New Realtime arranger software announcement

[Henni]

Bentley decides to hand out copies of their top model for free for evaluation purposes. It comes with a few limitations though:

1. After every 100km/60miles you have to stop, switch off and re-start before you can go again. But you can own it forever.
2. Because you cannot save your seat/mirror positions, economy/power setting mode, cabin temperature, suspension mode soft/sport etc. these then reset back to default position and you have to dial those settings in once again.
3. All turbo/superchargers are not allowed to kick in, limiting some of it's awesome performance.

However, anyone is welcome to contact Bentley who will ship one of these to them free of charge simply upon their request.

Next Henni comes shouting real hard:

1. I want to see what this vehicle can do on my TV monitor - why won't they show me?
2. Why should I want one of these - too much detail.
3. It has only four wheels just like any other vehicle on the road - what makes this one so special?

Next Sasha comes & says:

1. I already have a VW Golf - why on earth would I want one of these.
2. I still do not understand why I should need one of these - someone please tell me!
3. What can it do that my Golf cannot do?
4. Why does it costs many times what I paid for my Golf?

Bentley just shrug their shoulders and decide that it is just impossible to please everyone...

[beykock]

Hi Henni :

I assume your last feedback is a joke, right ?

Best regards, Babette

[elad770]

I also thought your analogy was laughable.
First off, many people dont care if it's a Bentley and how much it cost. Some people want a car that will serve them
And not be overcomplicated!
In addition if you want to be accurate all the way:
Every few minutes the program will exist and all data is lost.
In your analogy this is not the same as removing certain features. In your analogy, it means that the Bentley I'm having for testing will turn off in the middle of driving every 15min
Or so and all my seating position will have to be readjusted again, which is VERY annoying.  So please be accurate when you describe things metaphorically.

Bentley will Never send cars to be tested.
It's way to cheap and doesnt promote the company well.
But you know what they WILL do?
Promotional videos an amazing site when Amazing illustrations.  Image capture is used for software I buy for 10$
If you want to convince people to buy something you need to demonstrate the VALUE they are getting. Bentley is not providing value but rather exclusivity so again, not the best analogy.
This software might function as a Bentley, I'm not doubting your evaluation but from the platform I see in the image capture it definitely appears like Honda Civic.
People who are challenging you are people who are truly interested. Do you really think I have nothing better to do?
The V console example is the best example. Without the videos the creator made it's worth 0$ even if he provides
All the explanation. You know what? My Genos will probably worth nothing to me if it wasn't for all the videos people make to demonstrate what it can do. I care less if Yamaha tells me Genos is the best. I want hear WHY it's the best and if I was convinced it sounds like tyros 5 I would probably buy Tyros 5.

Finally, with all you efforts promoting this software
Why can't you record a nice video showing how you play, how you create and demonstrate the workflow of this Bentley?

[Henni]

To put things in perspective, Yamaha did not offer you a Genos for evaluation - GBL did.

But I will post some videos in the future. I have the prospect of free WiFi soon as I am currently using a modem on a metered connection only so videos are TOTALLY out! Also, in a week or two I will be in a position to focus ALL (and I mean ALL) of my time and energy on my arranger projects. So much more will be forthcoming from me then including MANY new GBL & Revo styles.

[Toril S]

That is good, but GBL should do it. You have already done a lot for them by testing their product and giving them useful feedback! They were really lucky to catch the interest of such a talented person as you! Just keep on being enthustiastic!😀

[Milamber]

That is good, but GBL should do it.

Particularly as the 50% offer ends 31/01/2020.  I'm sure many would be interested but "need to know" what's what Regards.

Maurice.

[robinez]

i have to agree, after five pages i also have no clue what the product is, i've read all the documentation on the site and it's still unclear.  I'm assuming that it's a style arranger on your computer with 'copied / modified' styles from yamaha with added features like that you can use more style elements. But it also says that you need the sound generator from your yamaha keyboard. So i don't see the benefit of using the program instead of the keyboard itself, since the sound would be the same, maybe there would be more midi channels with style information so that that the end result is a little bit more busy then the original, but it's really unclear what it does and maybe i'm totally wrong.

