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Tutorial for CTK-7200


nandrews

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I know of no one tutorial for the CTK7200, others here may. if you look through the posts here about this or related keys (older CTK7000) you may learn fundamentals about sequencers, tones, how to connect to a computer (if you want to do that) and many other topics.

 

How much of a novice are you?

 

Do you need to learn for example, how to design a tone (synthesis)? Or how to record multiple tracks to the sequencer built into the CTK? or how to use the DSP effects section or programming rhythms and accompaniments? If you ask specific questions, there are many of us here (including me) who might be willing to create our own tutorilals for specific tasks you may be interested in. Tnicoson (Ted) here in this forum is very knowledgable with the WK and CTKs and has helped many here (no charge for the free plug Ted!) and there are quite a few very experienced musicians here who might be willing to guide you through. One of us has even created an extremely comprehensive document available here about the XW-P1, which shares a few concepts with the CTKs, and is much more detailed and descriptive than anything Casio has ever created for their new amazing musical instruments. if you can find it and download it, there is a load of interesting info that applies to any keyboard including the CTKs so, ask away!   :2thu:

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Nigel

 

Welcome to the world of Casio music, in general, and to the Casio Music Forums, in particular.  I think you will enjoy it here.  The original models of your line were the CTK-6000 and WK-6500 and the CTK-7000 and WK-7500, released about 6 years ago.  The current models are the CTK-6200 and WK-6600 and the CTK-7200 and WK-7600, released about 3 years ago.  The CTK models are the 61 key units, while the WK models are the 76 key units.  Within the release groupings I mention above, the CTK units and their WK unit counterparts are electronically and musically identical, differing only in the number of keys.  You are going to find that, with the following exceptions, what applies to any one of these units, pretty much applies to them all.  Because of that, I normally just refer to them collectively as the CTK/WK-6XXX models and the CTK/WK-7XXX models.  The major differences between the latest releases and the originals are some button locations on the front panel, the inclusion of an onboard Equalizer in all models, and replacement of the 4-position slider/drawbars with 8-position slider.drawbars in the latest CTK/WK-7XXX units.  While all of these units are equipped with 17-track linear Song Sequencers (MIDI), the 7XXX models include a 16-track looping Pattern Sequencer (MIDI) for the onboard creation and editing of User Rhythms as well as the onboard ability to record your performances directly to audio files on an SD Card.  I cover all of this so you will know that, when it comes to demos and tutorials, you will be interested in anything that applies to any of these models.  I include demos in this, because while a demo may not show you HOW to do something, it at least shows you that you CAN do something.  You can not ask HOW to do something until you know that you CAN do something, so I consider demos as important as tutorials for new-comers, like yourself.

 

Needless to say, your best, and probably sole, source of demos and tutorials will be YouTube.  When you do searches, do not do them outside of YouTube from Google or Bing.  Actually go to the YouTube site itself and use its own internal search engine,  That will cut down on the number of extraneous hits you get  Start by searching on "Casio Select Workshop".  This is a series of tutorials for various Casio models by Paul Noble and Jared Beany of the, now defunct, Casio Australia site.  You will have to pick out those that apply to the particular models that you are interested in.  Now, do a search on "Mike Martin CTK WK".  This should return a couple of tutorials that Mike did several years ago, when these models were first released - one on using the 7XXX Pattern Sequencer for creating a User Rhythm.  Finally,  try searching on "CTK XXXX demo tutorial" or "WK XXXX demo tutroial", and one at a time, enter each of the model numbers I mention above for the "XXXX".  When you do this, DO NOT INCLUDE THE CASIO NAME, or you will get hits for every electronic item that Casio makes - including all the watches and calculators.  At this stage, you do not need that kind of distracton.  Much the same as, when you search for info on a particular Yamaha music keyboard, if you include the Yamaha name, you will get hits for every motorcycle and ATV that Yamaha makes.  Once you get to this point, you may want to go back, particularly to the Casio Select Workshop stuff, and watch some of the tutorials and demos for the other, smaller ("smaller" meaning "less expensive") CTK/WK models.  Much of what applies to them will also apply to your CTK-7200, with one major exception.  Many (most ?) of the less expensive units inlude rudimentary "sampling" capabilities that were not provided in the higher priced models.  Most importantly, these demonstrators have developed advanced playing techniques that have been honed to show off a keyboard's ultimate qualities in the shortest possible time.  I have learned much just from watching them play, and I don't mean just the "keys".  With these keyboards, you need to learn how to play the "buttons" just as much as how to play the "keys".  OK, like I said above, this should get you started and take you a little while to digest.  When you finish with this, if you need more, or have some specific questions, come back and we will see what we can do.

