PX-560 Rhythms

[Chandler Holloway]

Hi PX-560 users, I just released an expansion pack of 40+ .AC7 Rhythms specifically programmed for the CT-X700 and X800 over in the download section (link). Although these were programmed using the X700's voice assignments, they are still compatible with the PX-560M because they share the same format so they're still a nice bonus for y'all. As these are all based off of pre-set CT-X3000 and X5000 Rhythms, they will still function perfectly as auto-accompaniment, but slight differences in the way the voice assignments are organized between the different models might result in some weird instrument selections in a few rare cases. Fortunately, the PX-560 has an onboard Rhythm Editor that will allow you to quickly change the tones assigned to each Rhythm track to adapt these Rhythms to the PX-560 with minimal effort. Enjoy!

 

I am planning on creating another expansion pack based off of Rhythms from the MZ-X and PX-560, this time intended for the CT-X3000 and X5000. I don't actually own a PX-560M and have only played one a handful of times while making training visits for Casio, so I'm not too familiar with the selection of pre-set Rhythms on the 560. I plan on choosing roughly 25 PX-560 Rhythms to convert for the expansion pack, so if you have any favorites, please let me know! Your suggestions will save me a lot of time narrowing the list down, and are greatly appreciated.

 

Even better, if you could export your suggested Rhythms (save a copy of the Pre-set to an empty User Rhythm slot -> save it to your flash drive) and then attach the .AC7 file(s) to your response, that would be a HUGE help to me. I will take care of the voice assignment conversion from there, and make sure to shout you out in the Download description for helping me get a hold of these files. This isn't required though, mostly I just want to know which Rhythms are popular among the userbase. Thanks!

[Jokeyman123]

Chandler, consider this a joint effort-because my joints are pretty stiff now from sitting at the computer, this is what I've come up with. A caveat-this ckf I am uploading here is only for personal and/or educational use. Based upon valuable input from other forum members I feel it necessary to state this clearly. This ckf is derived from another company's equipment, and I will take no responsibility if you decide to use this in violation of copyright laws- selling this or misrepresenting this file for any commercial use-I'm pretty sure no-one will spin their next big money-maker from this file but.... I'm not a lawyer, I don't anyone to get in trouble.

funko 1.ckf

I've only tried this on my PX560-it has an intro, 2 variations and 2 fills, which were completely derived from another piece of equipment whose name begins with R. Say no more, say no more! And there is a Casio music ckf player software program to preview this with beofre you load into whatever Casio you have. I did not attempt to add any musical content, I am primarily motivated to show what can be done, with a little (well maybe more than a little) work. And this particular style may not be to everybody's-or anybody's-taste. I tried for something that had a few distinct "hooks" in it-this reminds me of styles prevalent in the 80s and was created by "R" musicians, not me. That being said-there is a blank 4-beat measure for the intro with a brass instrument hook, the 2 variations use a comp guitar and an electric piano sound. On the PX560, I can massage the sounds to whatever sounds best to me, but when I created this ckf, I used basic "GM" type sounds for everything, and it came pretty close to the sounds I set originally when I converted.

 

Here is the workflow.  I used Chandler's guide plus prior experience to try to get this done as effortlessly as possible. I never know when I'll be called back to the mothership so I have to get-r-done when I can.

 

The trickiest part was recording all the original tracks from the (another hint-has MC in its name) R thing in one pass, which has 7 tracks and a rhythm track, all of which do not conform to any GM or other midi standard-meaning except for the drums, none of the other tracks were where these needed to be, and the instrument assignments weren't either. I did not figure out how to sync the DAWs with the "R" although I'm sure it can be done-i tried to line up the recording as best I could manually, which presented a bit of trouble. Would be better to sync one to the other for perfect timing. To do all this I needed 2 software programs to start.  After studying through my assortment of software DAWs-the easiest one I found that did this successfully was-ashamed to admit it-XG Works by grunt-Yamaha! Then, since I have almost never used that and didn't want to spend another week learning how switch tracks, sounds, cut and paste, transpose etc. before being taken to the white room-it is a deep program-I used what I know best-the bizarre, ugly, crude but surprisingly powerful Jazz midi sequencer. I initially recorded in XG Works because I could record up to 16 tracks in one pass with default midi channel assignements- good start, saved it as a .mid file-XG can save in a few formats inclduing type 0 and 1 midi. Then I opened it in the Jazz sequencer, switched all the midi channel and instrument assignments to conform to the auto-arranger channels for the PX560, very important, I think but the ckf rhythm converter might be re-assigning all this anyway, I couldn't really tell. Then I cut and pasted the original arrangement-in order to delete a track or 2 for the variations-this entire arrragement is actually one loop only 8 measures long with 6 original tracks and I left out one guitar track since the ckf rhythm converter can only convert 5 as far as I can tell. This loop has no intro, variations or fills as separate from the basic which is

 

track 10-drums (I used standard set)

track 11-bass-finger bass

track 12-electric piano

track 13-ensemble brass

track 14-jazz guitar

 

Now I re-saved this as a mid file-typre 1 by the way, which is for multitrack assignments. When i tried recording all this in one pass in one track (midi type zero) that's exactly what it did-all the parts played in one midi channel when played back, so oops.

