CTK-4400 and WK-245 Sample Compatibility

[Chandler Holloway]

Lately I've been wanting put together some retro Casio sample packs for the community alongside my ongoing work on archiving Casio rhythms. I personally own two of Casio's more recent sampler synths, the XW-PD1 and the XW-G1, so I'm pretty well equipped for such projects so far, but I'm thinking I still need one more piece to cover all the bases.

 

The MZ-X500 and the WK-245 are the only sampling keyboards that are still in the active line-up according to the catalog on the main Casio Music Gear site, so releasing ready-made packs in native formats for these models is a major priority. Fortunately for the MZ-X500, I can create samples using the Sample Manager software on my computer without needing to own the keyboard itself (same for the G1 and PD1). I would still need to ask an MZ-X owner to test the samples I prepare using the software before I would feel comfortable releasing them in the finished pack, but converting the samples to the MZ-X format isn't an issue.

 

The WK-245 has no such sample converting software as far as I'm aware. It does have an accompanying Data Manager software with basic librarian features (which is how WK-245 users will be able to import these finished samples), but it seems that there is no dedicated software that permits external sample editing for the WK-245. The only way to create samples in the WK-245's native format is to have one yourself and record directly into the mic, so I need to track one down soon.

 

Looking through the manual for the WK-245, I immediately noticed that the manual is also shared with two other models; the CTK-4400 and the WK-240. Closer inspection of the specs sheets for these models seems to indicate that they are nearly exactly the same, although the CTK-4400 is a 61 key workstation as opposed to the others which are 76 key. So that raises the question; are the samples between all three of these models compatible with one another, or not?

 

The manual indicates that all three models store sample files with the same extension: melodic tone samples are in .TW7 format and drum kit tone samples are in .DW7 format. This is a good sign, but as recent experiments with the CT-X800 and CDP-S350 have shown me, ostensibly similar models can still have incompatible data despite using shared file formats. If anyone has firsthand knowledge of the compatibility, that'd be great, but I'm sure we could rustle up some test samples from owners of these specific models here on the forums if nobody's got a definitive answer.

 

The reason I ask is that I noticed one very intriguing difference between the 4400 and the 245; the 4400 samples from the (stereo) 1/8" line input whereas the WK-245 only samples from the (mono) 1/4" mic input. See the excerpt from the manual below:

 

 

Knowing how Casio usually handles sampling on these entry level keyboards, I doubt that the CTK-4400 actually works with "true" stereo samples even if the sampling input is stereo. If the 4400 and the 245 have fully cross-compatible user sample files, this is even less likely to be true.

 

I imagine that it's handled in the same way the XW-PD1 converts stereo audio into a mono sample. When you convert a stereo wav file in the Trackformer Studio software or you sample directly via the stereo Line input on the XW-PD1, the stereo signal is processed and mixed down to a single mono sample file when it's stored in the onboard memory.

 

However, from my testing with sampling on the XW-PD1, it seems as though it is still advantageous to sample a stereo sound through the line input rather than the mono mic input. Recording a stereo grand piano lick through the stereo inputs embeds information from both channels into the processed mono sample, so even if you're not getting true stereo reproduction of the original sound, the mono sample is still "richer" and sounds closer to the original. When sampling the same exact signal through the mic input, the initial recording only contained the left channel of the grand piano lick and the resulting sample didn't sound as full as a result.

 

I also tried recording the same lick through the mic input with the grand piano sound outputting in mono. This made the finished sample sound a bit better (certainly more balanced), but the stereo version recorded through the line input was still the closest to the sound of the original.

 

Since the sample packs I have in mind right now will be retro Casio drum sounds and CZ series synth leads, both of which are line level sources, it might be better (and certainly cheaper) for me to get a CTK-4400 so I can sample through the line input. However, this would only be a reasonable solution if I was sure that the samples I would make on a CTK-4400 would be usable on the WK-245. It's most important that the WK-245 is supported since it's still in the active line-up, so if they aren't compatible, I'll just get a 245 instead and make do with sampling through the line input.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!