- T -

Gillang You can do what you want to do. You are just looking in the wrong place. As you have already discovered, vibrato is not an option in the DSP settings. As you have also noted, vibrato is applied at the TONE level, rather than at the DSP level. Instructions for editing tones begins on Page 44 of the manual, but bare with me here, and we'll get you started. Power the WK-7600 ON and select the tone to which you want to permanently apply vibrato. Press the TONE EDITOR button. This takes you to Page 1 of 8 of the TONE EDITOR. Press the RIGHT ARROW ( > ) button once. Press the DOWN ARROW ( V ) button to highlight "Vib. Type" and use the + / - buttons or the data wheel to select the type of vibrato you want. Press the RIGHT ARROW ( > ) button once again and set the "Vib. Depth". Press the DOWN ARROW ( V ) button and set the "Vib. Rate" Press the RIGHT ARROW ( > ) button once again and set the "Vib. Delay" Go to Step 6 in the right hand column of Page 46 in the manual to name your creation and save it as a User Tone. Press EXIT to return to the home screen. You now have your tone, not only with permanent vibrato, but with permanent vibrato with the parameters of your choice. Now. let's say in a given song, you want to switch between three different tones and be able to toggle the vibrato on and off on each of them during live play. I will use Registration Bank 1 as an example. Put non-vibrato Tone-1 in Reg 1-1 and vibrato Tone-1 in Reg 1-2. Put non-vibrato Tone-2 in Reg 1-3 and vibrato Tone-2 in Reg 1-4. Put non-vibrato Tone-3 in Reg 1-5 and vibrato Tone-3 in Reg 1-6. You now have three different tones for which you can toggle the vibrato on or off at the touch of a single button. Go ahead - splurge ! ! ! You've got a WK-7600, so you have 100 User Tone slots and 96 Registrations, so I don't think you will run out too soon. I realize you were looking for a global vibrato that you could toggle on/off for any tone, but I am afraid that this is about as close as you are going to get, unless someone has figured out a way to "latch" the MOD button, and if they have, without using Duck Tape or a five pound paper weight, I hope they pop in here and enlighten us all. Best of luck ! Regards, Ted

Brad That's how it is with the Yamaha arrangers, as well. They allow naming the reg banks, but not the individual registrations.

Gnusmas If you do an Intro or an Ending on a minor chord and get the same basic melodic pattern as with a major chord, only with minor chord notes, then NO, there are not separate Intros or Endings for minor chords, but if you get an entirely different melodic pattern, then YES, there are separate Intros and Endings for minor chords. On MOTL and TOTL Yamaha Arrangers, many of the rhythms (styles) have completely different melodic patterns for Intros/Endings for major/minor chords. This is done, not by the main part of the rhythm (style), but rather by an integral sub-program within the style known as the CASM. So far, I have not found any rhythms on the CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX units that you could consider having different Intros/Endings for minor chords. Yes, they play minor chord notes instead of major chord notes, but the basic melodic pattern is the same. I do not know if these units have an equivalent to the Yamaha CASM or even have the capabilities of different Intros/Endings for minor chords, but then, I have not checked all of the rhythm patterns. That would be a nice exercise for whiling away an otherwise boring rainy Sunday afternoon.

Gary (happyrat1), et al The following file types (filename extensions) are used by the CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX Arranger Workstations: AC7 User Rhythm TN7 User Tone DB7 User Drawbar Organ Tone DS7 User DSP settings MPS User Presets for pre-defined chord progressions CMS Songs (Song Sequencer) RM7 Registrations AL7 All User Data (back-ups) On the older CTK/WK (3XXX / etc) units, the equivalent files all carried a .CKF Casio generic file distribution extension, but were automatically extracted and converted to the following specific file types when loaded into User Memory: Z00 User Rhythm Z01 Registration Z02 Song Z03 Drum Sound with wave sample Z04 Drawbar Organ Tone Z05 Tone Z06 Tone with wave sample Z07 DSP Settings Z08 Package file (any/all of the above) Z09 All of the above (backups) Once the above ZXX files had been extracted from the original .CKF files, they would also be accepted directly into the keyboard's User Memory, on subsequent loads, without need for conversion. The only files from the older models that are compatible with the newer units are the User Rhythm files. The newer units will accept either .CKF or .Z00 User Rhythm files, but they are automatically converted to the new AC7 format as they are loaded into User Memory and can be brought back up to a computer's hard drive as AC7 files. They can even convert/load .CKF or .Z00 Rhythm files to AC7 format directly from an SD Card into the keyboard's User Memory, circumventing the need for a computer and the Data Manager software, but in this case, loading can only be done one file at a time, where as the Data Manager software allows for batch loading of multiple files.

