Hi,
looks like Pg Music has been busy again. They've released 44 New real tracks.
( audio based tracks)

main focus appears to be country, bit of rock guitar, bit of heavy metal. jazz bass
http://www.pgmusic.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=180120&an=0&page=0&go new=1#UNREAD

They even have styles with no midi, just audio. http://www.pgmusic.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=180149&an=0&page=0#Post180149

best wishes
Rikki

[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 05-17-2008).]

Aye its a great program..

But i just can't undrstand why they never added a real time environment that lets you send those chords over midi.

It is a very good concept with as yet only mediocre implementation. The country swing for example sounds like country wannabes who don't know how to read Nashville numbers. Steel is often playing licks that resolve to wrong chords, and guys are playing major and minor at the same time. Yuck. And the acoustic guitar will sometime be playing capoed chords and sometimes non-capoed chords.
On the other hand, I thought the jazz bass was pretty dang good, and the country folk and country balad wasn't bad either. Rock sax was just OK; I think they should have found a better horn player.

This concept could work, it just needs a few more gigs worth of hard drive space for more licks and a little more intelligence about what licks it chooses when, but it will come with time.

I've been agitating PG Music for years to add a real time arrange mode to Band in a Box, similar to OMB (One Man Band). Still no cigar. Maybe if enough of us agitate, they'll listen. How 'bout it guys.

I sure could use it with my two controllers I use with my Receptor and Ketron SD2. I am sure there is a reason, as they have been goaded for a long time by many people. I wonder if their Yahoo forum has an answer.

Bernie

I'm sure it has something to do with the voice leading. If it can analyze the chords ahead of time, it can make intelligent decisions about how to make bass lines lead from one chord to the next, and other voicing choices in the chordal instruments. It's going to lose alot of what makes it special if it has to just play generically in order to fit a spontaneous situation where it doesn't know what's coming.

Hi Bernie,
how's the Receptor going?? It's something that has interested me for a while.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bernie9:
[B]I sure could use it with my two controllers I use with my Receptor and Ketron SD2.

Hi Guys,
would be great if they could add realtime functions to BIAB, but maybe not enough people really want it.

The Jammer creators, had similar sort of progam. They created a realtime cut down version a few years ago called Jammer Live. Problem is they never upgraded Jammer Live past version1.
The main version ( without realtime functions) is probably up to version 6, maybe even version 7.

I first bought Jammer vers.1 going back something like 15years ago. Faithfully upgraded every 2 or 3 years till I got to version 5. A few of us were agitating about an upgrade for Jammer Live program also. They finally announced they had no intention of ever upgading it..
I dumped the lot. Only reason I kept upgrading the normal version was for the style creation functions that Jammer Live didn't have.

I can only assume the realtime functions weren't required by the majority of users.
It was a great little program.

best wishes
Rikki

Hi,
must admit I'm not really into country music.
Parts of it did sound a bit strange, though with my lack of musical talent, I wouldn't have quite know what was wrong. haahaa

Still I think it's a great addition to the program.No doubt they'll keep working on it. They have updated their audio drum tracks, maybe these still need some fine tuning also.

I mainly upgrade BIAB for the styles & the audio drum loops. I find the styles, a handy resource for putting styles together for my keyboard.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FAEbGBD:
[B]It is a very good concept with as yet only mediocre implementation. The country swing for example sounds like country wannabes who don't know how to read Nashville numbers. Steel is often playing licks that resolve to wrong chords, and guys are playing major and minor at the same time.

Hi Rikki
I bought the Receptor, originally, to take the place of the KN7000 someday. I didn't count on the lack of style accompaniment. Hence, I use it in the 20 pc band I play in. The Receptor is great as a repository of pristine VST patches and B4II etc, but I am an arranger player, primarily.

I have kept BIAB and PT Pro updated for the past six or seven years, but haven't found any real reason to use it, except for real drums, but, here again, it does not lend itself to live performance. Occasionally, I play over SMF files. I could import them to BIAB, but the lead window is too hard to read compared to Composer or MidiIllustrator. Maybe I'm missing something, as I do not know BIAB very well.

