Is EZKey for me?

[Eric Samson]

Hi there,

I’ve downloaded the EZKey demo version today and started to evaluate it.
I’d like to share with other people in order to understand whether it is the product I need or not.

Context:
I’m a bass player (nobody’s perfect, right?) and I’m looking for Tools to help me record and present my ideas with decent sound quality.
I also need a tool to help me Learning how to improvise.
I’m using Cubase (4 at the moment, thinking about upgrading to 7) and Reaper 4.
I mostly play Funk, Soul, Bass & Drums, Fusion, Rock and Jazz.

Today, I’m using different accompaniment products:
* ChordPulse: good accompaniment quality, only standalone (no VSTi), simple UI, poor MIDI export to DAW, limited list of styles, no way to influence the accompaniment generation algorithm.
* Songtrix: OK accompaniment quality, only standalone, simple UI, poor MIDI export to DAW, good list of old styles, worse on modern styles, great way to influence the accompaniment algo
* Improvizor: not really an accompaniment tool, but very smart tool to help you learn how to improvise, poor UI, only standalone, they have the whole real book available.

So far, I think EZKey is not bad, I like the UI, the simplicity, the cycle of 5th Wheel, etc.

However, I’m suprized by the very low number of song blocks available for each style.
For instance, for Funk, there is only 1 group of song blocks, with 5 variations of Intro / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Ending.
I was expecting a full Library of Funk blocks, not only 5 variations.

Questions:
Is that a limitation of the Demo version?
Is there a way to influence how blocks are generated, like in Songtrix?
(I know we can change everything at the MIDI level in the DAW, that’s not what I’m asking for)

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Best regards, Erix.

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