- T -

Yes, but the CTK-3500 only transmits its tone selection data as the selection is made from the front panel, so the computer based software recorder will have to be running as the selection is made.

I just checked my Yamaha PSR-E433. NONE of its "native"/"panel" ("quality") organ tones respond to key level velocity variations, and like the entry level CT-X's, has no tone editor for adding it, BUT . . . . . ALL 26 of its XG-Lite (GM equivalent) organ tones DO respond to key level velocity. I need someone to check the GM voice bank organ tones in the CT-X700/X800 to see if they respond to velocity. I am willing to bet they do. GM/XG/XG-Lite are the economy palettes. Realism is not necessarily their forte. So, if I am correct in my guess, in this respect, the Yamaha entry level PSR-E3XXX/E4XXX and the Casio entry level CT-X700/X800 model lines are pretty much the same. There is no need or sense pitying or criticizing one over the other. Now, that said, I do have to agree, to an extent, with those who would prefer it. With my various Roland boards, through the years, I could add key level velocity sensitivity to any tone, and like so many of these arranger keyboard capabilities vs realism discussions come down to, I am not so sure that the average non-musician (read that: "non-purist') listener would ever know the difference, or even care, if they did know the difference. As a matter of fact, they might even appreciate some unrealistic expression to a monotonous drone, when an expression pedal is not available. For that reason, I always enjoyed adding a little key level "flare" to my Roland organ tones. At any rate, if you really need velocity sensitive organ tones on boards that do not appear to have it, and no way of adding it, check the organ tones in your GM/XG/XG-Lite voice banks. There might just be a usable work-around surprise waiting there for you. But . . . . now . . . . back to the original question . . . . what about the CT-X3000/X5000? At the top of Page EN-75 of the CT-X3000/X5000 manual, the Tone Editor Parameter lists the Velocity Sense as adjustable from -64 to 0 to +63. If you check this on your organ Tones, I think you will find this set to 0. If you change it to a positive value, and save it as a User Tone, it should give you what you want. If I remember correctly, I did this to some of the organ tones on my CTK-6000/7000 and WK-7500. I do not think Casio would go to the expense of an additional layer of programming to have just the organ wave samples ignore this parameter. From the manual and the appendix, it looks like the Tone and Rhythm editing capabilities of the CT-X3000/X5000 are similar to those of the CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models, although in the appendix, it looks like the Rotary (Leslie) controls for acceleration and deceleration are gone. I would thoroughly miss those, as I used to have a lot of fun with those on the old models. - T -

I never found a way to do that on the keyboard, by itself. I finally ended up copying my MIDI files back into a folder on my laptop and downloaded and installed VanBasco's Karaoke (MIDI) File Player on it to play my MIDI files from the laptop into the keyboard, using it as just a sound module. Not only did this allow me to play multiple files, but with playlists, I could control the order in which they played, and was able to make different lists for different occasions.

No! The LK-260's Built-in Songs are permanently burned into read-only-memory at the factory, and can not be erased, but there is an alternative for a reasonable investment. You will also need to download and install the audio recording package "Audacity" on your computer: https://www.audacityteam.org/ Yes, I know, Anvil Studio handles audio as well as MIDI, but the freeware version only records one minute of audio, plus I do not believe the freeware version will playback MIDI as it simultaneously records audio, so you need a separate audio recording package. Now, connect the LK-260's USB port to the computer. You are going to playback your MIDI files to the LK-260 over this connection. Then, with the appropriate cables and/or adapters, connect the LK-260's Phones/Output jack to the Mic/Line/Audio IN jack on your computer. As Anvil Studio plays your MIDI files to the LK-260, Audacity will record the LK-260's audio output to your computer's hard drive as a wav file, which you convert to MP3 and copy into the memory of an MP3 player such as iPod Touch or Nano. If you do not already have one of these, Apple products are kind of pricey, so I recommend one of the lower priced units, such as Memorex or RCA that typically sell for between $30 and $50 USD. I prefer the units that use a single AAA cell to those with internal rechargeable batteries. That way, when the battery runs down, you just pop in a new AAA cell and go about your business, and your MP3 player is not disabled overnight while its battery recharges, but then you could also do all this with the proper phone as well. Connect the audio output of your phone or MP3 player to the LK-260's Audio In jack and you will have an exact replica (through the LK-260's speakers) of whatever Audacity recorded, and it is ready to go wherever the LK-260 goes. And . . . you can even play along on the LK-260, with the MP3 providing backing tracks.

