Export to .MID extension

[Davisabat]

Hi!

I use a Casio ctx700 keyboard. I want to export on my PC the songs I create in the song bank as a MIDI file.
The only way I found to do something similar is recording via AUX in Audacity, but it’s not MIDI.

Using Casio Data Manager I can see my keyboard but the files are in .MRF and I don’t know what to do with them.
I can record via Cakewalk or Musescore playing directly the keyboard but I’m not able to export/record my song bank.
Thanks

[Brad Saucier]

The best option with the CT-X700 is to record tracks directly into Cakewalk or similar sequencer software.  The internal recorder on the X700 is great for capturing ideas, like a musical sketch pad of sorts, whenever you're away from a computer.  

[Davisabat]

Thank you. I got it, but I wanted to manage a midi file on my PC. What are those .mrf file for? I can see them on casio data manager, but how can I get music from them?

And then, when I use cakewalk I can play piano but I can't record the forum backing tracks. Any idea why?

[Brad Saucier]

MRF (Recorder) files are proprietary Casio files only compatible with your CT-X700.   The data manager allows you to save recordings to a computer as external storage for later transfer back to the keyboard.  

 

To enable accompaniment MIDI output, press function>MIDI>accomp out>turn this ON.  See the manual page EN-40 and 41 for details.

[Chandler Holloway]

The easiest way is to record the MIDI output into a DAW as Brad described.

 

Your other option is to seek out a CT-X800, either on display in a store or from another forum user who would be willing to take your .MRF file and convert it to MID. The CT-X800 is almost identical to the CT-X700, meaning it can import and play back those proprietary .MRF songs you made on your X700. The X800, however, has the ability to convert .MRF to .MID thanks to the extra flash drive port on the back panel.

 

I covered the process of converting .MRF to MID in this topic below if you need more info.

 

https://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/18384-mrf-file-playback/

[Davisabat]

Thank you everyone. I managed to record on Cakewalk piano and also drums but Cakewalk doesn't recognise Casio instruments. If I use, for example, a guitar, the software still sounds like a piano. Something I can do?

[Brad Saucier]

If you're using a version of Cakewalk that accepts Sonar instrument definition files, you can install that to make it easy.  

 

https://support.casio.com/en/support/download.php?cid=008&pid=2302

[Davisabat]

I'm using Cakewalk by BandLab vers 2020.05. I have downloaded the file that you have linked and installed the .ins file following this guide. Nonetheless the instruments are played correctly for a certain time (in some cases only for few seconds), then they all sound like piano. There is also a difference between the sound of the pc (not only the tone, but also a delay) and the one of the keyboard. Could you help me?

[Brad Saucier]

It's possible the sequencer is changing the tones by sending program changes during playback.  As far as a sound delay, that is latency introduced by the audio driver on the computer.  An ASIO driver will have the lowest latency, but may still have some slight delay compared to the keyboard itself.  

[Davisabat]

So Is there anything I can do to play the right instruments? Maybe trying another software?

[Brad Saucier]

It should be possible to select the proper tone with your current software.  Without knowing the specifics of that software, it's difficult for me to give a pinpoint answer.  

[Davisabat]

I'm sorry to bother you so much, thank you a lot.
I've made progress: I can play casio rhytms on cakewalk, and it also recognises the right tone but only the first time. As soon as I change the tone it goes crazy and doesn't recognise the one I choose.
So I tried Cubase LE 9: here the problem is that I don't know how to make it read the casio patch you sent me. Do you know how can I do? I guess after that I should be able to use my casio tones and rhytms without using Cubase'ones.

[Chandler Holloway]

You need a different set of patch scripts for Cubase (or other DAWs you might try).

 

You can download whatever set of scripts is compatible for the DAW you plan to use here: https://support.casio.com/en/support/download.php?cid=008&pid=2302

[Davisabat]

Yes I downloaded the cubase patch, but I don't know how to make the software read it. It is a .txt file

[Jokeyman123]

OK-one of the problems you are having-you say the sounds from the computer playing the midi file is not as high quality as the CTX-this is because the midi file is playing the built-in synthesizer tones that are part of the Microsoft Windows "synthesizer" sounds. Your software-regardless of whatever it is-will always be set to send your midi files to that synthesizer-which is not a very good one, certainly nowhere near as realistic as the CTX tones.  How can you solve that problem-2 ways, both will take a little work and new knowledge on your part-but once you know, might be very useful for you to know-and will definitely make your midi files sound better.  Both ways are a little tricky-but I've used both solutions with windows XP, Vista and 7-I don't think windows 10 will be any different.

1) You need to learn where the mid "settings" are in your software.  I think in Bandlabs it is listed as "setup"-in other software could be the same or could be under "preferences" or something similar-the settings where you set up how the DAW software functions-for everything.  Now here is the "trick".

 

You need to find settings that describe your midi connections from the Casio CTX to the computer-this means your CTX needs to be connected with the USB port and cable of course-and  I think you've already done that. what you are looking for is where the midi output is going-it will probably say Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth-meaning this is what you are hearing when you play your midi file-or even when you play the CTX connected to the computer, and why it sounds so crappy! it is sending what you think are your CTX tones to the Microsoft synthesizer sounds instead. so you need to set your midi USB out to-whatever shows up as the CTX midi out-I'm not sure what that would look like-in other words you need to send the midi file, or Casio CTX live playing-through the computer with your software0-and back out the computer to your CTX-Chandler, Brad I might need some clarification if that is correct-it is for my other Casios but don't have the CTX.

 

Now if all this sounds terrbile complicated-it is only if you haven't done this before-i am describing the Windows "midi mapper" which has all but disappeared in Windows 7 and 10-but it still there, and your software will see it.  used to be visible as a separate Windows program one could open annd set up however you wanted-now it is as I've described more difficult but will work.

