Wow!!! Thanks, Fran.

Especially love Vocal Plant (World Demo).

Taike, That is Eric Persing's work..I met Eric 21 years ago..He was a Roland demonstrator and sound designer back then..

Eric started his company several years ago..Spectrasonics...He is one of the best when it comes to sampling..Eric is also a terrific player as all the "old" Roland guys were..

.

Excellent!!!

Excellent sound as would be expected, however please remember that this is an add on sound pack so you will need to purchase Ivory VST first, ($349) however as Ivory is pretty much the benchmark for Sampled Pianos, if your into pianos them then you will not be disappointed.
BTW If you have a Wersi OAS Instrument or a Mediastation, you can load the Ivory VST directly into them.
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill

Eric Persing's Roland demos are amongst the very best. I'm sure he sold many Roland synths for Roland just because of those demos. He made their gear sound so damned good. He really is a wonderful musician and composer and knows how to pull great sounds out of all the gear he works with.

All this new fangled VST technology sounds great & is all fine & dandy BUT,...in the real world for the AVERAGE KB Musician will they really take the time to absorb & actually learn how to use this technology on top of learning how to Play Correctly & Operate a Keyboard at home let alone ever in real time on stage as a Professional?....I think not but I could be wrong....what do you think?

At the risk of sounding like a real dummy. What would a musician actually use this for? Studio work? Can it be integrated via a laptop with an arranger keyboard. I'm afraid this techie software confuses me. Wouldn't know where to begin.

As Dnj mentioned





[This message has been edited by Pacesetter (edited 11-06-2006).]

Ahhhhhhhhhh so Im not alone in my thinking....maybe tooooo much techie stuff much is a good & a bad thing? I'm not trying to be negative but on the other hand do most people in the audience really care ?
I hope I'm wrong.......I feel until they really incorporate this VST into a SUPER EASY way to use it there will be allot of resistance to embracing in the mainstream Arranger KB world!!!

Why would anybody want to use VST's???

To sound better..You guys are so use to the toylike PSR's that you don't know what sounds good anymore

With the right gear[keyboards that are worth more than $500]..The VST's will work great ..using a properly designed instrument like Media Station, Wersi Abacus Etc...

You guys have to learn there is more to the music world than PSR 2000's and cousins..



I still mean what I said , even with the happy faces...

Well you could spend 10s of thousands on a real Grand Piano, and pay for a Piano tuner to retune the instrument every time you moved it to a new Gig, or you could pay a few hundred Pound/Dollar/Euro for a VST and load it into a Laptop (If your still using a Hardware Arranger) or if you have a Wersi OAS Instrument or Mediastation, load it straight in, and use and play it as if it was a normal voice. (Just think your playing a Grand Piano with other Grand Pianos in your styles)
Another option is to purchase a Hardware VST player (Such as Receptor) and link this to your Keyboard.
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill

All I care about is REAL TIME ON STAGE KB NAVAGATION for the way that I personally play a KB ...I couldn't care less how other people play...if it works for me I'll buy & use it proudly...my concerns were that the AVERAGE player knows nothing about VST's & can or will they take the time to learn & incorporate it into their musical playing lifestyle in some way with successful results. Will manufacturers like Yamaha, Korg, Roland etc ... be using them in their arranger KB products of the future too?
who knows? As for PSR technology, me & my pocket are very happy, ...for now

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 11-06-2006).]

Is a separate piece of hardware aka the Receptor the only way to do that or can it be run thru one of the Yamaha toy keyboards that have been spoken about?

Is "TOY" referring to the high tech endurance Plastic RESIN Compounds used by Yamaha or its Great Sounding Lightweight KBs enjoyed by thousands of musicians alike around the World?

Toy is an affectionate word..You can use your "toy" keyboard to control thousands of dollars worth of VST's

or just play the dang toy and stash the money like DNJ does

BTW, that is really what I want to do..play a 12 layer, dynamic piano VST on undersize, light touch plastic keys...not

[This message has been edited by Fran Carango (edited 11-06-2006).]

Lightweight or Heavy weight Keys do not make a musician I assure you

Now here is a real anchor!!
http://download.yousendit.com/A0A5247F07CE1D31

Looks like a G1000

Yea,, DonM is using it as an anchor on his fishing trip in the Gulf..

