BrettM

I thought some of you may be interested in one of my failed experiments... Having noticed that DSP settings seem to be stored in tones, that is, if you edit a PCM tone with a specific DSP and change some of those DSP parameters, then the values are retained by the tone; I wondered whether I could get two DSPs to work in a performance, even though only one is supposed to be available. The idea would be to use one of the dual DSPs and create two user tones, both using the same dual DSP, but have one of the tones switch off half the DSP and the other tone switch off the other half of the DSP. For example, using the compressor-distortion DSP which has compressor parameters threshold and level and distortion parameters gain and level, one of the tones could set the compressor threshold to 127, thus disabling the compressor effect and the other tone could set the distortion gain to 0, thus disabling the distortion effect. The same DSP is being used as distortion only in the first tone and as a compressor only in the second tone. The question is: if these two tones were then assigned to zones 1 and 2 in a performance, would I have a performance with effectively two DSPs operating? Alas it doesn't work that way. The parameter values of the first zone take precedence and are applied to the second zone. I was hoping that different parameters might be remembered from the tones given that the same DSP was being assigned as the overall performance effect. Even when zones 2 and 3 are used, with zone 1 set to off, the same thing happens: zone 2's parameters take precedence over zone 3. An interesting side note of this last set up is that zone 2 does not have "DSP" showing on screen in the performance menu or the mixer screen, in spite of what it says in the manual. "DSP" appears only if a DSP is enable for zone 1. Nevertheless, I really like some of the dual DSPs.

Hi Stephe You can assign any DSP parameter to any of the assignable knobs within a performance via the controllers sub-menu, then all you have to do is turn the knob to make the change in real time. So, for example, you could assign K1 to CC19:General 4 and if you turn K1 to the left the rotary brake parameter is set to "rotate" and if you turn K1 to the right the rotary break parameter is set to "stop". Or you could use one of the preset rotary DSPs with the brake parameter already set to "rotate" and the speed parameter (parameter 3) already set to "fast" and assign parameter 8 ("fast rate"/CC83:General 8) to K1, then you can dial in the exact rotary speed you want using K1, even a speed which would be considered slow. This is how I did it in the G1 drawbar pak I uploaded to this forum, except I used K4 instead of K1. Spin up time, rise acceleration, is rotary parameter 6, CC81; and spin down time is rotary parameter 5, fall acceleration, CC80. Some of this information is admittedly buried in midi implementation document that can be downloaded from the Casio website. The multifunction key system on the G1 can also be used to send midi CC messages with specific values. So you could sacrifice a few keys at the top of the keyboard to function as switches for your rotary effect. One key could toggle the rotary DSP on and off, the second could send CC19 with a value of 0 to set the rotary to "rotate" and a third could send CC19 with a value of 127 to set the rotary to "stop". Thus you could quickly switch the rotary on and off, fast and slow with the touch of a key. Or you could control the effect using a combination of knobs and keys; many other configurations are possible. I hope this helps.

File Name: Roaring Silence File Submitter: Brett M File Submitted: 30 Jan 2015 File Category: XW-Synths My attempt at using the solo synth to create that classic sci fi effect when the camera pans down the dark corridors of a vast alien ship or when the slab orbits Jupiter - resonant filtered noise on the brink of self oscillation. Knobs 1 and 2 turn up wailing voices a la Kubrick. (This was created on a G1 so P1 owners may need to reassign PCM oscs 1 and 2 to wave 451.) WARNING: resonance is maxed out so keep the volume low when you first listen, especially when the wailing is turned up. Click here to download this file

Re Qs 3 and 4: it is possible to implement real time filtering of polyphonic user wave tones via the performance mode technique whereby a PCM tone or user wave in zone 2 is routed through the solo synth in zone 1, usually with all solo synth oscillators off. The key is to enable the DSP line for zone 2. Chas has described the set up in detail here: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/6160-using-the-xws-resonant-filter-with-polyphonic-tones/?hl=%2Bquad+%2Blayer Zone 2 is then routed through Block 7, the solo synth's resonant filter and DSP. Set the solo synth filter cutoff to a low value and its TouchSense to 63 for real time key velocity control of the filter cutoff. The G1 solo synth sliders can also be used to modify the solo synth filter type, cutoff, resonance and evelope depth while in a performance in real time as well. I have also uploaded some files which use this basic setup to access the solo synth DSP, distortion in this case but any of the other effects could be used http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/757-velocity-controlled-distortion/

File Name: CZ Double Sine Organ File Submitter: Brett M File Submitted: 09 Nov 2014 File Category: XW-G1 A user wave organ based on the CZ Double Sine waves with splits structured like the Quick Organ: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/743-quick-organ/. Brighter than the usual sine based organ tones, but can be filtered to recreate them if necessary. Also responds better to the resonant filter than standard organs. Click here to download this file

Sounds to me like a cheesy combo organ from the 60s/70s.I don't have a PX-5s, but try one of the pulse wave forms, especially Square Pulse Lead. Band pass filter it to thin it out, emphasize the mids with EQ and lay on the vibrato.

