Hi James and Dennis. There has always been this kind of rambunctious banter here and sometimes it gets too serious but for the most part it is just swordplay and a bit of fun.

But the comparrisons that you two are going to undertake on our behalf is actually quite important because it could open up the way to create a standard set of tools whereby the MS can be genuinely used as a great arranger and finally shrug off the terrible reputation it currently has in terms of its arranger abilities and the way it has been promoted without any evidence to support its manufcaturers claims.

If the GM soundbank remapping you are doing actually does make the converted styles sound better wholesale this could be the answer Dom so desperately needs to make the arranger element of his products a success.(and its work he should have done himself in the first place).

Please continue doing the work you are doing both of you . There can only be upsides to this .

1. either the MS will be too unworkable as an arranger because of the time it might take to convert styles that sound better than a closed arranger but that can be played like a normal arranger in a performance . This way the product can be correctly promoted to the correct buyers who are fully aware of its arranger limitations without any misinformation and dishonest sales embellishment.

2 The arranger works well and all the remapping work you have done can act as a template for DOM to bundle Bandstand or whatever premapped and installed on the MS ready to go. Thats exactly what Neko did and their sales have gone from strength to strength(thats the businessman in me coming out again. sorry Dom )

3. if the MS does not turn out to be a great arranger it will have pretty much Zero effect on its sales as no one in their right mind is currently buying it for its arranger abilities.

4. If it works well then Dom will legitimately pick up additional arranger sales

5. If Dom wont bundle some VST products with the MS re mapped to the GM banks JAMES COULD offer his services on a consultancy basis to either Dom or direct to MS users to help them remapp their MS with whatever VST they choose.


From where i am sitting there is no failure here for the MS. Only potential upsides.

Best of luck you guys and once again cheers for attempting to settle this matter with demos instead of more words.