Best Keyboard Arrangers For Solo Musicians 2022
- marshallsoundz
- May 24, 2019
- 7 min read
Keyboard arrangers are kind of like black licorice; some people love them and some people don’t find them to be useful. We are going to be taking a look at the best arranger keyboards currently available.
My opinion is that keyboard arrangers 100% have their place in the music world. Just by hitting a few buttons, you can find yourself with a full backing band behind you. The style in which your band plays with you can also vary tremendously depending on which arranger you get.
Table of Contents
Quick Glance At The Best Arranger Keyboards
IMAGE PRODUCT DETAILS CHECK PRICE Editor’s Choice Yamaha Genos
Yamaha CF X Samples
Best samples
Great Drums
Most Powerful Arranger
Yamaha Releases New Expansions SWEETWATER
61 Keys
7″ TFT Wide VGA LCD color touchscreen
Onboard FX
AWM Stereo Sampling SWEETWATER
61 Keys
64 Note Polyphony
Great Backing Band Sounds
Inexpensive SWEETWATER
People often confuse keyboard workstations and keyboard arrangers. I want to note that there is a difference and I will get into this a little bit later into this article.
Keyboard Arranger Pros
Instantly Play With Backing Band
Abundance of pre-sets
Great For Gigging
Typically lightweight
Cons
Can Be Expensive
Can’t Go Crazy With Editing And Sound Designing
Keys Can Feel Cheap
The Musician Playing Shows With Just A Keyboard
We’ve all seen the person in the coffee shop, casino or local bar who is playing a show with just their keyboard. While there are 2 different ways to do this, one of the options is using an arranger.
This option is often cheaper and it is sometimes easier to setup. This is because the other option requires a computer or a laptop to setup. A keyboard arranger simply requires an amp or a way to hook to a PA and the work of laying out your arrangments.
How To Use Arrangers For Live Gigs
As all arrangers are different, the best option is to head over to youtube and to watch videos for whichever keyboard you have. The good news is that there are tutorials for pretty much every keyboard you can purchase.
One thing to keep in mind is that simplicity wins. Build your tracks by focusing on one instrument at a time. This seems to be the easiest for me. If you layout the drums for the song, then you can lay down the bass and continue to build your track.
If you go with something like the Genos, you are investing in basically a band. If you take the time to learn it, you will be met with great satisfaction as well as results. Yamaha is also constantly releasing new patches for and updates for the Genos and with each one, it’s improving.
For Arrangers, Get Something Newer
While I believe a lot of older keyboards actually can have some great sounds, these types of keyboards are special in the sense that they’ve come a long way over the years.
I’ve found that you can do more with newer arranger keyboards typically, and I also think the sounds seem more expensive-sounding. Getting something new does not mean spending more. I’ve listed an option below that is under $400 and I think the sounds are surprisingly great for the price.
If you’re not someone who is looking to make this your career and you’re on a budget, go with the Korg EK50, which I have listed. You’ll save money, yet still, get a great keyboard.
Best Keyboard Arrangers
Yamaha Genos – Best Overall
The Yamaha Genos is hands down the best keyboard arranger overall.
I recently did a full review of the Yamaha Genos that you might find helpful.
My opinion is, yes. I think the main reason why I enjoy this so much is the fact that the drum sounds are hands down my favorite sounds. The organic drum sounds seem so realistic.
The drums have something called wave cycling. Basically, what this does is makes it so that every time a drum is hit, the sound is slightly altered. This makes you the Genos capture that live-feel.
It is packed with 1,652 different sounds and 58 drum kits that were all recorded in different environments.
Overall
If you can afford it, you won’t be disappointed. From the sounds to the ease of recording ideas and bringing in the full band; this nails it all. I also really enjoy the 9 inch LCD touch-screen. Everything about this keyboard feels like quality.
Korg PA4X
The Korg PA4X is a high-end arranger keyboard that packs a powerful punch. There are a lot of keyboard players in the community that swear by this for arranger keyboards.
This comes in 76 keys or 61 keys. Which you choose will most likely depend on budget, as the 61 is going to be cheaper.
