Rhythms

[Tommy TJ]

Is it possible to hear audio of rhythms before downloading?

[Mclandy]

If you're asking if there is a "player" program for Casio AC7 rhythm files that runs on Windows (or Linux), then no, not that we know of.  If the person who uploaded it wanted to also provide an audio sample, they could record it and include it as a separate file.

Edited January 1 by Mclandy

[Jokeyman123]

That's a shame, because there is this....ckf rhythm player. Your browser might filter this out if you have an anti-virus program because this is a Windoz "executable". Too bad one of our local programmers here can't "reverse engineer" this little Casio ckf player to make it work with the newer .ac7 files. I use this ckf player to preview any new rhythms I create. Restyle created and posted here let's you sort and change around your .ac7 files, but it doesn't play them.

 

Chandler, or Alex wondering out loud-how difficult would it be to collaborate again, and possibly make restyle an .ac7 file player, like the ckf player I posted here? Bring in the New Year with something really new!

 

 

CkfRhythmPlayerv21.exe

[mrmr9494]

Jokey, I couldn't run that program so could you explain how it works? Does it output a MIDI stream (which could be routed to a CT-X keyboard to give an "exact" reproduction of the rhythm)? -- or does it create its own sounds using its own Soundfonts? There are some AC7-to-MIDI converters around in the Casio community so what you're suggesting might not be too far away.

[Just Alex]

Such program can be authored, but it needs considerable amount of time and tesitng, which costs real money.

I would estimate that to be around $2000.

Anyone willing to pay that much?

I guess - no.

 

[Mclandy]

Most simple style players just play the note sequences "as is" through general MIDI voices, and generally that might be enough to at least get a feel for what the style is like.  But if you actually want to hear a style played a little more accurately, you'd have to deal with issues like:

• Note transpositions - not only can tracks be originally recorded in chord types other than major chords (minor, 7th, "tension" chords), but the configuration of Chord Conversion can affect the playback as well.  Of course, the keyboard takes care of all that, but for a software player to make things sound "right", it would have to do the same.
• Multiple (exclusive or non-exclusive) tracks - some parts contain more than one track, depending on the type of chord being played.  In Casio, that's usually a major/minor track in intros and endings, but can include other types, like FX tracks for special Versatile instruments and instrument Bass tracks.  If you just play all the tracks simultaneously, it can sound pretty horrible, so you'd have to provide different "modes" (like major/minor) to play specific subsets of tracks.  And if, for example, you want to play the style in a "minor" mode, that may require either playing a separate minor-only track (if there is one), or transposing the one and only track so that it sounds minor.  Again, the keyboard takes care of all that.
• Tracks can have note limits (high/low) or inversion controls, which can change what notes actually get played.
• To play via some standard MIDI software, you probably need to map keyboard voices into standard MIDI voices (typically using the same Patch but setting the Bank to 0). Generally, this will sound OK, but there some voices that will definitely be different or lacking.  This can especially be true with drum kits, since the individual sounds vary quite a bit.

So unfortunately, it's not quite as simple as spitting out the note sequences into a MIDI player, unless you only want a (very!) rough feel for the style.