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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:47 pm
by billbaker
Back to the OP -- it's hard to talk about these things without giving in to the tendency to ether speak in absolutes (NO, no way!) or generalities (I can think of 3 work-arounds that give an indirect solution).

"1. will i be able to create styles as in Yamaha ( preset ) styles ?" [Emphasis is mine]

PSR's styles have the fills, alt patterns, etc. So, NO. No styles on Triton. Nedim's got that right.

What you will be able to do is write combis, which the PSR doesn't.

A combi is as close as you come in trying to make an aples-to-apples comparison between a workstation feature and an arranger style; I would define a style as a means to assist playing by providing rhythmic or melodic accompaniment. Both a style and a combi can do that.

A combi can give you 2 arps, plus multiple instruments under direct (your fingers) or passive (played by arp) control.

And like a style, a combi is set and ready to go, no need to go into a different mode (like seq) or have external control, like KARMA or BIaB. It's a great jamming tool and will follow what you play (or not) depending on how you set it up.

The sounds on combis on the Extreme are not carved in stone, as styles tend to be. The instrumentation is very flexible, but limitations will appear as you get more complex in your programming; i.e., normally you might need two drum tracks playing the same arp to get the bass and snare you want playing at the same time if they aren't on the same kit -- but you can get around that by learning more about saving user kits.

2 I have some styles for PSR3000 Yamaha, can I possibly use them on
the extreme.


NO, at least not directly.

You can play the styles via midi but you'd have to keep the PSR as a controller (as xmlguy suggests).

Or you could export your playlist as GM files, which the TrEX could play -- and with a bit of additional effort would allow you to use non-GM kits and sounds. That would be set arrangements of set songs, rather than flexible accompaniment.

Or, more complex still, you might be able to enter the Yamaha patterns as user arps -- there's room for them, but it is not a simple cut and paste process -- which would restore the "follow me" flexibility and give you drums plus one of the accompaniment lines.

----------------

If those processes don't appeal, then accept the "No" from Nedim and invest your time in learning what the Triton can do rather than what it can't.

If you are ready to get deeper into the combi writing process, then my advice holds.

Or do xmlguy's end run, give up trying to salvage the Yamaha styles, and get external "styles" with KARMA, Band-in-a-Box, or other some other sequencing or groove software.



BB

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 7:17 pm
by xmlguy
Bill, the OP has already clarified what he wants to do in more detail. He asked: "Cant it ( eventually ) give me styles or drum beats that i can play along with ? With the psr I can have a style playing, and I can play my chords and sing along. Will I be able to do that with the extreme. If not then what is the main reason ppl use this keyboard for" and then "Actually I don't use intros and endings on the psr and neither do i use the chord assist. Which I think are gismos. My question is can we create styles like the preset ones in psr as a backing to play along with ? "

So he doesn't need intros and endings, and he apparently doesn't need it to follow his chords, and he's asking about drum beats he can play to and sing along. So if you eliminate intros, ending, and chord following, what's left in a style? A rhythm track, and any sequencer can do that. It seems that he only needs Sequencer Start/Stop. Styles are just looping midi sequences divided up by part. When you have just one rhythm part, then that midi can be extracted into a looping sequence or a copied/repeated linear sequence long enough for the song. Based on what he said, he only wants a simple backing sequence. Certainly any Triton with a sequencer can do that. He can extract the midi from any main part of a style, put it into a standard midi file, then send that to the Triton. From there, the pattern can be copied for a linear sequence song, or copied into a user pattern.

Why does it seem like you all are trying to find ways to say "NO, you can't do that" on a TrEx, instead of finding reasonable ways to do what he wants to do? The TrEx certainly can play rhythm while you play the keyboard parts. He's not asking for it to do everything that an arranger can do, only what he needs so that he can sell his PSR3000. Somehow I think you've missed the whole point of the OP's questions. It isn't necessary for him to keep his PSR3000 if he doesn't really need all the arranger features it has and can do what he want on the TrEx. Based on everything he's said up to this point, I think the TrEx can do everything he needs, with a bit of editing work to get those rhythm tracks into it.

