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As technology and musical trends progress, more and more musicians have needed to adapt their creative processes to keep up. While some might complain about the rapidly changing musical landscape, the most successful musicians are the ones who can embrace it and become self-sufficient.
Arranger keyboards have spiked in popularity in recent years because they allow you to stay on top of any trend that might come along. These extremely powerful devices allow musicians to do just about anything: arrange, compose, produce, perform, write, the list goes on!
With an arranger keyboard, no matter the musical task ahead of you, you'll be prepared for it. These keyboards expand upon other similar instruments by offering far more useful features like customizable tones, built-in speakers, and programmable drum tracks at any tempo.
These instruments, while they are dynamic, engaging, and powerful, tend to come with an array of considerations to watch out for—such as a lofty price tag, a litany of technical specifications, and even a considerable learning curve.
But fear not! This article lays out five fantastic arranger keyboards and tells you which one will be perfect for your needs. Between the recommendations, buyers guide, and FAQ section, you'll learn everything you need to know about this incredibly useful category of instruments.
Our number one pick, the Yamaha PSRSX700 61-key Arranger Workstation, will expand your capabilities as a musician so that you can comfortably write, record, and perform incredible music in any genre you choose.
Please enjoy the list and then pull up a seat so you can get straight to playing.
Quick Summary of the Best Arranger Keyboards
- Yamaha PSRSX700 61-key Arranger Workstation (Best Overall Choice)
- Roland E-A7 61-key Arranger Keyboard (The Runner-Up)
- Korg Kross 2-88-MB 88-key Synthesizer Workstation (Best for Gigs)
- Yamaha PSR-E473 61-key Portable Arranger (Best Budget-Friendly Option)
- Yamaha Genos 76-key Arranger Workstation (Best for a One-Man Band)
Best Arranger Keyboards
Best Overall Choice
SPECS
- Price: $1,599
- Keys: 61
Overview
When it comes to keyboards, Yamaha is perhaps the most universally recognized brand. Their ability to consistently deliver high-quality, user-friendly keyboards at affordable price points makes them impossible to leave out of this conversation.
The PSRSX700 has big shoes to fill, and it definitely fills them. This keyboard gets number one on our list because it will likely appeal to the widest array of musicians. Sure, there are other more powerful arranger keyboards available, but this one does a great job of appealing to most music enthusiasts without having a prohibitively high price tag.
Tones
Yamaha's Advanced Wave Memory sound engine provides 986 voices and 41 drum kits/SFX kits, meaning the preset tones will give you plenty to experiment with. For a more precise sounding tone, you can also alter the existing sounds or download your own tones and sample packs.
Explore everything from classic to experimental tones on your Yamaha, and even use the joystick controller for additional modulation.
This workstation keyboard has 16 tracks that you can use for recording or playback, making it a capable tool for capturing your live performances or creating engaging loops to provide a one-man show.
Effects
The onboard effects include all the basics like reverb, chords, and a master compressor. With all these options for tone manipulation, this keyboard is not only fun to experiment with, but also a capable tool for arranging, recording, and saving song ideas.
Additional Features
The Yamaha PSRSX700 also boasts powerful production tools that allow you to sample a sound, time stretch it, or pitch shift it. You can even remove the vocal tracks from songs, plug in a microphone, and use the arranger to host a karaoke night. The screen will then display the lyrics of the MP3 track you're using the device to play.
In addition, this keyboard arranger is remarkably durable, as Yamaha products tend to be. Pick up this keyboard today and you'll love how reliable, capable, and musically inspiring it really is.
The Runner-Up
SPECS
- Price: $1,629
- Keys: 61
Overview
The Roland E-A7 is another one of the best arranger keyboards on the market today. With dynamic controls, robust real-time responsiveness, and an array of useful features, this arranger keyboard makes a powerful statement that will impress any musician.
