I suggest that new style categories be added on the next generation of mid and high-end YAMAHA arrangers:

1) FREE TEMPO Category
The popularity of "Ethereal Movie" has struck a chord (pun intended) with many of us. EM has opened a door to a whole new genre of style which Yamaha could develop - to our delight.

2) UNPLUGGED Category
I realize there are a few styles titled, "Unplugged" scattered about on my S910. However, those of us who also own a Korg PA arranger, have been spoiled by the large number of unplugged styles available on our boards. I was delighted to find that one of the buttons on my PA500 is dedicated to "UNPLUGGED" - and under that heading comes an entire family of unplugged styles...unplugged rock, unplugged latin, unplugged folk, etc., etc.

With the new guitar engine in the T3 and S910, Yamaha should focus on making this technology shine with fresh new unplugged styles recorded by a live player. I realize I can take an existing style and dumb it down to make it sound unplugged, but it's not the same as a style that's produced solely for that purpose.

So that's my million dollar suggestion for the next-gen Yammy arrangers...Yamaha, are you listening?

Tim


[This message has been edited by CoasterTim (edited 02-16-2010).]

[This message has been edited by CoasterTim (edited 02-17-2010).]

Great ideas!

Whatever the names, if the manufacturers won't hit a sweet point with the next arranger generation, be it more realistic loops, modern-contemporary sounding, present styles and so, they will really go the dinosaurs way.

I hope they all listen and get notice, not only Yamaha, I think the classic aproach in arranger world (ballroom, latin, jazz, 8/16 beat etc.) simply won't do anymore. I don't care much about names, but I certainly hope mt next arranger will bring me some better and more tools for the music most people like to hear today.

Maybe hiphop, alt rock and house need adding? You know, just in case, by accident, someone under the age of forty tries one out in the store?

HipHop, New Hiphop, House, Trance, and lots of others are already in the Dance category, but I doubt if anyone under age 40 would bother looking at an arranger keyboard, even with these styles. Seems like the youngsters all wannabe guitar stars.

Cheers,

Gary

Step away from style groups and make an easy browsable interface... Maybe even a semi intelligent interface..

I guess I'm a little dense, but what makes a style "unplugged"? I've played lots of country and rock unplugged styles with the past several Yamaha boards I have owned. I've liked them but seem to be missing what defines them as unplugged??????????

Call me a dummy... -charley

Charlie,

I could be wrong with this, but I always thought it had something to do with the type of instruments in the style being all acoustic. Primarily guitars, slap bass, drums, harmonica, etc.., nothing electric.

Cheers,

Gary

Plenty of young people who play arrangers. Just do a search on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olZbxHOTKj0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43XNXwad9LQ&feature=related

[This message has been edited by FransN (edited 02-16-2010).]

But 'Dance' is the category, all those styles sit withon it. You want to attract younger players, you drop the Ballroom categories, and replace them with whole 'categories' of hiphop, Alt Rock, etc..

Most of us older players are smart enough to find the ballroom stuff if we need it, but the kids are NOT going to want something that looks as if designed for a 50+ OMB... Thing is, we NEED these things to remain competitive with WS's and synths, for there to be any more serious R&D and improvement. But labeling the front panel for a NH gig isn't going to attract them.

Hiphop, in case you missed it, is NOT a style in a dance category. It is an entire genre to itself, with many sub genres. It deserves its' own category, as being the most popular, best selling music on the planet. No doubt there was the same blank stare when it was talked about adding 'rock' and 'disco' to the style categories back in the day... Music evolves, moves on, and only the products that acknowledge that evolution survive.

The kids deserve their own categories, not to be shoehorned into some blanket 'Dance' category. My Roland has a Bossa/Samba category AND a Latin one. Strikes me they BOTH should sit in the same one. Ballroom and 50's and 60's could easily be grouped together (they deserve it more than house and hiphop deserve to be in the same one). It's not like there isn't room...

Admittedly, you give Hiphop its' own category, you better have some styles in there that DO sound contemporary, though.

