Reggae drum tracks from midi files for 7600?

[musikrx]

Okay - I'm not really sure if there is a way to do this but here is what's going on:

 

I'm putting together a Reggae duo for small venues.  There aren't that many reggae accompaniments to choose from on the 7600.  I have already downloaded the extra rhythms from World Casio.  So -

 

#1.  Is it possible to alter the  individual tracks that make up the built in accompaniment tracks (not midi sequences) and what page in the manual would that be on?

#2.  Is it possible to download a reggae midi file (sequence) and copy only the drum and/or bass tracks and make changes (if I want to) and then turn that into an accompaniment track and what page in manual? or would this be an altered sequence?

#3.  I can't remember if you can alter an existing "built-in" rhythm or not. 

 

 

Anyway - I'm loving my casio! 

 

P.S.  Is there a way to do a search on this site that you can put the topic and have it only search the title of a specific keyboard forum?  For instance, when I searched midi files on the page I thought was for my keyboard, it seems like it searched all the different casio keyboards.  thank you!

 

 

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With the Casio CTK/WK-7XXX models, you can do pretty much whatever you want to with a Rhythm.  With the exception of one particular item that you asked about, you can create brand new Rhythms from scratch or modify existing Rhythms - either Factory Presets or User Rhythms - to suit your particular needs, and save the results as new User Rhythms.  However, while there is a Tone Editor button for modifying Tones, you will not find a Rhythm Editor button on the 7XXX models, as Rhythm creation/editing is the sole function of the PATTERN SEQUENCER.  When the keyboard is in Pattern Sequencer mode, it is essentially in Rhythm edit mode.  It is just a simple matter of selecting a Rhythm that you want to modify as though you were going to "play" it, and then pressing the Pattern Sequencer button. You are now set up to edit/modify that particular Rhythm.  If you are creating a new Rhythm from scratch, you just select an empty User Rhythm slot, and then press the Pattern Sequencer button.  You can create/modify the various Rhythm parameters such as Part ON/OFF, Part Instrument Tone, Part Volume, Pan, etc. and then you can create/modify the actual Rhythm pattern in real time play  with the Pattern Sequencer running in continuous loop record mode, or you can enter notes and other events one at a time with the Event (Step) Editor.  All of this is covered in the manual on Pages E-102 through E-120.  See the section "Using the Pattern Sequencer" in the Table of Contents at the top of the left hand column on Page E-3 for all of the major Pattern Sequencer functions.  In this list, there is a typo.  The word "Exiting" should read "Existing".  You asked about copying data from one section of a Rhythm to another.  That item is on Page E-94, which is actually the Song Sequencer section, but that function is the same for both sequencers.  I guess Casio manual writers don't like repeating themselves.  If you are going to be successful at this, you need to become very familiar with this entire section of the manual.  Rhythm creation/editing can quickly become a very tedious and time consuming process - depending on how deep you want to go with it.  Mike Martin made a short video clip on using the Pattern Sequencer to create a Rhythm from scratch, but it was a bit misleading.  He had it all done in a couple of minutes, so that is what every prospective Rhythm creator expects, but Mike only created three instrument tracks (drum, bass, guitar) in one Rhythm section (NORMAL), for a total of three phrases.  A fully fleshed out Rhythm has six sections: Intro, Normal, Normal-Fill, Variation, Variation-Fill, and Ending, with eight parts: non-drum percussion, drums, bass and five chord instrument parts - in each section.  So, thats 8 parts in 6 sections for a total of 48 phrases to be recorded and configured.  Now, it is not absolutely necessary to have Rhythm data in every part of every section, but it is easy to see that even a modest Rhythm can quickly become very complicated.  Thus, the need to be very familiar with this section of the manual.  You will find Mike's video clip on the CTK/WK Pattern Sequencer here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz-jsRUugx0

 

He made it for the CTK-7000/WK-7500, but the Pattern Sequencers on the CTK-7200/WK-7600 function exactly the same.

 

I had mentioned that the CTK/WK-7XXX models do not have a Rhythm Editor button, however the CTK/WK-6XXX models, not being equipped with a Pattern Sequencer, DO have a Rhythm Editor button that provides for abbreviated editing (Easy Edit) of Rhythms.  It allows modifying Part Tone selection, Part ON/OFF, Volume, Pan, etc, but lacking a Pattern Sequencer, it can not create/edit the actual Rhythm pattern.

 

You had also asked about importing MIDI files as Rhythms, but this reply is already way too long, so I will cover that item in my next reply.

