Occasionally, I get styles sent to me that the owner would like converted to kn6k format. Maybe they came from a friend, or the sending person owns more than one keyboard by different manufacturers, and wants the commercial disk converted so as to use it on both keyboards. While I get to use my copy to play with, I am asked to keep it off the internet, which also means that I can't use it with a sequenced song. I will honor this request, because even if I can't pass the styles along, I can get a lot of ideas from them to use on other conversions. Especially older styles that only have two variations and I have to fill in the other two to bring them up to par. Now, after a period of time, someone else sends me the same styles, sometimes already converted, or I come upon them on a website, converted to another unnamed brand, but ready for anyone to download and use, and this has become a real problem for me. If I use the styles from the first party, that person will think I didn't honor the agreement, and likely never send me anything again. However, since the styles are there for everyone, why shouldn't I pass along the good ones? (Keep in mind that these will not be Technics commercial styles.) Should I make it a policy to not get into that type of agreement, or make it for a set period of time? I have styles I've been sitting on for six months, and some I really would like to use. If the sender makes no special request, then you all will see the results eventually, and we all benefit from the exchange. I suppose I should say that from this point forward, any styles sent for conversion will be shared with forum readers, so if anyone has styles they don't wish to share, then please keep them to yourself. We have enough older material from Solton, Roland, Yamaha, and Korg to last a good many years. All they need are a fresh change of clothes. Complicated, but not impossible. Time consuming, but rewarding. Now, about those CA software styles....are they under copyright protection or open for use? I haven't had time to even look at them yet.

Well Bud, I think for the most part you have answered your own question. If you are asked to do your magic to a style, then you should be free to do what you wish with it. If the player want to use the the style exclusively, they are free to try and do the conversion themselves. Perhaps GJ will know about the CA material.
Frank

Hi Bud,
I agree with Frank on the style conversion. And with you, that
there is enough on the net for my life time.
As far as I know about CA site, their download of the styles are free, since nothing is required to access them off the download page. To me it would be the same as going to Gunnar's site and downloading styles.
Best Regards,
Dave

Hi all.
The downloadabe styles and songs at Christian's (CA soft) website is free to download, and as far as I know the styles is made by him, or/and converted and tweaked stuff.
Maybe he will see this topic, and post a reply too?
However, some of the songs are well known, and probably will be copyrightet, but there are also a lot of "traditionals" who often are "old" of age and free to use.

At my webpage it is only converted "onboard" style-sets from different keyboards, and hopefully there are not any from the manufacturers or others addondisks who is for sale to find. If you happen to find any of that kind, it's not legal, so please feel free to tell me, and it will be removed immediately.
Kind regards
GJ

Gunnar, you're right of course. The keyboard manufacturers copy "on board" styles from each other, and give us the means to do the same. I have come across styles from each keyboard maker that are so similar, I'm left wondering who actually came out with it first. It's confusing at times and easy to get them mixed up, but we are generally safe to use the older stuff that has been on the net for a few years. Personally, the Technics styles made for our keyboards, still sounds better than the competition.

Why is it that most converted styles don't seem to sound as good as the on-board Technics styles? I'm talking about the richness, robustness, and fullness of the individual parts, not the style itself. Is there something in the conversion process that reduces the sound quality? Often the various converted parts sound tinny or thin to my ear, compared to the same on-board sounds within a Technics style.
Larry

there is a lot of adjustment available in the composer, not necessarily available in other manufacturers style systems - and vice versa.

so a conversion can only come up with the notes used in each track, pretty well balanced if you are lucky, with a sound hopefully close to that of the original.

since other keyboards have other sounds, and a style is played with an original voice, a conversion will sound slightly wrong in the same way that your sequence that sounded fine on an older keyboard does not sound the same on a newer keyboard, even though the sounds are much better. You tend to play taking into account the feel of the voice - if the attack, decay, brilliance or richness has changed, the feel will also change.

that's why you pay for professioanly produced disks, a lot of work and tweaking has gone into them to produce a fine style sound rather than just an average one.

Bud, I don't think the keyboard manufacturers really copy the styles
of eachother, but maybe the sources are very similiar?
If you pay the intro's etc. good attention, you will often hear that it
will point you to one song or another who was/is popular in the time
close up to the date those keyboards was released, or songs popular
within the category of choosen musicstyle.
This you can hear in the additional software too, even if they like to
call it "allround", and of course even more in the songrelated styles
available.
Yes, the styles will always sound best on the keyboard brand they are
buildt to be played on, regardless to manufacturer and model.
I think Alec's reply for Larry is a very good description about those
matters.
GJ

Hello Friends,

CA-Styles are Copyrighted...

I have put them on my Site and
Christian has write me an Letter
that he whant that i write down
from who comes the Styles and so on...

If they are "FREE", why i must write
that on my Site ?

I have ask him and he have answer me
that he have make the Styles and that
the copyright is by him...

I'm not worrie with him, but i whant
show you that they are "free" to use,
but not for more....

Greets
Thomas http://www.thkmcs.de

Hi
Talking about copyright of styles.

Who have this copyright ASCAP, BIEM or...???
Some of the styles I´ve heard is often a copy of a copyright music. For ex. James Bond theme,(in the 6500)will be protected by John Barry. If you have a MIDI song like for ex.ABBA:s "Dancing Queen", it is protected by copyright on STIM in Sweden. It will be the same presuppose as a record. When you buy it you must pay for copyright. But styles,is some kind of music arrangement, and only for 4 or 8 bars. So far I know there are no copyrights of this kind of stuff, yet.
Rgd
Lindoz


[This message has been edited by Lindoz (edited 04-12-2002).]