The G70 will be next years anchor for him..

Count me as one of the dummies.
I did eventually get my software arraqnger working, but with great difficulty.
You need a good 76 note controller (I don't have that, probably why I had so much trouble) a good PC, a vst host, the vst, good speakers, OMB software, lots of patience, and some time to load it all up.
If I turn up my PSR3K, I am ready to play in 4 seconds. Gary Diamonds Grand piano voice change made it sound really good.
If I was going to play live, I would use my PSR3000 not a vst. IMO, the softsynth arranger future is coming, but it is not here yet. The software required is just not ready. What is required is a total package. One piece of software that contains all that is necessary. Not 4 different pieces of software. I also found the latency to be noticeable.
Starkeeper

[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 11-06-2006).]

Fran, you got a great sense of humor, but instead of talking anchors and toys maybe you could give a little tutorial on how to use a VST. You certainly seem to know lots about them. Sorry, I don't and would like to learn a little more about VST. If you're not up to a tutorial maybe you could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated.

Pacesetter, the anchor thing was poking fun at my self..I use a Roland G-1000..

Also , I am poking fun at DNJ..he is my buddy...no harm is being done..

Check out Lionstracs..and search here at SZ for any Frank Rosenthal posts..Both should be a help.

I use Soft synths including B4 with my laptop..I use Forte as my host program[you will need a hosting program].
I also use MidiYoke[soft midi interface]..The two allow me to play my collection of Roland soft synths , M Audio's Key Rig, and Native Instruments B4..
I can also play my SGM180 sound fonts set..

This set up also allows me to use One Man Band and JammerLive[arranger software]..


Hope this helps ..There are many here that can help with any questions.

Do I always use the VST set up when gigging? No, but that may change when I start using a Media Station keyboard..

From our very own Synthzone
http://www.synthzone.com/softsyn.htm
http://www.synthzone.com/cubase.htm

There are 3 main options to usingVSTs

1. A Computer and controller Keyboard/Arranger
2. A Hardware Unit and controller keyboard/ Arranger
3. An Arranger Board that has the computer inbuilt. (So that you only need to carry 1 item around)

All the above types are used by various members, so just post any questions in the General Arranger and/or the Softsynth Forums.
Hope this helps

Bill

I have a Receptor and a KN7000. I use a hybrid setup, with the KN7000 providing rythm, and my Receptor the lead voices from B4'2,K2,and Collossus. You really cannot beat the quality of these voices.

If I were as advanced as Fran and Bill, I would probably go their route,and probably will.

Yes, there is a learning curve, but I am through buying $3500 keyboards every couple of years, and the Receptor is only a double rack space module. Sound is the name of the game, and I demand the best,period.

Bernie

If money were no object,however, Wersi or Liontracks would be what I would get.

Its great that we are discussing VST's and alternative ways to make music....because lets face it, all this High Tech stuff is just in it's Infancy & the future awaits us with open arms and it will continue to do so & progress with what we wishing for at this time, & dream for ahead of us much more beyond our wildest dreams in musical gear.....but it all means squat if we dont know how to make it all work......so I guess we need to take note, keep our eyes & ears open, try to absorb what is out there now & whats coming out learning along the way.....& who knows someday we all may be playing VST, Open Architecture, PC driven, Super Keyboards very very soon, or even somethings we dont even know exist at this time !!!! I really believe that for sure just wait & see!!

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 11-06-2006).]

Fran and Abacus thanks for the giving me a starting place, I'll have to start doing some reading on the VSTs. Right now I understand a bit of what's going on, but I need to make the connection on how it all ties in together

Fran I read some of your posts before I figured you may have been bustin DNJ

[This message has been edited by Pacesetter (edited 11-06-2006).]

What??

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I am afraid that the price penalty in using Wersi or Mediastation to trigger VST's is what is primarily keeping me away from them. I thought my G70 and the T2 were expensive enough, but here are instruments that easily double or triple that financial burden. Add to that the virtual impossibility of affording a spare if these rare instruments go bad on you (Wersi is a proven road-horse, but only time will tell if Mediastation's build quality is up to the price they ask) and you are seriously jeopardizing your career if you put your gig in their hands.

