SFF2 Styles in Yamaha XGWorks ?

[Jeff Hollande]

I wonder if there is a solution to enter SFF2 Styles in XGWorks without converting them to SFF1 Styles and use these SFF2 Styles in XGWorks ?
Thank you for your reply.
Best Wishes, JH

[ckobu]

Hi JH
There is a solution.
It uses the MixMaster program and the GoTo option. Watch the video from this moment. Activate English subtitles

https://youtu.be/PM3htJysPmQ?t=310

[Jeff Hollande]

Hello Ckobu :

Herewith I confirm I am so grateful for helping me and many other
XGW users, IMO.

It sounds great to hear the combination of XGW and MM might solve this problem I am struggling with for many years because I am a musician, not a software expert but a simple pc user.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I will need your help and support to be successful.☝️
Best Wishes, JH

[ckobu]

Hi Jeff,
I'm glad I could help. When you encounter the following problem, I will be happy to answer if I know.
regards, ckobu

[Jeff Hollande]

Hey Ckobu :

Great ! WOOOW. 

After making the midi file in MM, how do I have to save this ( midi ) file in XGW, if I want to see all the chords, to change and/or to add other additional chords e.g. in XGW ?
Plse advise. Thank you.
Regards, JH

[ckobu]

I don't know exactly what you mean.
If there is a chord written in MIDI, you can change it and see it in MM as well. If you want to see it in XGW, then click on the icon as marked in the image.
If MIDI does not have information about the chords played, you can enter them automatically with the PSRUTI program. I described the procedure in this video.

https://youtu.be/nwx-rNBGZS0

[attachment unavailable]

[Jeff Hollande]

Good morning Ckobu :

OK. Thank you. That is easier than I thought. 

To be honest I have to admit I have never worked with MM before.
XGW ( recording / editing midi ) and Cakewalk by BandLab ( for audio recording /  editing ) only ...

How do I enter styles and chords in MM, plse ?
Cannot find it in the MM's manual, sorry ...

Best regards, JH

[ckobu]

Good morning Jeff,
I assume you want to make a midi by manually entering the data for the Style (variation, fill in ...) and then adding the chords? You can't do that in MM.
Try the Producer program, this is a video showing the process.

https://youtu.be/WsmVxiN4F84

[vlbrgt]

I assume you want to make a midi by manually entering the data for the Style (variation, fill in ...) and then adding the chords? You can't do that in MM.

This is possible in MixMaster.
You can create a midi file with chords and section changes in MixMaster very easily.

Regards
Etienne

[ckobu]

I am correcting the statement. It is possible to do MIDI with MM, but the process is unclear and complicated.

[Jeff Hollande]

Hello Ckobu :

Thank you so much for your fast reply.
I was afraid I could not enter ( manually ) Styles and Chords in MM as I thought / hoped.
Nothing is described in the manual either, IMHO.

How do you handle this issue ... if it can be done ?

As I said in my previous message I am not familiar with MM at all ( yet ).  But I absolutely want to go for it if my dream would come true.
I have to start from scratch if MM is the only solution to make SFF2 styles work in XGW. No problem for me.

I am not going to deepen in Producer again. I have done that several times before.
As you know, entering chords in Producer cannot be done in a pc. 
It needs to be done in the arranger itself ...  very time consuming and too complicated though.

Sorry for bothering you with all my questions ...
Am I dreaming and is my dream not realistic ?
I do not want to burden you with my problem that might be not feasible.

Looking forward to reading your reaction.
Best regards,
JH
The Hopeful 

[Jeff Hollande]

This is possible in MixMaster.
You can create a midi file with chords and section changes in MixMaster very easily.

Regards
Etienne

Dear Etienne :

Thank you ( again ) for your reaction.

It would be wonderful if you could explain how to enter styles and chords in MM ( step by step, if possible ) and last but not least creating a midi file ( 0 ) that can be entered in XGW.
I am absolutely not an expert in software. I am just a simple user. 

