I hate to suggest it, but I think it is LONG past time for the manufacturers to copy protect their styles. At least they would then have an incentive to make more styles AFTER the initial release, which they sure as hell don't, right now, with us trading styles around like bubblegum cards...

No profit... no new styles It's as simple as that.

Diki,
I agree completely..I would certainly be willing to pay a reasonable amount for GOOD styles from the Mfg. after the sale. Good styles that work for the music I like to play.

Also, I too wish they would privide a US vesion..YES lots of motown etc, etc.

One major reason I buy an arranger is the styles. I want to pick a song and then quickly find a style to play it with. I don't have the time or the talent to build excellant styles myself, if I did I would not buy an arranger, I would do it with a top end PRO synth. Probably Kurzweil as their acoustic sound is certainly #1.

Lee

Diki this is getting ridiculous that I am agreeing with you all the time now ....
What your saying definitly makes allot of sense my UK, Beach Playing, G70 KB artist!
Years ago proprietary styles was the way it was.....when You bought a arranger the styles it used were system exclusive & couldn't be shared by other manufacturers units....I liked it like that & there were many libraries of styles & sounds being created for different genres too which was nice... Styles are the engine of an arranger, WE NEED MANY MORE FACTORY QUALITY STYLES in every category that cannot be converted which most sound terrible anyway vs the factory ones. Ahhhh whats the use!

If manufactures got together and created a standard style format, (Similar to the GM Midi format) 3rd party manufactures would only have to concentrate on 1 format not many, (Much cheaper to create standardized styles) and which would then allow the user to easily modify the styles (Just like its easy to modify GM Midi) to make them their own.
Just a thought

Bill


[This message has been edited by abacus (edited 06-11-2008).]

I'm sorry, Abacus, but I don't believe this to be the answer. There is just something about a style that is created specifically for the sounds in a particular arranger that cannot be achieved with a translation (which a generic style format would mean ALL the styles were 'translations'!

Take a listen to how you yourself adjust your playing to different versions of the same sound, then realize this is what the great style makers are doing, also. What they played works BEST on the sound they heard when they played it (if it is any good in the first place)....

Multi-layer drumkit sounds is even more critical for this issue. The drummer (or programmer) programmed the part JUST SO, so that the accents and dynamics work perfectly. Put that in another keyboard, with a different kit and layers that change in different places (if at all), and suddenly you have a TOTALLY different performance.

Sorry, but a standard style format works no better than GS, XG or GM. Sure, it'll stop a tuba playing a bass guitar part, but it never reflects the EXACT intention of the composer until played on the EXACT same gear...