Bernie

Hi Bernie,
you don't seem to mention it anymore, so I was wondering if you still used it,or whether you'd sold it because it hadn't worked out..

Reason I asked is a Receptor popped up locally on Ebay. I'd sort of half considered getting one to midi to my Korg.
Still can't decide whether it would be worth it for me, or more's the point, whether I can convince hubby I need one, which of course I don't. Still, I luv trying out new stuff. haahaa

best wishes
Rikki


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bernie9:
[B]Hi Rikki
I bought the Receptor, originally, to take the place of the KN7000 someday. I didn't count on the lack of style accompaniment. Hence, I use it in the 20 pc band I play in. The Receptor is great as a repository of pristine VST patches and B4II etc, but I am an arranger player, primarily.

Rikki,

The receptor is just a placeholder for VSt's... So if you buy it, you need to get them vst's too. But i guess you allready knew that.

If you wanna play with vst's on stage. Receptor is a very good option. And since i guess you wanna use your receptor for solo voices primarilly and not for your styles i would not hessitate on buying it...

Receptor is the best sound module anyone could ever purchase.

[This message has been edited by Bachus (edited 05-19-2008).]

What's the total reported latency?

Can you adjust it for higher voice counts, or is it fixed?

Hi Bachus,
I do realize vst's are extra.

I don't perform, wholly & soley a hobbyist .
Hence I don't really need one, just want one. (I luv my toys.)haahaa

Have to wait & see if it gets relisted, it got passed in.

Like Diki, wondering also about possible latency issues.

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bachus:
[B] Rikki,

If you wanna play with vst's on stage. Receptor is a very good option. And since i guess you wanna use your receptor for solo voices primarilly and not for your styles i would not hessitate on buying it...

The latency issues are only present when too many samples are loaded into a multi. For example, I have Collossus and Kontakt II,(to name just two), which have some pretty hefty samples. You can load 8 large patches into a multi, and it would drag down the cpu if all of them were on at once. Even with these huge samples, if you mute a few of them, you are fine. BTW I am talking about samples. Normal VST's present no problems. Another tool is "Snapshots", which does as it implies. You bring up just the patches you need without loading time.

I played my band gig yesterday, using B4II, which is far better than any arranger. I got all kinds of compliments. The program is about $259, and the best B3 emulation out there( in many peoples opinion).

Rikki

With your inquiring mind, you would love it, although it is deep, but well documented, and the Receptor forum is great. Muse owns KVR.

Bernie

I dont know maybe its me?.....I like the concept of BIAB or OMB in theory or any other of these software Based programs, I have dabbled in the past, & yes some of the sounds are good ....but, for me not one can compete with an arranger KB "NAVAGATIONALY" IN REAL TIME ON STAGE for me for seamless flowing playing & changes on the fly, hence the reason for me not to get involved with any of them. What is the attraction for most?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-21-2008).]

There is definitely a navigational impediment if you're playing spontaneosly. There are some who say it is just a matter of getting used to it. Even so, it has to be more cumbersome to perform quick changes that are not anticipated. If you are in a studio, or a band with established sets, it is far easier, and, perhaps, advantageous. I doubt it can be argued that VST's, potentially, produce a better replication of an instrument. The problem with me is that I can't seem to match the articulations found on an arranger, unless I use programs like B4II, that has done it for me.

I have 2 GB's in the Receptor, that is 95% available for VST's. There is a vast potential for anyone experienced in software to make great music, but I don't know if I ever will feel comfortable enough in a OMB situation to leave my G-70, or even KN7000 home.

My ignorance is simply that, because there are many solo players using VST's, and wouldn't ever use an arranger. Different strokes ?

Hi Bernie,
thank you for all the info on the Receptor.
I'll have to wait & see if the guy relists it. It was going for a bargain price.
I mainly want it for top quality melody voices ( starting to sound like Frank (FLR)haahaa. My other option being a decent desktop pc instead of my laptop.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bernie9:
[B]

Hi Donny,
don't know if you ever use midifiles or mp3's on stage? but Biab could be an option for creating those, rather than trying to use BIAB live.
The songs can always do with a bit of extra tricking up.
As you know, I don't perform, but if I did, not sure I'd want to use the program Live, though apparently some do.

