jimmyjames

Joe, thanks for removing the "Broken" designation from the Nine Layer Organ file.  I presume the "policy" going forward will be to remove a "Broken" designation if a problem can not be confirmed.  Please note I posted an updated version of this Stage Setting today (1.05) adding B3-style percussion (just the 3rd) controlled by Knob 3, as well as some additional  Master EQ adjustments to improve the sound.

So you know, I worked with my NE4 to create the Nine Layer Stage setting.  It is not possible to get all of the tonal complexities on the PX-5S that Nord has in its B3 sound so I would not be so bold to suggest that this setting rivals the sound of the Nord.  It generally has the same underlying tonal characteristics, does contain all nine harmonics and has them volume balanced against each other relatively close to the Nord.  The largest deficiency IMO is in the Leslie sim.  While I compliment Casio for creating a two level sim (speakers speeding an slowing at different rates) and I think it sounds pretty good on the slow setting, the fast setting is choppy and transistory compared to the Nord sim (btw, I matched the rotations speeds from the new 122 sim on the Nord as best I could).  The vibrato/chorus settings on the Nord are also fabulous and again, while it is very nice that Casio took the time to add these to the PX-5S, they are nowhere near as accurate as Nord's version.  I think Mike Martin has been very honest from the beginning that the PX-5S is many things, but it is not a clone wheel.  Nonetheless, I hope my setting shows you can get a little closer to it than maybe even Mike thought...close enough that some of us amateur/semi-pro players can just bring the Casio for a club gig if there is some light to moderate duty B3-like sound needed.  Also, I fully expect someone will find a way to better my setting in the not-too-distant future...I look forward to it!

Joe, thanks for the response.  Did the "round trip" as you suggested and it is functioning properly.  Perhaps we "regulars" should not have the power to label files as broken...only moderators.  Don't want to put more work on you (and BTW I am grateful for what you do already) but I think labeling something as "broken" when it is more likely the problem is with the downloader and not the setting itself could discourage sharing.  I think easy sharing of user settings is one of the most powerful things the PX-5S has to offer.

PS: mgrieves...thanks for the note of support...glad you like the patch!

PSS Joe, btw, forgot to mention I couldn't see who reported the file broken.  I am guessing only moderators are allowed to see this.  I would have probably sent a message myself if I had known who it was.

So I am a bit perplexed as to how this works.  Someone reported this file as broken with the explanation "wrong data".  What does this mean?  Do the monitors of this site have any feedback on this?  Should this just be a site for Casio to post files?  Looking for some guidance.

I see someone reported the file as "broken".  Would appreciate if whoever reported this would post the specific reasoning so I can attempt to repair it.  Thanks...

Mike, hope you had a nice vacation. Thought I would check in with you to see if you were able to get any additional information about how to transmit CC values over 100 which I need to control a few things on my NE4.  Thanks...

Yes Ralf, my experience indicates you are correct.  I have saved a couple of my custom tones as user tones but for the most part I have just left them in Stage Settings.  I'm not sure it works the same way for phrases though i.e that they can exist as part of a Stage Setting but not as a saved phrase.  That is why I saved the "Ain't Nobody" phrase as a phrase to be downloaded together with the JK Sweet L2 Stage Setting.

BTW, thank you for articulating and logging the various issues you are finding with the PX-5S.  Not to take anything away from this amazingly capable keyboard, I too have had my frustrations with the way certain things function (or don't).  For example, I already posted the problem with transmitting any CC values over 100 to control another keyboard or module that have things tied to these values, like the Nord Electro 4.  While I know Casio is making no commitment to another firmware upgrade, I really hope that they do at least one, if not to enhance the sounds available, at least to fix bugs.  I'll tell you, I grew very angry with Nord when they gave up support for the NE2, not to make it better, but even for simple things like updating drivers for updated versions of Windows.  There needs to be some basic level of product support that lasts for several years.  Even at the great price for the PX-5S, these keyboards are not cheap.  I can't imagine it is a tremendous investment of time or money for these companies to at least keep basic functions current and I think it makes for more loyal customers.

Ralf, thank you for your feedback on the complications involved in creating, importing, renaming, downloading and using "user" Stage Settings.  My creation of the "Ain't Nobody" phrase and an associated Stage Setting, JK Sweet L2, came from a Facebook group discussion.  I then had some private correspondence with IM29 about redoing and posting his further alterations to the JK Sweet L2 Stage Setting.  I found it to be very interesting how he organized it for his purposes, 

Notwithstanding, I can see that user posted Stage Settings will probably be of a different quality and nature than Stage Settings that Mike Martin has created.  Perhaps here in the downloads section, there should be a couple different areas set up...one's from Mike and other "professionals", and then ones from users like the rest of us.  You can sort by author but this distinction doesn't mean much to a newcomer who may not know who are the professionals and who are not.  Nonetheless, I really wish other users would start posting their custom Stage Settings.  It is the best way to vet this machine and to share ideas.  Don't be shy!!!  We are all trying to get our arms around this very deep and unique machine.  If you do post though, please try as best you can to give a detailed description of how the setting functions.

Just a further note on unsaved Hex Layers and Tones within Stage Settings from your immediately previous comment.  You will note that for many of the factory presets, the underlying Hex Layers and Tones remain in an edited unsaved, state with names that have little bearing on what they actually sound like.  I think this will just be something that we will all need to understand is part of the architecture of this machine.  IMO there's no need to dot every "i" and cross every "t" when you can just set it and forget it within a Stage Setting.

