SonnyDaye

Thanks for that info, Brad! 'Preciate it!

Installed firmware v1.11. Have a couple of questions: First, relating to backing up Stage Settings using the Data Editor: -When I selected all of the Stage Settings that are in my PX, in the right panel in the Editor, when I dragged them all to the LEFT panel, some didn't show up! Any ideas what's up with that? -In Mike's video on installing new firmware, he says to make sure you back up all Stage Settings etc. INDIVIDUALLY, NOT as ALLDATA! Luckily, I did BOTH! -Per Mike's instructions, after loading the update.bin file into the PX, I INITIALIZED. Just out of curiosity, but BEFORE I initialized, I tried out some of the Stage Settings with the firmware updated. They all seemed to be intact and in the correct locations. Now, AFTER I initialized, all of the Stage Settings I created were gone! So, not too surprisingly, initializing brought the PX back to its original settings. So, luckily I had an ALLDATA backup which I loaded. There were all my created Stage Settings back in place. BUT, I noticed that a BUNCH of them (NOT ALL!) had the KNOBS lacking any assignment...a few had one knob with a changed assignment. I'm pretty sure all my Stage Settings had the knobs set for the default EQ settings, but not positive....I never actually checked out the knob settings (I know I never CHANGED any of them from what was there to start with). So, I'm wondering if these changes were a result of my update process. -I'd like to know if I will run into any problems down the line if I leave everything as it now is (having loaded the ALLDATA file instead of each Stage Setting individually as instructed by Mike). THAT is my main question and concern! -On the Casio Support site, there is no list of what was included in the update - I think it said something to the effect of "minor improvements". Anyone know what the update includes? I'm wondering if it was worth updating considering what I'm going through with the above described dilemmas. Thanks for any help and suggestions with this.

Thanks Jaspeter! I DID have the SysSetting screen on the PX at the time. I guess that would be considered an edit screen. So, I exited that screen, and while I was at it I re-started the PX. Not sure which fixed it, but that did it. I suspect it was getting out of the SysSetting per your suggestion. Thanks so much! Now to proceed to back up all my Stage Settings etc. so I can update the firmware to v1.11. I wasn't aware that there was a slight update from v1.10 (issued back in Sept.). Just stumbled on it today. Heads up to anyone else who missed it.

In the Data Editor, I selected all of the Stage Settings listed of what is in my PX (right panel in the editor) and tried to drag them all at once over to the left panel "PC User Data Files". I get the message "Bulk Dump Is Disabled". OK....I have no idea why......or how to ENABLE it. But, here's the strange part - when I tried to drag them separately, I get the SAME message! I looked everywhere to find a setting to change, but found no way to correct the situation. Will be very thankful to get the solution to this bizarre behavior. Thanks!

I started this topic in January. I had no idea that there would someday be almost 7,000 views (more than twice as many views as any of the highest viewed topics)! I hope Mike and Casio appreciate the topic and find all the suggestions useful to create the perfect keyboard that the keyboard community is looking for. To show their appreciation, they should name the 2014 version of the PX-5S (PX-6S?) after me. But....I'll settle for just seeing a lot of the suggestions implimented in the next model (or even better, in a firmware update) and I'll just pretend the "S" in the model number stands for Sonny, and I'll remain anonymous! (-: Great job guys! Keep up the good work! Hope my topic has been helpful to you. Sonny Daye

Live, on the fly, volume control of 4 independent zones......and a thousand other things!

Thanks for the tips Jimmy! I'm out of town this week, looking forward to trying your suggestions when I get back. I've never created a hex layer....hope I can figure it out. Thanks again!

