Montunoman is right on -- the Latin/Brazil styles are key, and they're one reason Yamaha lost a sale recently. I needed an arranger for a quick turnaround project w/ several bossa nova cues. I tested the current 910 and also S650 and A2000. found them all a bit lacking.

I liked the "idea" of the flash memory expansion options BUT I couldn't believe how poorly supported this feature is: I wanted to make sure the Brazil expansion would work in A2000, and made 4 different inquiries (via web & phone support) and am still waiting for an answer. if these packs are indeed the future for Yamaha, it is essential that questions of compatibility are resolved -- and made clear on web, etc. -- before the products are sold.

just my two centavos

Tom Moon, the T4 has some nice Bossa's. I use them to play The Wave - Joubim

Have you looked at the T4 style list to check if there are some there you can use?

Hi Tom- did you end up getting an arranger for your Bossa Nova project? Actually I think the Yamaha Bossa Novas are pretty good (at least for a smooth type bossa) As much as I love Ketron Latin styles, I kind of like the Yamaha Bossa Novas better. I haven't heard the Yamaha Brazilian Expansions- I hope it good and they make more expansions for other Latin styles too- Modern Bachata,Reggaeton, Merengue,Cumbia, Salsa, Cumbia...

I think the ability to display PDF's, and use them just like TEXTS files can be used. This way, all music and or lyrics can be on the Hard drive. 1 less thing to carry and worry about/

Second that!

YES!!!

Thing is, Donny, take a look at that list of genres I mentioned. Do you do ANY of them? How big is your zydeco repertoire? Do ANY ska-punk? LOL

While what YOU do seems to be very well covered by the available styles, there are MANY of us that find huge gaps in the available pro quality styles, or find what IS available to be less than stellar in authenticity. And, let's face it... how many of us have EVER created a truly ROM quality style all by ourselves? User created styles are, on the whole a pretty rough bunch compared to the quality that you find in the ROM. It is nowhere NEAR as easy as you seem to think (have you ever truly tried?).

But the guys that make the ROM styles for the Majors... well, they are pretty much sitting around on their duff for usually at least a year or more (two or three for TOTL arrangers). Now, if they could make 100% of the money for selling styles, instead of the pittance they get because of file sharing, don't you think they would be churning them out like hotcakes? After all, how many TOTALLY new styles do you usually get in a new arranger? 10%? 15%? Two or three YEARS just to make a handful? These guys got time on their hands!

Protected files would allow them to work 24/7 and actually make a living.

Abacus, sorry, but if you buy a style and give a copy to a friend, you are NOT 'giving what you paid for away'. If you no longer USED the style, and gave or sold it to a friend, then OK... But to KEEP the style AND give it away robs the creator of a sale. The thinking like this is what has made the whole problem in the first place. When a piece of SOFTWARE is sold to you, it is sold for YOU to use. Not you, and your 10,000 closest friends..!

Not sure what you are going on about here Diki? as it seems to be what I said in my origional post, just not in so many words.

Bill

Did anyone mention 'live drums'. Really take a back seat vs the other brands....

I loved the T4 bossa/Latin styles and would have snagged one if they weren't so high priced.
I could make the basic styles from the 910 work just fine too...and would have done that except a friend lent me his Korg microarranger and those worked fine. (they're busier than Yamaha but well programmed, imho). if Yamaha offered a similar product I'd buy immediately.
re the Voice/Style expansion Yamaha has for the 650 and A2000, they did offer a Brazil pack initially. apparently it was only compatible w/ the 650 and not the A2000. it was not listed when I went back to the site the other day. why, Yamaha?