workstations) I’ve loved before 🎶 that traveled in and out my door 🎶 I’m glad they came along 🎶 I dedicate this song …”

[Gordon]

Fantastic Video Woody. When you look at the montage of clips it is amazing how many tunes, classical to rock, to cheese that you can play and solo on freely. I'm a synth man but I need to sharpen my skills drastically. (I'm trying hard). Great content. Thank you.

[saymyname]

Thank you. Your are a good reference to many questions That I have on keyboards

[cheery-hex]

this was really great and entertaining! thank you. Also nice song at the end :D

[antunkatona]

Man, this is one 'feel good' video! Thanks!

[vxman]

I own both an arranger and a workstation. Both shine in different situations. When I'm gigging with a vocalist duo for a wedding and I'm the sole accompanist, my Yamaha arranger works best here. It makes me sound like a one man band.
When I'm with my other musician friends in an ensemble or band where I don't need the auto accompaniment and I want portability and weird noises, my Korg Kross does the job here.

[JohnWellings-kd]

Nice video woody. Very informative. Thanks