prospective user seeking answers and advise

[JerryT]

I asked these questions on another forum - thought I'd ask directly of you current Varranger users;
Please tell me about using the Varranger live as opposed to a hardware arranger/midiplayer?
How reliable is it especially with midi file playback?
I have a couple of hundred registrations and about 8,000+ midi files that were edited with the Midjay Plus over the years. Could the Varranger read the files and play the Ketron MJ+ sounds or would I have to re-edit the files in the Varranger?
Does it read and scroll text files along with midi files?
Are there any special/uncommon connections required for playback through sound systems?
Are there really advantages to replacing a sequencer/midi playback machine with the Varranger?
I find that I'm now using over 75% midi files and I love the sounds of the Midjay Plus, but it seems that Ketron is phasing out their support and focusing on their newer hardware and boards.  I sometimes use a midi accordion; most times - lately - a keytar, and I do use various other midi controllers as well - depending on the gig requirements.  Oh yes, I have a new laptop with Windows 10 that I'm TRYING to get the hang of.
Thanks.
Ciao,
Jerry

[hernandez]

tout a fait ça lit tout

[v.muller]

Reliability - it depends on the PC (Windows) stability.

Advantages of vArranger vs hw keyboard:
You can use anything with MIDI out for playing various types styles.
Using any sound source (SF2, VSTi, external MIDI device)
Option to generate MIDI file using function Song chords.

vArranger is still under development, I hope sometimes the vArranger will be able to fully replace the hardware arranger.

There are a few things left to solve:

1) Note Transposition Rule
https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,3310.msg25727.html#msg25727

2) Harmony feature
https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,1944
https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,578
https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,27
https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,2550.msg21105.html#msg21105

3) Price
Cheap keyboard with "Style to MIDI out" can do the same work.

[Dan]

Hi Jerry,

With your new windows 10 laptop, you are ready to go with vArranger

Using a laptop it will be more simple to edit and manage your huge songbook, with a big screen, faster finding of files, big hard drive
vArranger own a very nice midifile player.
The search feature will help you to find the next song very fast, by typing few letters
The Playlist feature will allow you to create few list of songs for each show
You can easily change volumes, sounds, pan, reverb, etc..... and save the song
Auto start and fast start
Karaoke , lyrics in TXT / RTF
Load a PDF or JPG score with the song
Intelligent Markers, so you can replay a chorus smoothly if the crowd want it again
vArranger can play MP3 MIDIFILES or your Midjay Plus STYLES

Not sure about your midifiles. When you save midifiles on the midjay, if it writes midi events in the midifile, like volume changes etc... then it will be ok, but if it adds few sysex inside the midifiles or if it is a separate registration file, then they will probably work only on the Midjay Plus

You can use vArranger in many ways. Use it with a Ketron SD2. It has the same sound engine that the Midjay Plus. Or use your Midjay Plus as sound module, or use vArranger Software Synthesizer with some SF2 files to go 100% software. In this cas you can use the simple headphones out jack plug of your computer to your sound system, or add a pro USB audio card USB if you want a bit better sound

vArranger offer a very good flexibility in term of hardware that you can use. Like a midi accordion mode

You can start to use vArranger as a backup to your actual system, and you will see if you can replace it 100%

Hardware arrangers are nice too and have advantages too, but as you see, it is more easy to change your computer than to change your synth.

Being able to have your full songbooks in a usb stick that you can use on any computers is also a nice option

If you like Ketron sounds, you can also buy a Ketron SD1000 with vArranger

Or go hardware with the new Ketron SD40 or Ketron MidjPro, but you will probably have to create your registrations again. (not sure)