Donny and all,
The EMC brand http://www.emc-software.de/emc/
"Song to Style" converter allows you to convert any SMF song (your own and/or commercially produced)into a custom "auto-accompaniment arranger style" for your arranger keyboard. The EMC program sells a specific version of their program for each of the major brands & models (Roland, Wersi, Solton, Korg, Technics, Yamaha) of arranger keyboards. There is a universal version of their software program (StyleWorks Universal, this is the one I own) which allows you to not only to convert SMFs into "each" the above brands of keyboards but it also allows you to convert "any style" from any one of the above brands to any one of the other above keyboards brands. Some keyboard manufacterers (such as Technics) provide some style conversion (converting brand to brand) capabilities in their keyboard but the conversion tools are very limited and can produce varying results. The strength of the EMC program is that both the SMF to Style conversion provides much "more control" and provides many more "customizable options" in how your customized style gets created. I have found that you can create user styles which can potentially surpass many of the commerically available ones for sale. Most importantly, you can "fairly easily" create "song specific" auto acompaniment arranger styles" for tunes (current billboard hits) where commercially available "auto accompaniment arranger style" are not even available. Though the initial cost of the EMC program is quite high, the EMC program can actually save you a lot of $ in the end, as it allows you to produce and infinite number custom styles which can surpass many of the commerically available ones.

I would love to meet others out there who are using this valuable program. I would like to share/exchange "techniques, tricks, and hints" (not covered in the EMC users manual) which may prove helpful in producing the best quality professional sounding arranger styles possible. I hope this topic draws interest as it can also provide an opportunity for EMC program owners to 'trade' "custom styles" & "SMF to style conversions" with each other.



- Scott

PS: I believe that Fran Carrango (francarango@nni.com) is the US distributor of the German produced EMC software programs.