The only reason this incredible piece of gear isn't our number one pick is that Yamaha is more suited for beginners and professionals alike. The Roland E-A7, however, will definitely appeal more to professional musicians specifically. Newcomers to the world of arrangement and live sound may be overwhelmed by the abundance of features and controls on this keyboard.
Live Performance Capabilities
This device is incredibly versatile, making it more than capable of filling any role that an arranger keyboard is designed to fill. Jamming, writing, recording, looping, and playing gigs are all a breeze with this instrument.
Several aspects of the Roland E-A7 are designed to be intuitive and useful during gigs with other musicians. Assignable pads can trigger MIDI samples, and six assignable faders make it possible to adjust tones or parameters on the fly during shows.
Tones
With over 1,500 tones and a huge sample of backing tracks, this is one of the most flexible keyboard arrangers available. The E-A7 tone manager software also supports WAV file imports, tone adjustments, and custom organization.
Additional Features
Singers will appreciate the microphone input with dedicated vocal effects, and traveling musicians will appreciate the fact that this entire keyboard arranger is only 18 pounds.
Best for Gigs
SPECS
- Price: $1,249
- Keys: 88
Overview
Introducing an absolute powerhouse of a keyboard. The Korg Kross 2-88-MB 88-key Synthesizer Workstation is perfect for keyboard players, or really any professional musician, in a live gig setting.
With 88 fully weighted, natural touch keys, the Korg Kross 2 is ready to handle any keyboard part that a given song requires. We've reviewed several awesome 88-key weighted keyboards so give it a look.
Tones
It comes with 1075 present tones, and up to 64 of them can be stored for one-touch access during shows. Sounds can even be layered or split into different zones on the keyboard.
The assignable MIDI trigger pads and tone dials look great and stylish. Aesthetically, Korg has taken a relatively minimalist design approach with this product, cramming in an impressive number of features into a sleek and simple package.
Korg draws attention to the natural-sounding piano tones that come built into the Kross 2. Korg has sampled grand pianos as well as decays with three different levels of velocity and damper pedal noises. The result is a robust, dynamic, realistic-sounding piano tone that is incredibly responsive to the nuances of your playing.
Live Performance Capabilities
During a gig, you definitely don't want to be confusing your controls or having to make annoying adjustments to your tones. This is why we love the uncompromising simplicity and user-friendliness of the Korg Kross 2-88-MB 88-key Synthesizer Workstation.
This is one of the best arranger keyboards you can find, delivering a myriad of tones and capabilities, and for slightly cheaper than comparable competitors.
Unlock musical expression! Dive into the best 88 key weighted keyboards and elevate your playing with authentic touch and dynamic sound.
Best Budget Option
SPECS
- Price: $369
- Keys: 61
Overview
Keyboard arranger workstations, powerful as they are, tend to be prohibitively expensive for most hobbyists. They will typically run you many hundreds or thousands of dollars.
The question is, can you find an arranger keyboard that has all the features you want—support for voice and style assignments, convenient one-touch recording, auto accompaniment function, and more—without breaking the bank?
Yamaha has your answer with the PSR-E473 61-key Portable Arranger. This is one of the best arranger keyboards for hobbyists or beginners because it provides all the most important features of the higher-up models at a fraction of the price.
Tones
With 820 instrument voices and 290 styles, there's plenty of room for experimentation and musical inspiration with this keyboard. Is it the best keyboard arranger on the market in terms of tone control? No, but it just might be the best one in this price range.
Additional Features
The pitch bend knob and momentary motion effect button allow for precise and impassioned live playing, while the virtual backing band feature will help keep you locked into the groove. You can use the keyboard arranger as a MIDI controller so you can fully produce your track in a DAW. Obviously, as a controller, it cannot replace any of the top-rated MIDI keyboards we reviewed so consider our top picks depending on your needs.
The mic port allows you to connect an external microphone, which can be useful for the quick sampler feature that is also included with the keyboard.
