I have played vArranger for a few days with two differnt setups, and I am throughly happy with it. My first setup is an MS Surface Pro with a 28inch screen connected to it. I use it as my desktop PC. I have a Korg Microkey 61 always on my study desk so that I can play a tune or two during a break or play along with Youtube. I have all kinds of devices and even my Android phone connected to it wirelessly so that I can respond to send text messages. So, it is a pretty bad evnvironment for any audio/midi app to run under, and yet vArrnager was saling along fine and it was fun and convenient to play vArranger while reading on the internet! The 1st generation Microkey 61 does not have a sustain pedal input, but by connecting a USB converter with a regular sustain switch, I was able to sustain notes.

2nd setup; Lenovo Yoga Pro, Roland accordion, and iConnectAUDIO+ interface. My, it sounded good, and no hint of delay through the audio/midi interface. I was pretty impressed with the perfomance of vArranger and the clean layout. It was particularly sweet to change styles and sounds by touch the screen wiout using the mouse at all. I know that I have hardly touched the surface. I spend a long period of time overseas all toether every year and it is good to know that I can take vArranger anywhere with me and I can use my little Aki keyboard controller, Korg, or any other midi keyboards with vArranger. Being able to use my favorite VST plugins through vArranger is a big plus also.

Torch,
Lee here in Ocala,FL....glad you like vA2.

Glad you have good times with your vArranger

Yes this is amazing to have a serious arranger in your pocket ready for any situation

As soon as Varranger comes with its own high end soundsources... it will be the perfect module to add on top of a Synth workstation, Digital or stagepiano, or anything else that comes with a midi interface...

Glad to hear a happy customiser overhere on Synthzone.


Dan, you need someone to put up some high quallity Demo's one day.. showing the true potential of Varranger in combination with other instruments...

There is so many ways to use vArranger that it is hard to decide what to show on a demo video

The fact that vArranger is always being upgraded with NEW features is a Big Plus also besides it's versatility.

Let me decide for you...

Wayt till Montage is around, and then go big time for Varranger in combination with the brand new Montage... It should be a match made in heaven

I remember having read your post concerning Mega samples put together by Norbert. I have the hard drive and all other sounds on DVDs that I had purcahsed from him. I will be using some of them in vArranger, but I hear that the four sound banks that Dan devloped are even higher quality sounds. I have not connected my Ketron SD4 yet, but if I use the SD4 for the backup instruments and combine in with some VST plug-ins for solo voices, I'd believe I would get pretty rich sounds.

The fact that vArranger is always being upgraded with NEW features is a Big Plus also besides it's versatility. [/quote] You are exactly right about that. Talk about versatility, I've got tons of styles in different formats, and vArranger can play them all!

If you’re going to use vArranger with the Montage, then use the Steinberg Halion Sonic 2 as your sound source, as a lot of the voices in it were programmed by the Motif designers, so it will integrate beautifully.

Bill

A Montage performance has 8 tracks for local use and 8 other tracks with Montage sounds can be use by an external source like a DAW or Varranger..

So in the end you could play the Montage performance and have 8 tracks of a style using Montage sounds... The strong point is that you have super Yamaha Montage sounds both for your keyboard performance as well as for the styletracks...

I am a huge fan of Halion 5, a superb allin package by Steinway, which seems to be a great way to expand Varranger..

Dan, I think Baachus is right about the need for HQ demos. Also, you are right in saying that there are so many different ways to use vArrangner and it's hard to choose what to show in demos. I sure like the flexibility. It was just great to operate just about all functions with no other midi sufrace control but just by touching my tablet PC screen. A lot of midi accordion players in the US seem to play the BK7m. Personally I don't care for the bk7m. Showing how foot controllers can be used with vArranger might be of much interest to midi accordion players.

I'm really interested on this software arranger if this can be a one-in-all arranger set up without using any other hardware except for the controller.
Dan, is there any plan to incorporate a vocal input with effects and harmonizer for a singing one-man-band set up?

Yes there is a plan for the audio input

Wow, that will be great Dan!
Are the included GM2 sound founts rivals hardware arrangers like Korg, Ketron, Roland and Roland in sound realism?