 

Solution number 2-and i save the better for last-is to install a very cool little program called  Coolsoft virtual midi synth-and you will be able to very easily install a "soundfont", stick it in the Coolsoft folder and now you will be able to use that as your midi file output-and all your midi files will sound hugely better. Coolsoft is actually one of the simplest VST's-go to their websie and read it over if you care to-but is much simpler to set up and use-it creates a "midi mapper"-you click on it in the program-and it lets you select where your midi output will go. If your CTX is connected via USB, there should be an option to send your midi output directly back to the CTX so you will hear the CTX tones, rather than the crappy Windows synthesizer tones.

 

I know this is a huge bunch of information-I thought it worth posting since you are now steeped in mid file land, and many of these concepts have taken years to develop so I gave you probably years of info in one post hope I am not overwhelming you.  You will still have to learn how to set your bank and program change messages in your DAW-but if you understand my post-you will end up with what you need i think as far as quality sounds-the most important aspect of all this IMO!

[Benedict Guerrero]

To delete Program Changes in Cakewalk, go to Events List view of each track...

There you see all events...

You have to click each one an press Del...

If there are many similar events you want to delete from a midi file, unshow/hide the ones you don't want to delete...

For example, click the notes icon at the top and it will hide all notes...

I do this usually on midi files I want to delete the track Volume especially on fadeouts or unnecessary fade-ins that disrupt the Volume I have already assigned on each track...

I get lucky when ai hide the notes and all that's left are Volume events, so I hold the Del and they all get deleted scrolling down, but keep your eye on other different events that pop up while the delete is scrolling...

[Meow Kitten]

Where do I download cakewalk?

 

[Kunal Sinha]

So there's no way to convert mrf files to mid on a computer?

[Chandler Holloway]

No, not at the moment. If there's someone with a CT-X800 who's willing to help you out, you could ask them to convert it for you.

 

I have a CDP-S350, which honestly should be compatible with the CT-X700 and X800 recording formats but for some reason it's not. If I could figure out a way to convert CT-X700 MRF files to CDP-S350 MRF files, I'd be happy to do it for you myself. Can't guarantee that the conversion will work in all cases, especially with regards to recordings that use Rhythms on Track 1, as the CT-X700/X800 have some Rhythms that do not appear on the CDP-S350.

 

Perhaps @mrmr9494 might be the best guy to ask. I'd bet it's a simple matter of changing the header or something, the 6-track Song Recorders on these models are functionally identical otherwise. I've attached a CT-X700 MRF and a CDP-S350 MRF for reference, tried to make them identical to each other to aid comparisons.

 

Each one is recorded at 120bpm, 4/4 time, and uses the E Funk Pop Rhythm (Rhythm #001 on both machines) for two measures on track 1, starting with the normal pattern and then switching to the variation in measure 2. Track 2 has #001: Stage Piano (PC 0, bank sel 1) playing C4 (MIDI note number 60) as quarter notes. Track 3 has #184 (#222 on S350) Mellow Strings 1 (PC 49, BS 1) holding a C Major triad (C4-E4-G4, midi note numbers 60, 64, and 67) for both measures. 

 

 

CDP-S350 MRF Test.MRF CT-X700_MRF Test.MRF

[mrmr9494]

It's definitely possible that somebody in the user community could create a MRF-to-MIDI converter. I did a Phrase-to-MIDI converter script here that "sort-of" works (proof of concept) -- and the CPFF format that Casio uses for Phrase Pads is very similar to MRF so we're half-way there (maybe). I find the Phrase Pads are the easiest way to record rhythm patterns on the CT-X3000, so that was the reason for wanting to convert Phrases - after that I could then convert the MIDI to AC7 rhythms.

 

@Chandler Holloway, try the attached file in your CDP-S350. It just has the header changed as you suggested. It might not work of course, but if it does it's an easy change to do (can be done in a Hex editor).

 

CT-X700_saved_as_CDP-S350.MRF

 

[Chandler Holloway]

It showed up in the Load menu browser (any .MRF file would) but, I got an error wrong dat message. It wouldn't load back into the CT-X700 either. Let me know if there's anything else I can do in terms of generating files to test.

 

Fortunately, the CT-X700 is one of few models in the current line-up to lack the ability to convert onboard recordings to MIDI, certainly the only one that's fully featured enough to produce recordings you'd want to export (especially when recording MIDI directly in DAWs or mobile apps is so simple and accessible these days). I think a simple script to make X700/X800 recordings usable on S350 would be fine, it comes up rarely enough on the forums that I'd just offer to convert the files myself. I don't think I'll ever own an X800 given I already have an X700, but I'll have a CDP-S350 for the foreseeable future.

[mrmr9494]

@Chandler Holloway, yeah turns out I changed the wrong bit of the header 😑. Please try again with the new file.

 

 

For those wishing to do this with a hex editor, the bit that needs to change (at the very beginning of the file) is:

 

00000000  43 54 2d 58 37 30 30 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |CT-X700.........|
00000010  4d 52 46 48 00 00 00 00  63 69 f0 b1 5e 03 00 00  |MRFH....ci..^...|

:

 

should change to:

 

00000000  43 54 2d 58 37 30 30 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |CT-X700.........|
00000010  4d 52 46 48 01 00 00 00  63 69 f0 b1 5e 03 00 00  |MRFH....ci..^...|

:

NEW_CT-X700_saved_as_CDP-S350.MRF

[Chandler Holloway]

That worked! I was also able to reproduce it very easily with my own hex editing. No need for a script, I was able to automate the change in XVI32. Thanks for your help as usual.

 

@Kunal Sinha if you upload your MRF file as an attachment, I'd be happy to convert it for you. You can PM it to me if you'd like, or just reply here with it.