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:07 pm
by SanderXpander
I think the main missing thing (even for just drum parts) is having fills and different patterns for chorus and verse and the like. I have to agree with both Nedim and Billbaker there, there is no way to get those specific functions (as in, working the way as expected from the PSR viewpoint) in the TrEx as a self-contained system, and they seem relevant to the OPs question.

I do agree with exploring other options like software or keeping the PSR around for midi.

Also, I think if you really dig down, you could create different patterns with RPPR in the sequencer that you can loop and set to quantize your input by bar or beat or something. It'd take some work, but if it's just for drums and not chording, you could get a workable setup in the sequencer using just a few keys on one side of the keyboard.

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:09 pm
by xmlguy
If full arranger features are indeed required, another option is the Yamaha QY-100, which can also control any workstation. It's small, lightweight, runs on batteries, and is highly compatible with the PSR3000 styles. I got my QY100 several years ago for $140, used but in mint condition, from Guitar Center. There are two on Guitar Center's website for $249-$275 at this very moment. It also sounds great and can easily be used merely to mix its own audio with the keyboard instead of using midi to control it. It also has vocal and guitar effects built-in.

Here's two youtube videos of a trance composer with the QY100 for the main backing accompaniment, using one keyboard to control the chord changes on the QY100, the QY100 rhythm being mixed with an X5D synth, and the QY100 controlling a Quasimidi Sirius, all played live in one cut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYJ65si6i0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9GEDla7L3g

Here's a track that is played entirely on a QY100:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OVPVBcnagA

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:22 am
by Azi
xmlguy, SanderXpander, billbaker, Nedim ,

Thank you all, I will keep you guys posted, how I proceed from here. I have to learn first how to navigate around the Extreme first. the two are miles apart.
Also I need to learn what is a workstation and what is a arranger.

BTW I have a Yamahaha 16 ch ( usb ) mixer and 2 JBL Eon G2 ( 15ins ). SM58s . Great sound.

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:20 am
by SanderXpander
Very understandable. Reading the quick start and the manual are a good start (not the "parameter guide"). Don't hesitate to ask questions here either. Even though the answers may confuse you more sometimes :)

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:33 pm
by billbaker
Xmlguy

Re: OP "Why does it seem like you all are trying to find ways to say "NO, you can't do that" on a TrEx, instead of finding reasonable ways to do what he wants to do?"

"Reasonable ways" was exactly the point of my last post, as was my attempt to clarify a reasonable and realistic expectation of what the Extreme can and can't do and how much effort it can take to get it to jump through a given hoop. I try hard in posting here never to say "no" without saying both why I said it and suggesting a way around.

Mine was the 3rd post and said in essence "maybe there's a way". Hardly a blanket and absolute "No".

As to the extreme, I own one. Use it daily, gig 1 to 3 times weekly. I also am a long time user of the Classic, Trinity and KARMA. I wouldn't trade 'em for an arranger board... and that speaking as an ex-owner of a Korg arranger so I have a fair handle on the mechanics and limitations of arranger boards.

I've got my Extreme set up to do pretty much what Azi wants to do (I think). Maybe (If he wants.... PM me) the best solution is just to hand it to him.

Azi, that's an offer -- but be aware that having it handed to you is not the same as knowing how to do it. As someone once said. "Give a man a fire and he's warm for an hour... set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life."

... or something like that.

BB

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:06 pm
by xmlguy
Hi Bill, yes, you did provide some reasonable alternatives, so I apologize for using too broad of a brushstroke to include you in my criticism. The TrEx is a very powerful workstation even without arranger features, so I hope you understand that I was trying to emphasize that there were many other possibilities, both with the TrEx and external control of it, that should be explored to see if they are reasonable options for the OP. I don't think that external options like the QY100, BIAB, RealBand and other products should be eliminated from consideration as not relevant, because their primary purpose it to do exactly what the PSR3000 and other arrangers do, but better, which is to give you the ability to use backing tracks with more control than pressing play on an mp3 player.