cpcohen

That's right.

Audio output from the "enhanced" MIDI file (with slowly-changing pedal effect) -- https://soundcloud.com/cpcohen1945/px-350-external-midi-graduated

And in the other direction: If you send the PX-350 MIDI data that has different values for the "pedal depth" (that is, different "values" in "Pedal Down" (parameter 64) MIDI events), the _sound engine_ interprets those values nicely: . . . As the "value" increases, the decay time gets longer, as though the dampers on an acoustic piano were being slowly lifted off the strings. So whomever designed the PX-350 skimped on the damper-pedal mechanism (it's either "up" / "half-pedal" / "down"). Too bad! . Charles PS -- I'm trying to figure out a way to share the MIDI file I've used for testing, and the resulting audio output. Any ideas? PPS -- try this link for the MIDI file: http://www.adrive.com/public/GXVbwW.html

I'm brand new at this, so you may want to confirm it: I just used "Reaper" to record the MIDI output from my PX-350. I was playing C D E F G F E D C sequences, and _slowly_ depressing the sustain pedal toward the bottom. Reaper picked up: . . . Half-pedal ( param 64, value 72 ) . . . Full-down pedal (param 64, value 127 ) . . . half-pedal (on the way up) (param 64, value 72) . . . Pedal off ( param 64, value 0 ) So the answer to your question is: . . . No, the pedal doesn't send intermediate "half-pedal" values. Now that I have that part working, my next step is to feed the PX-350 "graduated" half-pedal values, and see if the _sound engine_ changes its damping, depending on how "deep" the pedal is pressed. This stuff is unbelievably fiddly !!!! . Charles

I've just succeeded in getting a "proof of concept" for using PC-based software to serve as a 'drum machine' for the PX-350. Start to finish was about 2 hours, including blind alleys. My PX-350 is happily playing a samba pattern which was _not_ in the built-in rhythms. And I can play piano over it! The software was "seq24", available for free download here: . . . http://www.filter24.org/seq24/ I'm using Windows 7, and ignored all the "linux" information -- there's a "....setup.exe" file that installs cleanly under Windows 7. . . . Look in the "C:\Program Files\seq24" folder for a .TXT file -- it has very basic documentation. . . . Google "seq24 tutorial" for several demos and tutorials, including some screen-capture videos. This is a basic MIDI sequencer -- it records from the keyboard, lets you drop notes onto a "player piano" display, and lets you set up loops. You'll need either a MIDI connection between computer and PX-350, or the USB equivalent. I used an M-Audio "Uno" MIDI-to-USB converter: . . . the MIDI cables plug into the PX-350; . . . the USB cable plugs into the PC. i'm not going to try and write a tutorial to seq24 -- it's been done several times. With the PX-350 set to use GM Tone "Standard Set 1" (number 129), you can set seq24 to use the PX-350's MIDI connection for input and output, and compose a drumkit pattern. "Looping" is automatic! Start playing that pattern in seq24 (with MIDI output to the PX-350), and you can hear it on the PX-350. You can then change the PX-350 tone to "Grand Piano Concert", and make sure that the Function/ MIDI/ "Local Control" value is "ON". And behold: . . . the pattern keeps playing on the PX-350 drumkit tone, and . . . You can play the PX-350 keyboard as a piano, over that backing track. I don't fully understand how all of this works -- but it does. I leave "real-time performance" issues to those with more experience. . Charles

<<< The drum track accompaniments are great but limited in terms of ride cymbals, accents etc. <<< The built-in rhythms can be edited in a limited way -- you can change instruments, change volume, or mute tracks. But (as far as I can see) you can't _create_ a new rhythm. For that, you need a) the sequencer on the PX-5S (just announced at NAMM), or a computer feeding MIDI signals to the PX-350, using a drum-kit "tone" to play them. The PX-350 isn't a synth, or a workstation. As I am finding out . . . . Charles

Dattaa -- I'm on PianoWorld, but I missed that! Those features are clearly worth the cost of the 3-pedal option, and whatever trouble it takes to make it work with an X-type stage stand. It's more sophisticated than I was expecting. Thank you! I _did_ try putting an M-Audio "Expression" pedal -- continuously-variable -- into the "Sustain" pedal jack on the PX-350 rear panel. All positions are interpreted as "damper off". . Charles