Your help would be very much appreciated not only by me but by a lot of XGW users in this forum, I guess.

Thank you very much, JH

[vlbrgt]

Please stop thinking that XGWorks can handle SFF2 styles, It doesn't ...
Not any external program can change this.

I will try to make some explanation on how to create a midi file that includes chords and section changes.

Regards
Etienne

[Jeff Hollande]

Etienne :

You are absolutely right : XGW cannot read SFF2 styles at all.
Converting these styles to SFF1 is not a solution either.

However, once a midi file is made from an SFF2 style in MM e.g., this midi file has to function well in XGW and can be edited in XGW easily, I believe.

Thank you so much for your intention to help us by explaining precisely how a midi file can be made in MM ( styles and chords input included ).
It would be a dream for all XGW users. A real miracle ...

Up to now Yamaha's XGW is still one of the best midi Yamaha sequence programs ever made for most Yamaha arrangers but it is has never been updated nor upgraded since the year 2002.

Best regards, JH

[pieterpan]

Jeff,

I mentioned it before - it's much easier to program your styles and chords in a program like OMD (One Man Band) and when finished you can translate your style from SFF1 to SFF2 using Yamaha Style Magic. Works perfect.

Regards < Piet

[Jeff Hollande]

You are right, Piet, you mentioned that before.

I would like to wait for Etienne's answer first.
Hope MM can do the job too, who knows ...

Best regards, JH

[ckobu]

Please stop thinking that XGWorks can handle SFF2 styles, It doesn't ...
Not any external program can change this.

Regards
Etienne

Isn't StyleMagic YA able to edit and create SFF2?

[vlbrgt]

Hi ckobu,

Sure Stylemagic YA can.
I was refering to XGWorks that it cannot be changed with a external program.

Regards
Etienne

[Jeff Hollande]

It is possible to do MIDI with MM, but the process is unclear and complicated.

Good morning Ckobu :

I am very grateful Etienne explained ( yesterday afternoon - personal contact - ) the MM's style and chord functions very well and ... he is right : MM can do very much.
I did not know MM at all.

As most of you know, XGW has been my favourite midi sequence programme for many years and ... it is hard for me to say goodbye to my beloved program XGW but ...
there is no other option if I want to work with SFF2 styles.
I have to admit it will not be easy for me ( 75 ) to learn MM well, starting from scratch. 

However, before I will decide whether I am going to end my XGW's activities, I want to find out what StyleMagic could mean to me and compare all progs and find out what might be the best answer/solution for me.

Herewith I would to thank all of you for your comments and help.

Best wishes, JH

[Joe H]

Jeff,

Why don't you buy a copy of StyleMagic? It is the best style editor on the planet for editing SFF2. It can do so much with ease. It's worth the money. I'm planning on creating new styles using the newest feature in the STY Console which allows us to Export individual style Parts and Import them into another style. StyleMagic is much different that MixMaster which is still king of all editors for Yamaha files of all types and certain batch processing. 

BTW... you can download the demo program which is fully functional except saving a file.

Joe H

[vlbrgt]

Hello Joe,

MixMaster which is still king of all editors for Yamaha files of all types and certain batch processing

Thanks for this quote. Nice to hear. It gives me satisfaction and the will to continue as long as I can.

I'm planning on creating new styles using the newest feature in the STY Mixer which allows us to Export individual style Parts and Import them into another style.

Are you talking about version 3.5.0 because that is the latest version I have.
In the mixing console I do not see a feature to export. Do you perhaps mean in the Section Manager ?

Regards
Etienne

[Jeff Hollande]

Jeff,

Why don't you buy a copy of StyleMagic? It is the best style editor on the planet for editing SFF2. It can do so much with ease. It's worth the money. I'm planning on creating new styles using the newest feature in the STY Mixer which allows us to Export individual style Parts and Import them into another style. StyleMagic is much different that MixMaster which is still king of all editors for Yamaha files of all types and certain batch processing. 

