Don’t know about the US but here in Europe only beginners and novices buy arrangers for styles, once they have progressed, the sound of the instruments, and the ease of use and community spirit take over.
The same applies to modifying styles, (and in mainland Europe this includes the extensive use of Midi and MP3 files) each performer tries to develop their own sound style.
BTW Dikki would you buy a Mediastation if it could play Roland Styles?
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill

I have been sitting on my hands staying out of this repeated debate with no end in sight. But i just could not stay quiet as this debate meanders accross arguments over what constitutes a professional keyboard player, a home player, people great at making styles, who shoul be insulte from who shouldnt etc . None of this has anything to do with the problem , and it is a very obvious problem with the marketing of the Ms.

The MS has bags of potential , no one is denying this. All someone has to do is look at the spec and the monthly updates coming out of MS. However .....listen with your ears and tell me if you would be confident in purchaseing one today, not when it actually fulfills its potential but right now ?? I get the integration argument, genuinley i do.(but the integration must result in a great sounding aranger yes ? ) I get the speed of loading huge giga samples (even the free ones shipped with the instrument , genuinely i do ( but the use of fast loading giga samples must result in a great sounding arranger yes ? ), I get the concept of continually updatable software and the potential for a single purchase lasting a life time. This is potentially my dream keyboard. But i just cant get past the problem of my ears and the problem with the credibility of the instrument in real use today when the manaufacture cannot seem to make the instrument sound even as good as its competitors. Scratch that ...even as good as the radio shack keyboard.

This whole discussion would be killed dead in its tracks if either liontracks or individuals would actually demonstrate the quality of the instrument today with good demos .Can we stop pushing the "potential" argument , as its more than wearing thin right now. If i were a professional arranger player i would not sell my services based upon my potential to sound great for your booking but post poor demos on my website to promote my services so why am i expeted to buy an instrument that i would use to make a living based upon its potential to sound good having poor demos to base that decision upon ?

Diki posted some demos of the instrument from the companies website showing a style with an incredibly poor guitar ( that was not the only thing poor about the style). Did anyone actually listen to the style ????? Well did you ???? Are you telling me that your ears could not hear how poor that was ? Dom , explain how this gives confidence to potential customers ?????This was something the manufacturer put up for musicians like you and me to have confidence in the "potential " of the instrument.....

Its not even funny anymore.

Now we have hijacked this thread enough, lets either post on topic or move to the other Mediastation thread if we want to dance this ridiculous dance again.

I have been sitting on my hands staying out of this repeated debate with no end in sight. But i just could not stay quiet as this debate meanders accross arguments over what constitutes a professional keyboard player, a home player, people great at making styles, who shoul be insulte from who shouldnt etc . None of this has anything to do with the problem , and it is a very obvious problem with the marketing of the Ms.

The MS has bags of potential , no one is denying this. All someone has to do is look at the spec and the monthly updates coming out of MS. However .....listen with your ears and tell me if you would be confident in purchaseing one today, not when it actually fulfills its potential but right now ?? I get the integration argument, genuinley i do.(but the integration must result in a great sounding aranger yes ? ) I get the speed of loading huge giga samples (even the free ones shipped with the instrument , genuinely i do ( but the use of fast loading giga samples must result in a great sounding arranger yes ? ), I get the concept of continually updatable software and the potential for a single purchase lasting a life time. This is potentially my dream keyboard. But i just cant get past the problem of my ears and the problem with the credibility of the instrument in real use today when the manaufacture cannot seem to make the instrument sound even as good as its competitors. Scratch that ...even as good as the radio shack keyboard.

This whole discussion would be killed dead in its tracks if either liontracks or individuals would actually demonstrate the quality of the instrument today with good demos .Can we stop pushing the "potential" argument , as its more than wearing thin right now. If i were a professional arranger player i would not sell my services based upon my potential to sound great for your booking but post poor demos on my website to promote my services so why am i expeted to buy an instrument that i would use to make a living based upon its potential to sound good having poor demos to base that decision upon ?

