If Yamaha's audio styles WERE so obviously better (in many people's opinions, they aren't), they would make the MIDI drum styles sound so bad you wouldn't want to use them. This is apparently not the case. So, the question is, why introduce a new technology that has significant disadvantages over MIDI drum styles (you can't change the kit, you can't edit EQ, pitch, reverb or volume for each drum individually) if the advantages aren't THAT great?

This is basically an all or nothing approach. Ketron went all out, and doubled down on audio styles. And, for them, it has worked wonderfully. If you aren't much of a tweaker, and want the most live sounding drums out there (not to mention live guitars, bass, etc.), the Audya works great.

But Yamaha's timid, tepid approach to it just seems so half-hearted, it cuts the legs out of how strong it COULD be. If say 75% of the ROM styles were audio, if they mixed them to be only as ambient as the REST of the styles in the arranger, then we could say that this is where Yamaha are going. But reviews about the audio styles from owners seems mixed, at best. Not enough to be significant, too ambient to be integrated, virtually no extra and 3rd party audio styles, and no way to quickly load them into the arrangers.

That's a recipe for failure, IMO.

And the need for them is almost entirely removed by the simple and expedient solution of simply MUCH better recorded, multi-velocity drum KITS. Which has the HUGE benefit of being able to be used on ALL styles, especially legacy styles that mostly address the oldest, least dynamic kits even now.

I simply cannot fathom Yamaha's mindset here... 10% or less of the styles in a T5 are audio, there's no quick way to load a bunch more, IF a load more were even available. How is this in ANY way a significant feature? Even the audio multipads, the one way you would THINK would be an easy way to add your OWN audio drum loops (for once, Yamaha allow a common sample format rather than their own proprietary BS), they don't allow the loop to loop!

For the want of a nail (OK, a box of nails!), the crown has been lost. All this half-hearted approach has done is whet the appetite of those who actually LIKE the audio styles for an arranger that uses them for MOST of the styles..! Well done, Yamaha. You've done more for Ketron than you have for yourself.