The breakdown on the Casio Z0X file system for the WK-3X00, and equivalent 61 key CTK keyboards, is as follows: Z00: Rhythm Pattern Files Z01: Registration Files Z02: User Song Files Z03: Drum Sound (with wave sample) Files Z04: Drawbar Organ Tone Files Z05: Tone Files Z06: Tone (with wave sample) Files Z07: DSP Files Z08: Package Files Z09: All User Data Files By "CTK extensions", I assume that you are referring to the Casio "CKF" (Casio Keyboard File) extensions. CKF files are a Casio file distribution system similar to ZIP files. A CKF file could contain a single file, or several files of a single type (ie: Z00) or any number of files of different types (ie: Z00 & Z01 & Z02, etc, etc). The CKF files are loaded into the appropriate version of the IDES Data Management Software, for that particular model of keyboard. The IDES software then extracts the various Z0X files and sorts them into their various categories and downloads them into the proper User Memory areas on the keyboard. The Casio Internet Data Expansion System (IDES) software version to Casio model compatibilities are as follows: IDES-1: CTK-671 * IDES-2: CTK-691 / WK-3000 / WK-3500 IDES-3: CTK-900 / WK-3200 / WK-3700 IDES-4: WK-3300 / WK-3800 / WK-8000 / PX-410R / px-575R * "IDES-1" is my reference. I do not believe Casio ever referred to it as IDES-1. Rather, they just referred to it as the "Internet Data Expansion System for the CTK-671", but being for the oldest model listed above, it was the first version released to the public. The most important item to understand about the various IDES versions is that the higher numbered versions are NOT upgrades or updates to lower numbered (older) versions. Each version is specific to the model(s) for which it is listed. Newer (higher numbered) versions of IDES will not necessarily work properly (or at all) with the older model keyboards. For the WK-3500, you can download the IDES-2 software and user guide from: http://music.casio.com/e/data_ex2/before.html#software2 Scroll down to the Version 2 area near the bottom of the Window. You can also download WK-3500 compatible CKF files from: http://music.casio.com/e/data_ex2/ I can not attest to the compatibility of this software for Windows 8/10, but do have the IDES-4 software for the WK-3800 running on a 32-bit Win-XP (SP2) laptop, a 64-bit Vista desk top (which Casio says is not possible), and a 64-bit Win-7 laptop with no problems. The WK-3X00 models do not provide for the editing of tones or rhythms on the keyboards. The IDES software comes with a stand alone Tone editing module that is fairly full featured, but the equivalent Rhythm module is actually for converting MIDI files to Rhythm files from scratch, rather than editing existing Rhythm files, and is usually more bother than it is worth. Good luck with the WK-3500.

The LK-260 is not equipped with any type of internal user memory for the loading/storage of tone, rhythm, or song (MIDI) files. However, by connecting the LK-260's USB port to a computer's USB port, with a standard USB "printer" cable, it is possible to "play" MIDI song files from the computer to the LK-260, using the LK-260 as a sound module. See Pages EN-33 to 35 of the LK-260 manual. You will also need a DAW software program, such as Anvil Studio, or a MIDI file player, such as VanBasco's Karaoke (MIDI file) Player to transmit the MIDI files from the computer to the LK-260. This MIDI connection is two-way, so you can also use it to play sound software on the computer from the LK-260's keys, thereby providing a means of sound expansion for the LK-260. The LK-260 is "Class Compliant", meaning it will work with the generic drivers that have been built-in to the last several versions of Windows and MAC-OS. Downloading and installation of external drivers will not be necessary. Just Plug-N-Play ! LK-260 Tone Numbers 267 through 394, with a Bank Select of "0" (See the LK-260Tone/Rhythm list Appendix), comprise the Standard GM Tone Set, so any Standard MIDI File (SMF) you would download should use these tones automatically, without the need for "re-voicing" in order for them to sound correctly, but you will be able to use your DAW software to manually re-voice them, as you see fit, to use the LK-260's higher quality "native" (panel) voices. Since the LK-260 is not equipped with a MIDI Song Recorder, you may want to eventually try MIDI recordings of your performances with the DAW software on your computer - that is - generate your own MIDI files. http://anvilstudio.com/ http://www.vanbasco.com/karaokeplayer/

You responded while I was editing my origiinal reply. Please see my edited version, as it explains why what you suggest is not a good idea. I have been in this keyboard business since the mid-80's, and have never seen one designed the way you suggest, so I wish you luck finding one. In these days of fierce competition for market share, manufacturers are not want to incur additional design engineering costs for features that would appeal to only a small percentage of their market.

