How do I have a simple drum beat repeating for me to play piano over?

[vronksky]

How do I have a simple drum beat repeating for me to play piano over?

[Luis Jose]

Did you find out how to acomplish that task?

I am very interested. I just want to make a simple pattern to use as a metronome and play piano over this pattern.

[Brad Saucier]

It's not simple.  You have to create a stage setting with the piano you like on zone 2 and drums on zone 1.  Create the phrase you want and save it.  Set the arpeggiator to target the phrase you want.  Turn on the  arp for zone 1 and off for zone 2.  Set "org note" to "fix".  Set the arp to "hold" and begin playing.    You may have to adjust the zone levels to balance the sound.  Save all of that as a new stage setting. 

[Luis Jose]

 

Thank you for your answer! Appreciate! It sounds not so easy but I will try to do it.

[Brad Saucier]

LOL.   Give it a try yourself.  If you fail, then I did it for you. But you should try it for a learning experience. 

http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/68-metronome-piano/

[pianoralf]

The second method is using the SongSeqencer.

Put the phrase in a song, and you will be independent from a stage setting.

It is not necessary to edit Stage setups. You can use a 4 Zoned StageSetup plus a full drum track from the Songsequencer

It is all described in the drum pattern thread

http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/4283-drum-patterns/page-2#entry6399

Or simply download the example http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/36-1ntitle/

and replace the patterns with that one you like.

In SongSequencer you have to set the amount of repeatings. It does not play endless. This is the only restriction

 

I hope that one of us will soon upload some standard drumloops ready converted as phrases and we could use the SongSequencer  as a drum partner. It is just a (diligent but) routine piece of work.

Ralf

[Luis Jose]

Thanks Brad, I have downloaded your metronome. Anyway I will try to make the stage setting by my own, I will take it as a challenge; I think it is a good way to learn how to use the different features of the PX5S.

Thank you Ralf, definitely the song sequencer is "my next thing to learn". PX5S is my first "serious" keyboard and all these things are new for me.

Appreciate the support of the community

[Brad Saucier]

Just a heads up for you Luis... If you do use the song sequencer.   There's something weird with the phrase timing in the PX-5S.  The phrases will get out of sync after some time.  From what I know, Casio is investigating the issue.  My guess is it's just a firmware issue and will be corrected with an update. 

 

                                                   

[willf]

Brad when you say that "The phrases will get out of sync after some time", what sort of time frame?

[pianoralf]

The timing problem occurs sometimes in the Arpeggiator within a StageSetup and in the SongSequencer or simply if you loop a phrase.
It is sometimes a very short delay on the loop point, when the phrase does not excatly end at the end of a bar, or if some configration Data is send at the beginning of a phrase, which delays the beginning of the the first note a bit.
Normally you will not recognize it, but if you play more than one track looping in the SongSequencer the tracks begin to differ a bit after some loops.

It is not inside a phrase. So as Brad write we all hope that Casio will fix this soon.

I have prepared a "Song" just for the Metromone here http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/70-metronome-package/

This method imports the Song and the Phrase in one step. So it is automatically located in the correct position. (Song No 9 and Phrase 999)

[BeowulfX]

Just a heads up for you Luis... If you do use the song sequencer.   There's something weird with the phrase timing in the PX-5S.  The phrases will get out of sync after some time.  From what I know, Casio is investigating the issue.  My guess is it's just a firmware issue and will be corrected with an update. 

 

                                                   

 

  Does this mean there's going to be another firmware update?...hopefully not just to address this issue but to include some possible improvements that some other users may have suggested so as to make the firmware update a bit more substantial than just a mere fix.

[Brad Saucier]

Guys, I'm just guessing about the firmware update.  I only know what I read in the forums.   I would not get my hopes up for any kind of firmware update.  My guess is that they might,  but that's just my guess.  

 

As far as the timing issue.  It does not happen all of the time.  The factory demo song plays great.   I've recorded phrases myself that stay synced for as long as I've listened to them.  And then others don't.  ???  

 

Would I like to see a firmware update?  Do I want to see some user suggestions make it into the update?  Of course.  We all do.  But don't hold your breath.  At some point Casio will draw the line and end all development on this product.  Any updates would only be for correcting faults.  

[Display Name]

If you are looking for a simple workaround I have a couple of suggestions.

