Realtime arranger software

Transform your Yamaha MODX/Montage synth into a full fledged state of the art arranger workstation!

Runs only on Windows 10 - 64 bit devices

We also have a specific version for Yamaha XG keyboards (PSR S/SX, Tyros, Genos and others)!

Key Features

The sound

1800+ top quality deep sounding AWM2 and FMX patches. Reprogrammed from scratch to make them good team players and fully leveraging the DSPs available.

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The baseline

We started from the factory sounds and quickly realized that they are not suitable for the purpose:

Unequal volumes and character, no standard style of programming. They are a collection of sounds gathered together from different sources and legacy synths with no relation with each other.
Wildly inconsistent response to controllers.
Multi parts occupied (even when not necessary).
Unpredictable use of DSPs.
Lack of sounds/choices in many categories important for arranger use.
Ridded with arpeggiated dance-style riffs which get in the way while live playing in most musical genres.
Mostly inherited from 20+ years old synths, with sparse or no use of the newest and most exciting waveforms.

What we implemented

So we decided to reprogram the whole set from scratch in a consistent and predictable way:

All the sounds have the same volume (you can swap them arbitrarily without the need for any volume correction in the mixer).
All the sounds come with a variation built-in, thus instantly doubling your choices. The variation is sometimes bold, sometimes subtle, but always useful and appropriate for the sound at hand.
All the sounds come with a main modulation (usually acting on many synth engine's parameters), tied to the mod wheel. You have one easily/naturally reachable and consistent point of modulation during your performance.
All the sounds are editable with a handful selection of top level parameters, those that make more sense for an arranger player. You obtain the most impact with the least cognitive effort.
All the sounds are single part (= 1 midi channel). You have 16 parts in the mixer, and you can use 16 independent sounds. Simple, effective and well tested paradigm; universally in use since the inception of midi music.
All the sounds make consistent use of DSPs: by design they sound good even without them, but can optionally be enhanced/changed with them. The preprogrammed DSPs do NOT alter the overall volume of the sound (only the character), so you can switch them on/off seamlessly. Consistency and interchangeability are milestones of our philosophy.
We added many patches, both AWM2 and FMX, filling the gaps and increasing the diversity of the available sound palette. We also programmed many "mega" voices, used by the arranger engine to increase the realism of acoustic sounds.

Benefits for the player

The result of this monumental effort is a gigantic set of 1800+ high quality and fully consistent sounds (AWM2 and FMX). For the first time you can use native FM voices in an arranger.

Never such a comprehensive sound set, designed to play like a team in a predictable and consistent way, has been available in a sound module/synth.

All the sounds are thought to be played by hand and are useful in real live performances by real players (not a single sound makes use of arpeggiated stuff). You can creatively use Groovyband Live! even without touching the arranger engine: use it like a workstation/sound module with tons of quality sounds you can easily organize in split/layers and play from up to 3 keyboards. Everything from a clear, touch native, user interface which conforms to well tested industry standard paradigms everybody is used to.

To make things more exciting, you can use all these 1800+ sounds without committing a single memory location in your MODX/Montage: we program on the fly the performance buffer (a volatile memory location meant to hold the "currently playing" performance). Groovyband Live! thus acts in a fully transparent manner: it does not modify your synth in any why, and leaves it exactly as it was found!

The styles

Painstakingly programmed in every detail. With 8 main variations and 8x2 OTSes your performances will be always lively and varied.

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No corners have been cut here! Each style consists of 3 intros, 3 endings, 2 breaks, 8 main variations/fill-ins, 8x2 OTSes. Intros and endings have both major and minor versions. Plus tons of other features (see below).

These are the most versatile, detailed, varied and features packed styles ever seen in the industry. Coupled with the functions of the arranger engine and the sound set, they form an exceptionally capable, realistically sounding band at your fingertips.

Each style is 16 parts wide:

8 automatic accompaniment parts. The pattern played by each part is changeable (within a given set preprogrammed for the style), even in real time, for each MAIN section.
4 lead parts. Freely assignable (independently for each OTS) to the left and/or right of the split point, in any proportion (from 3L-1R way up to 4R, by default they are set to 1L-3R).
4 aux parts. Programmable as split/layers and playable in up to 2 auxiliary keyboards/pedalboard.

All the mixer settings of each acmp part (volume, pan, sends, sound, DSPs, mute) can be easily customised for every section and with visual feedback right from the main mixer panel. For example the guitar part can be muted in INTRO 1 and MAIN 1, be switched on with a "1Coil Clean" and chorus effect on MAIN 2, have a more aggressive Amp Simulator on MAIN 3, be a totally different "Crunchy Guitar" on MAIN 4 (with a funky DSP to match) and raised volume, and so on ... you have got the idea!

DSP power

On the Montage each part has its own complement of 2 Insert effects (DSPs), for a total of 16x2 = 32 simultaneous DSPs.

On the MODX you have up to 24 DSPs (you can use DSPs on 4 acmp parts + 4 lead + 4 aux).

