jimmyjames

Katie, download this Stage Setting http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/71-9-layer-organ/ and look at the Knob 1 configuration. You can assign two parameters to each knob or slider. The first parameter assigned to Knob 1 is increasing distortion but the second is decreasing volume (I forget exactly how I reduced it but you'll see). You need to tinker with starting and ending levels it to get the increasing distortion and decreasing volume even.

Thanks jaspeter. I knuckled down and got them done.

I'm playing in a band in a few weeks and we are doing a medley of Good Times Roll/Best Friend's Girlfriend/Just What I Needed. Has anyone created sounds for any of these songs? There are a few sounds from the Minikorg in these three songs (I used to have one) particularly Just What I Needed. I know the Minikorg is a monophonic synth but I think the PX-5S can probably get fairly close. There is also, I believe, a Yamaha CP-30 used for Best Friend's Girlfriend and finally a synth string sound predominates in Good Times Roll (Arp or Elka?) I don't see anything in the Downloads for any of these. I guess I will have to dust off (i.e. relearn) my programming skills unless someone has done this already. Thanks....

Hugh, it's something internal in the EV's. Thought is was just my pair but I went back to GC and tried another pair and the same buzz was there. I posted about this on the KC and Nord forum about six months ago (see link below). In general, I find EP sounds stress out speakers but this was just a bit beyond that. Nonetheless I still own and like them. They are about 32 pounds I think....lighter than my old KC-300 amps. http://www.norduserforum.com/nord-electro-forum-f9/ne4-and-ev-zlx-12p-s-t5645.html

I have a KC-110 and a pair of EV ZLX12P's. I use the KC-110 as a monitor when I run directly into the PA for band practice or some gigs. I run the PX-5S and my NE4 into the KC-110 then use the stereo lines out through a stereo direct box to the PA. This way I have a stereo monitor feed as well as a stereo house feed. I have also used the KC-110 for guitar...I actually think it is a better sounding amp for acoustic guitars than it is for keyboards. The final thing I use the KC for is when going on a vacation...it travels very well due to its small size and weight. As to sound quality, it's OK, but not great. Note, if you push the volume it will clip. My alternative set-up when I don't run through the PA (which can happen for a variety of reasons) is running my keys and guitars (I run my electric guitar through a Boss ME-25 using the headphones for the feed) into an Alesis mixer then out to the EV ZLX's. I like the EV's, but note at lower volumes, you will here some buzzing with electric pianos sounds so listen carefully before buying if you are playing jazz or the like, but they are great for a rock band setting IMO....big and bold. Hey jaspeter, great job on all the Stage Settings you have created...sorry I haven't been around here to thank you for the couple shout-outs you gave me along the way.

I listened to Mike's video from NAMM with Sonic State (link below) and it seems quite clear to me that the new "sounds" are new Stage Settings and not new samples. He says it will be an "extreme synth bank" at about 0:40 He later calls it a "sound set" but I think those are just words that are more easily understandable for those less familiar with the instrument. Nonetheless, I very much look forward to the release. I am curious to see how that vocorder-like sound starting at about 1:40 was created.

Not sure if there are actually new samples and/or a firmware update coming out or if it is just a new series of stage settings based on current samples and firmware...anyone know?

ultra.klick, thanks for the tip on the Behringer but it's not what I'm looking for. I need control for live playing. I use the PX-5S and its weighted keys to drive the pianos on the NE4 (I have the SW for organ use) and it would be nice to have all the Nord effects controllable from the PX-5S. I mapped the ones I could to a Stage Setting I posted just after the PX-5S came out. Seems like twenty years ago but it's only been about eight months. Scott, Mike, any chance this is going to happen or should I just give up?

Lest it be forgotten, I wanted to put in my quarterly plug for the next ugrade, if there is one, to add the ability for the PX-5S to send MIDI messages for cc values 100 or greater. A few of the controls on my Nord Electro 4 require this. Thanks and happy holidays!

Thanks Mike...very helpful.

Let me start by expressing my thanks, first, to those that established and maintain this site and, second, to those who have contributed downloads of many different types and varieties. As to the latter, I would just throw out there that the Stage Settings Downloads section has, perhaps, grown too large for its current organization. Here are a couple thoughts if you might consider streamlining it. Many of the Stage Settings in the Downloads section are really tone-based. For these, it would be great to be able to categorize these by instrument type. Suggested categories for these would be 1) AP's, 2) EP's (including Rhodes, Wurlis and Clavs), 3) Organs and 4) Synths/other. I am betting this will cover up to 80% of the posted Stage Settings. Then, there are 5) multi-tone and/or arpeggiated settings to create an overall controllable dynamic sound across the keyboard and 6) others with different tones assigned to different portions of the keyboard to cover the multiple keyboard/synth parts in a particular song, for example, the "1901" setting I posted a few months ago. Anyway, anyone posting a setting could be required to select one of these six categories for their setting as part of the posting process. I know that you can search by tags, and this helps, but us posters have not really been consistent in the use of monikers for this purpose. Anyway, just a suggestion, especially to help those who are newer to the PX-5S and want to selectively add to their Stage Settings library without having to slog through, now, over 100 posted settings with many more to come I am sure. Of a bit more of an editorial (and selfish) nature, I would love to see more Stage Settings developed that have the keyboard arranged to play cover songs that have multiple keyboard parts, again like the "1901" setting. I wish I had more time, as I would work on some. Out of curiosity, how many of you out there are using the PX-5S in cover bands? Would having a library of song-based Stage Settings would be useful? Any particular song suggestions? If any of you do and have developed settings for this purpose, I would encourage you to post them! Thanks!