Silvano Something to look forward to (hope for ?), I guess ! ! !

No ! The Casio CTK/WK models do not provide for the naming of registrations. In my entire career of working with keyboards since the late 1980's, I have had only one that allowed naming registrations. That is why all of my lead sheets and fake books have little registration notes in the upper right corners. Many (most ?) have address stickers posted over the original notes to accomodate changes through the years. Erasures tend to make holes in the pages after a while. Good luck, and enjoy that WK-7600 ! Regards, Ted

I have several different tone/sound modules, and on every one, I am able to set up the module to ignore incoming bank or program change messages while still being able to make those changes manually on the module's front panel. You might want to check your module's manual to see if you can adjust its MIDI setup to solve your problem from the other end. That way it would not matter what mode the PX-5S is in. Good luck ! Regards, Ted

Muuguu When you say "keyboards", I assume that you mean individual "keys", and that the problem is that some keys produce loud sounds while other keys produce little or no sound. If this is occurring on only one or a few User Tones that you have created or edited, then check the "Touch Sense" setting of those Tones in the section titled "Creating a User Tone" beginning on Page 46 of the manual. If it is occurring on all Tones, including the factory presets, then check the global "Touch" setting as described on Page 96 of the manual. As a last resort, perform an " Initialize - All " as described on Page 101. If none of these correct the problem, then it is most likely an internal hardware problem that will require sending the keyboard to a service center for diagnostics and repair. Use caution with this, as the cost of shipping and repair can quickly approach the cost of a replacement keyboard. It would be best to try to get an estimate first. Good luck ! Regards, Ted

Here is a link to a similar problem with an XW-P1 a couple of years ago that did turn out to be a defective USB port, so it is possible: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/4411-problem-usb-connection/?hl=%2Bproblem+%2Bconnection

As for the rhythms, you would need to find someone with a CTK-7300 who would be willing to export its rhythm presets and upload them to somewhere that would allow you to download them and import them into your CTK-7200. However, any such rhythms that used a CTK-7300 tone that is not present on the CTK-7200 would require editing, once imported to the CTK-7200, to use a suitable substitute tone for that particular rhythm part. This could result in many "transferred" rhythms that just do not sound "quite right", and may not sound at all like the original. Tones are a different matter, entirely. While you could export tone presets from the CTK-7300 and import them into the CTK-7200, all you would actually be exporting and importing are the tone wave sample shaping parameters. The actual wave samples, themselves, that component that gives the tone its true identity, can not be exported or imported, as neither the CTK-7300 nor the CTK-7200 have the proper sampling capabilities and also do not allow direct user access to the wave samples. Without the raw wave sample to build upon, creating a CTK-7300 tone on the CTK-7200, which would sound anything like the original CTK-7300 tone, would be next to impossible.

Even though the CTK-1100 display screen shows an animated metronome icon, it does not have an audible metronome feature. About the closest you can come is to place the power switch in the "NORMAL" position to allow simultaneous right and left (piano style) play while keeping the Auto-accompaniment chords turned off, then selecting an appropriate rhythm, pressing the "START" button, and playing along with the resulting drum and bass pattern. Refer to Page A-5, near the back of the Owner's Manual, for a complete list of available rhythm patterns, some of which may not be shown on the keyboard's front panel, but I think Gary's reply above is probably the best solution. Ted

OK ! Thanks ! I think most XW-PD1 owners, who have not been through this yet, will be interested in how difficult the process is and how satisfied you are with the results. Ted

Aaron You need the XW-PD1 Data Editor software from the Casio Music website. If you do not already have it, you can download it from: http://support.casio.com/en/support/download.php?cid=008&pid=1098 Both PC and MAC versions are available there. Be sure to also download the Data Editor User's Guide while you are there, as it contains the important instructions you will need. The Data Editor allows you to edit the various XW-PD1 parameters with a computer and acts as the file transfer utility between the computer and the XW-PD1 that you are looking for, but be aware that this will not be a simple matter of just using the Data Editor program to load and play your MIDI files. You will use the Data Editor to download your MIDI data to the XW-PD1 and convert it to XW-PD1 Phrase Data format on a channel-by-channel basis. In other words, the XW-PD1 will not just simply load and play your MIDI files as-is. Best of luck ! Regards, Ted

Since you are layering two separate tones, there is no way you can save the data for those two tones into a single User Tone memory slot, but you can set up the layers that you want, including setting their relative volumes with the MIXER feature, and save that to a Registration. See Page 63 of the manual for instructions on saving and recalling Registrations.

