Latin elevator muzak at it's finest

I actually like elevator muzak. I have been in elevators and can name the artist and song that is playing. Often I even own the album that the track comes from.

Trust me, montunoman, I feel the same way about much of the American music styles in modern arrangers! Watered down, elevator versions of pop and rock and R&B.

Don't feel singled out as a contemporary Latin fan!

It's just the end result of who the arranger is marketed for... home players of limited talent, and 'entertainers' willing to work with a machine rather than other talented musicians. Plus, let's face it, giants make the music in the first place, and lesser mortals make the styles based on those giants. You are always going to lose much in translation!

Great news, Eric. I have the expansion pack on my T4, so this may be an option for me.

I really enjoy Martin Harris' demos, although they are all unfortunately too short...he is a master at the Tyros4.

I especially liked the octave pianos, and the included new styles are really cool.

Ian

PS...I get to meet up with one of Yamaha's Top Demonstrators, Peter Baartmans in a week or so, and maybe he'll have this particular voice pack with him.

I like his earlier demo of the Tyros4...I just love the Jazz Trumpet patch, one of my favorite sounds on my T4.

LOL...and I thought I was the only one diggin' those tunes.
Also, some of the re-interpretations of popular tunes are very well done and can easily be played on arranger keyboards.

Ian

Careful, careful. You may find yourself banished to the land of the unloved. We may like the truth but not necessarily the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

chas

Well! After previous premium sound packs from Yamaha, I have to say this is a big disappointment.

All the sounds are nice and fairly accurate, (Although I noticed that the piano would have been better with a 76 note keyboard) also the styles are nice and gentle, however, Latin music (Fast or slow) is designed to make you feel happy and to get up dancing, but these demos I found to be totally boring, (Almost makes you drop off to sleep) and lacks any form of live Latin feel, so for this pack I am afraid its a thunbs down.

Bill

C'mon, Diki and chas ... you HAVE to know that that is not TOTALLY true - not the "WHOLE truth" by any means ... there are MANY very talented arranger players who have had successful prior careers playing with other talented musicians and due to the 'trials and tribulations' of trying to do that today, plus the sheer economics of not being able to get a decent price for a band, have just given up that fight and become OMB so they can keep working because this is their livelihood ... I for one would LOVE to be working with a group of musicians, but unfortunately with today's economy etc. that only happens on 'jam' nights ...
If 'settling' for the sounds and styles of arranger KBs is 'selling out' for the sake of putting food on the table, then so be it !!! ...

Hey Tony, you know we only throw that out when we think it's getting too quiet . We know there are some talented arranger players out there...............somewhere.



chas

[quote=ianmcnll...I just love the Jazz Trumpet patch, one of my favorite sounds on my T4.

[/quote]

Sounds somewhat like Chris Botti ...

I just got so excited to see "Yamaha Latin Expansion Pack." I know "Latin" is a very board term that covers so many countries,regions, and of course styles of music. But these styles would only serve as background music for any type of event. Come on Yamaha, let's hear some "real" Latin styles. You have enough waterd down -Euro ballroom stuff. Start making some styles that will get people out on the dance floor. The guitar,trumpet, and piano voices are top notch. I just wish we could hear some new and exciting Latin styles.

Maybe not the whole truth... but definitely close when it comes to those completely unwilling to suggest possible ways that their arranger could be improved, or accept the idea that they are not already PERFECT!

Any style means nothing.......unless its used by a great player...the kb can't play itself althought an arranger is mostly automatic as it is.....

Yes, Tony it does sound remarkably close...plus, it helps that Peter's arranger keyboard skills are impressive, and second only to his pianistic abilities.

The SA2 Jazz Trumpet is both warm and defined with a lovely attack and because it is an SA2 voice, it responds to the player's phrasing and technique, as well as the SA Buttons on the left. The great FSX keyboard also contributes to the responsiveness and playability of this very expressive sound.

Another one of my many favorites, is SA2 Jazz Sax, which is also a real pleasure to play.

My Tyros4 is absolutely perfect for my needs, although having the option of these beautiful Premium Voice and Style packs is a nice perk.

I also really like the new Style Creator function that has a special GE Mode for guitar parts, making arpeggios and strums super realistic.

I can see me keeping my T4 for a very long time.

Ian

But the greater the style, the greater the variation that the arranger allows, the more control the great arranger PLAYER can impose on all this, the greater the music he makes is going to be.

The less 'automatic' the arranger is, the better the great performer is going to sound on it.

A great arranger player can make great music on current arrangers. But there ARE things that, if added to arranger's OS's, would allow him to be greater yet.

Playingng talent is one thing.......operational talent is another.....havingng both is what must be perfected to make a so called great player Imo.

No argument there... quite obviously, that is the case. But the arranger's capabilities are also important.

Neither playing skill nor operational skill is going to overcome the fact that an arranger may only have ONE Break/Fill for the entire style, or that asking it to go from Var4 to Var1 might introduce a jumpy transition, etc..

This is why I spend quite a bit of time posting on these issues. Presuming you consider yourself to be good at BOTH the playing and operational aspects of arranger playing, I am often surprised at how dismissive you can get whenever these ideas and issues are brought up.

You've been playing arrangers since the early days, no doubt, Donny? Two variations, one fill, many chords unrecognized, no break/fills, no guitar NTT's, ROM OTS only (if at all), etc., etc.. Were you saying back THEN how all those new-fangled ideas weren't necessary, and it was all about the player, yada, yada, yada?

A LOT has changed for the better since then. I only wish you could acknowledge that there is STILL a lot further it could go. No-one is criticizing YOU, no-one is criticizing YOUR choice of arranger. These issues exist for ALL arrangers, mine including (mine more than most, on some issues!). But if we all sit around and try to deny that they exise, that there is nothing further that is needed, and that much we ALREADY have is useless because YOU choose not to use it, we are sending a VERY poor message to the manufacturers...

We are happy little campers, and don't bother making them better, because we barely use what we have! You don't honestly think that do you? But it's easy to assume you do from how you post, sometimes.

Who needs more fills? YOU DID... back when you only had one or two! Who needs MORE fills? YOU DO.... because you'll be happily using them when they finally arrive.