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Can I import tones and rhythm files from Yamaha or Roland to PX360?


musicaddict

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Tones are not cross-compatible between the different companies with the PX360. The PX360 cannot create or edit it's own tones either, unlike a true synthesizer. You can change the sound of  tone from within the PX360 using the effects (DSP) settings but there is no way a sound or tone from another instrument can be imported and used as a tone in the PX360. The "architecture"-the way sounds are created-is so different from manufacturer to manufacturer.

 

As far as importing rhythms, this is an entirely different subject and has been covered here in many posts under the PX350 posts, some of which are mine. Tnicoson also has many helpful posts about this process, very knowledgable regarding the Casios. It is a complicated subject and there are many posts which will help you decide if it is worth the trouble. It can be done easily as long as you stick to using Casio .AC7 rhythm files. If you wish to try to convert rhythms from for example Yamaha Tyros or other instruments, it becomes quite a bit more difficult but is possible.

 

On page 56 of the PX360 manual I see that the standard Casio rhythm accompaniment files formats are supported (.ac7 and .ckf) so you will probably have more success downloading those rhythms so labelled and importing those into the PX360 rather than formats from other auto-accompaniment keyboards such as Rolands and Yamahas. Several of us have tried including yours truly and although it can be done, it is fairly complicated and the results are not always worth the effort. I have had success using Casio .ac7 and .ckf rhythm files into my PX350, which is very similar to the 360. Describing how to do that again is a little complex but put simply, you have to download whatever.ckf or .ac7 files you can find-Casio Europe has many such files for download and i haven't cheked our files section here for rhythms but there may be some. Load these into your USB thumb drive from your computer and then load those files into the user rhythm memory slots in the PX360. I don't own the PX360 yet but with the PX350 thumb drive, you need to format the thumb drive from the PX360 first. This creates a folder on the thumb drive called musicdat. This is the folder where your .AC7 files must be copied to from your computer once you connect the thumb drive to the computer. Make sure you format the thumb drive with the PX360 first.

 

Several nice things I see in the newer PX360 not available with the PX350 is that you can edit how the rhythm files play much more easily from the menus. Recording and effects look much more advanced and easy to work with as well. And the screen, hello! Thank all of us PX350 complainers (and Casio programmers) for those changes! :applause:anybody wanna buy my (heavily modded) PX350!

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As Jokeyman has already stated, rhythm (style) conversion is a very tricky business, especially for Casio keyboards.  There are several commercially available conversion programs, but they only deal with files from the "Big-3" - Korg, Roland, and Yamaha.  I think there may be one or two that also deal with Ketron and Kurzweil files, but to my knowledge, there are none that deal with Casio files.  These commercial programs are rather pricey, and the results can often be less than expected,  Since different brands, or even different models of the same brand use different sound set numberings, the after-conversion revoicings to get the finsihed file to sound correctly on the target keyboard can take anywhere from several to many many hours.  About the only way I know of to convert from other brands to Casio is to play the desired rhythm (style) on the source keyboard (in the Key of C) and make a MIDI recording of it.  Then use the MIDI-to-RHYTHM converter program module in the old Casio IDES-4 Data Manager program to convert it to the ".ckf" rhythm format mentioned above by Jokeyman, but here again, this is a very tedious and time consuming process, and the results are often less than desirable.  There are a few members here who have done it, but I think they pretty much stick to either just drum or bass or drum and bass parts for just the main section.  I do not know of anyone who has created or converted a fully orchestrated rhythm (style) with all sections - Intro, Main, Variation, Fills, Ending, but I am sure they would be willing to share their experiences with you, if you are interested.

 

Jokeyman mentioned a ".ckf" file format.  That was a catch-all distribution file format that Casio used for all of its different file types - tone files, rhythm files, song files, wav files, etc.  When a .ckf file was loaded into a keyboard, the keyboard's operating system would sort out the various file types and extract them into their appropriate user memory locations.  They were sort of a Casio proprietary "zip" file.  Jokeyman stated that you can use old .ckf rhythm files in the newer keyboard's that use the new .AC7 Rhythm file format.  They will use them as-is.  That is, the keyboard's operating system automatically converts them to the new .AC7 format as it loads them into User Memory.  You may occasionally come across a .ckf rhythm file that has already been extracted to its ".Z00" final format.  The new .AC7 boards will use those as well.

 

Now that we have deflated your expectations somewhat, let's see if we can pump them back up a bit.  Following is a link to the old Casio-Europe site with 108 downloadable Rhythm files for the old WK-3XXX models.  These are not factory presets from those models, but are after-market offerings that will provide refreshing additions to the Rhythm file repertoires of even the newer boards.  They are free, but they will cost you some time.  They can not be bulk downloaded.  This is strictly a one-at-a-time operation.  Just download them to your computer, copy them into the MUSICDAT folder on your USB drive, and load them into the PX-360's User Rhythm memory:  The majority of these should work as-is in the PX-360.  If you do have an occasional voice (tone) mismatch, that will usually be with a drum-kit or particular drum sound on the newer genre club/dance rhythms, and in that case, you may be able to find a CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX owner that can revoice it for you with those model's Rhythm Editors.

 

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

 

If you have not already found it, here is a link to 50 new AC7 Rhythm files for the new keyboards.  They are mostly Latin and club/dance genres.  Scroll to the bottom of the list.  The "Top Ten" pack is already included in the "50" pack:

 

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/rhythmsspecial/

 

So, between these two links, you have 158 new rhythms for your PX-360.

 

AND . . . . Finally !  If importation of competitor brand rhythms (styles) is a major concern for you, you might be interested in the new MZ-X500/MZ-X300, as that is part of their forte !

 

Regards,

 

Ted

 

 

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Hi Jokeyman123 and Ted,

 

Really appreciate your help answering my question. Thanks for providing such clear and comprehensive explanation and advice!

Great to have you guys on this forum to help newbies like me.

 

I will try out downloading the new rhythms from the 2 links you provided.

Thanks Jokeyman123 & Ted!

 

Cheers!  :D

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  • 2 months later...

There is nothing to port from Yamaha or Roland to Privia.

Privia sound banks are  so much higher quality!

During last two month I have returned FA08 MOXF8 and MX61BK.

Proud owner of PX-360 .;)

 

Actually it is a sad story, since now I have to get to Nord which adds another grand or two.

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  • 4 months later...

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