Gary You can temporarily make the changes you want, in real-time, right on the keyboard, with the MIXER function. Select and load the MIDI file you want to play with the CARD function. Once the file is loaded, press the MIXER button. You will see the first MIXER page, which allows you to select the TONES (voices) assigned to each one of the 16 tracks. Press the DOWN ARROW ( V ) button once to go to the second MIXER page, which allows you to turn the PARTS (tracks) on or off or to adjust their volume levels. When you first come into this page, PART (on/off) is selected, as indicated by the large blue dot to the left of the word "Part" and the heavy blue brackets around the "on/off" data field. Note that Track 1 has a small blue triangle below the number "1", indicating that that track is selected. At this point, you will need to press the START/STOP button to begin play, so that you can tell which tracks have active data on them. Use the LEFT ( < ) and RIGHT ( > ) ARROW buttons to select the track(s) you want to change, and then use the NO ( - ) button to turn them off or the YES ( + ) button to turn them back on. If you want to change the volume level of a particular PART (track), press the DOWN ARROW ( V ) button again. Note that "Volume" is now selected, as indicated by the large blue dot to its left. Select the desired PART (track) with the LEFT/RIGHT ( < / > ) ARROW buttons, then use the DATA WHEEL to adjust the volume level. Once you have made your changes, you can stop and restart play from the beginning and play along with your changes. The drawback to this is that the CTK/WK MIDI file player does not have the ability to save changes to Standard MIDI Files (SMF) with a ".mid" file extension, and the SONG SEQUENCER can only load/edit/play Casio proprietary "song" files. So, you will need to keep a good set of notes on what changes were made to each file, so that you can quickly set them up again, prior to play, with the MIXER in the future. If you want to make permanent changes, you will need to load the files into a computer based sequencer (DAW), as mentioned above by Paul, and "save" your changes to the file in that manner. Best of luck ! Regards, Ted

Matt Since Daniel never got back to us, we have no way of knowing if he ever resolved his issue. I strongly suspect that he did not. I just went through the manual again and can find no procedure for changing the default power-up tone. The fact that your CTK-5200 is doing the same as Daniel's leads me to believe that this is probably not a "hardware defect" but more likely an annoying engineering design flaw or oversight. I hope you enjoy your CTK-5200 regardless of this annoyance. Regards, Ted

AS Antonio has already stated, you can download and install "tone edits" that have been submitted by other users, or you can try your own edits, but all these do are to change the various parameters that shape the raw wave samples. The raw wave samples themselves are stored in Read Only Memory (ROM) and can not be replaced. With that in mind, here are two links to other posts on this forum on this subject. One is a user submitted tone, and the other is suggested parameter settings for doing your own edits: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/605-piano-bright/ http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/6555-my-first-thoughts-on-wk7600plus-grand-piano-setting-need-some-help/#entry19260 If you had the newer CTK-7200, I would suggest adjusting the EQ, as that is what most keyboard piano sounds need more than anything, but our CTK-7000's do not have that feature. I have had some success, on other keyboards, layering two different piano tones together and adjusting their individual levels to get an overall tone that is a little closer to what I am looking for. I recently saw a discussion over on the PSR-Tutorial Forum, for the Yamaha Arrangers, about layering an acoustic piano tone with a tined electric piano tone to get a fuller acoustic piano sound, but I have not tried it yet on the Casio boards. When Casio first released the WK-3XXX line of keyboards, they posted various aftermarket tones and rhythms on the Casio International and Casio Europe websites for download. Ironically, those rhythms will also work in the new CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX units, but not the tones, due to the differences in sound engines. To date, Casio has only posted a 50 aftermarket rhythm package, but no tones for the new line of boards, so I am not sure what you will find in the way of available tones, other than here on this forum. If you do find any downloads, you download them to your PC with your web browser, and then download them to the keyboard with the Data Manager software. You can also copy them to the MUSICDAT folder on your SD Card on your PC, then move that to the keyboard and load them into User Tone memory directly on the keyboard with the "LOAD" command. Good luck ! Regards, Ted