Hi guys, I'm trying to remove (or at least lessen) the percussive attack of the Vibes patch. The factory patch seems to emulate vibes being played with a hard mallet (almost a xylophone sound) and I'd like it to sound like it's played with a soft mallet. I've messed around with changing various parameters but can't seem to get the sound I'm looking for. Any tips appreciated! Thanks! Sonny

Thanks Ralf for once again coming to my rescue! I'm out of town this week but can't wait to experiment with this when I get back. And, yes, I also will need to enable the sustain pedal (again with apologies to real organ players). Once I get this done, I will then apply the rotary effect to the edited sounds, hopefully with no problems. Thanks again!

Speaking of Organs....can someone tell me if there's a way to change any of the organ patches to become velocity sensitive. There ARE a couple of organs in the keyboard that are programmed to be velocity sensitive - I think they're the GM organs, I had this discussion with Mike way back before the PX-5S shipped and was actually still in the final stages of development. But, I don't remember and can't find what Mike said about the possibility of enabling velocity sensitivity in all of the organ patches. Real organ players please forgive me, I'm a pianist and not an organ player, so my volume chops are in my fingers, NOT in a foot pedal. Thanks! Hoping perhaps someone can upload some nice B3 organs with velocity sensitivity turned on!

Cool! Thanks Ralf! I've noticed the Event Filter, but it never occurred to me that it would include a Volume filter - probably because I never realized there would be a Volume command in a midi file. Midi has always been my nemesis. Thanks!

That's what I was thinking. I have no idea....don't remember where I got it. I'm wondering if I can find the original midi file and convert only the 3rd and 4th bar, would that get around the problem. Anyone know if a volume command is always placed at the beginning of the "song"?UPDATE! Problem solved. You were right Mike! I tried 4 different Midi Editors before I could find an Event Editor that would work for me and I deleted all the Volume commands. Thanks!

Mike, Just when I thought I was "there", I just ran into another obstacle to overcome. I'm creating 2 and 4 bar simple drum patterns and I have "Loop" turned on. I just noticed that even though it is looped, as soon as it gets past the end of the 2 or 4 bar phrase it does loop and plays from the beginning, BUT.....the volume goes back to (I'm assuming) the volume the Phrase was set at when I saved the Stage Setting. This is a major obstacle since the whole idea of the setup is to be able to control the volume of the drum pattern (by Slder 1) IN REAL TIME! It's of no use if the volume is going to revert to another level every 2 or 4 bars. And....I CAN'T guess ahead of time (when I'm saving the Stage Setting) what the relative volume of drums I'll need at any particular moment on a live gig (because of acoustics, crowd noise etc.). Is there a way to solve this other than creating a 30 minute phrase? Hmmm....now I just discovered that this behavior ONLY occurs with ONE of my Phrases. A couple others stay at whatever volume I set it for at any given moment. Does this clue help figure out what it is about that phrase that causes that behavior?

Ralf: I haven't tried to solve the connection problem because everything I need to do, so far, can be done without being connected. Mike: Thank you! I now successfully have a Stage Setup with the drum pattern completely controllable (tempo and volume). Loving my PX-5S!! Now to find different drum pattern midi files that are SIMPLE, BASIC repetetive patterns. Seems like most out there are programmed either by non-musicians, show-offs or drummers who never learned the art of simplicity. All I want is bass drum on 1 & 3 and hi-hat on 2 & 4 (boom-chick) along with the appropriate drums and cymbals depending on the type of rhythm. Maybe some day I'll master how to easily create my own. Sonny

It SOUNDED like it was going to be easy, but I followed your instructions and then had to wing it to carry out the rest of the process. The first thing I find is that playing any keys on the PX plays the various drum sound across the board (which I DON'T want to do) - so, I mute zone 1 - that fixes it BUT, now slider one does NOT control the volume of the drum pattern anymore like it did BEFORE I muted the zone. I'm probably missing something simple but I can't figure out just what. How ever it can be programmed to control the volume of the drum volume in real time I am willing to do! Thanks for any help with this.

Thanks Mike!! Just what I was hoping for....a simple solution. You always come through!

