Hi Starkeeper,
just wondering if you're still interested in Soundfonts.
Vquestor put me onto these ( I'm really grateful he found them) http://bennetng.kc-studio.com/AnotherGS/AnotherXG.html

I've just been doing some sound comparisons between it and my xg clavinova.
They don't stack up too badly.
By the way, they're free.

best wishes
Rikki

Rikki,
Yes. Actually, I tried Jos Maas' OMB this weekend and found it to be quite good. I demoed "Live Styler" a while back and it just did not sound "right" and kept aborting. Setting it up was very difficult, and took me a few weekends to get it working.
OMB, on the other hand, was much easier to setup, but I haven't tried MIDIing it up to my keyboard yet. Setting up for MIDI might be a little more challenging. I was surprised that it sounded "right". This is very encouraging.
Getting back to "Another GS". These would be used for styles or for solo voice as well?
I purchased Synergi GS a while back. How does AnotherGS compare with your "Edirol Sound Canvas"? Did you install "AnotherGS then AnotherXG"?
Starkeeper


[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 02-14-2005).]

Hi Starkeeper,
I'm a real fan of Jos's software.
(especially OMB). The latest one I've bought is "Busker". I've got 1000's of Busker/Fakebook scores. If I'm not sure how the tune goes ( which is often), all I have to do is use a dragn'drop method for putting in the melody notes/chords ( even does lyrics), pick a psr style & position the style parts in the score. It then plays the song back. I'm finding it great for auditioning various styles with a song. Handy to just sit back & listen to what style works & what doesn't.

I had a couple of problems with Livestyler playing some of my piano arpeggio styles, probably something I did wrong, but for me it's easier just using OMB, and having all the functions in the one program, style editor/creator, sequencer, arranger etc

Not sure whether I understood correctly, do you already have your Roland midied up to your computer? or are you reffering to setting OMB setup to work with your keyboard?

I've only just downloaded Another XG fonts. Whether they're good enough to use as melody, not sure, suppose it depends on the quality you require. The piano in it is really quite good. Really disliked the piano in the synergi font and I'm not overly wrapped in the piano in the Hypercanvas. Piano's play a major part in the styles I use. I did a bit of a test with some of my favourite styles. I connected my computer audio out to the audio in of my clavinova ( clp170 ) Using the same styles, I played them first with my clav's xg sounds, then with Another XG font. The main thing I had to alter was the volume of the drum track ( had to take it down from about 60 to 20 , to make it blend in with rest of the tracks). The drums plays a lot louder than the drums in the clav. That's no big deal.
One of the main styles I tested ( I had real hassles with it when I converted it for my kn7) was a particular waltz style from my 9000pro that uses brushes. I tried it with the font, and it works reasonably well. Some of the drums are going to need their velocities altered ie this particular style uses a brush swirl , tap, and bass drum. The brush swirl drowns out the bass drum.

I'd originally thought about editing the drums in the actual soundfont ( synergi at the time ), but it dawned on me that I wouldn't only be using my 9000 pro styles, I've also got styles from other sources and various keyboards. The drums in the font may then work ok with a 9kpro style, but still may not be correct for just a psr 2000 style.

Anyway, I think I may have solved the problem with OMB's track conversion table. All I need to do is setup conversion tables for any of the drumsets that need the velocities altered, and when I come across a style that requires the drums to be adjusted, I just use the conversion table to adjust it. These tables are saved ( they're sort of a template) and can be used over & over again. You can also them create them to convert xg drums to gm. Jos has a default one in the files of his user group.

Anyway I'm back on track, even ended up ordering an Audigy soundcard for my laptop to try and improve the quality. I think I'll end up using fonts instead of the Hypercanvas, and keep Hypercanvas for BIAB and midifiles. Actually with my setup I can use a mix of sound sources, my Clavinova for melody, Hypercanvas & Fonts for styles.

If I can be of any help , let me know.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Starkeeper:
[B]Rikki,


[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 02-14-2005).]

Rikki,
Busker sounds great. I will have to try this. I haven't found a decent, inexpensive, note editor. Will try it. Can you enter multiple notes on a staff?
I set up OMB and tested it using the computer keyboard, just to see what it would sound like. Will attach MIDI cables to my Roland and the computer this weekend and see if I can get it to work and have fun.
Is the cost of OMB ($50.00) in U.S. funds, Cdn funds, euros?
To be able to use "AnotherXG": you download "AotherGS" then just run the patch program. Correct? There isn't another file called "AnotherXG"?
"If I can be of any help , let me know."
Are you sure you want to say that?
Thank you for the link. It is appreciated. I'm really excited about moving forward this now.
Starkeeper


[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 02-15-2005).]

Have you seen these soundfonts? http://www.personalcopy.com/sfarkfonts1.htm
I really like the PC51 and Magic. Very good GM fonts to use as a base. Can't seem to find really good solo brass though. The Sonic Implants brass font isn't all it should be.

Hi Starkeeper,
unfortunately no. It's not really a notation program. It's strictly single note melody line input, but for playback, there is a harmony icon that you tick, and it plays back with additional 2 or 3 part harmony ( not quite sure which).

When it plays back, the melody is a bit mechanical sounding ie you can tell it's been done in steptime, if I want to play along for practice, I just reasign the melody channel ( midi channel 1) to a channel that's not in use, lower it's volume, and play along for practice. You can also save the "busker" file as a midifile and load it into the onboard sequencer for further editing. You can't go backwards though, ie meaning that midifile cannot be saved as a busker file.
Quite handy for people who don't read music as all you really have to do is copy the score.
What type of cables are you using?

The funds are in US Dollars.
Just make sure you follow the directions carefully for installing the "key" serial no's etc.
You actually install the Another GS program,
( keep a second copy of it, I've got both just in case I want to use a gs soundfont) then you install the patch which turns one of them into an xg font.)

Put it this way, if you do end up getting a more expensive psr like the 1500 or 2000, and don't end up using the fonts, OMB still won't be a waste. It's a really great psr style creator/editor. I originally bought the program for the editing functions alone, well before I'd thought of using it as a software arranger.

Actually these new font's have renewed my interest too, my dgx is going and I'm going to get myself a small controller keyboard.

The xg fonts are only about 30plus mb's, but they sound pretty good, I can only imagine what Frank's set up must sound like.

Don't know how much help I'll be , but the offer stands.

best wishes
rikki

You just bought the dgx, 305 I think. YOu are really impressed with those fonts.
Hmmm.
Starkeeper

Hi,
thank you for the link, I'll check it out.
If I find any sites with solo brass I'll let you know.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FAEbGBD:
[B]

Rikki, I think my accompaniment wavetable sounds fairly good - but it took some work to get it to that point. I to like good sounding pianos. So converted piano and other acoustic instruments sounds from the GM500 and have never looked back. Again I consider these sounds good enough for the accompaniment/live performances but not good enough for lead or melody parts. My modified sYnerGi GS wavetable is every bit as good as any XG hardware based wavetable and then some. I am not bragging just identifying that there are all kinds of sounds out there to improve your wavetables.

I am happy to see all this interest and effort in developing interesting software based arranger systems.

Rikki, I thought I would never hear you say that you would move towards a controller keyboard. Who would have thought??? Or is it that Rikki has to much time and money???

Once Kontakt 2 becomes available I will see whether it can load a GM wavetable. If it can I will then convert the whole of GM500 including the drums and use one instance of Kontakt for the accompaniment and another instance of Kontakt to run my melody parts. This would require converting the Yamaha styles to the GM format - especially the drums. Once I have this done I will likely retire from technical matters and play music until the angels come calling for the old man.