Hey Johnathon ! Glad you got all that sorted out. Now you can just get down to enjoying that 575. I think you are probably correct that most or all of the older boards operate this way. While the newer boards do allow recording of splits and layers, they are not without similar frustrating limitations when it comes to recording mix adjustments to the various parts of the auto-accompaniment rhythms. That is why, just as with the WK-3800, I continue to do my initial take on the keyboard, save it to an SMF on the SD Card, port it to the PC, and do my final mix (mastering) there with Sonar. That saves me a lot of creative time fighting the idiosyncrasies of whatever keyboard I happen to be using at the time. Regards, Ted

Sorry, Johnathon ! I didn't mean to ignore or abandon you on this. The WK-3300 and your PX-575 are the same as my WK-3800. I have been following this since your initial post on it, and have been poring over my PDF copy of the manual, but that's no good. I need to actually get my hands on the keyboard. Unfortunately, it is out on loan to my sis. I've got to run down home (about 70 miles) tomorrow afternoon to take care of some legal stuff. While I am there, I will stop by and "borrow" my WK-3800 back for a few days. So, give me a couple of days, and I will see if I can come up with anything for you. This much I can say now. I never used its Song Recorder (You certainly could not call it a sequencer.) after the first day I had it and found out that you could not record splits or layers. If you had split or layer turned on, they shut off when you went into record mode. As far as I was concerned, if my "performance" included a layered right hand tone, and the keyboard would not record the layered tone, then the keyboard was not capable of recording my "performance" - PERIOD ! ! ! So, I just used it as a real-time "live play only" instrument. I also seem to remember, on the several recordings I did try, that things I would set up prior to recording just disappeared during the recording. I never pursued this, as the split/layer issue was a deal killer for me when it came to recording (but I dearly love almost everything else about it - even the massive physical presence it exudes). I never understood the rationale in all of this. For as sophisticated as the WK-3800 is, the song recorder seems overly rudimentary. The keyboard's hardware and operating system are certainly capable, and deserving, of much more. I think this is a result of the designers' lack of vision, or rather, their myopic vision of "home hobbyist" Anyway, give me a day or so, and I will get back to you. Regards, Ted

Paul Yes ! You are correct about your bottleneck. You must use the Casio Data Manager to send files to the keyboard, as it knows where to store data on the keyboard while your Chrome-OS does not. I am really surprised that your Chrome-OS can even "see" the keyboard without the Data Manager software. Anyway, you are kind of at a dead end in that respect, but all is not lost. There is a workaround - IF your Chromebook has an SD Card slot. IF it does, format an SD Card (up to 32 Gb) in the keyboard. That will create a MUSICDAT folder on the Card. Now move the Card to the Chromebook, and copy your AC7 Rhythm and MIDI files into the MUSICDAT folder on the Card with the Chrome-OS. Move the Card back to the keyboard. You should now be able to play the MIDI files with the keyboard's MIDI File Player. You should also be able to copy the AC7 Rhythm files (one at a time) from the Card into the keyboard's internal USER RHYTHM memory with the keyboard's operating system. Another possibility, if you can find a Chrome-App MIDI file player or sequencer, you could use it to play the MIDI files on the Chromebook and send the data to the keyboard, using it simply as a tone module. In this case, the file remains on the Chromebook and just sends the song-play data to the keyboard while the song is playing. Hope this helps. Hang in there. This stuff all starts to make sense, after a while. Good luck ! Regards, Ted

Paul If you loaded the AC7 files directly to the CTK-7200's internal memory, then they should be in the User Rhythm slots, but Data Manager sometimes has buffer overflow problems with transfer of large numbers of files, and data just plain gets lost. Try loading just one at a time to see if that works. I usually limit my batch transfers to about 15 files at a time to avoid problems. I am not certain what you mean by "midi" files. You can load .MID files (Type 0 or Type 1) ONLY to the MUSICDAT folder on the SD Card with the computer's file system manager. You can not load them directly to the CTK-7200's internal song memory with the Casio Data Manager software program. The only files that you can load directly to the CTK-7200's internal song memory are Casio proprietary Song Sequencer files in the .CMS format. MID files in the MUSICDAT folder on the SD Card are played back directly from the Card by the keyboard's MIDI File Player, which is an entirely separate function from the Song Sequencer. Song Sequencer (.CMS) files loaded directly to the Song Sequencer's internal memory are accessed by pressing the Song Sequencer button and selecting the file you want to play/edit. When you say you did a "batch" load, if you mean you did a Data Manager "Package Transfer" and now you can not find anything where it should be, then I would say that there is either something wrong with the "Package" you created or something went wrong during the transfer process and nothing really got "loaded" as you thought. Here again, try loading a few of the same items one at a time to ensure that they will load that way. If they won't, check the USB communications between your computer and the keyboard. If they do, then try a smaller transfer than you did originally. Because of the Data Manager problem I mentioned earlier, I usually avoid the Package Transfer method. I just use Data Manager to send 10 or 15 rhythms at a time, and then 10 or 15 tones at a time, and so forth, until I have everything loaded the way I want. Regards, Ted