Jeff You already have half your answer. You already stated it above. Power the keyboard off, then power it on, and immediately save that "power-up" condition as a "neutral" Registration. I recommend saving it as Bank-1/Reg-1. Whenever you need to get back to the "power-up" state, just load Bank-1/Reg-1, then load the next Pre-set or User Tone of your choice. Since this adds an additional step to selecting the next tone, if you find you are having to do this too often for certain tones, during a performance, then it would be better to save those tones, along with other keyboard settings that you want, into Registrations of their own. Imagine you have a strings tone layered over a grand piano tone, and in the middle of that performance, you want to switch the strings tone to a mellow pad, but that switch turns off the layer feature, or you want to switch bass tones, in the left portion of the keyboard, in the middle of a performance, but doing so turns off the split feature. For these reasons, most performing keyboardists do all of their tone switching, during performances, with Registrations. Since you entered this post in the CTK/WK-7XXX sub-forum, I assume you have one of those models, so you have 96 Registrations available to you.

To delete an entire song (all tracks), from the keyboard's internal Song memory (NOT FROM THE SD CARD) go to "Editing a Song", then to "To start a song editor operation", and finally to "To clear a song". This begins at the top of the right hand column on Page E-81 of the manual, and carries over to the top of the left hand column of Page E-82. To delete specific tracks within a song, go to "Editing a track", then to "To start a track editor operation", and finally to "To clear a single track" on Page E-85 of the manual. For some reason. the Casio manual writers chose to use the word "clear" to describe these operations, rather than "delete". To delete a song that has been saved (exported) to the SD Card, see "To delete a file from a memory card" on Page-141.

GMS I do not think that is what Fin is looking for. Just reducing the count-in volume to zero does not remove the count-in bar and its count-in "notes" from the "Repeated" phrase. That bar and its "notes" are still there; They're just silent. Every time the phrase "Repeats", you will have a bar of silence - not what you want, if you are looking for an uninterrupted loop - which is usually what you are looking for, if you are making continuous drum loops.

Fin Thank you for that feedback. I can never stress enough how important this kind of first-hand feedback is to others, like yourself, who are new to either music creation/production, in general, or to Casio's particular flavor of CTK/WK music creation/production. As I said in my previous post, after you have done it a couple of times, it quickly becomes second nature, but you have obviously already gone way beyond that. It is so typically difficult to convince the newcomer to invest the time and effort into something that initially seems to make so little sense and looks so difficult. This kind of feedback gives us something to point to and say "like this". I hope you continue to have success and find enjoyment with your endeavors Again, thank you! Regards, Ted

Fin The count-in is an integral function of the Repeat feature for music lesson training purposes, and can not be turned off. If you record the Repeat feature with either the Song or the Pattern Sequencer the count-in will still be there. There is a significant difference between Repeat (strictly a training feature) and "looping" (a music creation/production feature). On the CTK/WK-7XXX models you either select a preset Rhythm, and use the MIXER function to turn off any "Parts" (bass, melodic chords, etc.) that you do not want, or create your own User Rhythm from scratch, then start the Auto-accompaniment and record that Rhythm as a Song, with the Song Sequencer, for the required number of bars, and you are done. This is pretty much typical of Arranger (One-Man-Bander) keyboards in this price range, if they even offer these features, at all. I admit, this is not quite as straight forward as the looping features on the Yamaha Motif/MO/MO-XF, or Roland Fantom/FA, or equivalent Korg "workstation" units, but then they do not have Auto-accompaniment sections to contend with, and provide for recording from, and they all run in the $1600 to $2000 USD and up range. See the following YouTube tutorial, by Mike Martin, on using the Pattern Sequencer for creating your own User Rhythms (loops) from scratch. He uses the older CTK-7000/WK-7500 models, but the procedure is identical for the newer CTK-7200/WK-7600 units. He does a complete Rhythm with drums, bass, guitar, and pad parts, but you can stop with just drums, or bass, or drums and bass, or whatever you want. The Pattern Sequencer does not require you to create or use "complete" five or six part Rhythms (loops). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XbgkppQ5tg Good luck with this. After you've done it successfully a few times, the procedure gets to be second-nature pretty quickly. Regards, Ted

You are trying to use the Repeat feature as a sequencer looping function, which you can not do, because of that count-in. The Repeat feature is intended to be used as a real-time (live play) training aid, hence the count-in. It can not be defeated. On the CTK/WK-7XXX models, your looping device is the Pattern Sequencer. You save the Patterns (loops) you create as User Rhythms. If you would prefer to work with something with a more linear (song oriented) output, then you need to use Song Sequencer. Say you want a 4 bar phrase, and you want it to repeat three times, for a total of 16 bars. Record your initial 4 bar phrase, then copy it three times and save it as a "song".