Essentially, you are paying 8-10 grand for something that a good laptop can do in conjunction with the arranger you already have, and gambling that technology doesn't leapfrog it before it has payed it's way.

I use VST's extensively for studio work (I would rather use Ivory than the studio's Steinway where I work at!), but I think that I may have another two or three year's wait before the all software keyboard isn't a 'work in progress' and finally lives up to the promise we all know it holds.

Diki
I don't think that the Mediastation X-76 Standard 32Bit is so expensive, cost only 2600 euro.
IF you like spend less, we have still some X-76 Standard DEMO ( with 24Mb GM soundbank) but cost only 1600 euro, LESS than buy one complete PC music setup.

Of course IF you like have the full power of the 64bit technology and the full acessory that we include, the price will be different.

Is like that you will buy one Porsche but you will pay the price of one simple Ford.

Both the cars will arrival in the same destination, but with a different time and luxury performance..

I think you have understand what I mean
cheers

Some VST's are very well integrated into the host system. For example... The Native Instruments B4 running in both the Wersi and Lionstracs is so simple all you do is press the Organ button and choose the presets you want to play. There's no difference from any other arranger except the sound its producing is far superior.

Other VST's aren't as easy to use because they've not yet been integrated directly for the host. Still its by no means difficult to use and the sound advantages are quite significant.

Using an Open Ended keyboard is different from the likes of the Tyros, GEM, Roland, etc. Systems like the Wersi and Lionstracs offer so many features that if one chooses it can be as simple or as deep as they require. It all depends on the end user.

What's holding most people back from buying these types of systems isn't the complexity, its the cost. Yes, they do cost more initially but in the long run it will cost you less. Think about it, in a year or two you simply load in new software and have a new instrument, you don't have to sell your outdated keyboard for the next new model.

You'd be hard pressed to build a laptop along with an arranger that would be as well integrated and easy to control and use as a dedicated system like the Wersi, Lionstracs, or Korg Oasys. Wersi has a major advantage over both Korg and Lionstracs because they've been building OAS instruments for so long their software, interface, and control surface is top notch. Korg's Oasys isn't very open ended which limits what you can do with it but the system does run quite well. Lionstracs has made considerable strides over the past few months but much of that was necessary because the Mediastation wasn't quite on par with the Wersi or Korg operationally. Sonically all three are fantastic and they are the pinnacle of what is available right now. The Korg Oasys is the only keyboard I've seen whose build quality can compete with Wersi. Wersi builds their keyboards like tanks and it shows. If weight is of concern to you, a Wersi is not something to consider.

One thing I don�t understand is why do people think that having a software keyboard arranger is the future and not now?

The point of an open system as opposed to a closed one is that with an open system, it is just that, open. It is not closed for implementing new and ground-breaking features and technologies.

I think another factor that is preventing people from getting one of these open system keyboards, is that they still have the close keyboard mentality. The close system philosophy is once the keyboard is available for sale, then nothing else should be done to enhance the keyboard. Any enhancement or changes would make the user thing that the product they got was incomplete and should not have been released.

With an open system it is the opposite. It is always open for upgrades and changes. So when these open system keyboard manufacturers keep putting out major (not minor) software upgrades and features, persons who are still back in the closed system mentality view that as the initial product being incomplete and in its embryonic stage. When in fact it is the normal M O for the open system keyboards. The possibilities with them are never closed always open for upgrades.

Good reply Genesy
I think slow slow people can start to understand and open the view..

With a Open system keyboard, the product will be NEVER complete but in continue software development.
Of course you there can wait untill the OS is complete of all, but after some monts we will continue offer a new features.

look the story os Microsoft:
start from Dos, then Windows 3.0, then win NT, win 2000, win 2000 professional, now the Xp and they continue developing and Continue fix the Windows BUGS too.

Maybe they will be ready in january with the Windows Vista? http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx

What is mean that till now they sold us one BAd OS full of bugs only?
And why then you have anyway buy it?
Was not better waiting the Windows Vista first and then buy one pc?

And then you think when you buy the Vista the OS will be stable? sure that the first release are not beta?
The story will continue......T3...T4...T5!!!