Fairmont If you are running a Windows PC and have not already done so, go to the Casio International website (archives) and download the IDES-2 software for the WK-3000: http://ftp.casio.co.jp/pub/emi/music_casio/en/wk3-20en.exe while you are there, be sure to get the IDES-2 User Manual: http://ftp.casio.co.jp/pub/emi/music_casio/en/wk3man-20en.zip The IDES software is primarily for transferring User Tone, Rhythm, etc files between your PC and the WK-3000, but when you run the program, in the upper left of its window - under the word FILE - are three little boxes. Click on the left-most of these boxes, and you will get a Tone Editor that I think will help you. It is laid out in the typical 16-part multi-timbral MIDI file format for editing 4 tones (tracks/channels) at a time, but you can use it just as easily to edit a single tone. Just bring up the desired tone in slot one, edit it to your liking, and save it to one of the 700 series User Tones. Pay particular attention to the bottom button in the tone slot - the one marked "Synth Edit". Click on that and I think you will see the parameters you are looking for, and that I don't think you have direct access to on the keyboard. You might want to try experimenting with the DSP settings, as well. Don't forget to save your work to a User Tone. Best of luck ! Regards, Ted

Johnathon I think I have probably answered most of your questions in various replies to other members' questions over the past couple of years, but when I tried to round them up to post links to them for you, I could not find all of them, and what I did find was a little too fragmented to make much sense. So, maybe it is time for me to include all of the information here, in a single coherent post, for future reference. As much as Casio may wish that these older models would go away, I think they are still going to be with us for a while. The WK-3XXX models are still quite popular, as are some of the equivalent CTK models, and many who sold, or otherwise disposed of, their old model when they got one of the new ones, now wish they had kept the old unit to use along with the new, as they have now forever lost some favorite tones and rhythms. A favorite feature that they lost was the abbreviated "sampling" capabilities of some of the older models. It was just the thing for adding some "spice" to an otherwise bland performance. Perhaps some day we shall have a 76 key XW-G1 with auto-accompaniment rhythms. So, let's start with the IDES software. There were four versions of IDES software, and each version was specific to the keyboard model(s) that it was designed for. The reason for this specificity was because the IDES software was the interface between the User Memory of its keyboard and the .ckf files that you have asked about. IDES-1 and IDES-2 were for the CTK-691 and WK-3000/3500. IDES-3 was for the CTK-900 and WK-3200/3700. IDES-4 was for the WK-3300/3800/8000, as well as the PX-410R and PX-575R. If you have tried using IDES with the PX-575R, and it did not work, you were probably not using IDES-4, or you were just trying to download a particular file to it that would not work with it. The CTK-671 used an entirely separate "CFK Manager" software program for similar purposes. The IDES software, itself, was strictly for data transfers between a PC and the keyboard, but each version came with a Tone Parameter Editor module, a Wave Converter module, and of particular interest here, a Rhythm Converter module for converting Standard MIDI Files (SMF) and CPT rhythm patterns from older Casio models to .ckf rhythm files. The .ckf (for Casio Keyboard File) files were a, sort of, "one size fits all" file distribution format and were, to Casio keyboards, what ZIP files are to PC's. A ckf file might be a single tone, or a single rhythm, or single Drawbar Organ voice, or a single DSP setting, etc, or it could contain several tones or several rhythms, etc. or a it could contain a complete mix of any number of the foregoing. It was the job of the IDES software to open the ckf file and sort the various components into the appropriate types for download into the appropriate sections of User Memory on the keyboard according to the following scheme: Z00 - Rhythm Files Z01 - Registration Files Z02 - Song Files Z03 - Drum Sound Files (with Waves) Z04 - Drawbar Organ Tone Files Z05 - Tone Files Z06 - Tone Files (with Waves) Z07 - DSP Setting Files Z08 - Package Files (Song files with associated Tones and Rhythms) Z09 - All User Data Files (Backup Files) Once a ckf file is downloaded to the keyboard's User Memory with the IDES software, the ckf format is lost. If that data is later brought back up to the PC with the IDES software, it comes back in the associated Z0x format. This also applies to the newer CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models. If a ckf rhythm is downloaded to User Memory on one of the newer models, and then later brought back up to the PC, it comes back in the new AC7 rhythm format. As I mentioned earlier, the ckf format was just a generic "distribution" format used by the Casio download websites. As far as inter-model file compatibility, I have never found a way of telling which ckf files were made for which specific model of keyboard, other than Casio stating as much on their download websites, and any time you try to use a file on one model that was made for a different model, you can run into problems. A Tone file made for one model will not sound correctly, or will not work at all, on a different model, if the target model is not equipped with the same wave sample as the original keyboard. Likewise, a rhythm file from one model will not sound correctly if the target model does not contain the same rhythm tones as the original model, but it has been my experience that the WK-3XXX and related CTK models that we are discussing here, being so similar in design, can use each others files with little problem. As far as rhythm files, this has even carried over to the newer CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models, but with the redesign of their sound engines, all files other than rhythm files are incompatible. For the WK-3XXX model line, most files are forward compatible, but since newer releases usually have expanded capabilities that require more user memory than older models, you can run into memory size compatibility problems when trying to use files from newer models on older models. What I normally tell anyone asking about this, it is always worth a try. You are not going to damage anything. A file from one model may or may not work on another model. All you have to lose is a little time. At very worst, you may have to reboot the keyboard if a file confuses the target keyboard's operating system, but all of these units have operating systems in Read Only Memory (ROM), so you are not going to hurt anything. I hope this answers most of your questions and encourages you to keep experimenting with that 575R. With that, I've got a hockey game to go watch. Regards and good luck ! Ted