 

Good luck, and enjoy that new CTK-7200 !

 

Regards,

 

Ted

 

PS

Thanks for the "plug", Johnathon !  The traffic down here in CTK/WK land is really starting to wane these days.  That must mean that everybody is pretty much getting used to what they already have.  Maybe that means it's time for a new release from Casio, but if the changes are drastic, I will probably have to fade from this scene a bit.  I don't feel comfortable trying to provide in-depth support or advice for something I don't have here at my side, but these days, I am trying to clear out gear, not add more.  The family is trying to get me to move up to Eugene, Oregon so that we can all keep an eye on one another during our "golden" years.  I guess that's what we call progress, huh ?  Although, I do have to say that, as I was composing the above, I was predicting what Nigel's next round of questions will be, and was already formulating my response(s) in the back of my head.  Since remote support is what I did for the last 15 years of my career with IBM, I guess old habits really do die hard.  Oh well, enjoy it for what it's worth while it's there.  In the meantime, I need to get out of here and get to work on my yard, in between the rain storms, trying to reclaim it from the jungle it has turned into.  Should be able to get it all done just in time to get the snow blower serviced and ready to go.  Never a dull moment around this place.  See ya !

 

 

 

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Thanks to you both for your detailed responses.

I am afraid I am an almost complete novice, even down to having very little keyboard ability!

So where I am coming from is looking for something that will guide me through at least some of the functions of the 7200. To give me an insight into how to use it and also encouragement to then learn basic keyboard skills!

I guess I am asking for help to short cut the graft that everyone, confronted with a keyboard first time, must face. That's probably a bad start, since usually you don't get anywhere good by skipping the ground work!

So though I recognise that, I would still like to enjoy what opportunities the 7200 might give me and thereby see the value in practicing scales and chords.

Hopefully that explains what I am after.

 

Nigel 

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Nigel

 

Go ahead and run through those YouTube videos I recommended.  For now, you can skip the ones pertaining to designing or editing tones or designing and editing rhythms or recording your performances.  You can come back to those when you are ready for them, but the others will help you, at least somewhat, in selecting a particular tone to play, or selecting a particular rhythm to accompany what you play, and in general, just setting up your keyboard to play what you want, but all of these are simple enough procedures that the user's manual will be your best reference.  The videos will just be aids.  As far as learning to read and play music, you have a choice to make - whether to seek instruction from a professional private teacher, or to use self teaching method books, or to use an online learning curriculum.  Each one has its pros and cons, and every individual you would ask for advice about them would have their own, usually very, very strong, opinion about which is best and which is worse.  The bottom line there is - whatever works best for you, but you have to be realistic about your choice.  Private, professional instruction is very regimented and a lot of hard work, even just trying to make it to lessons sometimes, and very expensive.  Probably overkill, if you just want to plunk around a bit on the keyboard, but you will most likely never become a fully accomplished pianist or keyboardist out of a self-help book or online lessons.  The choice is yours, and needs to be made with an eye toward your expectations and ultimate goal in this regard.  Sometimes the self teaching methods can be used to determine if your interest is serious enough to seek professional instruction. 

 

Good luck !

 

Regards,

 

Ted

 

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