Drumpads and more via MIDI in

[MidiMatt]

I had still an Akai MPD 232 at home from use directly with computer with some audio software and thought about using it with my brandnew PX-560. Here the outcome for your inspiration...

 

The MPD232 is basically the following:

- 16 drumpads (in 4 different banks switchable)

- 8 switches (in 3 different banks swichtable)

- 8 rotary controllers (in 3 different banks swichtable)

- 8 faders (in 3 different banks swichtable)

- basic sequencer

- it is around 200 USD/EUR

 

 

So what I did I connected the classic Midi out 5 pin of MPD232 to MIDI in of PX-560. Which worked directly fine. Then I thought about how to enable drum functionality. According to PX-560 manual "MIDI channel assignments and diagram". Port A channel 6 is unused. So I chose this channel, but you can certainly also us another one depending on what you want to achieve finally.

 

In MPD232 you have to set the global channel like that for A 6:

 

In the PX-560 mixer you can check whats going on:

 

 

You see in above Mixer screenshot I have selected "Dance Set" Drum set on Port A / Part 06. I wanted to have the drum sets available in PX-560 directly selectable via the MPD232 switches. This was the hardest task to figure out but it is possible in MPD232 configurable like that:

 

You see here on Switch 5 I put Program Bank Change were 29 / 120 means "Dance Set". You will find this numbers for the different sets in PX-560 Manual Appendix page 5 and 6.

 

Now you have to assign notes to your MPD 232 drumpads as you like:

 

This will put on Drumpad 7 the note F2. In PX-560 manual appendix page 7++ you will find the information which drum instrument is on which note.

 

And finally you could control volume of all PX-560 mixer channels (or other functions you are interestes as long as they are a MIDI CC) configure to faders or rotary controllers:

 

Above MPD232 menu shows that Fader 6 will control the volume of Midi channel A6 on PX-560 (via Midi CC 7).

 

If you have all set up correctly you have a real cool drum machine including simple sequencer while using the samples and instruments of PX-560. And you have a lot more controllers for all CC based functions like volume. The only thing I couldn't figure out was to record the incoming midi with PX-560 MIDI recorder. To my current understaning that is not possible due to the current design of Midi signal flow inside PX-560. (Would be a cool function for new firmware if possible at all).

I hope this is useful and an inspiration, for me it is a great and relatively cheap extension of the PX-560.

 

Anyone tried that out before. Other midi input devices you like for connect to PX-560 ?

 

[Brad Saucier]

That's pretty cool.  It's basically adding some of the MZ-X500 pad and slider capabilities to the PX-560.  And you're correct, Casio keyboards cannot record incoming MIDI data.  I'm not aware of any Casio model that can.