Very sorry to pester you Mike but was wondering if you were able to get any information on this.  I know I asked over the weekend and it's only Monday and I know you're very busy.  I am trying to finish up an NE4 controller stage setting and I am stuck at this point.  Sorry again and my thanks for all your help here and elsewhere...

Maybe it's those long cold winters in Sweden...  There are twelve parameters on the NE4 with three digit CC's.

Thanks Mike.  Had never heard the term NRPN but just looked it up.  It's way over my head...but always happy to learn something new.

I am trying to control the dry/wet reverb knob on my NE4 by using Slider 6 on the PX5S.  On the NE4, the MIDI CC value for this knob is 102.  This value does not appear to exist on the PX5S.  I tried setting it to "Tempo" which is five above CC97 (the highest option with a value), but it does not work.  Any suggestions?  Thanks...

Thanks Mike!  Can I edit a Stage Setting and save it directly to the USB w/o saving it first as a Stage Setting on the board?  That may be where I am getting messed up.  I was trying to avoid having to reload the original Stage Seting back to wherever I placed the one I was editing (yes, being lazy and trying to skip a step)...  Sorry for the long chain of questions on this...I promise this is my last.

Mike, thanks but that part is OK.  Where I'm have trouble is saving it on the USB stick and/or the computer via the editor...sorry I should have been clearer.

Mike...thought on this.  Would be nice if the preset default loading Stage Setting slot was something other than 0-0.   I've been using 0-1 but something like 9-0 or 9-9 would be better IMO or better yet if we control the default setting slot ourselves.  Would save a few button presses...and also the expletive when I forget to change it and overwrite 0-0 by mistake. 

I am also struggling to consistently properly save my own Stage Settings when, in the process I also try to change the setting name and the file name.  Unfortunately I don't figure out I've done it incorrectly until I try to reload it and find it is not what I thought I saved.  I am struggling with this both on the board and with the data editor....seems this has to all be done in a very particular order.  I've gotten it right a couple times...but not sure how.  I've taken to writing down my changes just in case so I don't lose them...like the old patch charts I used for my Polysix.

When "Writing" or "Saving", press the down-arrow button and you will see the cursor undeneath the Stage Setting name (not easy to see due to dotted line already under stage setting name).  You can then either use the + and - buttons or Knob 2 to change the name.  You move from letter to letter with the side arrows of course.  I think it is probably not the best constructed function on the 5S as the setting name does not become highlighted and/or bracketed to show it is an edit target like other things do.

If you click the "Downloads" tab above and go to the first posted Stage Setting, it is a .zip file of all the Stage Settings for version 1.10 so you need'nt worry about "losing" the presets if you decide to change something.  I think the intent is that all of the Stage Settings should be thought of as "user".  Mike and Casio have done a great job giving us a wide variety of possibilities for the settings but I am sure no one at Casio will be insulted if we modify or, in fact, overhaul the location and nature of these for our various purposes...provided we share our good ones in the Downloads section!

Great job on "Here I Go"!  Domo arigato Mike (just getting you ready for your trip...and Mr. Roboto)!

Hey Mike, someone posted on the Nord Electro forum that they were trying to get a sound for the intro part to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again".  If there was ever a sound the PX-5S could cover nicely, it is that one with its piano, bell and synth layers (the video show three keyboards being played to cover it...just for effect).  None of the samples in the Nord Sample Library are close as best I can tell.  Might you be tempted to show up the competition a bit?  (0-3 Illuminated is close...was this the song you had in mind when you made it?)

mphelps, Greg Hawkes used a MiniKorg 700s for most of the sounds on The Cars first album.  It was (is) a monophonic synthesizer.  Fortunately, I had one in the band I was in when this came out (I am dating myself) so we did a mean version of "Just What I Needed".  My recollection is that I used the sine wave setting on the 700S with a bit of portamento for the primary synth sound in the song.  With the firmware 1.10 upgrade, the PX-5S now has portamento too so I bet there is a way to get close.  I'll leave it to Mike Martin to go through the details as I am sure to do a poor job of it, but I believe you will want start in the Hex tone edit menu, get into the layers edits, probably pop in a sine wave or two then edit envelopes, portamento, etc from there.

Edit note...just tried it.  Two triangle waves slightly detuned from each other sounds quite close to me.  Sine wave is too soft.  Also, don't forget to zero out touch senstitivity.

Mike, following up on my above comment, is it a problem for Casio to be too involved in a song-specific stage setting site because of copyright issues?  As I'm sure you know, there is (partially) song specific sample area on the Nord User site but I think that site is independent from Nord itself, right?

Joe, the primary tone from "Africa" is at 7-3 (and it's very good...good job Mike), but there are a couple of other tones from "Africa" (particularly the solo tone) that would be great to have in the upper two octaves of the setting, for example (I think the solo stays within two octaves).  Same goes for other songs like the ones listed here with multiple tones.  To the extent possible, it would be great to have them zoned within one Stage Setting.  Of course, this is not work I would expect Mike or anyone else at Casio to dedicate their time to, other than, perhaps to set up a few of the songs as examples.  Hopefully us users will begin to create these song-specific, multi-tone Stage Settings and share them in a dedicated "sanctioned" website.  Perhaps Casio will at least create and manage this site (maybe it already exists?).  Not that I am that deep into the world of keyboards, but I know of no other keyboard that has such a repository.  I think it would be a great marketing feature for the 5S.