Then i read user statements that it sounds so much better, then i think, how? As far as i know you are using the sound generator of your existing keyboard. I can understand that it sounds better if there was a sample library attached with upgraded sounds, but as far as i know that isn't the case.

Then it got even more puzzling, you can assign more dsp effects to your sounds. That's strange, if you are using the keyboard itself how can you use more dsp effects then normally on your keyboard. I guess that's only possible if you are using programmed DSP effects in the program itself, but again, not really possible because that would effect the complete sound instead of the channels.

These are just a few examples of what i think is unclear when reading the product descriptions. I have a feeling that it is a good product, but my advice would be to do a lot more work on the marketing side presenting the product. It's not enough to give a demo version. I would never install a demo version on my studio computer. When i'm interested in something i always look for a review on youtube and then decide if it's a product for me.

Henni does his best promoting the product and i admire his enthusiasm, but when i see a post with 50 ! demos in one post i think, that's a lot of work and probably nobody will listen 50 demos.

So in my opinion these five pages are great user feedback for GBL, if so many people are saying that hey don't understand what the product does then it would be wise to address that with a few video demos.

[Bill]

Hi GBL

Many thanks for your detailed reply regarding my query on Non XG Voices.

It is not really what I was hoping for, but a lot more than I expected.  Your offer to modify the VCE Files is good.

I still have to decide what to do.

Regards

Bill

[mikf]

i have to agree, after five pages i also have no clue what the product is, i've read all the documentation on the site and it's still unclear.

I think it is pretty clear what the product is - an application that resides on your computer and can play styles on your keyboard using the keyboard sounds. The styles cannot be transferred to the keyboard so they always have to be played from the computer. The advantages being touted are -
1. Better styles
2. Easier editing and styles creation.
3. Easier to add effects
The disadvantages are obvious. People opting for this software will have to decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. For me the two things that legislate most strongly against it are that the styles on the Yamaha are already pretty good anyway, and that very few people do much in depth editing of the styles.
Henni has become a real enthusiast, but he is trying to make money editing and creating styles, so he is not exactly a typical arranger owner.
Mike

[Henni]

Mike,

To complete your list:

1. Better styles
2. Easier editing and styles creation.
3. Easier to add effects
4. 8 Variations
5. 8 OTSes
6. Two breaks
7. Seamless OTS changes
8. Control lead voices in-out/volume by way of playing on keys
9. Swap the inside variation sections around to your liking on the fly
10. Transpose & save any voice/s inside an acc. on the fly whilst performing
11. Intelligently continuously moving split-point to just above where you currently play your chords
12. Round Robin type effects assigned to lead voices to your personal liking.

If you have less than a SX900, then also ad the following:

13. 3 Lead voices, 1 LH voice.
14. Different harmonies on ALL lead & LH voices.
15. Style bar reset.
16. Half bar fills.
17. Round Robin drums like on the Genos.
18. The use of a touch screen.

In the pipeline:

19. When a style track loop plays out, randomly replace with a appropriate track from another style.

For me personally:

20. I hear effects and nuances in styles that I've NEVER heard on my PSR S770 before.

Henni

[beykock]

Hi Henni :

Very glad to hear GBL offers you everything you need to create pro styles and to sell them to your ( potential ) customers.👍

BTW ...
I absolutely need nice vocal Ballad R&B - and Gospel styles for my SX700. See T5/Genos vocal stys e.g.

Would it be possible to buy them from you ?

Would you be so kind to upload one or two MP3 examples, plse ( if available ) ?

Thank you for help and your reply !

Best regards, Babette

[Henni]

Hi Babette,

If you do not mind, rather discuss any styles you might want from me per email at ***@yahoo.com You can listen to examples of my latest non GBL styles here.

As from next week at last I can focus on nothing else but styles, so whatever you need can be addressed quickly.

