Here is something else to consider. If you are going to use soundfonts for your backing instruments ( or any other sound modules for that matter ), don't forget to add a little reverb, and chorus effect. emphasis on a "little". Makes all the difference in the world for me.

Just as important, maybe more so, you need a DX / Vst eq effect. I have my PA80 and my softsynth setup side by side here. When I forget to turn the effects on the AJ2006,... forgettaboudit. It sounds pretty dull and lifeless. Turn them on and tweak properly, and it sounds very good even vs the PA80's lively styles. This is true for me when I'm using any number of different soundfonts. Even the Hubbe free font, which is maybe 60 mb worth of sounds, rocks when I "tune it up" right with just a sprinkling of effects.

If you guys try fonts without effects, chances are yer gooing to say something like " what are these guys talking about. these soundfonts sound poor vs my arranger "? OTOH, turn all the effects off in your arranger, and see how that sounds... Not so good I'm guessing ?


Fran, DNJ, everyone else interested.. here is the bottom line for me...

It takes some work to get the system to sound really good, but it can be done. I'm at that point already, though I can always add even more to it. With the right setup, you should be able to get the backing voices to at least be on par with if not exceed any of the top arrangers, and you can almost surely exceed the sonic quality of the lead or panel voices of any of them. Also, once you set your backing up with the best GM voices, using most of the different manufacturers style won't require the styles to be tweaked again to fit your system.

Part 2 is being able to set up a dedicated controller so that it is as comfortable for you to use as your hardware arranger in a live setting. I'm not quite there yet. Physically playing is the easy part. It's already become second nature for me to use my mod wheel to trigger fills, my ribbon controller to change variations ( up and down is all I can do with that but I could use the adjustable knobs to pick and choose ), and my sliders to trigger intros and endings. That's the easy part. What I don't have or cannot access easily ( but may be able to incorporate at some point ) might be very important to some guys, may not matter to others:

No registrations ( though in apps like Sonar or FL I can save / reopen as many setups as I like )

No screen like an arranger ( though I'm told you can add an external mini screen and keypad )

No multipads per se ( you can trigger sequences like an arp using certain keys or controllers. There are quite a few programs that support arps and several vst arp progs as well.

You could use an external harmonizer and link thru One Man Band.

For me.. I can live with a somewhat crude interface ( when it comes to not having easy access to my setups, no real multipads, etc ). I don't do this everyday for a living, and the gigs I do play are usually relaxed, in that I can get away ( sometimes very nicely ) with doing acoustic stuff without even turning on the arranger a large percentage of the time. That's when having great lead voices is a huge plus. For someone else, you may be very limited by not having all the bells and whistles right in front of you where you need them, or.... you may be able to find good workarounds that I haven't thought of.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 11-08-2005).]