Changing channels MIDI on this keyboard WK6500 CASIO

[SebaWolf]

Hello Community,

 

I recently started to plug the USB cable on my Casio WK 6500 and everything was working flawlessly with Purity, Hypersonic and different others VSTS.

The only problem that I am facing now is that when I select 3 different instruments on different channels I cannot find a quick way to switch the channel in between to avoid loss time when playing a song or performing/playing live.

 

I know that you need to go to Function /Midi and from there you select the channel to change the instrument that the keyboard is sending the information, but my question is if there is any other method quickly to change Midi channels on the keyboard? 

 

Because I played in the past a M -audio 88 keys and had a functionality that you hit advance and a note and it will change the channel directly. I would love to know if anyone face this issue and find a workaround or not.

 

Thank you very much for any help!

 

[- T -]

See Pages E-62 and E-63 of the WK-6500 manual for the creation and use of Registrations.  A Registration is a snap-shot of most of the current settings of the keyboard, at the time the Registration is created (saved).  Later, all of those settings can be recalled qucikly at the touch of a single button (touch of two buttons,  if you are also changing Registration Banks.  Also, see Column 2 in the Parameter List on Page E-127.  Every item on that list, with a circle in Column 2, is saved to a Registration, when it is created.   The WK-6500 offers 8 Banks of 4 Registrations  per Bank for a total of 32 Registrations online in keyboard memory for easy access, but it will also save "Sets" of 32 Registrations to an SD Memory Card, making the overall number of Registration "Sets" that you can "load" into the WK-6500's internal memory, essentially limitless.  See Page 102 through 108 for use of an SD Memory Card.

[SebaWolf]

On 6/30/2020 at 12:47 AM, - T - said:

See Pages E-62 and E-63 of the WK-6500 manual for the creation and use of Registrations.  A Registration is a snap-shot of most of the current settings of the keyboard, at the time the Registration is created (saved).  Later, all of those settings can be recalled qucikly at the touch of a single button (touch of two buttons,  if you are also changing Registration Banks.  Also, see Column 2 in the Parameter List on Page E-127.  Every item on that list, with a circle in Column 2, is saved to a Registration, when it is created.   The WK-6500 offers 8 Banks of 4 Registrations  per Bank for a total of 32 Registrations online in keyboard memory for easy access, but it will also save "Sets" of 32 Registrations to an SD Memory Card, making the overall number of Registration "Sets" that you can "load" into the WK-6500's internal memory, essentially limitless.  See Page 102 through 108 for use of an SD Memory Card.

 

Hey T,.

 

Thanks for the reply and the information, unfortunately this option is for the digital keyboard in built option to use and not for MIDI in use system. My inquiry was reffering to Midi in built use and not the Digital Keyboard directly.

 

Like for example using a VST via midi USB and to switch between tones like channel 1 - Church Organ and Channel 2 - EP. Piano and you can instantly change the channel to switch the tones automatically via MIDI and the program itself.

 

Do you know a way via midi and not internally from the keyboard itself to work?

 

Thank you!

[- T -]

Seba

 

Unfortunately, in your case, the WK-6500 is designed as an Arranger Workstation, and not as a MIDI Controller keyboard.  It does send MIDI Note-On, Note-Off, Velocity, and other messages, but that is about the extent of Casio's intent of it being used as a MIDI Controller.  However, when a Tone is selected by the WK-6500, it does transmit the corresponding Bank Select and Program Change messages for that selection, and this opens up the possibility of a workaround for you.  It's just that those messages are not fully programable (assignable), as they are on an actual Controller keyboard, so the setup will be a little more involved than on an actual Controller keyboard.

 

First of all, during live play on the WK-6500, you only have access to Channels 1 through 4. These are pre-assigned by the WK-6500's operating system, and are not changeable.  The other 12 channels are only available for sequencing (recording), not for live play.  Channel-01 is assigned to the UPPER-1 (Main) Tone, Channel-02 for the UPPER-2 (Layer) Tone, Channel-03 to the LOWER/LEFT/SPLIT Tone, and Channel-04 for the Auto-Harmonize Tone.

