Starkeeper, you are making me sweat! This feels like a test. If I don't get it right I fail. Oh well I will give it a try.

Yes, you can use your PSR550 as a controller keyboard.

Yes, you can send program changes from your PSR 550 provided you have midi implemented on it. I think you do.

No, you can not send changes in fills, variations, endings or Intros using the buttons on your PSR550. Here is where a longer keyboard (76 Note) is better you can program the bottom octave to do that.

Yes, you can attach expression/volume pedals to my Roland A37 (Roland EV-5 or FV-300L expression pedal). Yes, you can control your lead/melody voices with such pedals. All these attached devices and other program and control changes can be stored in 128 Flash ROM locations. These are then there each time you turn it on and you don't need batteries.

Yes, you are right it is not a good thing that something seems to have happen to LiveSynth Pro. Hopefully someone else will pick up on it or others are going to jump in and take up the slack. If this does not happen then we are into selecting something like VSampler 3.0 and adjusting the drum banks from 16256 to 127 for each style. It is not the end of the world. I could do it but I would rather watch grass grow or the weather channel. SeerMusic may present another alternative in 6 months or so. There are other alternatives just they don't work as well (Bismark BS-16, Audio Compositor, Orion Sampler, Sample Farm ( www.soundburst.com ), etc.). In addition, one could also use Music Companion (good), Evolution Sound Studio ProII (good but few styles), Jammer Live (if those guys ever get one out for Windows Xp). So there are alternatives - not to worry!!!

The barebones minimum for a Laptop - hmmm?

If you want to use the voices of the PSR550 then all you need is:

Live-Styler or OMB & a midi cable ($30)

If you want to generate a new sound different from the PSR550 and you are happy with the sound quality of the LT sound chip then you will need:

Host/Wrapper ($100)
LiveSynth Pro ($70) or alternative
sYnerGiGs Wavetable ($20)
Live - Styler ($30)

The next step would see significant improvements in sound quality, namely:

In addition, to the above you would need something like Kontakt and premium voices (expensive), a Firewire Hard Drive and Soundcard (expensive).

So Starkeeper there you have it. If you need more information just let me know and I will see if I can find it.


[This message has been edited by Frank L. Rosenthal (edited 09-16-2003).]

Frank,
Didn't mean to make you sweat, and no it's not a test. Just extremly interested, as I am thinking of taking the softsynth route.
Starkeeper

Starkeeper, all those who have taken the soft synth route are happy. There are some one-time costs (money & sweat) but it works. The world is your palette. You can go with a Datsun (Do they still make them?), a Cadillac or anything in between and at your own speed.

They don't call them Datsun's anymore (I use to own a Datsun 510), they're Nissan's now. I do have to take that route. Sigh! The question I had before was, "what is the minimum Laptop requirement" for a soft synth arranger. By that I mean cpu speed. Would a Pentium II 466 LT be able to handle the load? (NI B4 says it requires a 266)
Starkeeper

Frank,
I know, I ask a lot of dumb questions, it's not that I'm dumb, I'm ignorant (lack of knowledge). You are the man with knowledge. When you throw terms around like: Brainspawn forte wrapper, DXi, Cubase Sx, Project5, Live Synth Pro, VSL2020, RME soundcards, ASIO, WDM, GSIF drivers, Kontakt, Synergigs Wavetable. I'm thinking, what is he talking about.
What's Synergigs Wavetable?
Starkeeper

Starkeeper, I guess I am not reading your questions properly.

If you are going to play the sounds on your PSR using Live-Styler or OMB almost any LT will do.

If you are going to play Live-Styler with LiveSynth Pro using the sYnerGIGS Wavetable then any Pentium will do with 256MB plus RAM (Windows XP - 128 MB + Wavetable - 50 MB + programs - xy MB = 256 MB plus).

If you are going to use things like the B4 or Kontakt plus effects (especially reverb) then you should use some thing like a Pentium 4 with 512 MB & 1 GHz. I use a Pentium 4, 1GB RAM, 2GHz and even at that I can bring it down to its knees with heavy doses of effects like reverb.

The sYnerGiGS Wavetable is a GM and Partial GS/XG set of instruments contained in one soundfont file. This file is about 44 or 50 MB in size. It is this file you load into the soft synth LiveSynth Pro and use for playing your styles with Live-Styler or OMB. So you have to connect Live-Styler using something like Midi Yoke (free) to forte/LiveSynth Pro. And then Play!!!

Yes Elle, I agree.
I think that Nigel should consider adding
a "Software Arranger Forum" in the near
future. The time has finally arrived.

Frank,
I can't express how absolutely excited I am
at the fantastic success you have been
having! I think that LiveSynthPro 1.4
still is the best option presently, so using
it as long as it works is not a problem.
I hope someone would buy and support their
great product.
Once they perfect ASIO compatibility, my only fear is that Brainspawn will get bought out by one of the big boys(e.g.,Cakewalk,Steinberg,etc.), and get put
on a shelf, so it won't compete with their
other products. Sorry for being so presumptuous - I hope I'm wrong.

Vquestor, I find Brainspawn very responsive to requests for additional features and changes. After listening to me yap about Audio In they are now including it as a feature. I think one of their code writers is also a guitarist and finds this feature will be useful for adding live guitar effects. You see everyone benefits from working together.

One can only hope they remain a viable separate company - makes for competition and product enhancements & differentiation. Brainspawn's forte will definitely irratate Steinberg & Cakewalk. You now do not have to spend hundreds of dollars to buy Cubase SX or Cakewalk Sonar just to get Audio In. As you mentioned, RT Player Pro can host VoiceMachine. As a result, it to must have Audio In. We have 2 alternatives besides the big 2 or 4 companies.

[This message has been edited by Frank L. Rosenthal (edited 09-17-2003).]

Starkeeper, I should have added to the previous posting on activating fills, intros, endings, variations, etc. that you can also program your computer keyboard to do this. So you don't absolutely need a 76 note keyboard to program the lower octave for this function.

[This message has been edited by Frank L. Rosenthal (edited 09-17-2003).]

Frank,
How is Forte 1.3beta working out?