Casio Keyboard and Ableton 7

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Member Since: Jan 21, 2009

Is it possible for me to use my casio ctk-3000 as a midi within ableton live 7?

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Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007


Jun 18, 2011 03:53 am

Well, if the keyboard has midi in/out jacks, and you have the cables needed to connect it up, then it doesn't really matter which daw you use. You'll be able to send midi data to any software as long as the keyboard is connected. (if you're connecting the midi in through your audio interface, you'll need to select the interface's midi for any tracks that are supposed to receive or send midi to and from the keyboard.)

I read the other thread as well, and I think the easiest way to use the sounds of the Casio would be to connect an audio jack to your interface/comp, and just record it straight that way.

However if you are going to use an existing midi file/data on a track to "play" the keyboard, you'll need to connect the midi cables, and the audio cables as well to capture the keyboard's performance. (so you'll have one track with the midi performance data that would send to the keyboard, and an additional separate audio/recording track would record the audio output from the keyboard)

I hope that helps, and that I wasn't too confusing. Just keep in mind, midi is just strictly data/information such as note on/off, timing, expression/pitch/modulation/patch change, etc. etc.

I'm also an FL user, but I've switched to using Reaper more often. But I still go back to FL Studio on occasion since I have several projects I haven't ported to reaper.

Edit: and yes you should be able to use the Casio with Ableton. I don't know if Ableton will recognize all the knobs/buttons, but it will definitely receive information from the keyboard.

Member
Since: Jan 21, 2009


Jun 18, 2011 04:17 am

What kind of audio jack would I need, and how would i record the sounds coming from the keyboard. Sorry but when it comes to production I'm kind of a noob.

The question with ableton is because in the list of possible midis to hook up there's no casio found. Even when I use my axiom 25 under input it won't show connected like it does in pictures i've seen from others that have it working correct.

Member
Since: Jan 21, 2009


Jun 18, 2011 04:31 am

Is reaper pretty good? better than Fl?

Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007


Jun 19, 2011 02:08 am

This is strictly my opinion, but I feel Reaper is a little more straight forward on recording audio, but FL Studio has a better midi editing/piano roll interface. The workflow in Reaper is also a little different in that any track can be either midi or audio, or whatever. I've definitely become more comfortable with it since I started using it though, and got used to the work flow.

Audio cable, looking at the description, looks like standard 1/4" TRS cable from the headphone output. (check the headphone jack though, it might be a "mini" headphone cable)

So, the cable will go from the headphone/output from the keyboard to an input jack on your computer or interface (assuming you have an interface.) If you're going the computer's audio jack/line-in, you'll probably need an adapter for 1/4" -> mini-1/8"

I do not see anything about midi jacks in the specs, so it looks like it sends midi data over the USB connection (you might need a standard USB device cable, kinda like you see on some printers where one end is kinda square, and the other is the typical flat USB connection) And the keyboard may have come with a driver disk so the computer (and Ableton) recognizes it as a midi device.

So, in a nutshell, Keyboard: USB -> computer and Headphone-out -> interface audio input (both should be standard 1/4" jacks/ports.) And you may need to make sure drivers are installed.

Here's a few links:

1/4" cable: www.amazon.com/Hosa-CSS11...3414&sr=8-5

1/4" -> 1/8" adapter: www.amazon.com/Cables-Go-...3610&sr=8-3

USB Device Cable: www.newegg.com/Product/Pr...7-319-_-Product


Should be able to find a cable for less than $10. Try local music stores, or zzounds, sweetwater, amazon, etc. for online stores. For the USB device cable, you could try a local best buy or other computer shop, or online at newegg.

Also, since the drivers were kinda hard to find, Here's a link:
support.casio.com/downloa...d=340&rgn=1

Scroll down until you see USB-MIDI Driver. If you're using Win7, you'll want the 2nd driver in the list CCMID12_INST.zip (272KB)

If you're on XP, you'll want the first one ccmid12e.exe (65.2KB)

Once you have the driver installed, Ableton should be able to see the keyboard as a USB-Midi device in the list of options.


Also, for the Axiom25, you should be able to get the USB-Midi drivers for the Axiom from the M-Audio website. (and they should be easier to find too)

Member
Since: Jan 21, 2009


Jun 19, 2011 03:10 pm

I have a 1/4 vtg cable but that won't hook up to the output even though its 1/4.