I also have existing clients who have not received any new styles from me for a long time and at last I can now focus full time on their needs also.

Thank you so much for your inquiry,

Henni

[beykock]

Thank you for fast reply. 

Just one last question : can you add all the Genos/T5 Vocals ( Adlibs and/or all other vocals ) and will they play in the SX700 ?

You need GBL to do that, am I right ?

After receipt of your feedback, I will select the styles I need and send them to your private e-mail address, as requested.
It will take a couple of days to select them, I guess.

Is that OK ?
Plse advise. Thanks, Babette

[Henni]

Hi Babette,

I cannot select any voices I do not have in my user memory as I cannot audition these.

What I do have in my memory are the voices from the SX Essential pack plus some freeware choir voices I've found on the internet. Hence, what you hear in the demos is the best I can present using my existing setup.

I have only 158MB available on my S770 for wav samples. I've filled this to capacity with the best I samples I could purchase/find that would fit. I recently even removed the Genos Revo Schlager drums to make space for more choir voices.

I cannot offer more at this stage.

All the best,

Henni

[beykock]

OK, I see your problem.

A couple of years ago we have converted all Yamaha midi Vocal multipads into WAV files ( CM7, I guess ).
Does it help you out if I will send you all these WAV files to your private e-mail address ?

Plse advise.

Babette

[Henni]

Hi Babette,

Thank you for the offer, but my user memory is filled to capacity. I cannot even ad the smallest file to it.

I have ABSOLUTELY maximized my S770 to the most it can absorb. GBL added GREAT value to that. I am not aware of anything else currently available that will soup it up more.

Regards,

Henni

[RoyB]

I have become a bit more familiar with GBL by using and experimenting with the demo, but unlike Henni I haven't really explored the effects and DSP editing very much or done any style customisation. I have started on an overview video which I said I might do. I don't why I'm doing it(!) - I just thought it would be interesting to try and do it (I've never done one before).

Henni has listed many of the positive things you get with GBL which can benefit a live performer, and these are great things. On the other hand, there are some things that are currently not in GBL that I feel some live performers may miss.

When you use GBL, it is a complete replacement for Yamaha's operating software and for the voices, styles, etc in your Arranger. Although GBL depends on using your existing Arranger's sound engine to generate the sounds, essentially when you use GBL it is like having a new Arranger. I suppose then another way of thinking about it is whether GBL is better than playing on the Arranger you already have (or better than a new Arranger you could buy for similar expenditure).


Regards

Roy

[RoyB]

I also have one issue on which perhaps Henni or the GBL team might be able to help.

Using the GBL demo, I'm finding that I get a slight (and noticeable) lag/delay after changing the LH chord on the keyboard before it changes in GBL.

I don't know whether this is a hardware, latency or software issue - any suggestions as to what I can try to eliminate this?

My keyboard is Tyros 5 and my PC consists of Intel i7-6700 processor + 16GB DDR4 RAM running Windows 10.

Regards

Roy

[beykock]

Hi Roy :

Your comments :

When you use GBL, it is a complete replacement for Yamaha's operating software and for the voices, styles, etc in your Arranger.
Although GBL depends on using your existing Arranger's sound engine to generate the sounds, essentially when you use GBL it is like having a new Arranger.

Does that mean GBL's software takes over all the arranger's software commands and Yamaha's software is no longer working ?

I wonder if Yamaha are aware ?
What is their reaction ?

Plse advise.

Many thanks, Babette

[RoyB]

Yamaha's system is stiill there, GBL doesn't replace it or change it in the physical sense. It's just that you don't want to use it (or any of the buttons, knobs or faders) while you are using GBL because it will mess up what GBL is doing. Also, while using GBL you have to have 'Local Off' on your Arranger so that all sounds are generated by GBL. Essentially your Arranger becomes a MIDI Master keyboard while you are using GBL, in a similar way as if your were using it with a DAW.

