Stage Settings and Tones

[michaeln2]

To be clear, does loading in ONE new stage setting wipe out ALL of the 100 existing stage settings?

 

Thanks.

No. Loading a single stage setting will only overwrite the "target" stage setting.

[Brad Saucier]

ZPF files replace 1 stage setting.  ZAL files replace all 100.  

[Skyscrapersax]

Thanks, BradMZ!

 

I've gone through all of the existing stage settings and there are ten that will be overwritten by the updated version that I'd like to keep.

 

There are at least 10 of the old version that I don't care about.

 

How can I "exchange" these 10 stage settings?  Can I load individual stage settings from the old version back into the new version, in different "slots" (banks and slots, say #67) or, alternatively, can I just load in the new (boldfaced) state settings into banks and slots that I don't care about (which will have different numbers, i.e., load "new" #897 into "old" #23 or whatever).

 

Thanks....

[Skyscrapersax]

Hey, also, if I download one sound (say, the "Summer of 69" organ), how would I go about placing it somewhere so as not overwrite any other tones?

 

Apparently the stage settings are fully occupied, but there are blank user fillable tones slots.....

 

Thanks...

[Brad Saucier]

ZAL (All Data) files can be extracted into individual ZPF (Stage Setting) files by loading the ZAL into the PX-5s.  Use the data editor to drag the ZPF files you wish to save to the computer folder panel.  

 

ZTN (Melody tone) and ZLT (Hex Layer Tone) and ZDR (Drum tone) files are individual user tones.   Those go into user tone slots.  They are not overwritten by ZPF files.  They will, however, be overwritten by ZAL files.  

[Skyscrapersax]

Do you think I'm better off loading new stage settings individually, as opposed to the new "ALL" file, which would overwrite the existing tones that make up stage settings (some of which I want to keep, at least for now)?

 

Thanks... I just don't want to screw anything up.  I've got no experience with this sort of thing!

[Brad Saucier]

To clarify, the PX-5s uses a unique new system of memory.  The tones that make up the stage settings are in the stage settings themselves.  The user tone slots are a separate memory.  No need to worry about keeping track of the user tones that make up stage settings.  I only mention the "all file" overwriting user tones in case you placed individual user tones in the user slots.   

 

The way I would do it is, save the factory stage settings you wish to keep to your computer with the editor.  Load the updated all file with the usb stick.  Then use the data editor again to drag the factory stage settings you like back over to the PX-5s. 

[Skyscrapersax]

Thanks, Brad.

 

I've got the Editor, but I've not tried to make sense of it yet.

 

I guess that's my next project!

 

On a simpler note, I did successfully change Bank 61  (fretless bass & electric piano) to feature a wurli, but, but said wurli's range is all 88 keys.  The air electric piano in Bank 61 cuts off where the bass starts, at E/F below middle C.

 

How can I make the wurli do the same thing FOR THIS BANK ONLY (i.e., not when used as a tone by itself)?

 

I think these "newbie" issues will go away once I figure the architecture out and wrap my head around it.  For the moment, it's still fuzzy ~ ~ ~..  So, thanks!

[Brad Saucier]

Might I suggest going to http://sc3900.wix.com/px-5s and watching the excellent how-to videos.  You'll be up to speed in no time.

 

The best way to visualize the architecture is with the data editor.  For key range, look at the parameter edit panel and use the graphic keyboard at the bottom to set high and low ranges per zone. 

[Skyscrapersax]

OK, I'll do that.  For the moment, the data editor is blank and doesn't appear to be reading any info off of the keyboard.

[Joe Muscara]

Make sure the PX-5S is not in any edit mode when you connect the data editor.

[Brad Saucier]

Windows or Mac?

[Skyscrapersax]

Windows 7 Home Professional.

 

Does it matter which one I do first - turn on the PX5S or open the Editor?

[Brad Saucier]

Step 1: Turn on the PX-5s.  

 

Step 2: Connect a standard usb printer cable to the rear usb port on the PX-5s and your computer. (Windows will install driver software the first time you do this)

 

Step 3: Open the data editor.  (Default settings should recognize the PX-5s)

[Skyscrapersax]

It's plugged in and installed.  I think I just have to start transferring (not at PX5S right now...).  Will report back when success!

[leonardo_r_mota]

Hello Friends, I could address the layers, but is not this working control of volumes, since I directed the knobs and sliders, I noticed that it only controls the volume of layer 2 and only one octave in severe, does anyone can me help?

Obs .: I already checked if the knobs and sliders are all enabled (on / off).

[dippysteve]

Many people have commented on Sliders for volume control. Just because the slider is ON in the menu doesn't mean it will control volume. The sliders can be used for many different purposes, depending on how they are set. They also need to be targetted to the right Zone. If I want slider one only to operate zone one, then it needs to be switched off for zones 2,3 and 4. Then Slider 2 for zone 2, means it needs to be switched off for 1,3 and 4.

 

I know it all seems a little confusing at first but I have only had my PX5s a week and gigged with it last night. No problems at all, including setups using drums, Bass, arps, pianos and strings. Al independently controllable on volume sliders.

