So the SD2 will play the legacy Ketron styles with 'Live Drums' from the SD1, right? But it can't do the current Audya styles, right?

Bit of a bummer, IMO.

I'd be interested to hear a modern BK-7m style, or even a G70 style played through the SD2. Be interesting to A/B them, original and SD2 version.

Now Dan... you've got GM or GM2 or GS or XG maps done, yes? All I'm talking about is maps for MotifXS/F, Korg Kronos, M3 etc.. Nowhere NEAR the amount of work putting an entire VSTi together to cover this stuff.

Mind you, you've got two problems. First is, I don't think ANY major manufacturer has made styles that ONLY use the GM or GM2 or GS or XG soundsets for years. All the arrangers have moved WELL beyond those decade old (or more!) standards. So, anything but old styles are going to be calling up sounds or drumkits that just don't exist.

And the Ketron styles are going to remain SD1 and older, as I seriously doubt Ketron are going to let you sample their Audya loops and drum-slices, to put into a 3rd party VSTi.

We had this debate years ago with Dom. He was full of promises that each arranger's sounds were going to get sampled, and you would have a VSTi that replicated things like Tyros, PA2 etc.. Then reality set in. First off, it's a herculean task to do this, and secondly, the minute you do it, you are going to get your butt sued off by Yamaha, Korg, etc.! Nothing ever came of it, it was just empty promises.

The thing about going to things like the Kronos, or MotifXS/F for the next set of maps is, for starters, their soundsets, and drumkit selection is HUGE. It is going to be unlikely you can't find a sound from a MODERN arranger in there. Plus, voice editing is a breeze, so anything that isn't QUITE right can be edited to BE right. And you can create your own user drumkits from the magnificent set of built in drum sounds. So any modern arranger's kit setups can probably be replicated quite well.

You see... old GS/XG kits were basically, one sample per note. Modern arrangers ALL have multi-velocity kits. And legacy styles don't always hit the velocity points right. There was no difference between a low velocity, high track volume drum sound, and the same sound at high velocity, but with the track volume turned down. Things have changed. And for the better! But GM or GM2 or GS or XG kits don't get any of this.

You see, THIS is why I would like to see vArranger move away from those old legacy modules and soundfonts. If you want to compete with even modern arrangers, these things are going to have to be addressed. And modern WS's are the only tool flexible enough to be able to address them.

So... instead of vArranger selecting GM or GM2 or GS or XG target modes, why not Motif, or Kronos, or Jupiter80, etc.? After all, it's just lookup tables. Trust me, you make this product work with modern WS's, and you will have a line as long as you can dream, knocking at your door. What WS owner WOULDN'T like something that can turn it into a great sounding arranger too?

Integrate the Karma stuff, and you have something no-one has even HEARD yet. The future awaits. This product is too good to waste on replicating decades old styles.