Not really. They are a bit old school, but correct, and works on almost any computers.
But it really easy to use SoundFonts or VST in vArranger
Here are some article I have written on SF2 and VST
www.varranger.com/wiki/index.php/SF2
www.varranger.com/wiki/index.php/VSTi

Thanks Dan for your prompt answers, few more questions:
If I need to read lyrics, how this will display on the screen? Can it be scrolled? Will it cover the vArranger partially that you lose some controls? Do you have screenshots of this scenario? I'm just concern due to my 15.6" screen size.
I've got a non-touch Intel I5 laptop, so I'm thinking to get a lightweight, compact 61 key midi-controller with several sliders and buttons (ie Necktar Impact LX61). Is it better to control vArranger on touch screen or on mapped midi keyboard with sliders, pads and buttons on live situation?
Does vArranger guess SMF chords like the Rolands?
Does it memorizes intros and parts volumes on registrations?
Thank you once again.

Yes, you can display TXT, RTF, JPG, PDF.... lyrics, linked to songs/styles....
You can assign 2 buttons to PAGE - / PAGE +
You can save the Lyrics position and size in the screen
You can assign a button for the LYRICS HIDE / SHOW
You can plug a second screen in your laptop for the Lyrics

Sliders and buttons are better for most used functions, like Arranger variation , A B C D, fill in, start/stop...

To change styles, I prefer to use the touch screen

For now, vArranger doesn't gess the SMF chords

When you save song, it memorizes the on load variation/intro, and part volumes etc

One vArranger user just did a video. I don't know what the sounds are, but I think they are LiveStyler's SF2, as they does not sound perfect

Hi.
Is there a downloadable demoversion of the software?
Could not find any at the website.

No demo

I found this information about this setup..

In upper manual : PC with Win 7 4gb RAM . Upgraded with Franz Lambert packet ( Which makes the Wing sound as the real Wersi )

In the lower Manual : PC with Win 10 8gb memory As Sound production for the Arranger Section : Ketron is S 1000. controlled by the Varranger 2. This allows VST to load s , and styles of all known keyboard models .

I am using : Tyros5 , Roland BK7 , Korg PA4X , Ketron Midjay styles.

There are vArranger videos here.
https://www.youtube.com/user/varranger

Deane

Yes, most of them with older versions of Varranger..



This is ome of my favorites...

Thanks again Dan for your information on vArranger. I'll unload some of my gears and switch to vArranger soon.
Any timeline for the vocal input?
Regards

Not really. Is it for pro live use, or just home?
I am a bit afraid of the latency of the input + output buffers

I am sure that you will do a fine job, Dan. Audio Input for vArranger will be definetly a big plus. I use the Roland Duo-Capture EX and the iConnectAUDIO4+. I have not noticed any latency with either one.

yes but software monitoring + vst reverb + harmoniser can maybe be a little bit noticeable (10-12 ms)
Will do some tests

The vocal input (effects/harmonizer) is for Pro live use.
I'm just trying to go software 100% if possible to simplify my setup.

[/quote] Yes, most of them with older versions of Varranger..



This is ome of my favorites...[/quote] I like this one, too. Only drums and purcussions playing in the background and yet it sounds full with great piano playing. The vibrant sound of Pianoteq seems to go well with the music. I enjoyed it. I am just glad to see that vArranger puts all these together for a fantastic arragner performance.

Because vArranger can be midi controlled, one user with some programming skills has created his own program for controlling vArranger

Very impressive. The person also has a Youtube video on how to optimize Windows 10 for audio.

Well done....

You could also use your ipad and an app like lemur to create such a controll UI for Varranger for those that dont have these excellent programming skills..

espescially for people using a laptop witouth touchascreen this gives them a great controller...

However, for the main functions nothing beats a midi controller with physical buttons..




One other question, will the programmer make his code available to the Varranger userbase?

I don't know what is his plans with this software.. For him only, for share, for sale... ?

I have been communicating with the programmer - a vArranger user himself. To fit my small screen hybrid tablet, he modified the app in a matter of only two days or so. I told him that I would support anybody or any product that supports the already fantastic vArranger. Varranger boasts a very clean (and very pretty I might add) touch screen friendly layout,but this utility app would be a nice addition on a small screen like mine. Even if one has programming skills, it would be worthwhile to let someone else continue the work while paying a small fee.