I think that Korg's new WS the Kronos has shown the inevitable way of the future. No longer are you restricted to a few hundred MB of sound ROM... You have instant streaming access to GB's of sound data!

One thing I have read on this thread a few times is the desire for audio loops to be incorporated. I am afraid I disagree heartily! Or at least, I disagree that they should become a primary way of generating backing. They impose so many restrictions to what you can do with an arranger that the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits, IMO.

The thing is, if you go to the website of any modern VSTi drum library, and listen to the demos posted there, it is pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to tell that these aren't live audio loops of a real drummer. But they aren't! They are IDENTICAL to what you have in your current arranger.... except the SIZE and quantity and quality of the drum samples is an order of magnitude greater than current ROMPLER based arrangers.

But an arranger with a big SSHD streaming GB sized drum libraries would sound as live as ANY loop playing arranger. But you can still edit the kit... you can change the kit from a jazz kit to a funk kit... you can edit the style to swing a little less or more.... you can change the reverb on the snare alone... you can change the placement of the kick beat to suit another song better.

All things completely impossible to do with a audio loop based arranger.

Now imagine that for bass Parts, Guitar Parts, string and horn Parts, etc...

I think the move to audio loops is a very shortsighted (and hopefully short-lived) episode in arranger technology. We need little better than we have already got as far as the DATA playing the style. But an increase in the SIZE of the voice data that the sounds use would provide amazing realism with NO LOSS in editing ability and flexibility. Which, after all, especially flexibility, isn't that WHY we use arrangers?