I don't think that what you want fits into the marketing strategies of the big manufacturers. They seem to market to a "piano market" and a "synth market", as though the two were separate. And maybe they are, for most buyers. The Nord Stage 2 probably fulfils all your wishes -- except for price! It really seems to be a "do-anything" keyboard. The same for the Korg Kronos. . Charles

If you've waited this long, wait until after the NAMM conference. It would be a likely time, and place, for Casio to release a PX-5 to go along with the PX-350 / PX-150. NAMM conference dates -- Jan 24 - Jan 27, 2013 . Charles

This sounds like it's a bug in the PX-3 internal software. The workaround: . . . Power-off / power-on after each recorded song is played. I wish I had a better idea. . Charles

Grrrrr -- The manual for the Casio PX-150 [!!!] has a discussion of the "Grand Piano" tones, on page E-9. My ears weren't deceiving me -- the "Classic" has different "resonance" settings than the other Grand Piano tones. RTFM -- but it should be the manual for the keyboard I'm using, eh? . Charles

Still playing . . . a) I was impressed with the power of the "Rock Piano" tone. And then I realized: . . . This tone has been compressed! It's very tough to get a "pp" sound out, it goes to "mf" or "f" with any reasonable velocity. I assumed that the keyboard velocity mapping was the same for all tones -- but it seems that it isn't. Some of the organ tones (e.g., GM Reed Organ) work similarly. They're not "velocity-insensitive", but the velocity-to-loudness map is very different from the piano sounds. . . . It would be nice if _I_ could specify that velocity map, as I can on my ancient Korg X5D ! Several of the "GrPno. . . " tones seem to be related to "GrPnoConcert": They're not just EQ'd differently -- . . . They have identical tone qualities (for a given pitch), but exhibit those qualities at different keyboard velocities. So it seems that the GrPnoConcert samples have been used to make them, but the velocity layering -- the choice of which _original sample_ is used for each keyboard velocity, and how loud it sounds -- has been changed. I suppose I'm trying to reverse-engineer the PX-350's sound generator by listening to it. Any comments are welcome . . . . Charles

After further listening: . . . I'll close the thread. Every other piano voice sounds as I want it to. I'll forget that "GrPnoClassic" exists, and ignore its problem. . Charles

The GrPnoClassic tone, playing middle C repeatedly, with pedal on (damper off) . -- Oops -- ran out of file space. The "500K bytes" limit applies to the _total length_ of all the files I upload. I'll see what happens if I compress the samples into MPG files. And I'll see if I can _remove_ the file I just uploaded . . . I will work on this . . . As I've been listening to the samples, and doing some Fourier analysis, I'm changing my opinion. I still think the "Classic" sound is muddier than the "Concert" sound. But I'm not sure that it's muddier than some real pianos that I've heard. And "Classic" plays at a much lower level than "Concert", so comparisons are difficult. Maybe my ears _are_ playing tricks. . Charles

Thanks for the help! I'm uploading these as WAV files (uncompressed), so one at a time, and short samples. First, the GrPnoConcert tone, playing middle C repeatedly, with pedal on (damper off).GrPnoConcert C pedal.wav

First post -- I picked up a PX-350 yesterday, and spent the afternoon exploring it. I'm impressed. Everything is great, except for one problem involving "damper-off" sympathatic string resonance. The PX-350 makes a soft sound when the damper pedal is pressed -- not a problem, so do acoustic pianos. With the damper off, sounding a note gives the note, and a "wash" of sound from the simulated open strings. Not a problem, it's supposed to be like that. And it sounds fine with most of the piano voices -- the "wash" stays in the background. BUT: With piano voice number 4 -- "GrPnoClassic" -- the "wash" includes a lot of non-harmonic content, and it becomes dissonant quickly. The effect isn't obvious playing one note, but a repeated major-chord arpeggio will make it audible. . . . Has anyone else had this problem? Or are my ears playing tricks on me? I see that this forum supports "attachments". When I figure out how to work the USB-drive recorder, I'll post an example. Thanks -- . Charles / Richmond, BC, Canada

Dattaa -- I've been reading the manual. It only talks about _half-pedal_ operations with the Casio 3-pedal board. The M-Audio SP-2 pedal may be restricted to being a "damper pedal" / "soft pedal" / "sostenuto pedal". I have one, and I'm going to see if it's a simple on/off switch, or if it's continuously variable. . Charles PS -- I'm new here, just thinking about getting a PX-350.