Ralf, Thank you for taking the time to share your discovery of this process. I'm sure it will be useful for others to utilize. However, to be honest, it really is too complex a process for me. I figure there must be an easier, shorter way to have a drum phrase be part of a stage setting....even if it involves giving up one of the Zones. I'm hoping I'm right and Mike will tell us the secret. If not, your process should wind up in the manual as a work-around. We'll see. Thanks again! Sonny

That's funny Ralf.....I JUST sat down at my iPad to ask the SAME question!I don't understand why the drum phrase would HAVE to be on Zone 1. In any case, what I want to be able to do is have a drum pattern available to play in ANY Stage Setting. Am I correct that one of the zones would have to be dedicated to the phrase in EACH Stage Setting? Also, I can't figure out HOW to get a PHRASE saved in one of the zones in a Stage Setting.

Ralf, thank you for your extremely detailed explanation. I think Mike should get you a job at Casio! (-: And, Mike, thank you for your tip.....I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Hi Ralf, When I was finally able to convert the midi file in the editor by changing the midi channel number, the editor STILL said "communication error" and "disconnected"! But, as Mike told us, the PX does NOT have to be connected to the computer to convert midi files. I'm just wondering if there is some OTHER process that I DO want to use the editor for, how DO I get connected? I won't worry about that for now. And you and I both are looking for sources of simple various drum patterns like you find on other Casio keyboards in their Rhythm sections. Hope we find them. Thanks! Sonny

Thanks guys for the input, and thanks Mike for straightening out the mis-information. I'm still at a dead end though. When I drag the midi file from the left to the right window to convert it in the Casio Data Editor, I get this message: Phrase Convert Error! It doesn't show up in the right hand window. Any idea what could be causing this? Thanks! EDIT: WHOOPS...I JUST FIGURED IT OUT!! In the editor, on the bottom, the channel was set to 1 (the default I guess). I took a chance and changed that to channel 10 since the midi file is a drum pattern. Sure enough, then it got converted. Now to check it out in the PX. I'll be back if I have any problems with it. Thanks! Sonny

Thanks Dreamer! The computer doesn't seem to recognize the PX. In the editor, on the Preferences page, at the very top of the page, it says "disconnected". Next to the Auto Search box (which I've checked and unchecked multiple times) it says IN RED "Communication Error". I'm connected via USB.....I tried two different cords. When I plug in the cord, I do hear the Windows "blip" sound you hear when you plug in or out a device. I've also tried every way I know of to search for the device (I'm on Windows 7, 64 bit). On the PX, in Sys Setting, I chose Midi in USB Out Select. I'm baffled....any ideas?

I found a drum track I want to use. So now I want to load the midi file into the editor. I don't see where to load it so I can convert it to a phrase. I DID try dragging it into the page that says "PC Midi Data Files", but it doesn't seem to be able to move over to the right hand column called "PC Phrase Data Files". I don't know if I loaded it into the correct place in the editor. I'm lost....Are there any instructions posted anywhere to describe the process? Also, does the computer HAVE to be hooked up to the PX? I was planning on doing the conversion in the editor on the computer and then transferring the converted file to the PX using a USB stick. Thanks for any help getting through this.!

Thanks Dreamer! But, I'm sure there must be a fairly easy way to download some - wherever they are - and import them into the PX and trigger easily. First, have to find short, simple patterns somewhere. I have run into some that are too "busy" and complex (like the type of drummers that I would never hire. :-)

I'm sure it's probably a simple process, but I'm looking to download and install 2 simple basic drum patterns to my PX-5S. Just a simple "boom chick" fox trot, swing 4 bar pattern and also a simple basic Bossa Nova pattern. No fill-ins, just a simple, repeating pattern. I don't know how to create these or (preferably) where to find these and don't know how to load them permanently into the PX. Once this is done, I'm sure (hopefully) that I'll be able to figure out how to use these patterns and quickly choose a tempo in a live situation. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!!