Diki posted some demos of the instrument from the companies website showing a style with an incredibly poor guitar ( that was not the only thing poor about the style). Did anyone actually listen to the style ????? Well did you ???? Are you telling me that your ears could not hear how poor that was ? Dom , explain how this gives confidence to potential customers ?????This was something the manufacturer put up for musicians like you and me to have confidence in the "potential " of the instrument.....

Its not even funny anymore.

Now we have hijacked this thread enough, lets either post on topic or move to the other Mediastation thread if we want to dance this ridiculous dance again.

Hi Spalding
Glad to see you are still around. (I thought you might have left)
In case you missed it in another thread, there are 2 open days at the Blackpool keyboard Festival which runs from the 11 -18th May, the days being Sunday & Wednesday, if you are available to pop up you will be able to compare the boards side by side. (Don’t think the MS is there though)
BTW What did you think of the demos I posted on page 1
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill

Hi Bill.There is no question that the Wersi right now has to have gotten the big three very nervous especially as it has now been able to demonstrate its ability (not potential) to clone very accurately other manufacturers styles. I really love what i am hearing from wersi and as far as the "open system argument" is concerned , Wersi wins it hands down.I have heard that the OAS7 has had some teathing problems in relation to some bugs but there is not high end instrument made that does not suffer from this. The only obstacle for me is the price and the after sales support. When i contact the dealer in the UK ,(cant remember the name) and asked for a demo CD from which i could virtually demo the unit i was given a CD featuring the OAS3 !!!! Not a positive first experience but that does not cloud my opinion of the instrument. Unfortunately i have no holidays left so i cant make it down to the blackpool event . Is there any reason why they are not recorded so that others can at least listen to the perfgormances virtually ?

Hello Spalding
Harmony Music should have sent you the OAS 6 Demo disc by Stephan Weiler, but as this is now water under the bridge, they missed an opportunity.
The latest Demo CD (Which is for OAS 7) has been done by Mark Whale, (If you follow the link under the style links, it will take you to the Wersi site where snippets of the disc can be heard) and is in the final production stages.
You should also find that from the middle of this year, most Wersi Artists will be using OAS 7 and it will be featured on their CDs. (OAS 7 was a really big upgrade and so it has taken time for the Artists to get in to the Groove so to speak)
I also believe that things are afoot in the UK to bring the sounds and demos of OAS 7 and OAA into the virtual world. (I will post when I have more details)
Regards

Bill

Strange.... Here I've been, getting payed for my performances all these years, and I never knew I wasn't a professional keyboard player. I must have some VERY charitable neighbors!

That isn't to say that every single one of the styles I use hasn't been 'tweaked'. But I happily confess that NOT ONE SINGLE style I use was completely created by me. And, despite your insulting reference, Genysis, I can confidently state that 99% of ALL the arranger players here that make a living do not make their own styles. I'm sure labeling yourself as a 'professional' just because you make SOME of your own styles makes you feel better about yourself, but in the real world (you know, the one where you could make a living on a Radio Shack arranger!), NONE of us feel any less professional because we use the amazingly good styles available in the TOTL arrangers.

The style itself is only the beginning of a professional show, but I for one would rather be backed by great styles that I didn't create than half-assed ones I did... And you know what....? You are right! My audience DOESN'T care.

The purpose of an arranger is to fill in for the lack of a complete band. And just like that 'real' band, you don't expect to have to play (or teach) every last note to each and every sideman you have (not if you are paying them!). As long as they play inspiringly, you don't care WHAT they play (as long as it fits). But when they play badly, out of tune, lackluster, boring...... They got to go!

So who would you rather hire, Genesys...?

Once again, loads of noise from people that don't own one, but not one single OWNER chiming in and going 'yes, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and here are some examples....' Seems like, as long as the 'potential' isn't spoiled by actual 'reality', this is a great arranger!