Donny, I've been posting for a while talking about a system that would be EASY for the manufacturers to implement (it's just software, no extra buttons at all), where each Variation to Variation combination had it's own dedicated fill. That would make a total of sixteen fills for a four variation arranger, including fill-to-self.

This would certainly reduce the repetitiveness of fills, and make for MUCH smoother transitions. One of the big problems in making styles is the difficulty in programming a fill that transitions smoothly to a variety of destinations. Seldom achieved, IMO...

But although having 16 Fills might SEEM like a lot of work for a style designer, it's actually MUCH easier, because each fill only has to fill ONE role. So, naturally, the fill starts out from the initial Variation (some nice copy and paste there) and transitions towards the destination fill (which it will ALWAYS go to) so you know whether to build a little or a lot (1-2 or 1-4, e.g.) or come down a little or a lot (4-1 or 4-3 e.g.). No more juggling dual duties (the hardest aspect of style design).

This system requires absolutely NO new technology, no radical departure from current systems, and no change whatsoever in how we use it. But the improvement to transition smoothness and reduction of repetitiveness would be instantly obvious...

Maybe add 4 break/fills (one for each Variation, rather than one tacked on global one), and it gets even better...

But rather than constantly search for entirely new technologies for our arrangers (that will have the same old limitations, anyway), perhaps we should be screaming for simply better use of the technologies we already have...?

There are MANY things (I'm sure you can think of several yourself) that could make the arranger IN IT'S CURRENT FORM work FAR better than it does, all without the expense of a totally radical new technology....