So why the Yamaha PSR-E473 over other cheaper keyboard arrangers? There are some keyboards on the market for less than $200, but we recommend going with this one because although it is cheaper than most alternatives, it doesn't compromise any important features in the name of affordability.
Cheaper, off-brand keyboards will be less capable, and you may find yourself wanting to upgrade before long.
The PSR-E473 is from Yamaha, so you know it will have good build quality and functionality.
Best for a One-Man Band
SPECS
- Price: $4,999
- Keys: 76
Overview
The Yamaha Genos is in a league of its own. There is virtually nothing this piece of gear can't accomplish. The specs are all maxed out, and the features are so plentiful that we really only have time for a brief overview of them.
Tones
The Yamaha Genos comes pre-loaded with 1,652 voices, 58 drum/SFX kits, and 550 accompaniment styles. 58 GB of internal memory allows you to save your preset tones, accompaniment styles, and arrangements, and then easily call upon them during performances.
Additional Features
The drumming accompaniment with the Yamaha Genos is nothing short of remarkable. Yamaha really outdid themselves; six different drum kits were meticulously sampled so that you can hear the characteristics of the surrounding space.
Even more impressively, Yamaha decided to make slight variations to the WAV files of each drum when they are triggered, creating a natural and dynamic sound that beats out all the other drum kits on this list.
Yamaha also made sure the digital signal processing, or DSP, was top-notch for this product. You can modify the signal chain with quick precision using a host of effects like reverb, chorus, EQ, and compression.
All of these effects are accessible, bypassable, and adjustable on the beautiful touchscreen display.
This touchscreen integrates all the features of the Yamaha Genos into a remarkably simple display that is responsive, highly functional, and a joy to use.
Live Performance Capabilities
If you pull up to the jam session with this keyboard, chances are everyone will already thank you before they even hear you play.
This instrument is great for a band setting because it makes musical experimentation easy, and it can record and store sounds so that polishing and mixing your jam session is easier to do in post.
But if you don't have other musicians to collaborate with, that is no problem. This keyboard wins "best for a one-man band" because it is capable of doing so much at once, you can create and perform entire arrangements yourself!
If price is no object, one could easily argue that this is the best arranger keyboard on the market.
Best Arranger Keyboards Buyer's Guide
Keyboards these days can be highly sophisticated, but also highly complicated. With such a range of features available, it can be hard to know which is the best arranger keyboard for you.
This buyer's guide will tell you the most important aspects to look for in your search for the perfect portable keyboard arranger.
Financial Value
When it comes to musical instruments, the old adage "you get what you pay for" tends to ring true. But you don't want to end up paying for something you don't actually need.
Many high-end keyboards come loaded with features for dialing in specific tones, creating and saving arrangements, or recording and sampling sounds. But if all you want is standard piano sounds with a simple backing track, then you don't need to spend over $1,000 on a Roland E-A7 or a Korg Kross 2.
Before you pull the trigger on a pricey new instrument, make sure the financial investment is actually worth it to you.
Speaker Quality
Keyboard arrangers tend to have in/out ports so that you can connect external speakers or devices. If you don't intend to do this, however, then the quality of the built-in speaker will be of the utmost importance to you. Decide whether you intend to practice or perform using the built-in speaker on your keyboard.
Many of the speakers in today's arranger keyboards have great quality and sound beautiful. That certainly applies to every keyboard on this list.
Tone Variety
The best keyboard arrangers available have hundreds or even thousands of tones for you to mess around with. Generally speaking, the more preset tones the better, especially for newer players who just want to play, without having to fine-tune their own tones.
Built-in Effects
Chorus, reverb, and other standard audio effects are the bread and butter of tone enhancement. Adding effects like delay or compression to your sounds will instantly make them sound more interesting and engaging to listeners.