 

[- T -]

It so happens that CTK/WK Rhythm files ARE MIDI files, but they are Casio proprietary and are highly specialized.  They contain additional data, pertinent to the generation of a Rhythm pattern, that would not be found in a regular MIDI song file - such as how to generate chords - bass on bottom, inversions, etc.  None of the new CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models, or their immediate predecessors, the WK-3XXX series and their related CTK models, were/are capable of directly loading MIDI files as Rhythms.  For those older models, Casio distributed all files in a .CKF format - Tones, Rhythms, Songs, etc.  When the files were loaded into the keyboard's internal memory, data was extracted from the .CKF distribution format and converted to a format native to that keyboard.  When Rhythms were loaded in a .CKF file, the Rhythm data was extracted and converted to a .Z00 format.  If that Rhythm was later uploaded back to a computer, it came back as a .Z00 file, not as a .CKF file.  It so happens that the new CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models will load either .CKF or .Z00 old Rhythm files and convert them to the new .AC7 format.  If they are later uploaded back to a computer, they come back as .AC7 files, not .CKF or .Z00 files.  The old IDES Data Manager software, for the older models, came with three stand alone modules in addition to the file manager software - those modules were a Tone Editor, a WAV File Converter, and most important to this discussion, a MIDI to .CKF Rhythm File Converter.  Since the sound engine of the new models is totally different from those of the older models, the Tone Editor and WAV Converter are of no use to the new models, but it is possible to use the Rhythm Converter to convert a MIDI file to a .CKF Rhythm file and load it into the new models' User Rhythm memory, where it will be converted to the new .AC7 format, but nothing is for free.  The drawback is that the MIDI file must have the various Rhythm sections (Inro, Normal, Fills, Ending, etc) precision demarked with an external sequencer (Cubase, Sonar, etc.) prior to conversion.  If the location of any marker is off by so much as a single clock tick, the rest of the Rhythm will be off from that point on and will not "play" correctly, if at all.  Getting the markers set properly is about 90% of the work in this conversion.  You can obtain a copy of the IDES software at:

 

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/specials/ides/downloads/

 

Make sure you get the IDES-4 version for the WK-3300/3800/8000, as it is the latest version.  You can  get a copy of the IDES User Guide here:

 

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/downloads/emi/IDES_Quickguide.pdf

 

You mentioned that you had downloaded the "extra" rhythms.  I assume you mean the "50-pak" that was offered for the new models.  While you are at it, you may be interested in these.  They are 109 after-market expansion rhythms for the WK-3300/3800/8000 models.  So far, I have not found a one that does not play properly on the new models.  Yes, they are old, but are quite often useful, as they are different, and therefore, expand your available Rhythm repertoire as well as often being simpler and not as "busy" as the newer Rhythms that are sometimes "overdone".

 

http://music.casio.com/e/data_ex4/

 

Go down to the line that says "RHYTHM", and click on "Data List >" to the right of it.  When the next window comes up you will see the list of available Rhythm files.  Click on "Download V" for each file you want.  They are all free, but nothing is ever really free.  There is no bulk download for them.  You have to download them one at a time, so it is going to cost you some time if you want them all.  Do not bother with the ethnic package files on this site, as they include Rhythms that need the included Tone files, which will not work on the new boards.

 

Good luck !

 

 

 

[- T -]

AND   .   .   .   FINALLY   .   .   .   to your last question:

 

The forum search engine does not allow remote sub-forum "only" searches from one sub-forum to another.  In other words, if you are in the XW-P1 sub-forum, you can not do a search on the WK-7500/7600 - CTK-7000/7200 sub-forum "only".  To do that, you would have to be IN the WK-7500/7600 - CTK-7000/7200 sub-forum, itself.  Go to the sub-forum that you want to do an exclusive search on and click on the search bar.  A light blue bar with the words "All Content" pops up to the left of the search bar.  Click on the down arrow immediately to the right of those words, then click on "This Forum" in the drop down menu.  Enter your search criteria and click on the search icon.  You will get results for that sub-forum only.

 

[musikrx]

Wow, thank-you for another great response that answers all posts f my many questions.   I will have time to tomorrow to experiment with the information you given me!

[Vorbis]

I haven't seen any of the specs for the new  MZ-X 500/300's

 

I wonder if the  CKF - AC7 file formats will be compatible with the new MZ-X500/300       . 

 

WK7500

CTK900

Hammond A100

[Brad Saucier]

Yes. According to the MZX manual, it supports rhythm data created on another keyboard including AC7, Z00 and CKF.  We also learned it can import styles from that "Y" brand name. 

[Vorbis]

That "Y" brand has lots of styles out there.   The MZ-X should give Casio rhythm hungry players a lot to choose from.   Ted's comment how some Casio rhythms can be "overdone",  the "Y" brand styles that I've worked with seemed very basic.     Now that could be because they didn't convert everything to the Casio format however.  Gives you the opportunity to add your own touches to them.

 

WK7500

CTK900

Hammond A100