I have a 1/8 to 1/4 but I shouldn't have any need for it if the cable i need to get is a 1/4 anyways. I'll still need to get the 1/4 to 1/8 to plug into the computer.

I've got the USB cord aswell, so when I get the audio cable and hook into the Pc then it should be able to use the sounds from the Casio? Instead of only using it as a midi to operate other VST's and such.

As far as the Axiom, I've heard that alot of people have trouble with it in Windows 7 64 bit. I've tried plenty of times to install the drivers with no success.

Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007


Jun 19, 2011 08:12 pm

Yeah, that sounds right.

So, to recap: You'll have one track containing midi data. That track will send the data to the casio. The casio will read the data and "perform" based on the midi track. The audio from the casio will be sent to a separate audio track in the DAW (which will be armed and ready to record the incoming audio signal from the casio keyboard)

Another thing to consider, is that if you make changes to the midi track, you'll need to re-record the casio after the changes, as it will not update the audio track in real time (since it's just a recorded audio waveform) A midi track can use any channel 1-16 (channel 10 is usually used for percussion/drums though) So if the keyboard is sending/receiving on all channels, or omni, or however it calls it, then it can receive data from multiple midi tracks, and play the instruments accordingly.

However, I don't know how the keyboard instruments are mapped with respect to the general-midi standard. So it may take some playing around with midi banks/patches to get the sounds you want recorded.

Like BeerHunter said, it might be easier just to record yourself playing and re-recording existing tracks, but if you have some midi tracks from other projects and you want to replace the sounds in those tracks, this is one way to do it. And you (usually) only need to set the hardware connections/cables up once, and you're (usually) good to go.

I'll try to help out (and so will others) if you run into any snags once you start setting stuff up.

Member
Since: Jan 21, 2009


Jun 20, 2011 07:38 pm

Great, hopefully it all works out, I really appreciate all the help man.
Just incase it doesn't work though, because of the kind of midi or something, is there any free piano vsts you'd recommend that sound good and real?

Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007


Jun 21, 2011 12:12 am

Yeah, I've tried a few in the past. MDA's piano seems to be okay for me. You can adjust the muffled/brightness setting based on the velocity (hardness) of the key hit. The sounds aren't as high grade as something like say Ivory Grand II or Pianoteq or TruePianos. But for a basic piano sound it's not bad.

There was also a newer version that isn't shown on the download site, but I think it's at KVR. (but there's no GUI for it, aside from the DAW's default gui)

The newer version had a stronger, slightly higher quality sound, but would clip quite a bit on louder passages (particularly the higher notes) even if I dropped the fader in the mixer, and the gain on the track/channel. It's fine for moderate usage, but when you're really hammering the keys..there's some nasty clipping-ish distortion. Not all the presets have the nasty noise creeping in, so maybe it's a setting that can be tuned in the VST.

Still might be worth checking though:

Older version: www.kvraudio.com/get/123.html

Newer version: Okay, I can't seem to find this one ANYWHERE now, and I feel like I'm going crazy....cept I have the actual VST plugin for it. Guess I can't remember where I got it, and it's neither on the mda page nor is it in KVR that I can find. :P Maybe it was in one of the mda plugin bundles or something?

Others to try:
EVM Grand Piano: www.kvraudio.com/get/1097.html
might be okay, but I've heard it's a bit "lifeless" sounding. I haven't played with it myself.

4Front Piano Module: Sounds okay, but it's only a single velocity layer across all velocities, so it's not very expressive. I wasn't that impressed with it.

CVPiano from Tascam: www.kvraudio.com/get/2897.html

The orignal download location is no more, but should be able to find it on google. Continuous velocity piano or CVPiano.

It's probably the best of all the freebies, (as it is sampled) but it is a bit of a resource hog, and a little confusing to adjust (lot of little details and options). I really need to download it again one of these days. :P ....... *hunts for another place to get it*

Those are the ones I know of anyway.

Edit: here's a link for CVPiano
www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=382

The download is the little windows icon with the file-size at the top of the page. It should work okay in Win7 from what I've heard.

Okay, scratch that, It installs fine, but I keep getting it to crash in Win7 so far. :p Compatibility mode doesn't do anything either. I remember folks running anything other than XP SP2 had problems too, and with the product discontinued, I'm doubting there were any proper updates/patches to get it to work with later systems. :P Ah well, guess I'll stick with MDA Piano. :)

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