dfahrner

See page 19 of the MZ-X500 MX-X300 Firmware Version 1.60 User's Guide (MZX500_300-160-E-1A_EN.pdf in the update documentation)...

Is there any way to buy / download / otherwise obtain these KMP Studio saxophone samples and program(s)? Can't find anything but the demos online... Old jazz guys looking for old jazz sounds should check out my Deagan vibraphone samples/programs (in the MZX user download section)...much better that the stock vibraphone sounds, IMHO... df

A quick search of the MZ MIDI specification doesn't find any mention of the rhythm variation and ending buttons, so it doesn't look like MIDI control of the functions is possible...

...is now available at : http://support.casio.com/en/manual/manualfile.php?cid=008010003

OK, I have things set now so that the line inputs aren't distorting, but I'm not sure exactly which level adjustment solved the problem...there are so many places to set levels: on the external device, on the MZX balance screen, mixer screen, effects screen, etc., etc...at some point I'll have to go through and try to figure out where the distortion was coming from, but everything seems to be working now... df

I'd like to use the MZX "Line In" jacks to eliminate a mixer, connecting another keyboard's line outputs so that the second board is routed through the MZX master effects and volume control. But I get a lot of distortion if I try to raise the external keyboard's output level to match the MZX internal voice levels, either with the external keyboard's volume control or with the MZX External In volume (which adjusts the level, but the distortion is still there). Distortion is the about same with several different external keyboards, including Korg Krome and Kronos, and a Casio PX-5S. There's no distortion when connecting those same line outputs to the MZX "Audio In" jack, even when the external keyboard's output level is raised so its volume is significantly higher than the MZX internal voices. Specs for the Line In and Audio In jacks are the same: 9.0K ohm input impedance, 200 mV input voltage. It's like the distortion is coming from the "External Part" circuitry, where the Line In signals are mixed with the Mic In, routed to DSPs, system and master effects, etc. Has anyone else seen this problem? Or is it a problem with my MZX? df

Thanks, CoreyW, I had this same problem last night with some 8 second samples, and had resigned myself to spending time loading samples to all possible locations to try and figure out which ones were for long samples...but thought it was worth checking the forum first... df

Scott and Rick are right, of course: unless you're sure that you know what you're doing, you shouldn't be doing this kind of electronics work...still, volts are volts, amps are amps, etc., so if you do have the knowledge, and are a careful worker, there's almost zero risk of frying your MZX....and as an engineer myself, I just want to be sure that I'm using correctly specified parts when I do this kind of work - so what are the manufacturers part numbers and/or industry standard specs for those DC power connectors? df

Rick - what kind of DC power connector did you use to connect the batteries to the MZX? I'm trying to find out what industry standard type (EIAJ-?), or manufacturers part numbers, are used for the MZX power connections...??? df

It's pretty hard to measure these jacks and plugs, but the MZX jack requires a 1mm center pin in the plug, and the Casio AC adapter plug has an OD of about 6mm. The EIAJ-5 plug has a 6.5mm OD / 4.4mm ID / 1.5mm pin; the EIAJ-4 plug has a 5.5mm OD / 3.3mm ID / 1mm pin (from Wikipedia), neither of which seem to match the MZX So maybe the MXZ power connections are not standard EIAJ RC-5320 types? Maybe RC-5322, an automotive type of DC connector? Elliot Electronics (http://www.elliottelectronicsupply.com/) sells a 6.5mm OD / 3.1mm ID / 1mm center pin plug which seems about right...probably the thing to do is buy a few and see what fits... df

Does anybody know if the MZX power input jack (and the plug on the AD-E24250LW AC Adapter) are standard EIAJ types? EIAJ-04 or EIAJ-05? Or some non-standard proprietary connectors??? df

I didn't think about that, but that's probably the reason, since the MZ-X has the same 5-octave keyboard assembly (mounted to the bottom panel) as some other Casio instruments. Still, I wonder what the actual current draw of the MZ-X500 is with the speakers turned off?

I notice that my MZ-X500 has a battery compartment on the bottom for installation of six D-size 1.5V cells, but there are no electrical connections for the batteries. Has something changed from the original design so that battery operation is not possible ? Maybe batteries simply don't have the capacity to run the power amplifiers for very long, although at 9V / low volume D cells should be adequate (assuming that some higher internal voltage is not needed). But headphone operation should be OK - what is the actual power requirement with the speakers turned off? It's certainly not anywhere close to the 60W that the Casio power supply puts out... df

See http://www.jososoft.dk/yamaha/index.htm where there are utilities that can extract data from Yamaha styles...it's a lot of work, though, to do this and then get them into the MZX as rhythms...