wk 3300 related question

[gustavoc]

Hi. I am trying to record a song using 4 tracks in the Casio WK 3300. I have some questions:

1) How can I record and playback (in a step by step explanation way) percussion using any of the drum presets along with chord mode in track 1?

2) Once recorded track 1, how can I record one by one the rest of the keyboard melody tracks (in a step by step explanation way), while listening or playing back track 1 and the next ones?

What I did was recording a drum preset with chord mode in song memory 001 and then I tried to follow the real time track recording way with the rest of the tracks, but when trying to do the second track accompanied with the track 1 of percussion, the percussion was overwritten. Why did this happen? Which is the correct way to do it?, because reading the related chapter in the manual, the problem was that the part that explains how to record track 1 of percussion is not explained the same step by step way you find about how to record the other tracks (2 to 6), and is not explained how to do it using a drum preset in chord mode for track 1. Thanks for your response.

[Jokeyman123]

Rahter than go through all this, study this post first put together by me and Tnicoson. This represents quite a few hours of studying how to do exactly what you want to do, although there is alot of other related info that might be of help to you. Once you understand how all this works, it really is easy to get down multiple tracks pretty quickly and with only a few steps. The trick is understanding that which is a very odd way of recording with the song recorder, and isn't much different than the latest Casio Privias by the way although a few of those have 17 tracks but still very limited facilities for editing recording internally.

 

The WK3300/3800/800/PX575 also has the abilty to input pretty large samples and create a tone using the IDES 4.0 software. I've done it, and it works real well.

 

http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/7701-px575-mixer-functions/?hl=px575

 

The WK3300 is identical to the PX575 and a few other older Casios.regarding recording multiple tracks. I think you will also see why you are having trouble figuring this out-it certainly is pretty counter to any other workstation keyboard or software I've recorded with and I've studied some pretty complex systems (Ensoniq, Yamaha, Kurzweil, Generalmusic with its 32-track sequencer and 2 newer Casios!). the basic problem is that you must always pick your settings for volume, pan and tone from what looks like track one first, in song "play" mode (one button press), then make sure you select another of the remaining 5 tracks with the track select buttons in "record" mode. I have recorded a good half-dozen arrangements quickly and easily once I figured this out. figuring it out took quite a bit "sideways" thinking. and you are right, the manual is certainly less than stellar about this important step. Unlike the rhythm track which must always be recorded on track 1, the other tracks can be used for any other tone in the WK3300 including other drumsets and percussion, but you must make sure you select another track once in record mode, even though it looks like you are always working with track one!  i won't belabor other weirdnesses about recording songs with these Casios (Ted pitched in her and helped me) study the post. But i can't tell you how many times I forgot to pick another track before recording one track (rhythm track or anything) and recorded directly over the same track-record mode always automatically defaults to the master track. Keep in mind, unlike many other song recorders whether software or keyboard, there is a very limited range of editing functions (actually none!) except a very limited punch-in/out function unless you use step record mode. another thing to be aware of which is still throwing me off-in order to change settings for volume, pan etc. on a track you've already recorded, you first select that track, set the changes with the mixer function, then.....don't go into record mode yet....pick another empty track, select record now, and push the start button. Now your changes will be recorded into the other track! If you make the changes in a specific track, then select that track to record (there is no "overdub" function a serious oversight IMO) you will erase that track completely and the only way around that is to do what I've just described.

 

One more very deadly design flaw-when cycling through the song memory button-if you have not deliberately switched to play mode-you are still in song record mode for the track you just recorded. If you accidentally hit a key-you will initiate re-recording that track and completely erase what you just recorded! Even when you scroll to the setting where you can see and select another tone, you are still in record mode for the same track you jst recorded. You must  push one of the other track buttons after you select a different tone.

 

I know this is a long post, but I am hoping to save you plenty of aaaarrrggghhhh!!!!! factor.