The keys are velocity-sensitive and they have aftertouch on both models.
Many people find the Korg sounds to be some of the best that you can find in an arranger. To be honest, I’m not sure that I would disagree. I will say that I find them to be quite pleasing, but I also find a couple of other keyboards to be the same.
Overall
Korg didn’t hold back with the PA4X and because of this, they have built a cult following. If you frequently play Korg keyboards, chances are you’re going to love this. The sounds are the selling point with the PA4x and I think that overall, this is an amazing keyboard.
Yamaha PSR-S670
The Yamaha PSR-S670 is a classic arranger that comes in a little bit cheaper than other arrangers. This is a lightweight keyboard that allows gigging musicians to easily go from venue to venue.
You’re not getting anywhere near as many options with this, but it will still provide you with everything that you need in an arranger.
Overall
The sounds are actually pretty good. I was surprised when I was bringing in the band and playing with the tracks. The screen could be just a little bit bigger, but this isn’t a big complaint. Overall, this is a great option for people who don’t want to spend thousands on a keyboard.
Korg EK50
The Korg EK50 is the best arranger keyboard for those on a budget. You get some quality sounds and you also get some cool accompaniments. This is a brand new arranger and the sounds reflect this.
I believe the EK50 is still a professional arranger, but it’s definitely as budget as I would recommend. You could easily play some shows with this keyboard and learn the ways of the arranger before upgrading to the PA4X or others.
Overall
The EK50 is a solid choice for people who are looking to explore arrangers. Serious musicians who have been playing for years may not find this to be appealing, but if you’re testing the waters, this is your keyboard.
What To Look For In A Keyboard Arranger?
Price: This definitely comes to mind as these types of keyboards tremendously vary. You can spend a relatively small amount or you can spend thousands, depending on your budget.
Sounds: Some arrangers sound cheap compared to others. There can be a big difference in the sound department when you jump up in price. As far as sounds go, you want to have as many different sounds and accompaniments as you can get. These will help inspire new ideas.
Memory: Hopefully the keyboard you’re working with has a lot of memory. This makes it so you can save songs and download expansions which are loaded with more sounds.
Keys: A lot of arrangers’ keys aren’t going to be the best as most will come 76 keys or less. With this being said, the nicer keyboards will allow you to adjust the touch-sensitivity and mess with the velocity curves.
Weight: Depending on how much gigging you’re doing, the weight might be a concern. Most of these are on the lighter side, but some can be heavier.
Why Choose A Keyboard Arranger?
When I think about arrangers I think about the local bar artist you see with just a keyboard. These are perfect for musicians who want to gig on their own, but also want to have a backing band.
Are you in the market for a kid’s piano? I recently finished a guide that I think you may enjoy here.
If you’ve ever had an idea and wanted to see what it sounds like with a band behind it, you can do this extremely easily.
Difference Between Workstations & Arrangers
So, which should you get? This all depends on what you are looking for. If you want the ability to have a backing band and your main goal is to play gigs, you will want an arranger.
If you’re looking to dive deep into editing and creating tracks for the studio, you will like keyboard workstations more.
You can read more about keyboard workstations in this article that I’ve written.
I prefer workstations as I really enjoy creating tracks and diving deep into the editing process.
Are Keyboard Arrangers For Beginners
No, they’re not. This doesn’t mean they can’t be enjoyed by beginners. I just feel that they get a bad reputation as you can bring in a backing band with your left hand.
Serious keyboard players can make these things sound incredible and there is an art in mastering with arrangers. You have the power to become a full band with one instrument.
The only reason, in my opinion, that people consider these to be for beginners is because some of them are cheap. When you get into the professional level, there’s nothing beginner about them.
Conclusion
Keyboard arrangers are a fun instrument that can sometimes be what you need to take your writing to the next level.
Note: If you are a live gigging musician, you may enjoy these guides below I’ve written myself below.
If you enjoy gigging and playing shows frequently, arranger keyboards are exactly what you may enjoy.
If you are looking for cheaper options, I highly recommend checking out my favorite portable keyboards here.
Do you have any experience with keyboard arrangers? What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below!
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