The instruments on this list all have built-in digital signal processing (DSP) of some kind. The Yamaha Genos is a cut above the rest in this category, but even the Yamaha PSR-E473, the cheapest on the list, has very serviceable built-in effects.
Automatic Accompaniment Options
How much customizability do you want for your drum tracks or background tracks? Auto accompaniment, which usually takes the form of a drum track that plays until you turn it off, can be a great way to practice and improve your timing as a keyboard player.
It also allows you to give live performances that sound much more full and dialed in. Before buying, it's a good idea to see what kind of styles and patterns are available for your arranger keyboard's automatic accompaniment features.
User Interface
This is another aspect of the instrument that will be the deciding factor for a lot of people. The best keyboard for you will have a responsive, intuitive user interface that you enjoy using. No one wants to be stuck with an instrument that they don't know how to use.
Compatibility & Connectivity Options
Make sure the keyboard you're looking at is compatible with the speakers or devices you plan to connect it to. Most keyboards have universal ports that are commonly used, so chances are you will not have any trouble with this consideration.
If you have a specific or special use case for your keyboard, then it is a good idea to do some research to make sure you find one that fits the bill.
Recording & Sequencing Capabilities
Recording, sampling, manipulating, and playing back sounds is a fun and creative musical process. The best keyboard arrangers out there will allow you to do all this, which means you can use them like looper pedals to create amazing solo arrangements.
Recording your input will also be useful for songwriting because it will allow you to save your ideas and call upon them later.
Durability
Durability and build quality are important, especially if you plan to travel or play shows with your keyboard. You never know what spills, drops, or accidents may occur, so it is always a good idea to buy a durable instrument over a fragile one.
Brand Reputation
When you buy from a trusted brand, you are also buying the peace of mind that your instrument will be long-lasting and work as advertised. Arranger keyboards are incredibly powerful instruments, so we recommend you only buy from established brands.
Cheap, off-brand keyboards might be fine in the beginning, but they will be more prone to problems, and the company will be less accountable or responsive in the event that something does go wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is an arranger keyboard?
An arranger keyboard is a keyboard with a built-in speaker, multiple different tones to choose from, and several other features designed to help with arranging musical compositions.
What is the difference between an arranger keyboard and a MIDI controller?
While they might look very similar on the outside, arranger keyboards and MIDI controllers are designed to fill different roles. MIDI controllers lack built-in speakers, tone libraries, and auto accompaniment capabilities.
Arranger keyboards have all of these features, and can typically be used as MIDI controllers as well. Some people think of arranger keyboards as "a MIDI controller and then some."
Can I use my arranger keyboard as a MIDI controller?
Yes! Most arranger keyboards can be used as MIDI controllers.
Do arranger keyboards have built-in speakers?
Most arranger keyboards have built-in speakers.
What is automatic accompaniment?
Automatic accompaniment refers to the music tracks that you can auto-play while you perform or arrange. They have typically adjustable bpms and sonic profiles. Automatic accompaniment is most useful in the form of a drum track so that you stay on tempo while you play.
What environments are arranger keyboards suitable for?
These keyboards are suited for multiple different purposes and environments. You will find them useful for songwriting, arranging, recording, jamming, playing gigs, or being a one-person band.
Are arranger keyboards suitable for beginners?
Not only are they suitable for beginners, they're one of the best things beginners can buy—no matter what type of music they want to play!
In Conclusion
There's no question that arranger keyboards are perfect for many different styles of music and can be used for everything from song ideation to production. Quality instruments like the Yamaha PSRSX700 61-key Arranger Workstation will create whole new worlds of musical possibilities to explore. As you advance, consider one of these quality keyboards for music production.
The Yamaha PSRSX700 is reliable for all stages of the music process, and that's why so many people love it! If you already have one, what specifically do you like most about it? the answer is different for everyone, so let us know in the comments.
And if you don't have one of these keyboards yet, we recommend you grab one, pull up a chair, and see what it feels like to have a whole band right at your fingertips.
