Still no word how these live loops can integrate with the intros, endings, fills, altered voicings, etc. It just didn't seem like a cooincidence to me that all the video so far of the audya shows the live instrument loops, but never gets beyond major and minor, and never shows them with an intro and ending. I understand the concept, and that it may well someday be a revolutionary advancement, but right at this moment I have my doubts. I'm very willing to be surprised though.

Too soon to tell by an early rear view only demo.....but Ketron is on the right track with integrating many different modes of play simultaneously for sure..

Here is a top deck Closeup of the AUDYA



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-25-2007).]

Drum loops have been available for years in computers, and the Ketron SD1 has also been able to use them in their styles since launch, (Including Intros and Endings) (Wersi also uses Drum loops it its Real Drums, and these came out in 2000) however it appears (As would be expected) that Ketron has advanced its Time Stretch and Pitch Shift technology to a point were they can now use it on instrument loops, (Software has been available for computers that achieves this for some time) which is a first for a Hardware Arranger Keyboard.
So I don’t think we need to worry about Audya not being able to deliver.

Bill

SLIDERS !!! Oh Yeah (sigh)

As some have pointed out from earlier threads, though, when dealing with loops of bass lines, or guitar strums or picking patterns, etc., do we get as much choice in different chord types and extensions as you can get with a MIDI based guitar?

I really can see drum loops working very well, but guitar (especially)... How many chord types are going to be available? Pitch and time-stretch techniques still can't turn a recording of a major 7th chord into a major 9th, or a major 7th flat 9th, etc. Unless there is a HUGE library of chord types in RAM all the time, I don't see how this concept can work with anything other than simple chord types...

Then multiply that by piano chords and patterns, horn lines, and all the other sounds that are supposed to be 'real audio'. Without GIGA type audio streaming and a HUGE library, this could end up as just a novelty that isn't practical for most songs and styles. And, of course, if it DOES sound so much more realistic than the regular styles based on MIDI notes, it may make for some unfortunate comparisons as you go from 'real' styles to regular types...

The one thing we all like to see on an arranger is consistency. Go from one style to another, and not get dramatic shifts in sound quality. I am going to be interested to see how well Ketron integrate the 'real' audio stuff with the regular styles....

yes donny this could be one to give up the sd+ for!!!
dennis

Hi Dikki
Your quite correct about samples, but as I have mentioned before, manufactures (Both Software and Hardware) are slowly moving away from sampling towards sound modelling which requires much reduced ram (Disc streaming is also not usually required) but increased processing power.
Therefore its possible that Ketron has developed an algorithm to model the actual loop in relation to the instrument in use, e.g., the loop is modified as if it was Midi loop being played using a Midi pickup or an arranger chord system. (And of course a Real Guitarist)
It will be interesting to see what it actually does when it is released.
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill

Bill... Hardware arrangers usually trail software, at least in the implementation of new concepts. Is there even any software out there yet which can morph real audio recordings of one chord into another, or modeled guitars that can be controlled with MIDI that are as nuanced as a real one?

The only thing that Ketron seem to be touting for the Audya is the use of time-sliced and pitch stretched audio loops. And, to my knowledge, there isn't anything that can change the internal structure of that recording (maj9 to min9) for instance) in current software.

Nor have I heard a modeled acoustic guitar that rivals an audio recording, yet (the majority of GIGA sets are just chord audio recordings, and they have HUGE file sizes). So it just strikes me you may be looking just a bit TOO far down the pipeline, Bill. What is current software reality may eventually (far too slowly, IMO!) make it's way to arrangers. But expecting groundbreaking features before they even become software realities is a bit optimistic