Like Don, I made my own styles years ago. I would take a style and create the bass line, the drum part, all four variations, four fills, two introductions and two endings. I was putting a lot of time and effort in. I came to the realization that the pros who were creating were far more talented than myself. I was not a piano player, or a drummer.

Now that’s one view. Here’s another view: It was a heck of-a-lot of fun making the styles.

What I do now:
1-Change the instrument, and change their volume, octave, and the EQ if needed.
1-One dedicated mute control button to mute 1 to 5 parts of the style, on-the-fly, while adding pads ( I do create some of my own pads) – now the style is no longer what it was. Sometimes I used the full style and the four pads for a strong ending. I try to visualize a band with 12 musicians. It is rare to hear them playing all at once. If it is a three-piece R&R band, the only thing I change is the rhythm.

What I am saying is there are so many ways to play with your keyboard, find which one you enjoy the most. If I could create fantastic styles, but hated doing them, they would never get done.

Just saying, no more, John C.