Look, there's a lot of bull being bandied around here...

Let us not forget that SMFs are merely long form arranger loops (or the other way around ), and mp3's are merely an audio form of that... Plenty of people salivating over the possible addition of these so-called audio loops to their arrangers.

Let us also not forget that most pros, and maybe a few amateurs here can actually play with TWO hands, not sit there with their left hand tied up making simple chords for the arranger to do all the work. If you think you are actually PLAYING a keyboard to your best ability by holding down a chord and playing a melody in the RH, boy, have I got news for you! You are doing no more, and probably a lot less actual PLAYING than someone using both hands to their fullest over an SMF rhythm section.

And, once again, I repeat... just because YOU might have only tried playing over full, commercially made SMF's doesn't mean you HAVE to. An SMF can be as little as a drum part, or maybe bass and drums for a song. The rest, if you have the skill, can be done entirely by playing. Don't blame the tool for how SOME use it...

The way I see it, you use ANY auto accompaniment at all, whether arranger, SMF or MP3, it's all exactly the same. How much, or little of it is you, and how much is the backing depends entirely on your skill, and desire to play. Don't forget, you can make SMF's out of arranger output, and then fine tune them to a degree that simple arranger only play cannot approach, and then actually PLAY fully two handed over them, while still being able to use Markers in the SMF to re-order the song structure.

Welcome to the 21st century, kla4, take a look around and realize that things have changed. And how some things have stayed the same. 'Pros' have ALWAYS used whatever technology exists to make their shows the best they can. Amateurs can afford to pigeon-hole themselves into one technique for it's own sake, whether it suits the song or not. It's not like they HAVE to do it the best it can or they lose their gig!