File Name: Velocity Controlled Distortion File Submitter: Brett M File Submitted: 02 Nov 2014 File Category: XW-Synths I like my E.P.s with plenty of bark, so ... Attached is a performance that routes zone 2 through the solo synth in zone 1. Also attached is a silent solo synth patch with the distortion DSP enabled and a virtual controller routing key velocity to distortion gain. Touch sense can be altered by changing the depth parameter in virtual controller 2. Knob 2 can be used to set the gain baseline, but there's no point in setting it very high. Put the solo synth patch in zone 1 and whatever PCM tone you want to add distortion to into zone 2 and make sure the DSP line is on for that zone. Given that the solo synth is involved, the resonant filter is available to help tame that notorious XW distortion. This can change the character of the distortion a lot, even on the distorted guitars. EQ helps as well. This is also useful for quickly auditioning the effect of distortion on various tones. On the G1, the multifunction key can be set up to toggle the DSP line on zone 2 to help make the comparison. Click here to download this file

File Name: Quick Organ File Submitter: Brett M File Submitted: 22 Oct 2014 File Category: XW-G1 While working on version 3.0 of the G1 Drawbar Pak, I started thinking about making an organ that just uses up one user wave slot rather than two. This is it. The problem is: how best to arrange nine sine waves over five splits.I tried a few combinations but this one turned out to be the most useful. Split 1: 16', 5 1/3' and 8' drawbars fully out Split 2: 4', 2 2/3' and 2' drawbars fully out Split 3: 1 2/5' drawbar Split 4: 1 1/3' drawbar Split 5: 1' drawbar I think many of the classic registrations are possible with this arrangement. E.g., the bread and butter tone of 888000000 is produced by just having the volume up on spit 1.Each of the high frequency "brilliance" drawbars has a dedicated split and is thus easy to adjust. It is also worth remembering that each split has its own filter, which can be useful for generating more options in splits 1 and 2; and is especially useful for tweaking the mid tones in split 2. I have not tried to implement percussion but it can be fairly easily added by combining this tone with the performance in the G1 Drawbar Pak. === Version 2.0 === I've tried to improve the looping. Click here to download this file

I have read that the CZ double sine wave is good for open filter analogue synth sounds and organ tones. Also that the saw pulse is a sort of mellower sounding saw wave. The reso waves were designed to simulate a filter sweep using the "digitally controlled waveshaper" (DCW) which does the phase distortion instead of via a resonant filter which was not present in the CZs. Not sure how these would be used in an XW which has a filter instead of a DCW. Has anyone tried to recreate some of the CZ patches on an XW?

One way to trigger a pitch bend with the pedal on an XW, without delving into midi documentation or unnamed CC messages, would be to record the pitch bend wheel movement, without sound, in the phrase sequencer and then trigger the phrase with the pedal in performance mode.

File Name: CZ Waveforms File Submitter: Brett M File Submitted: 14 Oct 2014 File Category: XW-Synths I've got a pretty good idea of what square, saw and sine waves look like, but I've always wondered about the CZ waveforms in the solo synth; so I recorded a brief sample of each and took a screen shot of them in Audacity. Many of them seem a lot more complex compared to the standard synth waves, so not sure how I will use them other than choosing them for their raw sound. I would be interested in other people's observations and comments. Note that they are not all shown at the same scale. Click here to download this file

Great question. I have a similar problem with something as simple as a clean sine wave. The Sine Lead PCM tone has vibrato built into it. (The solo synth has plenty of sines, but they're all monophonic.) Why sample a sine with vibrato when it can easily be added with Vib Type, Depth, Rate and Delay parameters; but not so easily taken away? Why sample an organ with a Leslie when the DSP effect is available? I would rather have a dull preset and the tools to improve it than a fancy preset that ultimately limits where it can go.

I wouldn't finish programming a patch without hearing it, but I could start programming one without hearing it. The basic configuration can be set up without hearing anything, e.g., which blocks to turn on, which waves to use, initial envelope starting points, basic LFO and filter settings, etc. There are open file and save file icons in the editor, but they generate a Communication Error if you're not connected to the keyboard. Or I might have an idea for tweaking an existing patch I've previously created and know the basic sound. I can't even load an existing patch without generating the error and I wondered if the communication check might be something that could be fairly easily disabled. Why would I ever want to do this? Well, I'm much more likely to have my laptop with me in my briefcase than my keyboard. Of course I can always just make a note to myself until I get home, but why write it in a text editor when I should be able to write it in a data editor?

Peter, I'm not expecting the Data Editor to become a stand alone software synthesizer. I don't expect it to make any sounds or send midi data or whatever. I know enough about the XW to have a pretty good idea of how the parameter settings will sound once loaded. What I would like is to be able to do is configure a basic patch quickly in the editor, save it to the relevant type of XW file and load it later, via SD card or connection. Nothing more than what is possible when there is a connection. Final tweaking can be done at the synth when the sounds can be heard.

This would be something easy for Casio to fix with updated versions of the editors. Much easier than firmware updates for the keyboards. Hint. Hint.

I would like to use the Data Editor to create a new user patch without having to be be connected to the keyboard, e.g., a new PCM tone; but whenever I select a tone I get a Communication Error. Is there a way to disable the attempted communication in the editor so I can work on the parameters, save it to an SD card and load it into the keyboard that way?

Thanks for this, Mike. It's a bit reminiscent of AlenK's method: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/4423-pwm/ That's good news about more sounds. I've been looking in envy at some of the recent the PX-5S uploads, e.g., Mellotron, Rhodes and Farfisa. Any chance of an XW version of these?

Try assigning the drawbar tone to zone 1 of performance mode.

Have you tried using the control tracks to change the volume of individual parts?

I almost forgot, the Wah DSP has a resonance parameter, so presumably it uses a resonant filter which can be controlled by its own LFO or controlled manually. So you may be able to get two independent resonant filter sweeps by routing some sounds through the solo synth and others through the DSP; not sure if they would get tangled up via common DSP lines though. The sampler on the G1 also has a non resonant filter for each sample split. Of all the individual filters, I have found this the most useful when trying to balance the brightness of sample splits mapped across the keyboard.