Channel 3 won't light up keys LK-280

[PatePlayer]

Why Channel 3 won't light up keys, Only Channel 4 light up the keys and is working, I have tested bunch of .mid files.

Is there some midi files that doens't work with right and left hand setup ? Been fighting with anvil studio changing and modifying channels to 3 and 4 with different mids and no luck.

I made correct manual E-60 page settings, they were default to channel 4 and lower number will act as second hand lights, but channel 3 wont light anything, I checked also those youtube settings videos but still no luck. I have no idea what to try next, weird that it doesn't work, been trying everything for hours, maybe should check alternative program to anvil studio any suggestions for that ? 

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8 hours ago, PatePlayer said:

Is there some midi files that doens't work with right and left hand setup ?

 

As a matter of fact, very, very, very few (practically none) MIDI files downloaded from the internet come with their note data arranged to properly light the keys on the Casio LK keyboards.  Again, very, very few of these MIDI files were created with the LK keyboards in mind.  There is absolutely no standardization on this.  That is all part of the challenge and the fun (?).  Most MIDI files come with both the right and left hand note data on the SAME track, and you have to separate them.  To begin with, you need to understand the difference between "tracks" and "channels" and the relationship between them.  Casio tends to discount this, and thereby, creates a fair amount of confusion in this area.  "Tracks" exist WITHIN devices, hardware or software (sequencers, sound modules, etc).  "Channels" exist BETWEEN devices.  That is to say, CHANNELS carrier midi data BETWEEN the TRACKS of one device and the TRACKS of another device.  Sequencers like Anvil Studio normally default to a one for one track/channel setup, but that can be changed.  Any track can be set to feed to or from any channel.  So you need to check Anvil Studio to ensure that Track 3 is set to transmit on Channel 3, and that Track 4 is set to transmit on Channel 4.  If both Tracks 3 and 4 are set to transmit on Channel 4, it will cause the problem you are seeing.  Also verify that the right and left hand note data is actually on separate tracks, and not on the same track.  If on separate tracks, check the actual note data to ensure that it is not the same (duplicate) data.  Also check the keyboard and verify that Channel 4 is, in fact, the Navigate Channel.

[PatePlayer]

Hello, thanks for nice reply!

Didn't get it to work yet, is here the settings correct in below screenshot ? 

Yup Navigate channel was 4. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong

 

 

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Anvil Studio appears to be set up correctly, but I do see one glaring anomoly.  If Track 3 is supposed to be left hand piano and Track 4 is supposed to be right hand piano, then the "Instrument" for both of those tracks should be an Acoustic Grand, but something in that MIDI file is assigning Vibraphone to Track 4, which should be the right hand piano.  That tells me that you do not really have a left/right piano work, or at least have not properly selected the left/right piano parts.  If Track 3 is actually the right hand piano part, even though it is on the left note track, the pitch of those notes will light the keys in the upper range of the keyboard.  If Track 4 is a right hand vibraphone part, the pitch of those notes will also light the keys in the upper range of the keyboard, making it appear that you do not have a Track 3 part, when in fact you do, but because it is on the wrong track, those key lights are being masked by the Track 4 (vibraphone) notes.  The only way the keyboard can tell left notes from right notes is by their pitch.  If Track 3 has notes that go above Middle C, the keyboard does not refuse to light the keys for those notes.  In other words, if you put only right hand notes on both tracks, the results will look like Track 3 is not working, when in fact, it is.

 

I think, at this point, you need to try to find a MIDI file where you are more certain that you actually have just left and right hand piano parts on separate tracks.

 

Again, whoever created the MIDI file you have, assigned a vibraphone to the data you have on Track 4.  That looks very suspicious.

 

Here is a link to a selection of MIDI files, in the downloads section of this forum, that supposedly work with Chordana Play, which is Casio's iOS and Android app that does in software on a tablet or phone what the LK-280 does in hardware.  You might want to give them a try, at least long enough to confirm that you and your LK-280 are working properly.  Would hate to see you bash your head against your LK-280 over a bad MIDI file. 😉

 

I just now discovered these files, and have not had time to test them, so I can not attest to their accuracy or workability, on the LK-280, at least.