 

One way is to use an iPhone, iPad or Computer as a drum machine. There are several online drum machines - I use http://www.drumbot.com/projects/drumbot/
or search the App Store for a free app called "Drum Beats" You need an 1/8" to 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo cable. Just plug into your devices audio out and go into the PX-5S audio in.
 

Another method is to save 5-10 minute drum loops onto a flash drive and play it back on the PX-5S. I make the loops in my DAW - make sure you save as TAKE00, TAKE01, TAKE02 - etc... They also should be saved in the same PX-5S native format: Linear PCM, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo, .WAV, 25 min max.
If you try to play a .wav you made away from the PX-5S and get an "Wrong Data" error, make sure your DAW is set to save it in the correct format.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

[Brad Saucier]

Great idea Scott.  

 

This gives me an idea for another solution.   Drum loops could also be a midi file that you play back from the thumb drive.  Just make sure your midi file doesn't use channels 1-4 because it would affect zones 1-4.  

[pianoralf]

Only theoretical solutions, but not really usefill

-  you can not change the tempo of a playing a WAV File.

-  you can not change a StageSetup during playing, not even one Sound.

[Brad Saucier]

Hello Ralf,

 

I find these suggestions to be useful in many ways even with the restrictions.

[pianoralf]

Yes your suggestion with a MIDI File is feasible, if you first select the Stagesetup and the start play for the MIDI File. But it is a pity that the most  functions are restricted during play. This makes sense when you play a MIDI File with many tracks and you only want to add one instrument, which is already regitered in the MIDI file.
But if you use it just for a a drumtrack, in my opinion it is better to convert this drum MIDI file to a phrase and play it with the SongSeqencer.

This method does not restrict the usabilty of the keyboard.

I am still waiting for someone, who will convert his drumtracks to phrases and upload it here. I could do that, but I have not much experience with handling drum loops and think there will come many people who have arranged drums with a DAW and could better give advice and select the most wanted drum patterns and upload them.
I still hope Casio will fix the timing problem on the loop point, but as a workarround it might be better at firmware 1.1 not loop by bar, but to use phrases already looped for 4, or 8 bars. This makes it easier to combine precount, Variantion1, Fill-In1, Variation2, Fill-In2 and then start again with Variation1 ...

If Variation 1 and 2 are ready for 4, or 8 bars (or other usefull amounts) it will be very easy to create a song, by just tapping "insert" and then select the next Phrasenumber and the press insert again. So I would suggest to name those Phrase e.g  Beat_01_4  Where 01 is Variation 1 and 4 the amount of bars.

I guess not to use the loop function in the Songsequencer will be a workarround. If Casio will fix it, I would like to have an additional loop to repeat a whole Song excluding the precount endless. This would give us a complete solution for a drum accompaniment.
I hope more people will ask for that feature and maybe Casio will add this

[willf]

The timing problem occurs sometimes in the Arpeggiator within a StageSetup and in the SongSequencer or simply if you loop a phrase.

It is sometimes a very short delay on the loop point, when the phrase does not excatly end at the end of a bar, or if some configration Data is send at the beginning of a phrase, which delays the beginning of the the first note a bit.

Normally you will not recognize it, but if you play more than one track looping in the SongSequencer the tracks begin to differ a bit after some loops.

It is not inside a phrase. So as Brad write we all hope that Casio will fix this soon.

I have prepared a "Song" just for the Metromone here http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/files/file/70-metronome-package/

This method imports the Song and the Phrase in one step. So it is automatically located in the correct position. (Song No 9 and Phrase 999)

 

Thanks for the information.

[Alex]

It's not simple.  You have to create a stage setting with the piano you like on zone 2 and drums on zone 1.  Create the phrase you want and save it.  Set the arpeggiator to target the phrase you want.  Turn on the  arp for zone 1 and off for zone 2.  Set "org note" to "fix".  Set the arp to "hold" and begin playing.    You may have to adjust the zone levels to balance the sound.  Save all of that as a new stage setting. 

Cannot find where to set the arp to "hold". Can anyone, please tell me where to do it. I would want arpeggio/phrase to keep playing even if I do not hold the key down.

[Brad Saucier]

It's written on the panel Alex.  The long line above the arpeggio and sys setting button with "HOLD" written above it means "press both buttons to hold".