 

Second, while you are using the WK-6500 as a Controller, you will need to go into its MIDI settings and turn LOCAL "OFF", so that its internal sounds do not "interfere" with those of your VST host software.  Now, it is just a matter of determining what Bank Select and Program Change messages are needed to select the proper VST Instruments, then searching the WK-6500's Tone List (Appendix) to find the WK-6500 Tone selection that will send those messages. On the WK-6500, set up each Tone on each of the 4 channels.  Make certain that everthing else, on the WK-6500 (including LOCAL "OFF"), is the way you want it, and save it to a Registration.  When you recall that Registration, the WK-6500 will select its own internal Tones, but it is muted by the LOCAL "OFF", and it will also send the proper messages to select your desired VST Instruments.  If you can not find a proper match from the WK-6500 Tone List, then obviously, you will not be able to make that selection.  The major flaw in this is the Bank Select message.  Different manufacturers use different Bank Select messages.  If your VSTi software Bank Select messages do not match those of the WK-6500, then you would only be able to use WK-6500 Tones that work, when both systems are in their "default" Bank-0, but if your VST software's tone selection scheme is user assignable, this would not be an issue.

 

"Switching" instruments with this scheme can be done in either of two ways.  The Registration can just replace the previous instrument with the new instrument.  That is, you are still using the same channel, you just changed the instrument assigned to it, or you can have the Registration turn the previous PART (Channel) "off" in the MIXER section, as it turns the new PART (Channel) "on".  In this case, you are actually switching channels to switch instruments.

 

Good luck!

 

- T -

 

 

 

[Nikk]

On 7/7/2020 at 3:11 AM, - T - said:

Seba

 

Unfortunately, in your case, the WK-6500 is designed as an Arranger Workstation, and not as a MIDI Controller keyboard.  It does send MIDI Note-On, Note-Off, Velocity, and other messages, but that is about the extent of Casio's intent of it being used as a MIDI Controller.  However, when a Tone is selected by the WK-6500, it does transmit the corresponding Bank Select and Program Change messages for that selection, and this opens up the possibility of a workaround for you.  It's just that those messages are not fully programable (assignable), as they are on an actual Controller keyboard, so the setup will be a little more involved than on an actual Controller keyboard.

 

First of all, during live play on the WK-6500, you only have access to Channels 1 through 4. These are pre-assigned by the WK-6500's operating system, and are not changeable.  The other 12 channels are only available for sequencing (recording), not for live play.  Channel-01 is assigned to the UPPER-1 (Main) Tone, Channel-02 for the UPPER-2 (Layer) Tone, Channel-03 to the LOWER/LEFT/SPLIT Tone, and Channel-04 for the Auto-Harmonize Tone.

 

Second, while you are using the WK-6500 as a Controller, you will need to go into its MIDI settings and turn LOCAL "OFF", so that its internal sounds do not "interfere" with those of your VST host software.  Now, it is just a matter of determining what Bank Select and Program Change messages are needed to select the proper VST Instruments, then searching the WK-6500's Tone List (Appendix) to find the WK-6500 Tone selection that will send those messages. On the WK-6500, set up each Tone on each of the 4 channels.  Make certain that everthing else, on the WK-6500 (including LOCAL "OFF"), is the way you want it, and save it to a Registration.  When you recall that Registration, the WK-6500 will select its own internal Tones, but it is muted by the LOCAL "OFF", and it will also send the proper messages to select your desired VST Instruments.  If you can not find a proper match from the WK-6500 Tone List, then obviously, you will not be able to make that selection.  The major flaw in this is the Bank Select message.  Different manufacturers use different Bank Select messages.  If your VSTi software Bank Select messages do not match those of the WK-6500, then you would only be able to use WK-6500 Tones that work, when both systems are in their "default" Bank-0, but if your VST software's tone selection scheme is user assignable, this would not be an issue.

 

"Switching" instruments with this scheme can be done in either of two ways.  The Registration can just replace the previous instrument with the new instrument.  That is, you are still using the same channel, you just changed the instrument assigned to it, or you can have the Registration turn the previous PART (Channel) "off" in the MIXER section, as it turns the new PART (Channel) "on".  In this case, you are actually switching channels to switch instruments.

 

Good luck!

 

- T -

 

 

 

This helped so much! Disappointed to know we lost access to the MIDI channels on this model but makes sense that it’s purposely that way, by design. I was getting frustrated trying to figure out how to quickly flip these on/off, now I can stop. I may even take a stab at the bank workaround. Thank you!!! 😃