 

https://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/1128-midi-files-for-chordana-play/

 

Good luck!  We will be here if you need more.

 

- T -

 

 

 

[PatePlayer]

Hello, thanks for reply.

I actually modified that midi myself, renamed tracks and channels but it seems that I can't modify those manually. You already explained how those work and reason why those wont work when manually just changing tracks and channels, I'm still novice so i dont fully get those  Maybe there is some tricks how to make those midis working manually but I dont get it yet.

 

Thanks for those files, I'll try those link midi files tomorrow, so I can actually play something and time won't go only to these settings

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Pate

 

It does not appear that you will be able to "use" the files in the link above in the sense that you and I have been discussing.  The several that I downloaded were very nice MIDI files.  I thought, perhaps those labeled "Traditional" may have been taken from Casio's Lessons Song Book, and would be similar to the LK-280's built-in songs, but not so.  The several that I downloaded were fully orchestrated with 8 or 10 tracks (instruments), and "played" beautifully from Cakewalk into my Roland Sound Canvass, but none had specific right and left hand "piano" tracks.  As a matter of fact, of the ones I downloaded, NONE had a "piano" track (sound) of any kind.  So. "play" on your LK-280?  Yes, I am certain that all of them will "play" wonderfully on your LK-280, if you want your LK-280 to be a nice simple MIDI file player, but you had in mind to use it as a learning aid, so in that sense, will these files "work" with the LK-280's Learning features?  NO! NOT A ONE!  You will need to look elsewhere for what you seek, and at the moment, I do not have an answer for you.  I guess, for now, its back to ad hoc downloading from the web, at large, and hoping, by chance, to hit a useable  one now and then.

 

Sorry!

 

- T -

 

[PatePlayer]

Hello, - T - Thanks for your time and reply! 

 

Yup, I'm able to swap and change Channel 4 for any track in midi and keyboard plays the lights correctly. For example if there's like 10 tracks in midi I can use easily whatever track just putting it to Channel 4.. for example I just swap Channel 10 for Channel 4 on Anvil software and it works nicely, but most confusing part is that Channel 3 doesn't do anything but I'll need to keep looking around if I figure out how to achieve this, maybe I try some other software than Anvil Software and check if that helps anything with Channel 3 settings,.

I'm just playing for fun these mids and follow along with lights, but I also need to start learning how to play piano without lights. 

 

Channel 4 (one channel/hand) is pretty much enough, but I was just troubleshooting so I can pull everything out from this my new LK-280

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Do the keys in the left hand part of the keyboard light when you play the built-in songs?  If not, then see Step 3 in the right hand column of Page E-31 of the manual for turning the different parts (left/right) on and off.  If you ensure that the left part or both parts are on, and you still do not get lighted keys in the left part of the keyboard when you play the built-in songs, then your keyboard is defective, and depending on how long you have had it, may qualify to be returned for a replacement.  I apologize.  I should have asked this two days ago, but I got too wrapped up in assuming you just had a bad MIDI file.  I did not think the LK-280 stored the Part On/Off setting when it was powered off/on, so I will be very surprised if this is the case, but then it does store the Navigate Channel setting.

 

- T -

 

 

 

[PatePlayer]

Hello, Yes they do light up on some of the samples.. but yea, I can play any channel very easily just modifying channel to 4, but channel 3 I can't get working no matter what I do. I'll raise my hands up before I get pissed off and quit playing entirely I'll try synthesia PC application and forget this build in SD-Card feature for midi lesson playback which was pretty much the buying decision for this keyboard so I dont have to watch PC Screen meanwhile playing for synthesia app, but seems I can't escape these monitors

Thanks a lot for helping! I'm pretty much done with this fight