If I want a huge amount of variety in a tune, I simply use several styles that have been programmed to be complimentary to one another...plus, I reprogram all my intros to do the work of extra variations and/or have them act as act as break fills or perhaps 8 bars (or whatever number I want) of the style without certain parts...just have bass and drums for example...I can still play chords over it and leave it at any time by pressing a Main Variation button (or fill-in button) or I can let it complete its cycle and return on its own.

I've been editing styles ever since that feature was first included on an arranger...I rarely, if ever, use an unedited factory style.

If using midi files was more beneficial to my way of playing, then I'd be using them, no problem; and, I wouldn't feel I'd need to justify using them.

That's how I feel about using styles...they just work perfectly for my needs and my style of playing.

There's no RIGHT or WRONG way...there is just the BEST way (including using BOTH ) for your personal needs.

Ian

No animosity here either. I just don't think arrangers are "dead". What has replaced them? What other keyboard instrument gives you the flexibility of style play?


Yes, styles have their limitations and I understand Donny's point about the repetition. The bass lines can be very un musical due to the fact that the arranger keyboard can't anticipate what chord is coming next. This is most noticeable in jazz walking bass where the bass normally has passing tones that lead smoothly to the next chord. Also in salsa music the bass part usually anticipates the upcoming chord tone one beat before the other chord instrument in the ensemble change chords. I have not figured a way around this on an arranger.

The few times I use a SMF is if I can't find a style file that fits the song (very rare) or the song has very important breaks, stops/starts, very important bass line or figures that I simply can not cover.

Frans suggestion of using markers for the SMF sounds interesting and is something I need to learn about.