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#171745 - 11/23/06 02:38 AM Understanding how styles work..
doc-z Offline
Member

Registered: 08/10/05
Posts: 436
Loc: Norway
I'm trying to study how arranger styles work. Does anyone here have any insight to the logic behind the styles? Offcourse the aproach may be differen't from each manufacturerer, but if you know how it works, please tell me!
I've done some investigation, but all the data I've found on the subject is that in the "old days" a style was essentially a midi file with different sections. The sections represented a loop consisting of x number of bars. This loop was repeated until some kind of user input requested another loop, such as a fill or variation. The midi file then changed to the corresponding section and started looping this section until another user input. However fills doesn't repeat they only play once. But how do they do the chords? Do they have one section for each chord? or do they do some kind of transposition? And filter transpose certain notes if the chord requires it? The chord recognition process, is that based on a basic array of data? and then match the input from the user to that array to retrieve the chord? Or are there other processes involved?

I'm doing this research because I maybe starting a development project for software based arrangers, so any info you guys could provide would be most helpful!

Doc-Z

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#171746 - 11/23/06 07:12 AM Re: Understanding how styles work..
wrinkles303 Offline
Member

Registered: 03/24/02
Posts: 422
Loc: worthington ,ohio
try the one man band site. it has a great
insite on style construction.
also:Jørgen Sørensen
and gunter nagler at gnmidi.com
all these sites are very detailed
in style logic and construction.
the program one man band is very good at this,although it is designed for the yamaha.
the concept and logic is the same for all
keyboards. i've used it for korg,roland and
yamaha.
good luck

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#171747 - 11/23/06 07:39 AM Re: Understanding how styles work..
Starkeeper Offline
Member

Registered: 09/16/02
Posts: 1704
Loc: Toronto
Quote:
Originally posted by doc-z:
But how do they do the chords? Do they have one section for each chord? or do they do some kind of transposition? And filter transpose certain notes if the chord requires it? The chord recognition process, is that based on a basic array of data? and then match the input from the user to that array to retrieve the chord? Or are there other processes involved?
Doc-Z

I have never programed a style, but I doubt that "the Style" has this logic, there is an internal program that does this.
When you record a style, it is to be recorded in C MAJ. I would think that whatever inversion of the chord you record will play back in that inversion. The program would change the chord based on your playing. It probably does some type of transposition.
The chord recorded was C in 2nd inversion.
The musician played a G chord, then the arranger will play a G in 2nd inversion. The style would not contain a G chord.
Starkeeper
_________________________
I play Roland EM20 and Yamaha PSR550

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#171748 - 11/23/06 08:26 AM Re: Understanding how styles work..
doc-z Offline
Member

Registered: 08/10/05
Posts: 436
Loc: Norway
I probably was not clear at what I'm looking for I'm not talking about programming my own styles, but rather programming a style player program, that understands chords from user input. So by understanding how the style itself is organized I can understand the logic behind style playback, and start mapping out what functions I need.

Doc-Z

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#171749 - 11/23/06 08:49 AM Re: Understanding how styles work..
Jørgen Sørensen Offline
Member

Registered: 10/24/99
Posts: 361
Loc: Denmark
Hi

Try reading some of my articles about Yamaha Styles at http://www.jososoft.dk/yamaha/articles.htm

Regards
Jørgen

------------------
The Unofficial YAMAHA Keyboard Resource Site

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#171750 - 11/23/06 10:22 AM Re: Understanding how styles work..
renig Offline
Member

Registered: 02/20/00
Posts: 643
Loc: Canada
Quote:
Originally posted by doc-z:
However fills doesn't repeat they only play once.
Doc-Z


No so on a Korg. Hitting a fill button twice in quick succession will cause the fill to repeat continuously until another option is chosen. A very usable feature IMO.

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#171751 - 11/23/06 09:27 PM Re: Understanding how styles work..
rikkisbears Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6020
Loc: NSW,Australia
Hi Doc,
you're not happy with OMB??

Apart from a couple of things I wish it could do ie use controller 64 sustain, & have gradual tempo changes within a intro & ending (like my ketron)
OMB style system better than most of my ex keyboards ( except for the KN7000). Only thing that sounds better as far as style creation goes is the Mediastation. Wish Domenick would create his system for style playback on a pc.

Maybe a place to start would be what you don't like about the OMB system.

Jammer Live, might be another one to check out. Jammer 6 now allows creation of styles from midifiles and they work to a certain degree in Jammer Live. It's a totally different system to OMB. Never quite gotten round to working out how Jammer styles work.

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by doc-z:
[B]I
_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸

Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022

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#171752 - 11/24/06 01:46 AM Re: Understanding how styles work..
doc-z Offline
Member

Registered: 08/10/05
Posts: 436
Loc: Norway
Thanks for your input guys!

I actually like OMB Rikki, but I wish there was a smaller version, without all the excess stuff, and a easier interface to reorchestrate styles during playback. I was thinking of programming my own OMB software. So I'm searching for documentation, and SDK's, so if anyone have any information, please help me out

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#171753 - 11/24/06 03:53 PM Re: Understanding how styles work..
rikkisbears Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/22/02
Posts: 6020
Loc: NSW,Australia
Hi Doc,
Korg, Ketron, Roland have similar systems. ie style tracks can be created for between 3 maj, min, 7th for (Ketron & Roland) up to
6 (Korg) different chord types for the different style parts.
Technics had it's own system, & so do Yammies.

My version of a psr/omb style it could have some flaws. ( Jorgen if I've got something wrong please correct me)

Intro's & Endings are usually a mix of melodic phrases & Chords. They are also able to have a chord progression in them. Normally you'd create maj & some minor tracks because melodic lines don't always transpose very well.

Chord track variations are created based on a maj7 chord. Have to have the maj 7th or it only plays maj or min chords no matter what type of chord you play be it a 7th or a 9th etc.
You can also have melodic phrases in the variations. Usually handy for melodic phrase to have a maj & min version.
Definately no chord changes allowed in Variations.

Fills similar to variations except they don't repeat.

Basically styles get transposed up & down.

Don't know how much help I can be. Trying to explain it isn't easy

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by doc-z:
[B]
_________________________
best wishes
Rikki 🧸

Korg PA5X 88 note
SX900
Band in a Box 2022

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#171754 - 11/27/06 03:45 PM Re: Understanding how styles work..
doc-z Offline
Member

Registered: 08/10/05
Posts: 436
Loc: Norway
thanks Rikki, I'll dive deeper into this thing. I'll focus on Yamaha styles, since there's allready a DLL available for them. I'll crack that DLL open and see what's inside it.

Doc-Z

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