OK Riky! Glad you got it all sorted. Enjoy the weekend with that new LK-280! Regards, Ted

See "Navigate Channels" in the right hand column of Page E-60 of the LK-280 manual. These channels determine which MIDI channels your right-hand and left--hand note data have to be on in order to properly light the keys. A mismatch between what is in the MIDI file and what the LK-280 is looking for, and the keys will not light at all or will not light properly. Several of the YouTube tutorials state that these must be Channels 3 and 4, with Channel 3 being the LEFT or BASS CLEF notes and Channel 4 being the RIGHT or TREBLE CLEF notes, but this only applies to the entry level LK models. On the LK-270 and LK-280, and several other mid to high end LK models, you can assign any one of the MIDI Channels (01-16) as the RIGHT (TREBLE CLEF) Navigate Channel, and the keyboard will automatically assign the adjacent lower MIDI Channel as the LEFT (BASS CLEF) Navigate Channel. However, the LK models with "assignable" Navigate Channels are supposed to use the Channel 3-4 arrangement as their defaults, but since you are having problems, it would be a good idea to check this, per Page E-60 of the manual, to ensure a proper match between your MIDI files and the LK-280.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Casio-CTK-811EX-CTK-5000-AC-Adapter-Replacement/302857453504?hash=item4683b5ffc0:g:uSoAAOxy8HlScZ25

Bob See "Retrigger" in the left hand column of Page E-118 of the WK-7600 manual. Try experimenting with turning it Off and On and see if that resolves your problem. You would never know that from that ambiguous paragraph in the manual. It makes things sound like you get the same abrupt change, whether Retrigger is On or Off, but if I remember correctly, when Retrigger is On, you get an abrupt change as soon as there is a pattern change request, but when Retrigger is Off, the current pattern continues through the end of the current beat, or bar, or phrase. Sorry I can not be more specific on this, but I no longer have my WK-7500 to experiment with. Good luck! Regards, Ted

Lest you be tempted to consider the new CT-X models, they only come in 61 key units, so in that respect, alone, the WK-7600 is really the ONLY reasonable step-up from the WK-7500 in this price range, but even with their improved tones and rhythms, they still lack some features of the CTK/WK models, especially the CTK/WK-7XXX models. The CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models had the very unique position of being the only Arranger (one-man-bander) keyboards that also offered the advantage of functioning as nearly full featured non-Arranger pro-workstations, with their 16 track linear song sequencers that would work integrated with or fully separate from the Arranger song recorder track (aka "The System Track"). I know, from a music production standpoint, I was able to do things with my WK-7500 that even the Yamaha folks with their high-end Tyros Arrangers were not able to do, particularly with the 7XXX models with their additional Pattern Sequencers, but I think Yamaha finally caught up with their new $5000-$6000 USD Genos models. My point is, I think you are going to be very hard pressed to beat the CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX units, feature for feature, in this price range. Plus, the newer models do have a couple of important improvements - onboard EQ and sliders with 8 active steps instead of 3 on the 7XXX models. Probably the most I could ask for is a song sequencer with full editing capabilities, but here again, the big boys, that do do that, sell for $1500-$2000 on up. Now, if all you are looking for is a set of 76 black and white plastic keys, that you merely play like a piano, and that give you something that sounds reasonably like a piano, then the whole world is at your doorstep. Good luck with your choice.

You can turn the WK-7500 onboard speakers off through the Function menu. See the bottom of the right hand column on Page E-133 of the manual. The Pedal jack can be assigned to Sustain, Sostenuto, Soft, and Rhythm Start/Stop, but these are all on/off switch functions. It does not accept the output of a continuously variable device like an expression control pedal. That is to say, the Pedal jack can not be used as a volume control connection for the keyboard's internal sound system. You would have to use a completely stand alone device (like a guitar pedal) inserted between the WK-7500's Line Out jacks and whatever audio system you have them connected to, but the Main Volume knob controls the level at the Line Out jacks the same as the onboard speakers. So, if the speakers are stuck at top volume, the level at the Line Out jacks will be also. This could cause overdrive and distortion in whatever audio system you are connecting to, unless you want to invest in a couple of 20db attenuator cables before you hit any expression pedal input. I don't think you could rely on the expression pedal alone to knock the level down and still have a useful variation range left. You can get expression (volume control) pedals in either mono or stereo.