You can additionally set 2 Inserts for the MIC/Line input, independently for each style. You also have Reverb and Chorus buses. A Master EQ and a Master IFX can be set at the performance level (and hence stay constant when you switch styles, but can be changed if you switch styles through Performances).

This is the most devastating DSP power, by far, ever seen in an arranger. And it does make a difference!

One Touch Settings (OTS)

To have immediate fun we provide 8 ready made OTSes to set up all the 4 lead parts to match the musical genre of the style. This is already twice as much as the typical HW arranger. But we did not stop here: each OTS comes in 2 freely programmable variations (you can toggle with a dedicated button) to further increase the variety you can impart to your performance.

You hence have, out of the box, 16 different lead parts sound combinations to match with 8 different MAIN acmp sections (in countless manners). You may link an OTS to a MAIN section, and you freely decide what section links what OTS, as you see fit (in any order and with possible repetitions). These preprogrammed links may be engaged/disengaged at will during a performance.

But an OTS is much more! You can program an Harmony Function for each part (= up to 4 independent harmony lines), to add to the lead note other notes related to the played chord (or at fixed intervals). You can program simple or extremely complex effects, including instruments quartets with each instrument playing different notes in harmony with the backing accompaniment, for super realistic strings or brass sections! Even when playing single finger lead lines!

To sum up

Each supplied style not only comes with a huge variety already preprogrammed (2 BREAKS, 8 MAIN/FILL sections, 8x2 OTSes, up to 4 simultaneous Harmony lines), but for those willing to experiment every detail, it is easily customisable with real time feedback (= while the style is playing). For example, being able to try out different drum or bass or guitar patterns while your style is playing is priceless.

You can also tie to your style preconfigured sounds (AUX parts) for up to 2 additional keyboards/pedalboard and the MIC/line-in (i.e.: singer). Groovyband Live! really becomes the hub of your whole setup!

Couple this with the huge (1800+ patches) optimized sound set, the extremely easy visual DSP editor, the editing with the sequencer running, and you see how the barrier for experimentation to come up with new interesting combinations is extremely low and painless.

The arranger

State of the art - features packed - realtime arranger engine unmatched by any competing product. Including established players in the HW arrangers market.

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This is where the quality of the whole package comes to live, where the supplied content (styles, sounds) are tied together in a live performance that follows your chords and lead lines.

The job of an arranger engine is better heard than described by words and features; and for this we invite you to try the free demo. For the eye catching highlights check the sections on Sounds and Styles; by reading this manual chapter you can have an example (there are literally too many to list them all here!) of the countless details that enhance the user experience.

Here below we focus on a few capabilities that make, or break, the precision and smoothness (and ultimately the credibility) of the generated real time backing tracks.

Chords recognition and rendition

Groovyband Live! has a single chord recognition mode that covers most of the use cases in a simple and linear way (without forcing you to think about many confusing different modes that always fall short in a way or another). The rules are simple: press as many keys as you wish (2÷5, we leave the insulting "1 key" chord to the toys) and we come up with the best fit for your input.

In total 37 different chord shapes are recognized, from the simplest and most used/fundamental to the more exotic most players have never heard of (let alone used!). Every competent player can instinctively figure out (without conscious thinking) what notes to press to obtain a certain result. And 99.9% of the times this is exactly what Groovyband Live! delivers. Do not ask how, just enjoy the result. Even when the chord is not exactly what you wanted (many are only subtly different), it is still relevant and good sounding (and probably musically indistinguishable if its name wasn't listed on the display). So far so good. One mode to rule them all!

The chords are then rendered keeping into account the range and peculiarities of the different instruments, the notes already playing (which are possibly sustained into the new chord) and other parameters.

For guitars we have a special mode that knows all the actual fingering shapes possible for all chords in all keys (also taking into account previous hand position on the neck), so we come up with very accurate and realistic results.

Smooth sound transition

Our engine assigns all the available resources (midi channels, DSPs) dynamically and not statically to a part. HW arrangers, with a simpler firmware, assign resources statically (every part has its own dedicated midi channel and possibly DSP), and when switching a sound they simply cut the tails of the previous sound and assign the freed midi channel/DSP to play the new sound. The net result is an abrupt and unpleasant sound cut/jump (sometimes even a volume spike!), all players are well aware of when changing an OTS.

Groovyband Live! is much smarter and, if enough free resources are available (as it is the case most of the times), it is capable of a perfect smooth transition. It instantiates a complete new midi channel/DSP to play the new sound, while still leaving the old sound playing in its previous midi channel/DSP. You can even sustain the old sound (keeping the note's key pressed), switch sound on the same part, play a new note and hear both the old and new sound playing together with their respective DSPs! Indefinitely.

This is brilliant and a real life changing killer feature you quickly become accustomed to, and that makes it unacceptable to go back to a lesser solution. Even when the necessary free resources are not (all) available, our arranger is capable of a smoother transition than usually possible on competing products.

