I just received and installed NI's Bandstand. I will do a more complete assessment once I have more experience. Here are the first impressions as used with styles only:

I get some distortion originating somewhere in my software .... likely in forte Ensemble. The soundcard does not show that it is being overdriven.

It looks like the various instruments are accessible but at this stage I don't know whether I can exchange them with instruments of my choice.

Bandstand claims to be GM, GM2 and XG compatible....as per the manual. This could be correct especially as it relates to the various sound modifying/midi commands. It only has 128 instruments and therefore does not accept Bank Changes. This means you need to stay within the 128 instrument format (GM).

BandStand does accept program changes. I did have some hiccups, in that, on some styles it did not instantly load the appropriate instruments. I need to set the buffers to fit my system....I think.

All Drums need to be on Channel 10 (GM). This means changing all Yamaha styles to the GM Standard. I have not completly checked the voicing of the individual instruments within a drumkit. Styles converted with EMC from other keyboards to Yamaha work and sound good.

You will likely need to re-voice and re-mix the Yamaha styles to suit Bandstand and your requirements.

If I can get everything working the way it should and the way it is designed then my plans are as follows:

I will still use higher quality instruments and kontakt for my lead voices. I will however downsize and use Garritan's Jazz & Big Band and Personal Orchestra, Colossus, Kontakt 2 Library, Kontakt 1 Library, etc. For my very favorite (most important instruments) I will continue to use top of the line virtual instruments (Organs, Pianos, Sax, etc.). I will likely acquire NI's Akoustic Pianos. I am still looking for that perfect set of virtual saxophones. These are hard to do and find. In the meantime I will use what I got.

I will use NI Bandstand for my auto accompaniment and do the necessary style modifications. I think many of the acoustic instruments are provided by Sonic Reality. These instruments are good enough for accompaniment but not good enough for me to use as lead instruments....I am spoiled.

[This message has been edited by Frank L. Rosenthal (edited 11-22-2005).]