jeremy I assume that you have already discovered that the front panel MAIN VOLUME knob on the CTK/WK-6XXX/7XXX models do not send MIDI CC-7 volume control messages. On the CTK/WK-7XXX models, the MASTER (right-most) slider can be used, in DRAWBAR ORGAN MODE, to send these messages, but as the 6XXX models lack the sliders, this is of no help to you. Also, the SUSTAIN/ASSIGNABLE jack on the rear panel is for an ON/OFF type of switch, not a continuously variable "expression" type of pedal, so no help there either. I am thinking that your only alternative is to use a USB or MIDI (depending on your computer hardware set-up) connected controller pedal that could be programmed to send CC-7 volume control messages: http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FCB1010.aspx at about $150 USD and includes the pedals or, $49 USD plus the price of the actual pedal: http://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php This assumes that MainStage would accept MIDI messages, simultaneously, from two different sources, and merge and respond to them. (It does not appear to.) If not, you would need to use some type of separate MIDI merger box (eg. midisolutions.com) or software ahead of MainStage to merge the MIDI signals from the WK-6600 and the pedal unit. Your dilemma, in that case, would be in mixing and matching the various 5-pin-DIN MIDI connected devices to/with any USB-MIDI connected devices to match the rest of your hardware. You would really need to stay aware of this, as you make your choices. Your WK-6600 is USB connected, and I assume your computer is, as well. The Behringer unit will act as a MIDI merger unit, as well as a volume controller pedal, but it is 5-pin-DIN connected, so would be a bad choice for your set up. The AudioFront unit is USB connected, so would be a good choice, but does not act as a merger, and the MIDI Solutions merger box, like the Behringer, is 5-pin-DIN connected, so would be a bad choice. Due to the complexities of the USB-MIDI protocol compared to the old 5-pin-DIN RS232C protocol, splitting or merging and converting between the protocols requires a fair amount of intelligence - either a computer or an intelligent stand-alone converter box like ICONNECTMIDI. So, this one item could be a major sticking point for you. You would certainly want to ask a lot of questions before investing any money in anything. Good luck ! Regards, Ted

johnny Casio never wrote Windows Vista 64-bit drivers for the WK-3800 either, so some nice, enterprising individual published instructions for kludging an Edirol (Roland) sound module 64-bit driver so that it would work with the WK-3800 under Vista-64. That got me by just fine for years, until the Win-7 64 bit drivers came out. Contrary to Casio's claims, those work just fine with the WK-3800 under Vista-64, which just goes to show Casio engineering's continued lack of understanding of Vista. At any rate, if you have not already done so, you might want to also post your question on the MAC-OS forums to see if someone there has come up with a similar work-around for the newer versions of MAC-OS, but your only alternative may be to try to pick up an old MAC-Book, of the correct generation, off of e-bay or Craigs list, etc. Best of luck. I understand how frustrated you must be. Regards, Ted