Originally posted by Jos Maas:
BluezPlayer
I agree that a software arranger is not much good on stage and I know that many in this forum do gigs. But there are also a lot that just play at home and have a PC in the same room.
If you are satisfied with the built-in styles in your arranger you don't need a software arranger. But what if you want to load external styles. It's no problem if you have a hard drive but an arranger keyboard with hard drive is not cheap. Are you really going to load diskettes until you found the right style? In OMB you can browse thru the styles on your PC using keys.
And what if you have your mind set on that fantastic new synth or workstation? Are you still going to use your old arranger keyboard when you have a synth with much better sounds and much better key action?
Almost everyone has a PC with at least 32 MB memory, 2 GB hard drive and 800 x 600 pixel display. Put this specifications on an arranger keyboard and you have a very expensive arranger keyboard. With a software arranger you can get this for a few bucks.
JM
Joe,
I do all that you mention without a real time computer program.. easily too. Even though XG works does not allow for real time entering of chords, it does allow for edinting of styles and variations in real time and I can easily browse styles and change them instantly in XG works ( while they are playing ). I can easily use my arranger as the controller for a module that might sound better than my arranger rather than using a piece of software ( Midi 101 ..lol ) . In fact I used Michael Bedesem's Style Updater to change a few of my favorite Yamaha styles so that I could use the voices on the Motif with the Yamaha styles. I've also controlled my Motif with the PA80 with no problem whatsoever.
Your program is very good as a playback machine Joe. I need a lot more than that though and I still think my arranger does it better whether at home or live.
In all honesty, the one reason that I don't use OMB is that I don't care for the way it switches style variations. ( I need ALL of my keys when I play ). I think we spoke about this before. If I could change styles / variations via controller messages instead, it would then become more useful to me, particularly with the Motif, which allows for many parameters to be set and controlled by the sliders and knobs.
I find for me, that arranger styles are good to work with, but also limited becaue they have set data, so using styles in general is just one of several tools I keep in the arsenal. If I didn't have an arranger, I would use OMB, but it really isn't a replacement for my arranger(s). I'd love to see an arranger or real time controllable software that employs both mid type styles and Karma / Jammer ( based on algorithims ). Algorithim type styles can be set up so that each instrument track can vary on it's own from measure to measure.
Still, you make some valid points Joe and I think that there is a lot to be said for using software programs like yours. It really is a good program that many users would find useful. It is one of several very useful tools that you can employ Musikman. Jammer is another. The good thing is that these programs don't cost a fortune and you can demo different ones. Even if you're not an expert, you might try working with it and inserting chords at various intervals. While it may seem a somewhat daunting task at first, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that after you work like this for a while, with trial and error as part of the process, it will make more sense to you as you go and you can learn more about music structure in the process.
AJ
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