 

There is a great video clip on youtube that simply shows you how to assign sliders and tones for volume layer adjustment.

 

 

None of us could run before we could walk and this instrument is no exception. I am loving it and have done some amazing setups in just a few days. I am confident that it is just a matter of getting your head around the architecture. Once you have done that, the world is your oyster..........Enjoy..... 

[negriljerry]

New PX-5S owner here, love the keybed and potential so much that I can overlook the strangely counter-intuitive features. My main curiosity (and pls direct me if this has been addressed elsewhere): 

Stage Settings: Has anyone else EVER encountered a board or module in which you accessed bank-->setting with the SECOND digit as the bank?? Every device I've used would be something like: Bank 01 - acoustic piano, 01 thru 09 are various acoustic pianos, etc. It struck me as uniquely awkward to have the 2nd digit as bank.

Also is it always necessary to tap 3 times to access a setting? [bank button, two number buttons]. Again, I've never had a unit that didn't allow me to "hold" in a bank and scroll through the tones/settings in that bank.

 

Thanks!

[Brad Saucier]

Yes, I see you are confused.  The 100 stage settings are not the patches.  They are 4 zone customizable performance setups.  The patches are the tones in the tone area on the left side of the screen.  You can press a tone category button then use the yes no buttons to scroll trough those like you want.   The stage setting are arranged by bank number first. The original setup is designed for instant access to bread and butter sounds within one bank.  You can rearrange the entire 100 stage setting however you wish.  In fact, this is what everyone should be doing.  Also, an alternative arrangement of the factory stage settings has already been made by Mike Martin and are in the download area of this forum called Alternate Order.  It has piano's in one bank, EP's in another, just like you expect.  

[negriljerry]

Right, I'm aware of the difference between the stage setups vs tone patches, just wondering about the odd 2nd-digit-as-bank thing - but your reminder that I can rearrange at will solves that.  I'll check out the Alternate Order dl, thanks

[Choppin]

Hello,

 

I'm not sure I follow you.  There is no second digit as bank.  The first digit is the bank or stage setting group. 

 

Bank 0 - stages settings (0-9)

Bank 1 - Stages settings (0-9)

etc.

 

So if you hit the bank button, pressed 0, you would be in stage setting group 0.  Pressing 0-9 after that would bring up the stages setting in that group.

 

Once you're in a group, you don't have to hit the bank button again unless you are changing to a new group (bank).

 

Perhaps you mean by default, the stages setting are arranged the same way in each bank: 10 sound types in the same general order:

 

bank x0 = accoustic piano

bank x1 = electric piano etc.

etc.

 

as opposed to

 

bank 0x = accoutic piano tone of some sort

bank 1x = electric piano of some sort.

etc.

 

I think casios original intention was to demonstrate how you could have a 10 song setup in a single bank and you could switch to the different setups with the single press of a button.  

[negriljerry]

I just went in to the Data Editor for the first time, to transfer a few DL'd organs... and lo and behold the developers of this software are as baffled by the PX's bizarre 2nd-digit-as-bank thing, because they arrange stage settings by FIRST DIGIT, meaning your organs, pianos etc are all scattered throughout out the list of 100 settings. Does the right hand at Casio have any idea what the left hand is doing? 

 

And you can't hold a bank, to more quickly scroll through the 10 settings? Any setting change has to involve 3 key presses (Bank-->1st dig-->2nd dig)? Totally unacceptable.

 

I haven't reviewed this unit online yet, waiting to see if someone can clarify my concerns before I post what is shaping up to be a very less than positive impression. As in, as much as I love the keybed and some of  (certainly not all - awful horns) the sounds, there's too much negative for me and I think I'll be flipping this and moving on.

[negriljerry]

Well here I am correcting myself already, sort of. When I press Bank and a 1st digit the number display at left flashes, then when I press the 2nd digit the asterisk appears next to the numbers. I can then scroll through all ten of the available sounds...with the FIRST digit as the held one. Which is utterly useless for stage, at least IMHO.

 

So - sure, I can scroll through all my preferred organ / piano / etc Stage Settings, all I have to do is take a few days to fix what Casio broke - rewrite ALL of them with 1st digit as bank. Not easy to do without overwriting many I want to save, but doable.  

 

?: If Casio always planned on using 2nd digit as Bank, why not program the Hold function to apply to that digit, instead of first? Again. because the teams who designed / engineered the PX apparently were in some kind of pissing match, or perhaps simply incompetent - the left hand / right hand ignorance thing.... 

[Joe Muscara]

You can download the alternate order version of the stage settings, which puts all the acoustic pianos in bank 1, electric pianos in bank 2, etc.

 

And you can move around within a bank just by pressing one of those ten buttons once you're in the bank.

[aron]

>: If Casio always planned on using 2nd digit as Bank,

 

​Something is wrong here. The first digit is the bank.

 

​So lets say you want to go to bank 7. Press bank and 7, now the next button you press is a sound in bank 7. It's just numbered from 0 instead of 1. Once you are in the bank, you press 0-9 like any other keyboard.

 

I think what might be confusing is casio chose to put similar stage settings in the same relative slots in each bank. This is just something they chose to do which I already overwrote! :-)