[Jokeyman123]

One correction to the above-record mode will always default to the last track you recorded, although it looks like you are recording from track one. I meant that when recording track one first, it will default to that same track unless you delibertely make sure you have selected another track-but only in record mode. another detail that might be unclear to you-the 6 buttons select the track for recording, but use the left/right scroll buttons to select each track when using the mixer function-to change pan, volume and tone. this little detail still confuses me but is extremely important. You do this first in song play mode in what looks like your master track, but then select the track to record from with the track select buttons after switching to record mode. I call this "Alice-in-wonderland " mode since it feels like I;m slipping through the looking glass to record! Wow, how I wish Casio engineers had designed this differently.

[gustavoc]

Thanks Jockeyman, I'm gonna try this way.

[Jokeyman123]

I'm sorry I made this so complicated. Here is my quickstart to recording a multi-track arrangement in the WK.

1) Push "song select" button until display shows Sg0 play

2) Using the + or - buttons (yes/no buttons) select which song you want to record-0-4

3) Display will automatically switch to tone mode in a few seconds, or push tone button yourself

4) Select whatever tone you will use for recording, including drumkits, drawbar organ-anything that can be played as a tone can be selected for recording

5) Now here is the confusing part-make sure you push the song memory button until you see the Sg0 or whatever song you selected, in play mode, not record

6) This is the step where you can push the mixer button, and using the up down scroll buttons, select any of the settings-and there are many-for that tone-including pan, volume channel off/on, dsp etc. Make sure you are not in record mode yet

7) Once this is done-now push song memory so it shows Sg Record-if it doesn't push the song memory button until it does-it will always automatically go back to show you the tone in the LCD display-you should see the letters "rec" flashing in the upper right corner of the display. Be careful not to touch any keys, since that will initiate recording, but you still have to select the track to record first.

8) Using the "song memory track/registration buttons (bank, 1-2-3-4-store) push one of those-this will be the track you will record to...Only the "bank"/chord track 1 will record a preset rhythm/chord track from the auto-accompaniment. Notice that whatever button you push now in record mode you will see a flashing cursor above that number in the display. -11-12-13-14-15-16.The WK cannot record to any of the other tracks-1-10 are reserved for auto-accompaniment sounds and live playing from the keyboard.

9) Now start recording by simply hitting a key you want to start with-remember whatever you play is recording-there is no count-in track or metronome to prompt you. Or hit the start/stop button and start playing whenever you are ready.

Repeat this process for every other track. make sure you always push song memory until you are in song play mode again to start the entire process over again.

And finally, although the keyboard is automatically saving your song in internal memory, I always save to the SD card. It is too easy to record over a song. By the way, while in song play mode, if you use the scroll down button-you can select delete song, delete track.

I think I've described in the other post but in case I didn't-if you do not record a rhythm track first, since there is no metronome function I can find that works in song record mode-you must pre-record one of the metronome rhythms in the first track if you need a rhythm guide track for playing rhythms or other parts of your own. You can record anything you want in "free time" without a click track of course, but if you want to later edit your song in software-quantize, cut and paste etc. and you need strict time divisions-I need the metronome track so I'm close enough to the rhythm divisions used by computer editors/sequencers to make sure everything lines up rhythmically when I edit with the computer.

The bad part about this is that one must decide how many measures to record the click track first. You can record beyond the length of the click track in another track and delete the click track once you record other tracks. Unfortunately, once you record any track, there is no way to lengthen or shorten the track with the WKs except by using punch-in/out as a workaround to delete the beginning, end or middle of a specific track. Clumsy but it will work. And it has to be done for each individual track.

And I usually save each song I've recorded in Casio's native "song" format so I can bring it back into the Casio later to edit whatever I can and also as a .mid (smf) file on the card so I can bring it into my computer for editing that can't be done in the Casio. I do both because once a song is saved as a .mid file, it can be played by the Casio but it can't be changed, no editing can be done at all from the keyboard's internal memory if it is a .mid file. Not a big deal, but important to know the difference. and there is no software that can take a native Casio song file, transfer it to a computer, and edit it. It must be saved as a .mid first from within the Casio. Humbly begging if you knew all this already, but even after studying the manual repeatedly, it still took me hours to figure all this out! Hoping to save you the same tedious process.