I don't know. I find the Roland GW8, Prelude and the Korg PA's already very suitable for Dance music. I don't care for hiphop so if they put a lot of these styles in a keyboard then they proberly loose me as customer. I find the keyboards OK this way. Do you like oldies and easy listening you buy a Yamaha. You like modern pop and rock and dance music buy a Roland or Korg.


[This message has been edited by FransN (edited 02-17-2010).]

Just make an open keyboard with an i-tunes alike system, that way you can choose yourselves which styles you're gonna use...

Korg keyboards already has something like that. You can replace any factory style with styles you like.

I believe this is the direction to develope a future new generation of arrangers: modularity. Something roland tried with GW8/Prelude, but even deeper: buy the keyboard with empty slots for "styles packages". Then you simply add in the styles you are interested in and... giddi-up-go!

And why not, the same could be done with sounds. Open-systems are all great, but maybe I don't need all those fancy things, I'd be happy to have a set of good sounds, particularly suitable for the music I play... So, give me a set of basic sounds (why not, the GM old format, but new and realistic sounds) and then let me buy some more if I need (well, not Yamaha's way, asking ridiculous prices for a set of sounds, but you get the point). Add to that a comprehensive set of tools for editing, and I'm sold!

The first manufacturer to do this will get the cream, I am sure!!

But Adimatis isn't that exactly what the Korg PA 800 and the PA2x Pro already have. Well no empty slots but you can replace every factory styles. The sounds already on the Korgs even the GM are very realistic and completely editable. And if you need new sounds you can use the sample option. And there are a lot of sounds available on the net most for FREE. What do you want more

I'd like to see more unplugged styles (including waltzes), plus unplugged blues and folk (finger-picking) as well.

There always seems to be a shortage of jazz ballads...something to use for all those great standards.

And of course, more free tempo styles would be nice.

Ian

Well, let's say I consider this a good "precursor" for what I'd like seeing next. All you described is possible, but it's not really modularity in my view, it's rather a way to help a little bit of making the keyboard more personal.

Yes, this could be a good starting point!

Thing is, I think we are talking about panel graphics...

No matter WHAT system is chosen for electronic selection, whether you can replace the ROM styles, whatever, those panel graphics are still indelibly there, mocking the young with the realization they are choosing something their granddad had/needs

I have long said that arrangers need the modular style set approach, but I don't believe that they should be SOLD with one selection or another in them... they all should contain ALL available styles. But there should be some way (a magnetic strip, perhaps) to replace out the graphics for style category so that it can be made to LOOK like it is either set up for the young or old. And then load the appropriate style set.

That way, a vendor could keep TWO arrangers on his shelves. One close to the Clavinova's and other arrangers, labeled for us elderly types, with Ballroom and Bossa/Samba emblazoned all over it, and another one right next to the M3's and MoXS's, with Hiphop and Slow Jams and Metal and Emo emblazoned on it...

I guarantee they would sell better under those conditions...

There is no reason why the graphics can’t be replaced with a LCD strip, (they are quite cheap these days) so they could display whatever was chosen.

Bill

This just what I was thinking.

At present any arranger can be adapted to personal needs. In the case of Korg you can replace all the style banks. In the case of Yamaha you can use the Usb stick and then access the styles through the screen...But we want the hardware. The ideal arranger would be a keyboard and an a huge touch screen from side to side of the console including 20 or more programmable sliders on top above the screen and 50 or more buttons and knobs underneath the screen. The names of the sliders/buttons/knobs should be placed in screen. The screen could be designed by the users for extra functions choosing the color and graphics they want. Just an idea.

The answer would be Buttons with OLED display in them, thats the future anyway and they should become really cheep in the next 2 or 3 years

Compared to the cost of just a magnetic strip, those fancy OLED or other display options are HUGELY expensive. All we are talking about here is a style 'Category' display, and you are turning it into a major upgrade problem.

Remember the time NASA spent millions developing a pen that would write in zero gravity, and the Russians simply took pencils?

Same thing...

There will nver be an arranger with magnetic strips...

Its not efficient, you will keep on loosing those despite their magnetic abbilities. Next to that it looks cheep on a $4000 arranger. And even if the developers think its a great idea, the management of those companies will make sure its never going to happen.

So, for the want of a nail...