PX560 software drawbars?

[Jokeyman123]

I had tried to suss out a way to set up an organ hex layer tone in order to simulate a 6-drwbar type organ tone that could be controlled externally through software, or another hardware controller with drawbars-such as my Axiom 49 which has 8 slide pot controls-or even the Casio XW-P1 slide controls, but gave up once i realized there are no CC (or sysex I could find) settings that would allow individual control of each hex layer tone. If there were, it would not be hard to set 6 individual tones with different organ settings- 4-8-16  foot etc. stops and bring these in and out like a true tonewheel modelling synth. Now i am re-thinking a possible way to do this-since I can control external volume levels of the mixer tracks through software or hardware external control, but looks like only one track at a time. I know I'm pushing for the ridiculous, and i have other tone-wheel instruments but with some of the advanced developments I'm seeing here for the CTX's (thanks Alex) and others I have to look up to give credit to here-I'm putting it out to see. The 560 is still at the top of my creative workstations list with my Fusions-and since I do not foresee an upgrade instrument in the PX560 category coming any time soon, a drawbar function added somehow to the 560 would be pretty amazing if it can be done. Casio has imlemented software drawbars in a few of their IDES front-ends, so I know it can be done, at least with those instruments it works well. I just haven't figured out how with the PX560.

[Brad Saucier]

I think you can assign the 3 knobs to control each layer in a hex layer tone, maybe even the modulation wheel on a 4th layer.  I don't think the hex layer tones will respond to layer volume through MIDI.  It doesn't appear to work on the MZ-X500 either, sibling to the PX-560.  

[Jokeyman123]

I did not think of that, I will try it. 4 different tones would work pretty well. not as well as the other Casio drawbar organ models, certainly worth experimenting with. Thanks for the idea Brad.

 

Follow-up. No, there are no settings for individual hex layer control using the control knobs. I also could find no CC or sysex messages to control the individual volumes for each hex layer. Has to be set manually and saved as a hex layer tone. Guess this idea is dead in the water. Would have been nice.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Jokeyman123

[DaveMcM]

I'm pretty sure you can assign the 3 knobs to control individual layer volumes. I'll have to review the organ patch I created on my PX-560 since it's been a while ago that I made it. The Knob 1 adds a 4' drawbar, Knob 2 adds a 1 1/3' drawbar and knob 3 turns on 3rd harmonic percussion. I use a dedicated clone wheel on gigs but this patch has helped a couple of times when only using the PX-560. I used the mod wheel to control rotary speaker speed.

[DaveMcM]

Another thought. I remember a feature on one or more of the Nord keyboards from way back that would allow the mod wheel to morph between two drawbar settings. Worked well especially since the drawbuttons were not the easiest to use for on-the-fly adjustments. Maybe that same idea could be accomplished on the P-560 since the continuous controllers can be scaled with Min/Max values and even reversing the range. Just a thought.

[Jokeyman123]

many moons later...and realizing I've been too spoiled from years of playing Hammonds or drumming behind Hammond players but not spoiled enough to buy one, and trying quite a few keyboards with organ modelling-I got a deal on a Ferrofish B4000-which might be a very good fit with the X-P1 "waterfall" keys. With a PX560-can be split like a double manual C or B, 44 keys to a side, and foot pedals. Not a Casio product, and has been around for a long time apparently (I'm so not on top of some of these things-I bought a smartphone plug-in mic/speaker that looks like an old telephone one, including the coiled-cord, just have to find a dial or touch-tone attachment for it I'll be all set😜) Not many reviews-guess I really just miss those old drawbars and this looks like a good-un. Unfortunately, I watched Roger Smith's B4000 review, and got lost watching a 1/2 hour of Tower of Power videos on Youtube. Had to go cold turkey, was beginning to sweat watching how good these guys were/are.

[Kristian Terzic]

Here is a Registration I've programed years ago with a "Drawbar Organ" layerd with a Wurly. The organ tone is a Hex-Layer and the Knob 1 & 3 are used tu pul up-down some drawbars. You can download the separate Tones & the registration here on the Casio Music Forum download section and use it as a start point to create a drawbar organ using all 3 knobs as ogran stops since each knob can have 2 controls assign to it in theory you culd have a toatl of 6 stops programmed in pairs of 2.
Hope this helps you.
Kind Regards and good luck!

[Jokeyman123]

I will definitely try this, don't know how I missed it, but then....life goes on....

 

I'll be able to take this apart on the PX560 and see how you designed the various 'stops" for each hex layer. Also will look at how you set up the leslie fast/slow mod wheel.  I knew drawbars could be done to a certain extant-there is so much more expressiveness possible-and the ability to open the Hammond sound while playing although a cliche, is still a very powerful sound IMO. All the greats used it, I have always been a big fan of Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff and of course Joey DeFrancesco.

 

As a drummer starting out in the 60's-watching the Hammond guys using both feet and hands like me on drums, intrigued me and made me decide to pursue that too.  Felix Cavaliere with the Young Rascals did some nice Hammond work back when as did Mark Stein with Vanilla Fudge, both locals in my Nj neighborhood then, yeah I'm dating myself. and of course so many others, Chuck Leavell is another favorite of mine.

 

I have a cover of Telstar here done with the PX560 and managed to get a registration set up to at least get the leslie fast/slow switch working within the arrangement, I found it pretty tricky to do even that much but never set up drawbars with the knobs, at least not until now! Thanks.

Edited October 28, 2022 by Jokeyman123