I agree that the drums are far to dominant in the audya super styles presented . How do you edit audya drums other than reduce the volume ?

The "best arranger styles", in my opinion, are the ones that work best for the user's playing style and needs.

I'm not a fan of Yamaha's audio drum based styles, although admittedly, they sound pretty good. They fall down, unfortunately, in the editing department.

I'm also not very fond of the posted (and earlier) Audya styles either, but it's more of a case of preferring a smoother sounding style.

Yamaha's styles appeal to my ears, not just because they are more fluid sounding than the competition (yet still possess lots of detail) but there is a vast database of styles to use as donor styles when making one's own personal accompaniments.

I prefer to put my own stamp on a tune, so song based styles have limited appeal to me, and, although I always use styles when I play/record, I don't use them to color my songs.

I create songs by using styles...they're an essential part of what I do...to me, they're part of the art.

Ian

I address the drum balance very easily with my Arranger sliders(8) to quickly put everything in balance and save as registration. If you want to go deeper and edit the style, change drums, etc., it is quite simple.

The important thing to me is that I have the live kick when I want it or tame it down when warranted, in two or three seconds.

for us pros on stage..what I love about Ketron arrangers like the Audya & my Midjay is that you can access and play all modes SIMULTANEOUSLY if needed. This is something you cannot do with most other arrangers,...this is imperative on stage when you are juggling between songs in different modes when using styles/smf/mp3/fx/...etc, it also creates no in between time and easier segways,......otherwise you have to use a laptop, tablet, etc.

Another Ketron arranger favorite feature for me was
Bass lock, & Drum lock, giving you so many more variations to create in style play also.

It's amazing that Ketron aren't more popular, considering the mentioned advantages, although using smf, mp3 etc. would not apply in my case as I prefer to use styles, whether I'm on stage or in the studio.

During my tenure as an arranger/keyboard clinician for a large area of Canada, I have never laid eyes on an Audya, let alone played one. My only experience with Ketron instruments is through uploaded demos and videos.

Considering the positive comments about Ketron instruments, it's a little perplexing why more pros and/or advanced players aren't using them in their kits, but instead they mainly use mid-level arrangers/laptops/tablets to perform basically the same functions.

For pro players needing such extra functions (thankfully, not me), would it not be advantageous to use one arranger keyboard (i.e. the Audya) and dispense with all the outboard gear, especially since many here profess to really like the overall sound of the instrument.

Another advantage for some would be the considerably shortened setup/teardown time that seems to be very important for those doing multiple gigs?

Yet, Audya users are rather rare, even here on an arranger-centric forum...why?

Ian

Ian same anaolgy.........ROLLS ROYCE vehicles are Top of the line,
but you see more Hondas & Toyotas on the road etc, .....
see what I mean?

Donny, maintenance on Rolls Royce cars is very costly (of course, owners can probably well afford it), and although they are reliable, the Toyota and Honda are also pretty bulletproof. Buying a Rolls second-hand (out of warranty) is not recommended unless you have lots of money for maintenance.

And, actually, Toyota, Honda and now even Hyundai are consistently at the top of most reliability/satisfaction surveys, whereas Rolls, Mercedes etc. are usually mid-ways.

Plus, what can a Rolls do that a Camry or Accord can't do, other than allegedly elevate your status? It still takes you from point A to point B, arguably in a plusher environment.

To me, the "best" is what meets MY needs as perfectly as possible, and that includes how much I'm willing to spend and the very minimum of maintenance (if any).

Ian

In my case, the only piece of outboard gear is the laptop, which serves many functions. Like Ian, I prefer styles to MP3s and midi files, but there are times, such as yesterday evening, when I fire up an MP3 so I can take a short break, and the crowd can continue dancing. The laptop, at most of the places I go, also has wireless internet connection, so I can look up the lyrics to a song, then copy and paste them directly into my wordpad lyrics files for future reference. Most of the places I perform have given me their access codes so I can easily do this. I did this last night for a song I've never performed, selected a style, pasted the lyrics into WordPad and everyone said they loved the song. (Sometimes I get luck with this kind of stuff.)

Also, despite the huge cash outlay for eye surgery, I still cannot clearly see the lyrics on the keyboard displays, and you have to look down to see them, thereby loosing eye contact with your audiences. So, while that one size fits all aspect may be OK for some, for me, it's not useable.

As for the styles themselves, I really don't think there is sufficient differences for a performer such as myself that primarily relies on vocals in the forefront to worry about it. Hey, I've always said, I'm an entertainer - not a musician.

The cost of an Audya, at least right now, is irrelevant. If money were an issue, I wouldn't be the owner of a pair of Bose compacts and a sailboat.

Last but, not least, weight is a significant issue, at least for me in my declining years. There are days when the S-950 feels like it weighs a ton, so I could not imagine picking up an Audya. Guess I'm getting old.

Gary

A rolls royce cost ten times as much as a toyota... Yet audya is almost in the same price range.....

Its more like, why dont you see many french cars like renault and peugeot in the states, they are just as good as a toyota and just as expensive, yet you dont see them

Considering the scarcity of Audya support, it would never make my list of a "have to own" arranger, no matter what its cost relative to the other brands.

But, it must be selling well enough to be still on the market.

I hope it continues to succeed, as more choices are always welcome.

Ian