Real-time arranger workflow
Styles, intros, variations, fills, endings, split keyboard, OTS-style setups and live sound control are arranged around playing now.
In conversation with Leigh Buxton
Why ArrangerX exists.
Five questions about the idea behind ArrangerX V1, the design choices that shape it, and why the music always comes first.
01
Why did you create ArrangerX?
I’ve been searching for decades for something I can simply use to play music live. Time after time I ended up buried in menus and completely distracted from the original intention: sitting down and playing music.
I’ve owned several arranger keyboards over the years, and they’re the only instruments I know where you can switch on, sit down and start playing without having to go through various settings first. ArrangerX grew out of wanting to preserve that experience in software.
02
What should ArrangerX feel like when you first launch it?
I want it to feel as though you’ve just switched on a flagship arranger keyboard. It should be like driving a very expensive car: all the technical complexity is there, but it’s hidden away under the bonnet.
It should work effortlessly and reliably. No complicated procedures. Just sit down and play.
03
Who is ArrangerX V1 for?
Anyone who wants a familiar, premium arranger experience at a fraction of the price.
Many players have built up SoundFont libraries and style collections over many years. ArrangerX gives those resources somewhere to stay alive and remain useful. Unlike a physical arranger keyboard, there’s effectively no limit to how many resources you can add.
V1 is centred on the performance side of making music. It is intentionally clean, intuitive and dependable. Advanced requirements will have their own path rather than being allowed to complicate the core experience.
04
What makes ArrangerX different?
It is deliberately kept simple. It’s for people who want the minimum possible distraction and don’t want barriers getting in the way of making music.
Everything in ArrangerX has to justify its existence. If it can’t, it doesn’t belong in the software.
That is why V1 will not become a collection of every possible studio feature. There are already excellent tools for those jobs. ArrangerX has one job at its core: let you play.
05
What do you hope somebody says after spending an evening with ArrangerX?
I hope they simply say that it was an enjoyable experience, and that for the whole time they were using it they were entirely focused on what really matters:
the enjoyment of the performance.
