Saving auto accompaniment presets on Casio 7600

[musikrx]

Hello all!  Okay - I'll admit that I never thought I would buy a Casio but my 70 pound vintage Alesis 88 qs8 died during the holidays. (yes I have newer synths too)  It was an opportunity to buy something lighter (and in a good price range) but also I liked the possibilities of an auto arranger.  Sooooooooo - here is the big question - Is it possible to save an auto accompaniment that I've chosen (in this case - FoxTrot rhythm, Tone-Piano007, tempo 96) to a preset.  I would like to be on a duo gig and simply press one button for this one song.  I found the pages that talk about "registrations".  I've never heard that term before.   I have heard "user banks" "User files" - anyway - when I try to save to a bank, it saves a "Music Preset".  I just want to save the auto accompaniment configuration.  Someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong.

 

Also - in regards to the Music Presets, if I were to use these, how do would I change the key?  I realize the chord progressions are fixed but when I was playing around with them, I couldn't find a way to do that.

 

 

Thank you!

 

Melissa

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Melissa

 

"Registration" (aka. "User Setup") is a common term in the "arranger" world.  Because of your past experience, I suspect that you are confusing "Music Presets" with "Registrations" on the WK-7600.  In actuality, these are two entirely different functions that serve two entirely different purposes on the WK-7600.  Yes !  The Music Presets will set up the keyboard, but they also include, as you have already discovered, a pre-recorded chord progression, and are intended for automated "easy listening" entertainment and/or "play along" practice/performance.  The keyboard set ups that you want to save are saved into a "Registration" that, as I have already stated, have nothing to do with Music Presets.  Registrations set up the keyboard for you to play your own melody and your own chord progression IN REAL TIME - nothing pre-recorded.  During the following procedure, DO NOT PRESS the "Music Preset" buttons at any time.  Power the keyboard on and set it up the way you want: select the Tone, Rhythm, Tempo, and whether or not you want a Layer Tone and/or Auto-Harmonize, etc, etc, etc.  As you gain experience with the keyboard, you can begin to include mixer and effects settings into your Registrations.  When you are finished with your set up, follow the "To save a setup to registration memory" procedure in the left hand column on Page 67 of the manual.  To recall a saved set up, refer to the right hand column on Page 67.

 

Some players prefer to play the full keyboard "piano style" with the keyboard providing "backing tracks" rather than just playing the Auto-accompaniment rhythms in real time with their left hand.  The Music Presets provide improvisation backing, while the "User" Music Preset area gives these players a place to store their own "backing tracks", while others pre-record  entire songs (minus melody) with the Song Sequencer for the same purpose.  Should you want to create or edit a Music Preset and save it as a User Music Preset, see the procedure beginning on Page 58 of the manual.

 

Good luck !

 

Regards,

 

Ted

[musikrx]

Ted -  Thank you so  much for your quick response!

Okay -since you're a "wealth of information" - if it's not too much trouble, here are a few more:

 

1. Is it possible to isolate the drums and bass (or take out the right hand comping) in auto accompaniment?  I like to comp myself.

2. How do you save globally?  The drums and bass are too low.  I did go into function and then volume - but it doesn't appear to save it.  I've been going in each time to adjust it.  I can't do that on a gig!

3. If I can't isolate the bass line, do you know if I can download bass lines into the Casio?  I don't know how to sequence.  I've always played live and usually w/at least a 5 piece band.  This duo thing is new to me. 

 

Thank you!!!!

 

Melissa

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Melissa

 

Sorry !  I don't know how I missed this.  I just came across it this evening as I was reviewing other responses that I have made over the past week or so.  I think I may have already answered most, or all of these, in our other discussions, but in case I haven't (and for the sake of those who may come across this thread at some point in the future) I will address each of your questions here:

 

1.  What you refer to as "right hand comping" in the Auto-accompaniment is, in all actuality, "the rest of the band (or orchestra)".  Those are the piano, organ, guitar, strings, brass, woodwind, etc parts.  They are not really just comping, and are normally referred to as your "backing tracks".  If you want just a drum part, you can select a rhythm and tempo, but DO NOT turn Accompaniment on.  You will still have access to all of the rhythm sections (SYNC, INTRO, NORMAL, VARIATION, FILLS, ENDING), just as though the entire rhythm were running, but in this mode, you can play two handed parts across the entire keyboard.  However, if you want to throw in a bass, you have to turn Accompaniment on, and that brings in the rest of the Accompaniment instruments.  You can use the MIXER feature to turn off (or adjust the volume, pan, etc of) any of the Accompaniment parts (A09 - A16) you like, but since they are specific to the currently selected rhythm, they can not be saved as part of any global setting or Registration for later recall.  They can only be saved as part of a User Rhythm.

 

 

2. I discussed how to save the Accompaniment Volume as a power-up default in

 

http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/11225-flaw-in-saving-settings-for-wk-7600/#entry31042

 

and

 

http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/11225-flaw-in-saving-settings-for-wk-7600/#entry31058

 

 

3. You can purchase drum and bass MIDI files (or converted audio files) that you can store on an SD Card, and your WK-7600 will play them back from there, but they will be specific to a particular song in a particular key.  That is to say, everything about them is obviously pre-arranged. This does work, and it works well for many keyboard players, but it also defeats much of the flexibility of an Arranger Keyboard which allows you to add your own performance nuances in real time to fit the situation and audience at hand.  Unless MIDI files are tailored to your specific keyboard, they will use the lower quality General MIDI sound set rather than the keyboard's higher quality native sound set.

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Melissa

 

I think I may have just realized what part of your problem might be with the WK-7600.  You are used to playing your own two handed keyboard styles with a live band, but now the WK-7600 expects you to forego your left hand style in order to make chords below the Accompaniment split point so that it can determine its chord structure, but it does not have to be this way.  In case you have not discovered this feature yet, press AND HOLD the ACCOMP ON/OFF button until

 

CHORDS:

[[ 1 ]] Fingered1

 

appears in the upper portion of the display.  Use the Data Wheel or press the YES ( + ) button four times to change this to [[ 5 ]] FullRange, and then press EXIT.  In Full Range mode, instead of Accompaniment monitoring your left hand key presses below the split point to determine its chord structure, it will monitor key presses from both hands across the entire keyboard in order to determine its chord structure.  So, now, you can go back to your two handed playing style as you play along with your new "band".  It works, but not 100%. On some complicated chord structures, it can be fooled, but this can usually be overcome by simplifying the chord structure a bit at that point.  Noticeable ?  In a solo concert performance ?  You bet !  But in the average "band" type venue with Accompaniment running full blast ?  Probably not.  My point is, I know a lot of gigging arranger keyboard players that swear by full range mode and will only play that way, so it can be done.  It might be worth a try for you.  If you decide to go that way, this is another item that you can set as a power-up feature.  If you decide against it, don't forget to go back in and set it back to one of the non Full Range modes.

[musikrx]

Thanks Ted!  I will give it a try.  By the way, I just bought a new sustain pedal because mine was squeaking.  I bought Yamaha FC4A and I can't seem to change the polarity so that the keyboard recognizes that up is off and pressed down is sustain.  It is currently working in the opposite way.  I didn't see anything about polarity switching in the manual.  I also tried all the little tricks that included various patterns like holding down the pedal then turning on the keyboard etc....

 

Any ideas or should I just go exchange it?

[- T -]

Sorry ! I am afraid you are going to have to exchange it for one with a polarity switch or for one that is Casio compatible.