16th Sep 2009
Arranger and Workstation Music Keyboards
In the world of music keyboards there are two types of keyboards in particular whose functionality is popular in the industry and built in to most other keyboard instruments: arranger and workstation (aka synth). The technological differences between the two seem to be getting fewer as the years go by but there are some fundamental differences between the two as far as functionality and sound production are concerned.
Both arranger and workstation music keyboards have the same basic set of sounds to choose from (piano, organ, brass, etc) and the standard MIDI musical instruments and drum samples. The workstation keyboard will usually have a larger palette of high-quality sounds than an arranger keyboard, and an added advantage: the ability to create your own sounds. Workstation keyboards are sometimes called “synth” keyboards because they allow you to synthesize your own samples, either working with existing samples by modifying them to create new ones or creating samples from scratch using tone generators and audio filters (there are standalone synthesizer keyboards but workstations often incorporate some of their functionality). Workstation music keyboard instruments tend to have a larger collection of high-quality, specialized sounds than arranger keyboards do. This does not mean arranger music keyboards have inferior sound. The top end arranger keyboards have exceptional realistic sounding piano, bass, string, and drum sounds for the purpose of its main strong point: live performance.
Arranger keyboards excel in live performance and making music “on the fly.” Arranger keyboards have onboard rhythm styles (such as jazz, disco, or pop) that allow you to create a more “live band” effect by having a virtual backing band complete with bass, percussion, and other supporting instruments (depending on the style) playing while you play the harmonic and melodic content. Simply play the chord progression and the melodies and the keyboard takes care of filling in the rest. You can split the keyboard into two sections, with the lower one or two octaves controlling the chord progression and the rest of the keyboard available for the lead part. All arranger music keyboards will offer the ability to introduce fills, intros, endings, and the ability to create variations within a style. All of this allows a “one man band” to create a live sounding ensemble performance.
Workstation keyboards can also be used for live performance, but require an element of preparation before being ready for the stage. Workstation music keyboards are equipped with what is known as a sequencer which allows one to essentially create the music from scratch. You can create all the different parts, line by line, and assign an instrument to each part, selecting from the wide variety of high quality instrument sound samples that accompany sequencers to create the exact sound you want. Sequencers have tools such as loops to expedite the completion of a sequence of music. One can then play this sequence at a live gig and perform leads over it.
When it comes to composing your own music, both arranger and workstation musical keyboards are adequate for the job. Each has it’s own way of assisting the composer. The arranger keyboard has onboard rhythm styles over which composers can create the harmonic and melodic content. This can be useful if composing in a particular style of music. The workstation has loops and the ability to cut and paste so that a composer can create a few measures of music and then repeat those measures or paste them in other parts of the song. The workstation does excel over the arranger with respect to composing because of the greater flexibility and the greater amount of options. The sequencer in workstation keyboards allows a composer to create music piece by piece, part by part, line by line, and make it easy to go from concept to the finished composition.
When choosing between arranger or workstation music keyboards, it will be important to determine what you’ll be using the keyboard for. If you’ll be using it for live performance, an arranger keyboard is going to be more intuitive and a better choice. If composing music, both would actually work well, although the workstation keyboard will give you more options for creating a finished composition. Perhaps, if your musical activities require it, you will need both types of music keyboards.