Hi.
I haven't posted here in a while, but have been reading the posts almost daily..

Question: Is it possible to connect my keyboard (psr s710) via usb/midi to a, say, laptop with let's say NI Komplete vst library and play it live from the keyboard?

In other words:
Can I play live with the laptop and vst's as the sound source?
Has anybody here done it (successfully)?

Another question: Can anyone with personal experience say if the arranger software out there is reliable enough to play an entire ONE MAN BAND gig? for example the ControlBlade from music computing.

I love the ability to be able to work with software and high quality voices, and it will be great if one can take advantage of that power for a LIVE performance.

Would appreciate it if anyone can give input on this, preferably from experience.

Shim

Shim

I have been down this road with limited success, however, I am an old guy that isn't very proficient with midi software.

I bought a Muse Receptor and loaded it with B42, Collossus, and Kontakt. I use an Axiom 61 controller,but a keyboard with good midi implementation will work.

The sounds were pristine for sure, but had no facility for rhythms. The only other thing was trying to get the proper modulations or articulations with CC control.

I just got a fast i7 laptop and will try again.

My best success is the vArranger, which is a hybrid in that I use a Ketron SD2 module, but it plays Yamaha styles as well. The sound source doesn't have to be the SD2 if you have a fast enough laptop, but is was written originally with the SD2 in mind.

This program is rock solid, sounds great, and even I have no problem taking it to a gig by itself.

Bernie

Thanks for the response.
Regarding the sounds sounding pristine etc... Can you use the software sounds for lead/melody and use the keyboards arranger for backing? I.e. only using the software for the lead sounds?

I make custom beats. Can you assign software sounds for the "parts" of the beat?

Thanks, and if anyone else can chip in.. Thanks to you!

If you use an arranger as a controller for your software, you can assign like lead #1 or any other and have the arranger play it's part providing you have the midi set up right.

As far as the beat being derived from your software, an arranger, many times, has this capability but I have never done it.

Another way is triggering rhythm tracks in the computer from the keyboard if you don't use full accomp.

Many know much more than I however.

Bernie

Hi Shim

You need to understand the basics of Midi before going any further, there is a good beginners guide here have a good read and you will then be able to understand the Midi implementation chart at the back of your keyboard manual. (This will determine what you can & cannot do with your keyboard)

NOTE: While Yamaha make great sounding arrangers, as a Midi controller they are not that brilliant, so you will be limited in what you can achieve.

Hope this helps

Bill

Thanks Bill. You are right about understanding how MIDI works. Though I don't necessarily need to use the PSR for midi control.
I can buy a cheap midi controller or get the ControlBlade (or iKeydock, for that matter) from MusicComputing.com

Check em out by the way, they make awesome keyboard 'station's..
MusicComputing.com

Hello,

Lately I've been using Sony ACID Pro 7 with an Oxygen 61 midi controller. Any midi keyboard should work. Acid Pro lets me load all the VST's I have on my computer if you tell it where the files are. This is way cool for me as it allows me to use the best sounds from several programs in one VST host. I haven't tried it with my Tyros 4 yet, but plan too. -charley

Hi Shim,
One Man Band may work for you.( there's a downloadable demo)

It loads psr styles.

You should be able to assign melody voices to soft synth, style part voices to the psr itself.

You possibly could use the psr itself to control soft synth melody voices & play it's own style parts, but I think it would be more limited.

In OMB you can assign tracks individually.

http://www.1manband.nl/

thanks rikki, i'm still pondering 1manband....

Hi Shim,
I've got mine up & running with my Korg.

Did ecounter a couple of problems , though.

Combination of Korg for sounds for the style tracks, OMB as Arranger, Garriton (stand alone) for melody voices works ok.
When I tried the same combination with Kontakt I ran into problems.

I use midi yoke for virtual midi cables. Garriton recognized it in 32 bit mode, Kontakt doesn't recognize it so I'm guessing it's 64 bit??

There is the option of maybe loading it into OMB as a vsti?? I didn't have a great deal of luck.

I ended up reloading my Brainspawn Forte software that I used to use for my softsynth /software arranger setup.
It's now working perfectly.


As for possibly midiing a keyboard to play styles parts
& softsynth for melody, no hassles with my korg, I may even be able to get it to do bank & program changes for melody & save as a performance.

