PX5S as MIDI Controller for VR09

[JimPlaysKeys]

I’m trying to set up my PX5S as a MIDI Controller for my Roland VR09.  All I want to do is create a stage setting that will receive a certain sound from the Roland.  For example, if I choose stage setting 0-1, I’d like it to choose the grand piano sound from the Roland while silencing the internal sound from the PX.  I’ve been told that the VR09 doesn’t “play well with others” when it comes to MIDI connectivity.  However, I’m determined to get it to work.  Even if I can’t get the Casio to select the sound on the Roland, I still want to be able to select the sound manually on the Roland but still play it on the Casio.

 

I think (not 100% sure)  I’ve figured out how to set the Roland up to send the MIDI data, but how do I set up the Casio to receive the MIDI data from the Roland?

 

I’m not well versed in MIDI.  The last time I used MIDI was back in the 80s when all you had to do was plug in the cable to the IN and OUT ports on the 2 keyboards and started playing.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

Thanks in advance!

[Joe Muscara]

Wait, it's early, so forgive me if I'm misunderstanding you.

 

Why do you want the Casio to get MIDI data from the Roland? You need the Casio to send MIDI to the Roland, first to send the program change to get it to play the grand piano sound (but as a backup, you can do that manually), second to send the notes to the Roland that you play on the Casio. That all sounds like OUT from the Casio going IN to the Roland.

 

The first thing I would do is create the Stage Setting on the Casio that doesn't play internal sounds and only sends the MIDI externally. Then I'd see if that plays the Roland properly. If it does, then you can see if you can send a program change to the Roland with that Stage Setting.

[JimPlaysKeys]

No, you’re not misunderstanding me, I’m just not explaining it properly.  What you said is correct.  I want the Casio to send the message to the Roland to change the sound, but I want to play the sound on the Casio.  My confusion is with setting the send/receive channels on each keyboard so they communicate with each other.  As I said in my post, I think I have that part figured out on the Roland.  I have to figure out what to do with that on the Casio now.  

[Brad Saucier]

Well, by default, the zones in stage settings send out on MIDI channels 1-4.  Each zone has three on/off switches for MIDI output, one for the output to internal sound generator, one for USB MIDI out and one for DIN MIDI out.  It's highly configurable.  You can have one zone for internal sounds and another for external, all in one stage setting.  Stage setting zone MIDI settings are found under edit>stage setting>zone>MIDI>.... Gen Out is what you want.  Turn that off.

[JimPlaysKeys]

OK.  So far I've figured out how to turn off the internal sound on the Casio and how to set up the Roland for MIDI In.  On the Roland you basically set up an upper/lower split where the upper tone is played on the Roland and the lower tone is played on the Casio, which is exactly what I want.  However, I cannot get the lower sound to transmit to the Casio.  When I play the keys no sound is generated.  If I turn Gen Out back on I can hear the internal sound on the PX5, but when I turn it off I'm not getting the tone from the Roland.  Do I need to change a channel number or something to get it to work?  Or do I have to do something with the Program Change option?  It's all Greek to me!  At one point I did something on the Casio so that whenever I chose a stage setting (any one of them) it automatically changed the sound on the Roland but then I couldn't get back to ANY of my stage settings!  I got that fixed, although I have NO IDEA what I did to fix it.   So now I'm back to where I can't get the Casio to send anything to the Roland.  Again, this is my first try at MIDI and it's really confusing to me.  ARGH!!!

[Choppin]

Hi JPK,

 

Do you want to use the internal sound generator of the PX-5s at all?

 

Do you want to switch stage settings on the PX-5s by pressing buttons on the Roland or do you want to press buttons on the PX-5s to change the Roland sounds?

[JimPlaysKeys]

Choppin,

 

I don’t want to use the internal sound on the PX5S.  I want to press buttons on the PX5S to change sounds on the Roland.  However, I’ve found out through other threads that the VR09 doesn’t allow program changes from a controller keyboard.  It’s really not a major issue for me. I can change the sounds on the Roland.  

[anotherscott]

On 4/23/2019 at 9:55 PM, JimPlaysKeys said:

On the Roland you basically set up an upper/lower split where the upper tone is played on the Roland and the lower tone is played on the Casio, which is exactly what I want.  However, I cannot get the lower sound to transmit to the Casio.

First, just to help you understand the concept, your last sentence is kind of backwards. What you're trying to do is not get the lower Roland sound to transmit to the Casio but rather get the Casio to transmit MIDI data to the Roland (to trigger the Roland's Lower sound from the Casio's keys). MIDI does not send sound anywhere, it sends only MIDI data. And the fact that are unclear about which keyboard is transmitting and which is receiving means the first thing to check is whether you have the two boards cabled correctly: You need to go from the Casio MIDI OUT (to transmit) to the Roland MIDI IN (to receive).

 

Second, to get the Casio to trigger the Roland's Lower sound, you can ether (a) change the quirky Roland's "MIDI IN" mode to KEYBOARD (in which case the Casio will play the Roland's lower sound whenever it transmits MIDI on any channel), OR (b) change the Roland's "MIDI IN" mode to MODE 2 (in which case the Casio will play the Roland's lower sound whenever it transmits MIDI on channel 3).

 

If you haven't done it, download the separate downloadable MIDI Implementation document for the Roland. It covers all the different options.

[JimPlaysKeys]

Yeah, my terminology is mixed up but I knew what I wanted to happen.  I did figure how to set up both keyboards to get it to work the way I wanted for the most part.  Thanks.