Thanks Mike! Got whacked by a stomach virus so haven't had a chance to download 1.11 yet. I know it is somewhere between a feature and a bug but did 1.11 change the ability of the PX-5S to send MIDI messages for values over CC 100?

Based on that, I'm guessing it might have something to do with 1.00 versus 1.10. Perhaps I built my setting from one that was originally a 1.00 setting. That would make some sense because portamento was introduced in 1.10...just a guess.

I gets funnier Brad. Hit the preset a second time and...voila, the portamento is there...really strange.

Thanks Brad...I thought I was doing something stupid...that is usually the answer. I posted the my setting but it appears to be a moot point. I thought I heard Mike say that 1.11 was coming out soon fixing some bugs. Wonder if this one was on the list....

File Name: Bruno Locked File Submitter: jimmyjames File Submitted: 16 Sep 2013 File Category: PX-5S Stage Settings This is a four zone Stage Setting. From the bottom to the top of the keyboard, it contains a hex layer sawtooth bass sound (Zone 2), the hook sound used during the chorus (Zone 4), Ahh's to cover back up vocals during the bridge - chorus (Zone 3) and, finally, the top note is a hand clap (Zone 1). Other sound effects including woop's and huh's are covered by my Nord. I am having a problem recalling a portamento parameter that is on the hook/Zone 4 tone. It is enabled when I save it as well as when I recall it, but the portamento is not functional on recall unless I disable and re-enable the portamento. This is located in the Tone Edit - Portamento menu (make sure you are in Zone 4). Click here to download this file

OK, here's a weird one. I have created a four zone Setting for Bruno Mars "Locked out of Heaven". The fourth zone is that little hook riff in the chorus that has a bit of portamento in it. So I have added this and it is there, but when I save it then recall it, the portamento is somehow disabled. In the tone edit section and on the data editor it says it is still enabled, but unless I go in and disable then re-enable, it's not there. I've checked this several times now. Pretty sure it's a bug of some kind. Any thoughts? I'll post the setting if someone else wants to check it out.

maakr, great question and very much on my mind right now. There is definitely way more than one right answer IMO. I think it depends on your rig set up, the type of band you are in (or playing solo for the matter) and how rigid a player you are i.e., do you play your parts pretty much the same every time or do you improvise a lot. I use the PX-5s in conjunction with a Nord Electro 4, am playing in a cover band that does everything from the Allman Brothers to Maroon 5 to Bruno Mars and I would say I'm an 8 out of 10 on the rigid scale. The band carries about 30 songs on its play list. My current thought is to create one Stage Setting for every song that has every sound I need in it for that song (the setting will set the program on my Nord too). I will line the Stage Settings up on the PX-5S in the order the set list (which I will hopefully get more than a few minutes before the gig), probably starting with 0-0. I will probably then set up the 4 or the 9 bank with some generic settings: a straight piano, and Rhodes sound, a Wurli, in case we go into something unforeseen. I have the PX-5s controlling the Nord via MIDI so I have a silent program on the Nord (32-4) if I just want to use the PX-5S. If use the PX-5S to play any of the piano sounds on the Nord, I have the "Generator Out" setting "Off" on the PX-5S. When I need them both, but seperate, I have to activate the program change feature, but disable the MIDI so I can use both keyboards. This is a totally new rig (my dream set-up!) and it's all very complicated for an old man like me, but it is fun and is keeping my brain sharp (I think). The different set-up possibilities are nearly endless! Good luck and have fun when sorting this out the way that works best for you...!

Thanks for the reply David. Not sure how I would access and isolate just that one "instrument" (which is the PX-5S name for a drum wave) to save it as a melody tone. Anyway, I threw in the towel and totally redid the setting using drums in the first zone and partially overlapping sawtooth melody tones in the other three zones. It was the first time I had worked with the drums in the editor. It was interesting to figure out how to isolate the hand clap and assign it to a couple of notes. There is incredible flexibility in the drum editor. I will never take advantage of it but I'm sure someone out there will.

My band has decided to play this song so I am trying to create a Stage Setting. I have a sample for my Nord to cover the "woops and huhs" and I have been able to create the saw wave sounds for the chorus on the PX-5S by modifying the 1901 setting I posted a couple months ago. These are both Hex Layer tones in Zones 1 and 2. I now want to add a hand clap sound, just on one key. The only hand clap sound I can find is among the drum sounds. If this is it, I am presuming it has to go in Zone 1 which means I need to relocate the tone I have in Zone 1 to Zone 3 but I can't do this because it is a hex layer. Anyone have any work around ideas for this other that trying to use one Hex Layer tone to cover the saw wave sounds in the chorus?

I've actually disabled the mod wheel on my grand piano patches in case I hit it by mistake....which I do on occasion when I am moving the adjacent knob or slider for example.

happyrat...I think you can do that and it is a very clever thought. It would be a whole new technique to learn how to play it live though...my chops are definitely not up to that!

Wow Scott! That looks awesome if it works as advertised. I've worked with the Korg Legacy Collection as well as other Sonar-related soft synths but never took the time to integrate them into a live performance situation. This might be the motivation!

Thanks for the creative thoughts jaspeter!! I had started to think about creating a series of MIDI-triggered single chord phrases...my head started to spin with all the work it would take to create them and then to learn how to play them. I think neither my bandmates nor the audience would really appreciate it...such is the lot of the modern keyboard player I guess. I would love to hear/see anything you figure out though!