Korg Forums

[karmathanever]

I think we have over 600 free professional styles from Korg so far.
Some of these styles are bent towards specific songs.
The quality of musicianship in Korg's styles is amazing.

This is my personal take on my PA4X styles:-
I am not that interested in "Song-specific" styles - if I want to be that authentic, then I'd use MIDI or MP3 backings.
In my band we only play covers and love to use styles to add our own personal edge to the numbers we play and make our own arrangements.
Just taking a style and changing something basic like its default tempo can open up huge possibilities.
I play some songs which share the same style but it is hardly noticeable.
If you don't know the "suggested" songs for Korg's bonusware styles, just start playing with them in a different way.
If, of course, you wish to play covers and sound like the original, then you will always be limited in any arranger that doesn't have a billion styles.
If you are also just playing a specific era or genre then many of these new styles will throw a great new light on those numbers.
One example of this for us is Amy Winehouse's "Valerie" - we do 3 versions of this:-
1. Using a factory style with an authentic drum groove
2. Using the Afro-Cuban jazz factory style
3. Using one of the later bonusware bossanovas

As I said, this is my personal take and reason I get so much value (and fun) out of all these styles.

If you haven't already, please try some basic changes in the existing styles - the results and ideas you can end up with are fantastic.

Take care

Pete
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PA4X-76, Karma, WaveDrum GE, Fantom 8 EX
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## Please stay safe ##
...and play lots of music
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[LeSchloma]

Great statement Pete. I agree 100%.

If I want to play a song very close to the original, I would use a midi file. But I don't do this.

I make my own version of past big hits using these great Korg styles. So my intention is not to copy a song but rather to create an individual interpretation of it. Much more alive, with more live feeling and more spontaneity and momentum than using any static midi file.

Therefore I love my Pa4x.

Regards from Cologne

Ralf

[Ron]

Please allow me to add a few comments regarding the Korg Bonusware styles. It seems recently that Korg has been providing many modern song specific styles complete with chord sequence. To start I say THANK YOU Korg! Who else continues to support their product in this manner? Two releases already this year!

That said, in my opinion, we don't need more styles for "older" music although there probably are some notable exceptions. If Korg is going to continue to supply additional styles - and I hope they do - why not make them modern and song specific? As has been noted, song specific styles can be used and adapted for other songs. I'm guessing it's harder to make a generic style song specific.

I read many posts from those of us unhappy with outdated 4X technology. However, when Korg gives us modern up-to-date styles some of us want oldies. Just shows you can't satisfy everyone. For me, now just a recreational musician and an old one at that, I like the new song specific styles. Many expose me to music I would not otherwise discover and enjoy. Just as I'm happy overall with my 4X, I'm happy to be receiving new styles free of charge regardless whether they are ideal for my purposes.

Maybe a sticky for styles would be informative. We could indicate our preference for certain generic or song specific styles in hopes that Korg would respond if there were enough interest. My guess is that our tastes and needs are too diverse but might be interesting to see. Other opinions?

Not trying to offend anyone with this post. Just saying that I appreciate the styles that Korg continues to provide (free) and that I'd rather they be new up-to-date song specific styles of various genre with the occasional upgrade to an older generic or song specific style. As I look back through the last several volumes of bonusware, it seems to me they have done an excellent job in this regard and again I say THANK YOU Korg.
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Pa4X, KronosX, BIAB, Cakewalk

[Korghelper]

Personally, if I want to sound JUST like the original, I’d go with an SMF and use Markers so you could jump around and restructure the song as needed. This gives you a LOT more flexibility than a style and a chord sequence to play it. Until Korg adopts Yamaha’s multipart Chord Sequencer and allows different CS’s for verse, bridge, chorus, solos etc., if you use the CS you have to play it top to bottom no choice.

And for me at least, the closer a style sounds to a recognizable hit, the harder it is to use it for any other song without it being obvious what you are doing. Signature licks, signature fills, signature Intros and endings on a different song don’t work very often, IMHO...

[Keymn]

All bonusware may come in handy someday. The “copy from style“ is a powerful editor were you can create Your own style.
Creating a guitar Rhythm track too, you have to think as a guitarist. Or drums, think like a drummer...which For me difficult at times.

My role in playing at the German Restaurant gig, depends on the snappy tuba sound which prevails in most of the songs. But strange, the Roland bk-7m fulfills the need for this gig in a restaurant setting...?

[karmathanever]

[Keymn]

[Keymn]

Not at all 0verkill. Simple operational keyboards, the rest is your background training on EQ and mixing which you can make something great on any brand. When it comes to your audience, play for them...not buried in all the bells and whistles on any new or old keyboard...keep on rocking and enjoy the styles and editing features...!

[tonylawton]

Hi
Much as I think it's great that Korg provide these regular new styles FOC, I agree with several other comments. I can't find one in the new 41 & 42 that I would ever use. Ok so I might be old but there are so many great classics that are still popular that could provide styles for.
Just my opinion but they always seem to concentrate on the very latest music genres.
Tony

[karmathanever]

Completely understand where you are coming from Tony.
I find that the key is to simply manipulate styles and it is amazing how easily one can adapt to them and find a suitable song.
You can play the oldest of songs to some EDM styles (seriously) and blow the house down

Again, I say and recommend, that if you are wanting "song-styles" then MIDI or MP3 backings are unbeatable.

Try some basic simple changes to these styles like muting a track, changing tempo etc...

Take care

Pete
_________________
PA4X-76, Karma, WaveDrum GE, Fantom 8 EX
------------------------------------------------------------------
## Please stay safe ##
...and play lots of music
------------------------------------------------------------------

[Korghelper]

That NEXT feature where you can strip a style down gradually using the touch screen is great for finding ways to use styles you might not have considered.

That and the NEXT feature where you can slightly adjust the swing factor are two of the best things Korg have added to the OS in years. I really miss the old swing factor knob from old school arrangers, it could stretch out a simple style to a myriad of uses!