The reason I like it , is that, it has some styles available, that I've never found on a keyboard ie
Classical styles: Orchestral ( Strauss, Mozart etc) as well as piano styles for Chopin etc etc

Soundtrack styles : including Outer Space type themes, tinkly newage piano styles etc etc
Even automatically creates a soundtrack

Quote
"you select the genre, length of time, instruments, and fade-in/fade-out options. The SoundTrack adjusts the tempo and duration to match the settings, and then allows you to save the file as a WAV, WMA (Windows Media Audio), or MP3 file for further use in your own projects. Generate original music (over 20 genres) or select from over 50 supplied SoundTrack types (Bluesy/Excite/Healing/Jazzy/Tropics, etc.). For example, you can generate a 30-second audio music clip in the genre of your choice in just a few seconds."

OK so not much use to a performer, & I haven't tried the soundtrack option as yet, but the program does some amazing stuff.
It will automatically generate an intro for a song, sometimes not brilliant, hence I wouldn't want to use it live, but if I keep pressing the "intro" to regenerate, sometimes it comes up with a really nice chord progression. I've used a few of them in my PA800 user styles.

Apart from the strange genre 's I mentioned above, there's a lot of jazz /swing styles available, lots of country styles etc etc
I don't like it's latin styles.
There's 100's of additional styles available, & I always upgrade the megapacks.
Much cheaper than individual style disks.

best wishes
rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dnj:
[B]

Rikki & Bernie thanx so much for your replies.....that now cements my curiosity, but I will surly be staying with & performing live using styles & sounds with an Arranger for sure. As far as SMF creation I usually just record my own or delete & add tracks to existing ones if needed.

Good Luck

I always liked that BIAB styles had different subsets within a style variation, so that even though in the past there were only 2 variations per style, there was some randomness because you could have several different accompaniments per instrument within each variation. The concept is one I'd love to see brought into hardware arrangers, but also with some real time controllers like those in Karma. If Korg ever decided to make a PA something or other that also incorporated the elements of the karma system, ( which could also be turned off ) I'd buy it the first day it was available, sight unseen.

Problem for me is, that outside of the jazz and a scant few other styles, not many of BIAB's styles sounded realistic to me. I tried even using my best vsti's and samplesets, but for me it pretty much just isn't quite there. I thought the styles in Jammer Pro were a little more lively, but unfortunately beginning with version 5, a new interface was introduced, and while it allowed for use of actual midi data for creation of new styles, it also eliminated a very key element for me - drum ghosting. It also forced me to go through several more steps to create as I did in Jammer 4 ( I almost never used the premade styles in it ).

As far as using something like BIAB live ? Not interested. I think One Man band is about as good as it gets for live software, and I can pull it off easily using my Motif ES as a controller. Just as easy as playing my T2 in most respects. The problem however, is in getting the best sounds. It's easy to work with when I use the SGM180 soundfont or my SYXG-50 module, but for me the whole point of using a vst system is for getting better sounds, and it becomes very cumbersome when I try to use my best sounds ( BFD drums, Trilogy Bass, Chris Hein Guitars for example ) and then have to change them on the fly. Just for starters, the sample libraries are huge and don't load instantly.

Then there is the problem of having to navigate off of the laptop. In the end, for live solo play, it's too much thinking about technical stuff.... for me, anyway. Now in a band setting, that's a whole other story. I can switch quickly enough between B4 for example, and a minimoog vst simply by loading each vst on seperate midi channels in FL Studio ( or Chainer, Forte, Phrazor ..etc )and then using my Motif ES in sequencer mode. I keep channel 1 clear in FL, so that I can return to the internal ES voices just from the ES itself. I could fill the other 15 channels up with "vst presets" ( for lack of a better term ). Normally I only load a few.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 05-21-2008).]

AJ, you make very good points. Your reasoning for not using these programs as a substitute for LIVE arranger playing is right on for sure> Although in a studio, home, & recording environment is a different story when time is on your side recording tracks & creating songs without being under GIG pressure makes more sense. A personal comfort level must be maintained at all times with what ever you choose to play.