Randomization

To further increase the non repetitiveness of a pattern based automatic generated accompaniment, in addition to the sheer number of preprogrammed sections/pattern combinations (playable during a song), we also rely on randomization techniques to always subtly change a repeating pattern. Both the timing and the velocity of the events are randomized, not blindly, but keeping into account the peculiarities of the instrument and the "human" player.

The user interface

Modern touch native vector graphics scales to all screen sizes and resolutions. Physical controls on synth's panel or other connected devices are supported too.

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The user is in control

Groovyband Live! user interface has been designed to be used both with a mouse/keyboard and with your fingers on touch screens. Whatever can be done with a mouse can also be done with touch only, and vice versa. Additionally, most commands can be assigned to physical controls (knobs, sliders, buttons, pedals, foot switches, keys, ribbons, mod wheels, joysticks) provided by external midi controllers. For example you can control rotary slow/fast or pedal wah effects with a pedal(!), or any other controller. A seemingly basic thing that many HW arrangers cannot do.

The variety of means that can be used to interact with the program is meant to increase the user options and leverage the strength of each choice. Here openness, interoperability, and user is in control are the keywords.

We cover all options!

Moving from keyboard/mouse to touch screen to physical controls, you increase the immediacy (tactile feel), but decrease the precision and versatility of the tool.

Additionally, physical controls are by their nature available in limited numbers. So they are best used for the few functions which are performed often in live situations and require fast reaction time (i.e.: triggering a fill-in).

A mouse and keyboard are still the best options when you are programming a performance (think the easiness and precision you can achieve to set/dial-in each value). But you are forced to continuously move away your hands from the actual white/black keys: not good if you need to play in front of an audience!

The touch screen is a sort of middle ground. You still retain the freedom to interact with every possible parameter the UI offers, you lose precision (especially in sliders/knobs), but you gain immediacy (lower than a physical control, but much higher than a mouse). All considered it is often good enough both to trigger live actions (i.e.: fill-in) and make some editing/adjustments, as well as select performances/styles/sounds. It often plays the role of Jack of all trades; which is good to have in your toolbox!

The ideal situation is to have all of these input devices and use the one which is best suited for the job at hand!

Class leading experience

Groovyband Live! lets you use many of the MODX/Montage front panel physical controls (those Yamaha enabled for midi data transmission!) giving you some of the feeling of an HW arranger.

Additionally you can hook-up further 3 midi devices (4 in total, including the MODX/Montage itself), and use all their physical controls, as well as the white/black keys (both for the actual playing or to trigger actions).

If you add a tablet or laptop with a generous screen (both in real estate and resolution, as well as touch sensitivity), you obtain a high level experience, that can easily surpass what you get with dedicated HW arrangers.

In fact these devices usually have mediocre screens (tiny, low resolution, low contrast, low luminosity, lagging touch sensitivity) with a often cumbersome interface. In addition they cannot manage any serious interconnectivity with other devices, to leverage both multi keyboards setups and expanded physical controls. They are what they are, and will die like this!

With Groovyband Live! you choose the components: you can add, upgrade, replace anything, based on your evolving needs/desires! A much more future proof and cost-effective proposition. Additionally these parts can be salvaged from or reused in other projects.

Screenshots

Audio demos

The demos have been recorded straight from the synth's USB audio out + a tiny amount of post processing (mastering plugin) applied in DAW. Hook up the best amplification system you have available, close your eyes and enjoy them!

Additional demos can be found in the Style Expansion Packs section further down the page.

Video demos

These demos have been contributed by our friend Greg, who plays his Yamaha MODX in Dekadent band. Check their YouTube channel for some great songs.

Worship Power Ballad

Jazz Organ Groove

60s Rock&Roll

70s Scat Legends

Bossa Rio

Further demo/reviews posted on YouTube from our customers.

Video review - Paolo Gambino

Odissea Veneziana - Riccardo Torti

Arranger editions

Compare editions < < <	Demo	Std	Pro	Platinum
Perpetual license	-	-	-	-
Included sounds	~360 (*)	~900	full set: 1800+	full set: 1800+
Included styles	10 (*)	10	10	10
Add-on Style Packs (see catalog below)	✗	✓	✓	✓
Yamaha SFF2 styles load	✗	✗	✗	✓
Customer support	✗	✓	✓	✓

(*) Saves are disabled: customisations are lost on program exit.

Style expansion packs

Exp. Expansion pack 01

20 styles mixed genres

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Specs

Exp. Expansion pack 02

20 styles mixed genres

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Specs

Exp. Expansion pack 03

20 styles ballad

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Specs

Exp. Expansion pack 04

20 styles ballad

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Specs

Exp. Expansion pack 05

20 styles latin

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Specs

Exp. Expansion pack 06

20 styles pop

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Specs

We are constantly developing new style expansion packs. So please check from time to time for news ...

We have been porting the vast catalog of styles we have for our twin product Groovyband Live! for XG, so you can check those to have a preview of what to expect in the upcoming months.

About us

Founded in 2015 by a team of music performers and developers, Groovyband Live! produces with passion and love software to empower musicians. Both at home and on stage, we strive to offer top notch features, reliability and a great user experience.