I just received and installed NI's Bandstand. I will do a more complete assessment once I have more experience. Here are the first impressions as used with styles only:

I get some distortion originating somewhere in my software .... likely in forte Ensemble. The soundcard does not show that it is being overdriven.

It looks like the various instruments are accessible but at this stage I don't know whether I can exchange them with instruments of my choice.

Bandstand claims to be GM, GM2 and XG compatible....as per the manual. This could be correct especially as it relates to the various sound modifying/midi commands. It only has 128 instruments and therefore does not accept Bank Changes. This means you need to stay within the 128 instrument format (GM).

BandStand does accept program changes. I did have some hiccups, in that, on some styles it did not instantly load the appropriate instruments. I need to set the buffers to fit my system....I think.

All Drums need to be on Channel 10 (GM). This means changing all Yamaha styles to the GM Standard. I have not completly checked the voicing of the individual instruments within a drumkit. Styles converted with EMC from other keyboards to Yamaha work and sound good.

You will likely need to re-voice and re-mix the Yamaha styles to suit Bandstand and your requirements.

If I can get everything working the way it should and the way it is designed then my plans are as follows:

I will still use higher quality instruments and kontakt for my lead voices. I will however downsize and use Garritan's Jazz & Big Band and Personal Orchestra, Colossus, Kontakt 2 Library, Kontakt 1 Library, etc. For my very favorite (most important instruments) I will continue to use top of the line virtual instruments (Organs, Pianos, Sax, etc.). I will likely acquire NI's Akoustic Pianos. I am still looking for that perfect set of virtual saxophones. These are hard to do and find. In the meantime I will use what I got.

I will use NI Bandstand for my auto accompaniment and do the necessary style modifications. I think many of the acoustic instruments are provided by Sonic Reality. These instruments are good enough for accompaniment but not good enough for me to use as lead instruments....I am spoiled.

[This message has been edited by Frank L. Rosenthal (edited 11-22-2005).]

Thanks for your evaluation Frank. I am not certain yet whether Bandstand will be the right choice for me, but I look forward to hearing more about it and how it works out for you. My question is, for style voices only, whether it's a major step up from something like the SGM180 soundfont.

I used the AJM2006 arranger system with my Motif ES as my controller and OMB and my somewhat modified SGM180 soundfont as my style player at a live performance on Friday night. It went relatively well, and all in all it sounded good. I'm not 100% sure, as it is setup right now, that it's a better alternative than a top end arranger in live performance though.

Pros, Cons, and tossups as follows for me vs using the PA80 in live play:

Pros:
Very easy to play and change variations/ intros/endings with the ES as my controller.

Superb lead voices. Huge gain over the PA80. Also better overall effects.

Every manufacturers brand of styles sounded relatively good without tweaking.

I have one shot sequences setup that work in a similar manner to Yamaha's Multipads. This is a tossup vs a Yamaha arranger but a big gain vs the PA80's pads.

Cons:
Not as easy to change styles or voices on the fly.

Overall the interface is less intuitive. Not always plug and play like a hardware arranger.

No harmonizer ( I could add an external one )

No registrations that are easily accessible like the performances on the PA80. I do have several setups stored in chainer, but I have to use a mouse to access them.

Having to use a mouse to do some other functions.

Tossups:

Style voices pretty good in either system.

Midifiles play relatively well in both systems.

In the end, I still think I lean toward a top quality ( better than the PA80 ) hardware arranger in live play, but in a studio or even home use setting, the AJ2006 is a clear winner for me.

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 11-22-2005).]

Thanks for posting your initial review. If Bandstand doesn't allow instrument changes, then I probably have no real reason to get it, as I don't need auto accompaniment except for drums.

For virtual saxaphones, have you checked out the demos at: http://www.chrishein.net/index.htm ?

A full-blown natural sounding sax sample maybe doesn't exist, but I'm considering splurging on this horn library when it becomes available.

Frank, it has been a while since I used OMB or LiveStyler but I believe that OMB has a feature to automatically remap the style to GM format vs XG. Keep us posted on your progress to make Bandstand work. Thanks.

Thanks Frank,
be interesting to know whether the drums do have xg mapping as well as gm.
On the whole though, would the sounds be ok as lead instruments? if we weren't quite as spoilt as you with your wonderful collection of sampled sounds.
Are they much better than the soundfonts you're currently usingfor styles.

Hi AJ,
I suppose the presets in OMB wouldn't work with your setup?

best wishes
Rikki


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bluezplayer:
[B]
Cons:
No registrations that are easily accessible like the performances on the PA80.

Hi Rikki,

In most cases, no. Many of the softsynths I use for lead voices don't recognize bank or patch changes.

AJ

Thanks for all your comments and interest in this subject.

AJ & Rikki at this time I would say the quality of sound may be only marginally better than something like SGM180....not enough to warrant the costs to purchase Bandstand. For me it is the appropriate direction to take given that Bandstand has the same sampler engine as kontakt together with high quality effects. It streamlines my system....very elegant.

Quasar, I am not quite certain about your comment. NI Bandstand accepts program changes from a software sequencer or a keyboard controller keyboard. The thing I am not certain of at this point is whether I can replace one of their saxophones with one of my own. They seem accessible but I need to try it first before I comment further on this.

OLEG7, thanks for your link to the virtual saxophone....I'll take a look. Furthermore, you are correct in that I could use OMB to convert the styles from XG to the GM format.

Rikki, I have not fully checked the drums to see if they conform sufficiently to the XG standard. I will let you know as soon as I can.


[This message has been edited by Frank L. Rosenthal (edited 11-22-2005).]

Thanks Frank,
unless it was outstandingly better, I think I'll just stick with the fonts. They'll give me more flexibility.

I've been thinking about upgrading the memory in my laptop and maybe even getting an external hard drive. I'm starting to realize how limiting my 512mb of memory is , if I eventually want to get sample based software as lead instrument.

I even noticed Garriton is bringing out a "Lite" version of it's orchestra.

Wondering if anyone's had anything to do with Sampletank2 or http://www.philharmonik.com/Main.html?prod_MP

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Frank L. Rosenthal:
[B]
AJ & Rikki at this time I would say the quality of sound may be only marginally better than something like SGM180

Thanks Frank. I very much value your opinions on this gear, particularly because you remain unbiased about it. I too will stick with the SGM180 unless something substantially better comes along.

I still think the VL150 plug in I have in the Motif ES does the best sax emulation of anything I've ever heard to date. Had Yamaha not abandoned the SYXG-100 plug in I would also have a software version of it ( no support for XP ).

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 11-23-2005).]

Rikki, I think Garritan is doing a very good job of producing virtual acoustic instruments at a signicantly reduced byte size. He also has the big version which are excellent, e.g., Garritan Strings.

AJ, you are likely right that it will take something like Yamaha's VL150 plug in to come anywhere near a good sounding Sax. I currently have layered a few sax samples and use velocity switching to get at them. I come somewhat close to that dirty old blues sax (smoke, spit, wheezing and other delightful sounds)....oh well.