With the yamaha , you may have a few more hassles, you may need to have to choose them on the pc.
I remember I ran into problems a few years back, when I was trying to use an sd2 midied to my psr1500. I couldn't access all the sd2's sounds.

Shim,
You can play sounds using MIDI on the PSR 700, BUT, the MIDI implemtation is very poor, so selection and control of those sounds will need to be from the PC. Pitch bend & Mod wheel (does the 700 have that) should work.

I have been there and used Live-Styler and it worked very well, but the arrangers (all of them) have pretty poor MIDI functions. Korg has the best.

Hi Shim,

I am the creator of the vArranger software. Many musicians are giging with this solution today (me included).

I think that if you are giging, it is more secured to use a hardware sound module like Ketron SD2 connected to the computer.

vArranger can drive up to 3 sound modules.

Some users are using the SD2 for style playing (Ketron + Yamaha styles compatible (roland soon)), and some solo sounds.

And use some VST for Right hand melody like amazing PIANO sound...

When you use a mix of hardware and software synth, you will limit the risk.

vArranger offers an easy way to control features, like creating presets, changing sounds, triggering fills...

I am just back from 2 gigs I played with vArranger. It was very good with 0 problems noticed. After some minutes of playing, you forget that you are using a computer.

I just attached the pictures of the 2 gigs for you

I love to take my small package while I have to travel by air or train to gig.

DOES IT WORK WITH I PAD?

Hi Dan,
am I mistaken, but initially your software only worked with the SD2 soundmodule?? I remember I was going to try your demo, and my sd2 up & died before I had the opportunity.

What soundsources does it work with now ( apart from the sd2 )

Hi Rikky,

You can connect the vArranger to any synth engine who accept midi notes.

In vArranger midi options, you can choose the module that you use :
KETRON SD2/SD4/GM/GM2/GS/XG

Depending on the modules, vArranger adapt what he sends to it's midi out.

If you use Ketron SD2, all is already well tuned.
If not, you have sometimes to do some adaptations.

Of course, factory ketron styles will not sound good with other GM modules, because you have to mute the LIVE DRUMS track who is giving this typical groove.

Yamaha styles are more GM/XG compatible, so you can do more things with them.

On the new vArranger version, you can select the sounds of any module from a cakewalk sonar INS definition.

My goal for vArranger is to be 'universal'

Hi Dan,

as far as vsti's go, can one connect via virtual midi cable ie I use Brainspawn forte to organize all my softsynths.

Also is it just for realtime playing or will varranger sync to an external sequencer for recording or is varranger actually capable of recording a perforance as a midifile??

Still trying to decide whether it's worth replacing my sd2 & buying your software.

I am using Dan's VAranger, had it on several gigs, and I can attest that is really does do all the things he talks about. I use a Roland A-800 Pro controller with the sofware and a Ketron SD2 unit which is really the best setup for the software as of now.

So far my audiences have really liked it. And yes, it really does play Yammy styles and most of them sound pretty good.

Deane

Hi Rikki,

Yes, You can connect your Brainspawn forte vsti host with a virtual midi cable to one of the 3 midi outs of vArranger.

You can send program changes to select your forte scenes.

On vArranger there is special feature called SONG CHORDS, who allows you to select a style, enter chords, and export it to midifile (soon to be released this week). This is a very fast and easy way to create backing tracks, to be edited with your DAW.

more infos here : http://www.varranger.fr/vforum/index.php?topic=218.0

Does it support full functions using Touch screen?

Lee

I am sure Dan will explain further, but I know he bought a touch screen for himself.

Bernie

Yes Lee, all can be accessed by your finger on the touch screen.

all features that you need while giging live are on ONE screen only.

I am using a HP TM2 with touch screen, Windows 7 x64
Things are moving with tablets with touch screens today.

Look at this model : http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Slate_EP121/

And this one will come soon too :
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-com...otebook-1007398

Hi Dan,
that's very interesting.

Dan, would you be able to do me a big favour. When you finally get this Song Chord feature up & running, could you record me a couple of midifiles. One based on SD1 SlowOrch style, just want the intro's & 1 variation & end. And one of my piano yammie styles. I can send style file. Just need to see how the midifile looks in my pc sequencer, unedited.

Why do you need this Rikki?

Hi Dan,
basically because there's no demo version for users to try.