You could have a dirty sliding contact on the volume control potentiometer. Try turning it from one end of its range to the other several dozen times to see if that helps. That is the standard procedure for potentiometers, when the contact wiper arm inside them starts going bad. At any rate, do not attempt spraying any type of electrical contact cleaner around its shaft from outside the case. That will not get the cleaner fluid inside the potentiometer, where it needs to be, and just results in making a horrible mess. For spray cleaning fluid to be useful, you would need to open up the keyboard's case and spray the cleaner fluid directly into the potentiometer. The potentiometer would certainly be replaceable, but would require someone with the proper experience and tools, as well as the proper replacement part (Service Center).

You could have a bad power connector where the power adapter plugs into the keyboard. Try wiggling the power connector where it plugs into the keyboard to see if that has any effect. Also, try installing a set of batteries to see if it will power up more reliably. If it does. a bad power connector in the keyboard is most likely. If batteries do not help, then you most likely have an initemittent bad connection on one of the ribbon cable connectors inside the keyboard. Since it will power up occasionally, I doubt that it is a bad electronic circuit (chip). Normally, when they go bad, they stay bad until they are replaced. If the problem is a bad power connector, you have the option of attempting to repair or replsce it yourself, or sending/taking the keyboard to a Service Center for repair. In that case, a temporary work-around would be to run it on batteries. Normally, I would recommend rechargeable batteries, but for some reason, Casio has been very emphatic about not using rechargeable batteries in their keyboards for the past several years. If the problem turns out to be an intermittent bad internal connection, you would almost certainly need a Service Center, unless you have the experience, test equipment, and tools for dealing with such a problem. Good luck!

There was a member here, several years ago, who converted rhythm files from the CTK-811EX to CKF rhythm files for the newer keyboards. He might be able to advise you on the engineering design of those files for converting them from the newer CKF format to the older CTK-811EX format. His User Name is krisnicholson24, but his last login here was March 10, 2016, about 2 1/2 years ago, so he most likely does not even monitor these forums any more. You could try sending him a private message. If he had his member profile set to forward private messages and notifications to his email, you might be able to contact him that way. Tone files are generally not convertible between different model lines, due to differences in sound engines and wave ROM. There is no way to set up a keyboard so that it eliminates just certain notes, other than physically opening it up and mechanically disabling the key contacts for those notes.

I am sure that a "Host Box" would give you a connection between the two keyboards, but with Sonar (or just about any DAW software as a MIDI channel translator), I was able to funnel all 16 channels, from the Yamaha keyboard, into channel 1 to the LK-1261 by using Omni mode receiving from the Yamaha. So, that way I was sure to get something on the LK-1261, but I was getting a light display from all 5 or 6 different Yamaha Auto-accompaniment tracks simultaneously.making it impossible to tell what was playing on each individual track. So, I could just as well have set Sonar to receive just Channel-10 (the Drum Track) from the Yamaha and route that onto Channel-1 (the Navigate Channel) on the LK-1261 and get a light display for just what was playing on the Drum Track. Then I could have done that with the Bass Track, or any of the other Auto-accompaniment tracks, or any of the melody tracks, but I am not sure you could get that degree of "fine tuning" on the channel to channel translation with just a "Host Box" and no software. I suspect the "Host Box" would provide just a "pipe" between the two keyboards with no channel to channel translation.

Andrew I have no hands-on experience with the MMT-8, so I will leave that for Jokeyman to comment on, but you did ask "what is best" and stated that you want to "make it easy", so I will offer this piece of sage advice for you to, at least, consider. Perhaps it would be "best" and "easiest" for you to begin learning to use the XW-P1's internal 16-track sequencer. Yes. it is a Phrase Sequencer, but it provides a procedure for stringing phrases together to form a complete song. After all, that sequencer is made to go with the XW-P1's sound engine, so they are 100% compatible, which is not completely true with the MMT-8. Besides, you have an up-to-date manual that explains how to use the internal sequencer with the XW-P1's sound engine, while the MMT-8 manual can not tell you anything about the XW-P1's sound engine, and how to use the MMT-8 with it. Just something to think about ! And . . . . That is one less piece of hardware that you would have to haul around with you ! 😉 Regards, Ted

You can assign any one of a number of different drum kits to be played from the keys. When this is done, those symbols tell which drum sound will result, when you press a particular key. A key with a bass drum symbol will give you a bass drum sound, when it is pressed, snare for snare, hi-hat for hi-hat, and so on. BTW It is best to title your post with a brief phrase that gives some indication of the topic, rather than just your User Name or keyboard model number. Some members won't even look at a post with a title like that, so someone with exactly the answer you need may pass your post by.