 

Finally, for those of you who haven't slipped into a coma or decided to watch re-runs of Gomer Pyle, USMC (not that there's anything wrong with that) here is the final solution as per Sherlock Casio Holmes. 

 

if you haven't already, get IDES version 4.0 off the Internet, I can upload it here if anyone asks, along with the manual which is vital if you don't want to be in the looney bin by tonight.....As Chandler has said, part of that editor for older Casiosos and their users like me is the one and only Casio official midi to ckf converter-MZ-X users correct me if I'm wrong but your rhythm files are using a different file convention to save and share files no?  Open that-there are 3 tabs in the opening window-now load the mid file you have created into that. without going into all the details, and Chandler has and it is in the manual, you xcan sett all the rest of what you need in the converter-which measure each section of your rhythm will start with, how many measures it will be, the tempo, and several other settings including instrument assignments. One part of this is still stumping me-my original tempo off the "R" is set as 95 bpm. the ckf convertor doesn't seem to be synchronizing with the same tempo setting-could be Jazzware or XGWorks resolution (ticks) is throwing this off. Easy to adjust tempo in the PX560 but that was the original tempo-is not supposed to be very fast, just beyond a ballad tempo to sound the way it is originally. I have to set the rhythm converter to 80 bpm to get it around 95 on my PX. And don't forget-whatever settings you change in the rhythm converter-click update or ot reverts to whatever was there when you imported your mid file.

 

I have several other rhythms I might change over and upload if the Casio or "R" police don't send me a "cease and desist" order, and if anyone is interested. This took alot of work to nail even this crude example-but I wanted to show it can be done with equipment that has no ability to save or load their rhythm files-easy for me to just play these other modules live connected to my Casios, but I though it might be helpful for others here just for giggles to be able to listen and practice with. I'm not sure how this will sound or work in other Casios that can load ckf files. Adds a new dimension I think to what can be done-across platforms-and again as long as this is only for educational or personal use, I think it is OK.  After all, I am using equipment here that many would consider "obsolete"-I am re-purposing old technology to incorporate into the new.  Thanks to anyone who had the patience to look this over, gives me something to do when I fall out of my rocking chair.......only kidding, I don't have a rocking chair.. Now back to my happy place...if i can remember where it is.

[Jokeyman123]

OK, I can't lie. I have another .ckf rhythm file here which I've created using an obsolete piece of gear that has no auto-arrangement function for live playing and needed several edits to work.  It works on my PX560 and I am assuming will play reasonably close to my original arrangement on other Casios depending upon each individual instrument. It is a kind of shuffle rock beat. Might need some mods by anybody who tries it.

 

The process was simple. I recorded from my module into XGWorks-my only software that easily will record multiple midi tracks in respective channels in one pass. Saved as a midi type 1 (multitrack) file, opened with jazzware, reset midi channels to channel 10 for drums, 11 for bass and 12 and 13 for brass and guitar tracks. Reset the balances for all tracks-tried to tone down the drums, bring up the bass a bit and lowered the brass and saved my settings again as a .mid file. I didn't need to set markers, I let the Casio ckf converter do that by establishing all parts using that converter settings again-part of IDES 4.0. As a final run-through I monitored it using the CKF rhythm player program-Easy to find, google it and install. This program is also very useful because after you have the ckf-it will play each part on your computer and you can make final changes if needed. The tempo is till tricking me up. My original on this was 120bpm which needed to be changed in the final process to 110 in the ckf player which lets you do that as well as allowing for any final mods you need to make. I also use the simplest GM tone-mapped sounds to start with, which even older Casios will probably recognize. Here it is...

shuffrok.ckf  

And repeating my earlier "caveat". I am posting this for personal or educational use only. I will not take responsibility if you use this piece for something not legally allowed, no Youtube cute dog or cat videos well maybe those.  Just saying...I don't want strange-looking people with long Casio trench-coats coming to my house asking for Jokeyman!     

OK, 2.  This is a bit of a nod to Robert Palmer, not stealing just a pumped up Britrock.ckf

[Fabiofop]

Casio px 560