The fact that you now have the song to midifile function has renewed my interest in the software.
One Man Band has a similar function song , but it of course can't load Ketron Styles.

Because there's no actual Ketron style editor available ( one of the reason's I haven't bothered with ketron since my sd1 days), I assume the only way to create one's own styles &/or edit, would be in yamaha style format?
I use One Man Band for editing my yammie styles, but I wouldn't be able to use it for editing a Ketron style.
If your song to midifile function works as well as I would hope, I'd be able to convert the odd Ketron midifile across to Yamaha & edit it the way I want. Hence I'd like to see if it can do what I need.

Style editor will come on vArranger, but I think I will add a new vArranger style format for the editor.

Just post the styles here, and I will post a small midifile done with that style.

Note : the exported midifile will be different if you use a Ketron module, or GM, or GS, or XG sound module... so what type of export do you want?

Hi Dan,
thank you for doing those 2 midifiles for me.

Decided to go ahead & buy it.

One thing though, is it a download or do you ship the software??
I went thru the purchasing process, got to the end, printed my receipt, but go no further details on what happens next.

Hi Rikki,

Thank you for your new purchase. To avoid problems, the download link is created manually, and need my personal touch.

I am sending you all the instructions now...

Thanks Dan,
got it.

Loaded it in, checking out the functions.

Great way to have a Ketron arranger without the huge price tag. haahaa

Dan,
I have Live-Styler now.....will you please give us (me) a full comparison to your vArranger?
You can do it private if you like....

Hi LeeBoy,

Before to be the creator of the vArranger software, I am a giging musician since more than 10 years.
I am playing on a Ketron SD1 arranger.

When I play close to the house, it's ok, but when I had to take train or airplane, it was a lot of problems to travel with my SD1.

When Ketron released the SD2, I had the idea to replace my SD1 by a very compact and lightweight Ketron SD2+laptop

The sounds are almost the same. So I wanted to play ketron styles with the computer.

I searched over internet, and found LiveStyler Plus that I bought, because it was advertised like being able to play Ketron styles.

Unfortunately, the overall sound generated by LiveStyler + SD2 was not good to my ears. Compared to my SD1, it was not acceptable.

Live styler displays tons of options in it's menus, and I had problem understanding how everything is working.

Also the software was not stable on my laptop. (latency, crashes..)

My conclusion was : good idea, but sorry, I can't take the risk to take this for live gigs.

Maybe now Live Styler is improved? I don't know.

Then I started to develop the vArranger software.

I can more talk about my software than Live Styler that I don't really know too much.

My goal was to create a software :
- Easy to use
- Optimized for LIVE gigs
- The same logic as hardware arrangers
- A Graphical UI who takes advantages of big screens of the computers, with everything that you need always under your eyes and fingers
- Who sounds as good or better than hardware arrangers.
- Using the advantages of the today's computers (big memory, big cpu, easy editing than synths...)
- Adding some innovating features never found on any keyboards
- Flexibility (using many keyboards, and many sound sources)
- Full sounds and registrations saving

First, I was using it alone, but after I decided to sell it.

It was a very good idea, because every musician who joined the vArranger's community gave me it's ideas and needs, and I add them to every release of the software.

I also try to give to everyone a personal support and free updates.

You can read more informations here : http://www.varranger.fr/vforum/

By the way, LEE, what is your musical setup?

Dan,
Until recently...Korg PA2XPRO, Lower CME UF-70 MIDI keyboad, Roland PK-5 pedals, all MIDI together.

Before that Yamaha T2.
Before that....Live-Styler, with (at different times) Kurxweil K2600X controller, Yamaha T2...all with SL0 keyboard less MIDI controls.

That was before Live-Styler supported the SD-2 and the playing of those styles.

It worked very well, but, I could not find a SUPER sound module to play the Yamaha styles the way I wanted....RH sounds were fine...functions were fine. Also no mega-voices...
Now I guess Live-Styler has full SD-2 and Ketron style support and for Yamaha styles there is a Mega-voice sound set. DO NOT know how goos all that is, as I have a old version, no SD-2 or Mega sound set for the LS.

I liked all the flexibility as to the MIDI controllers, etc.

Recently sold the K2600X, and the PA2XPRO....still have the CME UF-70 MIDI controler and pedals.

May get a T4, may get a PA3XPRO, may try software arranger again.

One thing I won't do is spend $500 on a SW arranger without trying it first.