Here is my list:

1 dance
2 disco
3 rock
4 8beat
5 16beat
6 pop
7 latin pop/disco
8 funk/R&B
9 ethnic/world beat
10 movie/ballads

I have no use for:

1 country
2 jazz/swing
3 ballroom
4 waltz/march/polka

Thanks for asking

Eric

Hi Chris
My list (10) playing 9000Pro is
1-Lounge piano
2-Jazz trio
3-Jazz ballad2
4-Nocturne
5-Cha cha cha
6-Brasilian samba
7-Fast bossa
8-Cool bossa
9-Beguine
10-16 beat 3

Brasilian regards
Chico still loving 9000Pro

Eric, You've written my list out for me!,

You must share the same music that I do (Funk/Dance, Rock etc). I don't play Ballroom, Latin, C&W (Country & Western)-Cha cha cha, Brazilian samba, bongo, mambo,Jazz,Samba, Jazz Waltz or anything like that. I play/like music that is used mainly for todays industry (not rap/hard dance though)

Not sure if a Instrument that is 80% full of styles that I will never use is "for me". I really "would" like a blank sheet to start with, and load styles in as I need them. It's no good having the greatest "big-band", "cha cha" sound(s) ever created....if you aren't going to use them, and I won't.

It has to be said that NO arranger will cater for any single person - exclusively, but there are arrangers out there that satifies some peoples needs...but not others. It's just a matter of taste. Someone who listens to todays "rock and pop/dance", isn't going to worry about were his next "cha cha", samba, Ballroom style is going to come from I wouldn't have thought. Vice-versa applies to the above sentance as well

O8

Hi
I like sk880user's suggestion list. And also Scott Yee's and ChicoBrasil's. Versatile 8 & 16beats, ballads, swing & jazz, movie & epoch ballads, good assortments of 3/4 & 6/8, followed by latin... etc.
Tom

Hi Chris.

WOW, this is quite a topic, and the answers are probably going
to be just as many as there are users around
It's very geographical and personal related, and also depending
on how or where, or in what kind of 'gigs' the keyboard are being
used. And not to forget about if the user are a skilled musician
or just a humble amateur like myself.

Most all keyboards I've tried have the very same overloaded and
much too perfect and sophisticated arranged styles regarding to
my way of use and taste, even my KN5000.
Most of the 'on board' styles I never use as it is, and at least
60% of the stuff are never being used at all.
I'm really very happy for the KN's composer and the possibility to
tweak and edit the styles to make it fit a song in a 'easy' way.

I've not tried the newest GEM's yet, the last one was a WS2, but
the new Ketron SD1 is the keyboard who 'hit my heart' regarding to
the type of styles and the 'live' way it sounds. Also I think they
have done a good job regarding to make it sound like if it is the
same 'band' who play, regardless to the preset style you choose.
Most others sounds like a totally new group for each single style
you choose.

What I miss:
6/8 and 12/8 ballads, soul and blues. Various down on earth sounding,
and not any 5 minutes overloaded intros and endings in every single
style. Also some more native/popular Scandinawian types, and 'beats'
who get the feet moving and wanna dance!

What I can live without:
That most of the waltzes, polkas etc. always sound like german
'ompa-ompa', too much 'jodel' and brass.
Most of the bigband, acid jazz, show and hollywood.

Must have:
Those I've converted, tweaked and made ready on my KN's HD.

Seriously, I would rather have a big amount of various styles to
choose from i.e. a CD or as downloadable from the web, then load and
store into the keyboard those who fit my needs and taste regarding to
the way I use the keyboard.
Maybe also grouped in categories fitted to what part of the world
you're living in regarding to native music styles and a more common
international group.

Thank you for listening
GJ

[This message has been edited by Gunnar Jonny (edited 02-01-2002).]

Chris:
More thoughts about styles. I've had a difficult time finding convincing, smooth jazz/fusion styles in arranger keyboards. Many of the funk styles seem "too busy" or, literally, too funky for my uses. I'd like to see a wider selection of such styles that some might call easy-listening jazz, or some such name. I'm referring to styles that approximate the music of The Crusaders, Stuff, and artists such as Larry Carlton, Norman Brown, Dave Grusin and other BMG artists. Also, I like the idea in other posts, i.e., being able to select and add only those styles that are used most.

Larry

Hi Octave8

it does look like we like the same kind of music.
You answered for me too: no Rap/hard rock

Eric

Chris,
since you work for GM I am taking advantage of this occasion to vent my main complaint about (all) arrangers:
no matter which style you choose, after a while it becomes a cliché, because each time you press the start, fill or end button you know in advance what to expect. I wish that arranger programmers could add a lot of variations, i.e. at least 6 different fills for each style (they last just 1 bar so don't take much memory), and every time you press "Fill" one of them comes up in a random way (just like a real drummer does) and the same could apply to the "intro" or "ending" parts. I am not talking about huge differences, but something than can surprise you each time a little.
Maybe you could choose the degree of variation to expect (let's say from 0 to 5) and so every time you start a song you could choose to play exactly what is in your mind or let you little band take you aback.

Andrea,
did you know that this feature for fill's was
build in on the KN3000?
It was called "Dynamic accomp", and was started
by exstra push at the keys, but it only worked
when the "onboard" preset styles was used.
Now it's history, don't know why.
GJ

Chris. Regarding Styles in future arrangers. Band-In-A-Box Software uses a data base where each Style type contains a number of accompaniment parts within a style type that it can call upon at random or indeed be programmed to call up a certain riff more often if the user wishes. This system provides an accompaniment which gives subtle changes and is far less repetitive than a Style containing 4 bar loops.

Graham UK