I have had a Yamaha Motif XS6 for 2 years, and more recently a Montage 6 with me for a trial period.
One of the most impressive things about these latest top of the range Yamaha keyboards is the keybed. The FSX yamaha keybed is a real joy to play chords effortless even going to the top of the black keys, something that even the best TP9/s Fatar keyboards struggle to do.
For instance when I have had the excellent NI Komplete Kontrol MK2 for trial in my home, I found the Fatar keybed played beautifully on the white keys but when I had to reach for the top of the black keys the stiffness was such that I had to send the keyboard back to the shop. Such was the difference it made to me...
So this apparently simple thing - to be able to play into the black keys without having to make much force (same with the white keys), is something you can only find in the best digital pianos with weighted keys, and interesting enough not on Yamaha digital pianos! But that is another discussion :0)
Anyway, when trying the Montage, and when I played the Motif, always reached a point when I would want to instantly have a beat playing, a bass changing with my left hand chords in real time. It is possible to do this on these keyboards, but envolves lots of programming, buttons and menu diving.
On arranger keyboards like Tyros or Genos, this is almost effortless, meaning you spend a lot more time actually playing than programming. And this particular thing is the key for self enjoyment with music - playing, not programming.
Ask any musician if he loves the most playing live / in his studio jamming along or instead recording his songs.... If he trully loves music he will invariably answer for the first option.
And this is exactly the main reason why I (who always thought arrangers would only do for marriage parties or cheesy live presentations), was forced to recognize that arrangers are so famous - essentialy - because they alow the player to PLAY and have fun ! Plain and simple.
I know that this deviates from my starting topic but noneless is a much valid thing to think about. Will I want to spend my hours playing and having fun or programming ultra sofisticated songs that take days to put together, having to draw with your mouse THOUSANDS of MIDI notes inside a DAW piano roll ?.....
I trully give credit for some beatifully composed songs made exclusively with a DAW, but lets face it: it is not for everyone. Much less to those as myself who already work with a computer from 9 to 5 every day at work.....
And again, we will get back to the begnning: having a way to record our musics and add some other sound inside a DAW - in the most simple way - will be a relief in every way to players, who quickly will be able to record their songs inside a laptop, and get back to playing and composing which is after all the essence of music. Not having to deal with computers for hours and hours on end.
But... to each its own. As always.