Regards

Roy

[RoyB]

And just to add ..... your Arranger software system still works, its just that you don't want to use it while using GBL. You just set up your Arranger with a special MIDI configuration (which you save as a MIDI User configuration) while using GBL, and when your are not using GBL you change your MIDI settings back by selecting one of the default MIDI configurations on your MIDI menu that were preconfigured by Yamaha when you bought the Arranger.

Regards

Roy

[beykock]

Thank you, Roy for your feedback.

When I am working with a DAW I do not need to change the config in my kb.
Anyway, that might not be so important since changes do not take place after resetting the midi config, right ?

What would you call GBL ? Comparable to another prog or is it brand new as far as applications are concerned ?

A video demonstration would help a lot, I guess.

What about audio ( recording ) in GBL ?

Best wishes, Babette

[Henni]

Hi RoyB,

I have absolutely no latency problems - I am sure Groovyband.live will answer you soon on this.

I've said it before, but it seems this principle is hard to grasp for some - you've explained it correct above.

1. You set up your midi only once for GBL and save the results.
2. During live play, a single midi button will cut out GBL & allow you to play your arranger as always.
3. Another single midi button will route you back to GBL.
4. GBL will just sit there, exactly where you left, and continue as if nothing happened.

So you can prepare your gig with some GBL songs along with some on-board songs and seamlessly switch between the two modes during your performance. Hence GBL does not HAVE to completely replace your arranger but merely compliment it. You can still have the best of both worlds, which is really awesome.

You can use your GBL registrations AND you can use your Yamaha registrations in one performance.

Henni

[Henni]

What about audio ( recording ) in GBL ?

EVERY single demo I've posted over here was recorded direct on my Yamaha - method is EXACTLY how you are used to doing it. The moment you press the red button, just start to play and upon completion, listen to the results as always. No need to disconnect GBL via midi for any of this.

Your Yamaha does the recording, NOT GBL.

If you think of GBL as an external module with it's output routed back to the input of the Yamaha, things will make much more sense.

[RoyB]

Hello Henni

You explained it much better than I did!

Regards

Roy

[beykock]

Am I right to think, Henni, - up to now - you are the only GBL customer here ?

I wonder if other members of this Forum will follow you ( soon ).
The 50% discount action ends on January 31, 2020.

I know you will disagree but the GBL owner(s) is/are making one big mistake, IMHO :
Apparently he/they refuse(s) to launch a video !  ... but ... Why ?

Best wishes,
Babette

[Bill]

2. During live play, a single midi button will cut out GBL & allow you to play your arranger as always.
3. Another single midi button will route you back to GBL.

Hi Henni

I wish it was that simply. On the Genos it is 6 button presses each time you want to change.

[Henni]

Hi Bill,

And if you used a module like i.e. the SD90? What would it take to switch to & fro as I know for a fact quite a few use this module with their Genos?

Henni

[Wouter1972]

Henni, I think a lot of people seem interested in the product. Although you're obviously quite skilled as an engineer, many people are used to the Yamaha plug and plug method.

May I suggest you divert your skills to what the potential customers are saying and make a really basic simple step by step video tutorial explaining how to set up and use the product.....even though you may think it's already as clear as it may be: a picture or in this case a video tells more than a 1000 words.....hence the popularity of YouTube etc.

I think at this stage it makes better sense than samples/demos.

[mikf]

Although there is always a lot of questions about this or that style for particular songs on the forum, I still don't think that the majority of people think they are all that limited by the pre set styles on the Yamaha arrangers, or the vast library already available. So it would surprise me if more than a handful opt for this system. But there will always be some.
Henni is putting quite a bit of time and effort into this, but as I understand it, if Henni uses the GBL system to produce or edit styles, then only people who buy the GBL software can play them. Its quite a big investment to make just to get a few edited  styles from Henni, not to mention the nuisance value of having to keep a laptop connected to the arranger.
I guess that it is in Henni's interest to persuade people that it is worth it. But then if it is so easy to edit the styles using the system, why would you need to buy them from Henni.
I see the technical advantages of the system, but have trouble getting my head around any significant market opportunity here.
Mike