BTW... you can download the demo program which is fully functional except saving a file.

Joe H

Hi Joe H :
Thank you so much for your reply. It is my intention to do what you are advising.

Best regards, JH

[Joe H]

Hello Joe,
Thanks for this quote. Nice to hear. It gives me satisfaction and the will to continue as long as I can.
Are you talking about version 3.5.0 because that is the latest version I have.
In the mixing console I do not see a feature to export. Do you perhaps mean in the Section Manager ?

Regards
Etienne

Etienne,

Thank you for continuing work on MixMaster.  I worked with Michael for years on his software. 

Yes I was referring to StyleMagic v3.50.  Thomas created a new screen called STY Console.  This is different than the regular Mixing Console. You can get a copy of the documentation here:

https://app.box.com/s/myu3y2ved5oxzoxp3cum09bb3738tv1u

Joe H

[Joe H]

Since I like EDM, Chill Beat, Ambient, and Ballads,  I have added Voice Definition Files for several Easy Sounds expansion packs and so far have exported about 5000 style Parts from the STY Console to my hard drive.  I have created directories with folders for each category of music and folders for each style Part.

Folders look like this:

Arpeggio
Bass
Chord
Drums & Perc
Fill-Ins
FX
Pad
Phrase
Pulse
Side Chain

The Fill-ins folder has the same sub-folders (plus Break folder) inside of it.

The reason for doing things this way is I found that sometimes a Phrase is in the Pad Part and a Bass pattern is found in a Phrase Part, so I save the Parts in the correct folders so if I want a Phrase, arpeggio or a Side-Chain I know where to find the correct Part.

For creating a new style my intent is to start with a particular style with just the drums and maybe the bass parts, then try new parts for the rest of the style. Once I have the basic new style with the Parts I want, then I might change the Voices for each Part to a different Voice than the original.  It is possible to use Fill-ins as a Main Section Part if I go to the Piano Roll screen (multieditor) and copy bars to match the bar-length of the other Parts and also adjust all Main Sections to have the same number of bars.  I don't Export Intros and Endings because I want to use my own chords in the Intros and Endings.  I build one entire Main Section and then copy it to the other Sections using Sections Manager, then go back to the STY Console to eliminate some Parts or Import other Parts saved to disk.  The Intros and Endings will be similar to the Main Sections.

Once I'm all done I will save the new style with a new name.  My practice is to then play the style on the keyboard and do the final mix there adding OTS Voices and Multi Pads.

For me... I found this is the best way to create entirely new styles.

Joe H

[rikkisbears]

Hi Jeff , are you actually wanting to edit the styles? Or just basically put a backing sequence into xg works using styles ,chords.  A bit like the way Band in a Box works. And then add melody tracks or other additional tracks?
If so, have you ever considered just using the step time option in the sequencer  in the keyboard itself.

That's how I do my midi files for my style conversions. ie it has to be super accurate , so easier to put the chords in , in step time, than do it over and over again if I make 1 teeny mistake.  I record the sequence in step time, save it and load it into xg works.

I've noticed on the sx900 I can only do this with factory styles, though for some reason I thought I was able to do it with user styles in my s950 ( could be wrong though) .

So,

For user styles I've discovered  Jos Maas chord Player. ie type in chords, press play, it plays the chord progression on the arranger, only thing I have to do is pick the variations while it's playing/recording.

Only reason  I tried it ,was , I needed some way of recording chord sequences in my PA5x other than in real-time. Currently there is no way of editing ,after recording them, so , I tried Jos's  chord player software.  ( demo / full cost is ) $10 usd. (It's a pretty old piece of software.)
Works well. . Takes a couple of minutes or so to type in chord progression, and a couple of minutes or so to play/record it across to the keyboard .

Best part is I found I can use the same "chord player" sequence to record chord sequences in my sx 900 and to to record a midifile.