163 Free Extra Rhythms for Casio CTK-5000

[A.Dawson]

428 Free Extra Rhythms (& Rhythm Editor) for Casio CTK-5000 & 4000

Just a heads-up for you CTK-5000 (& CTK-4000) owners. I went to the URL listed in the manual, where you can supposedly download extra tones, tunes, rhythms, etc. for various models of keyboards. http://music.casio.com/ But I found no files for the CTK-5000 there.

So ... I did a little experimenting. None of the tone and other files there work (except for the few SMF MIDI files), but ALL the rhythm files work just fine. They have a CKF file extension on them which isn't mentioned anywhere in the documentation on the CTK-5000 for allowable file-types. But Casio's Data Manager for this keyboard recognizes them just fine, and sends them to the User Rhythm slots, numbers 201-210.

They all include intros, fills, variations, and lead-outs. Some of them are very nice!

Be sure to get all of them. Even though some for different models of keyboards may be named similarly, but prefaced by RHY_, they are different rhythm arrangements. I suggest using your favorite batch file-downloader to cue them all up from the resulting URL that opens up when you click on each "Data List" button.

These will probably work for the CTK-4000 too, because both models use the same manual, the only main differences being the SD card and pitch-bend wheel.

p.s. I just found out that you can also save them as-is on your SD card and load them from there. The keyboard recognizes that file-extension just fine too. No need for a PC to load them, take them with you.

p.p.s. I just did a binary file compare of some with the exact same filenames from different keyboard models. A few have different byte counts, drastically different. So raise that count to 179 Free Extra Rhythms. I'm now wondering if I might have missed some before. If anyone gets a higher count than that, let me know if I missed any.

UPDATE: I found some more, and a utility to edit them all. On the Euro Casio site they have them available in zip packs for each keyboard model number.

I found them under "Music Data Downloads" here: http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/

Here's the links to the individual packs of rhythm files if you don't want to click through all the pages to find them:

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/downloads/emi/cms/wk3300wk3800wk8000/rhythm/cms_rhythm.zip
http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/downloads/emi/cms/rhythm/cms_rhythm.zip
http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/downloads/emi/cms/ctk900wk3200wk3700/rhythm/cms_rhythm.zip

Doing a binary file compare with the ones available at the first link mentioned to get rid of any duplicates, with these 3 more zip packs, it comes to a total of 428 unique rhythm files. With the 200 included in the keyboad, that's 628 rhythms, far beyond anything being offered in their latest 6000 and 7000 models.

You might also be interested in their IDES (Internet Data Expansion System) programs for other keyboard models. They won't talk to the CTK-4000/5000 directly, but they include a rhythm editor and CKF <-> SMF format conversion tool. It also allows you to access files on an SD card on your computer instead of a keyboard.

You can read more about what it does here: http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/mdms/

Most of that is beyond my comprehension at this point, but some of you may find it very interesting. It would be nice if some software tweakers found a way to make these programs fully 4000/5000 compatible.

 

[A.Dawson]

503 Rhythms+Accompaniment Patterns - 703 Total

Whups, I missed a link. Here's another set of rhythm files in a zip.

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/downloads/emi/cms/ctk671_rhythm/cms_rhythm.zip

Adding another 75 unique rhythm+accompaniment patterns. If you don't have a binary file compare utility, all the ones in this pack prefaced with "ctk-671_" appear to be unique, and the ones prefaced with "RHY_" appear to be duplicates of earlier files by those names. Though I didn't check them all by ear.

I have found it really surprising how differently the same named files are arranged. For an example, among all these download sources there are 3 different "8beat8" files by the very same name. File sizes of 4.71k, 7.16k, and 10.6k. None of which are anywhere near sounding like the other. Totally different styles in each.

What a nice addition to my keyboard.

I also got to wondering ... since the CTK-5000 recognized these CKF files natively from the SD card ... I'm off to test to see if the various drawbar-organ, wave-drum, and wave-sound files might not be loadable too... Being only disabled from sending through to the CTK-4000/5000's crippled Data Management software.

I strongly suspect now that this is no different than camera companies that cripple their lower-end cameras to sell higher-end units. The same functions are built into all of them, but disabled in the lower-end cameras. Hackers found ways to enable these disabled features on many lower-end camera models. I suspect the MIDI-keyboard industry is now no different.

 

[SonnyDaye]

CKF to SMF format conversion tool?

<<<<You might also be interested in their IDES (Internet Data Expansion System) programs for other keyboard models. They won't talk to the CTK-4000/5000 directly, but they include a rhythm editor and CKF <-> SMF format conversion tool.>>>

Thanks for all that info A. D.!
I'm looking strictly to convert Rhythm files (CKF) to SMF files. You say their software includes a CKF to SMF format conversion tool.
I downloaded the program (DataManager6.exe) but I don't see anything that will do that conversion.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[A.Dawson]

<<<<You might also be interested in their IDES (Internet Data Expansion System) programs for other keyboard models. They won't talk to the CTK-4000/5000 directly, but they include a rhythm editor and CKF <-> SMF format conversion tool.>>>

Thanks for all that info A. D.!
I'm looking strictly to convert Rhythm files (CKF) to SMF files. You say their software includes a CKF to SMF format conversion tool.
I downloaded the program (DataManager6.exe) but I don't see anything that will do that conversion.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!

That's because you need IDES v2, v3, or v4. You'll find the rhythm editor being the middle button of the 3 on the scant tool-bar. Then if you go to File menu > File Convert, you'll find the options of "Convert from cpt to ckf" and "Convert from ckf to smf".

Read the above again. (hint, use this link) http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/

 

[SonnyDaye]

Thanks for the clarification A.D.!
I was able to convert to a .mid file, but playing it I see that it contains the WHOLE background. I want ONLY the DRUM part - I assumed that when they say Rhythm, they mean the Drum part. Is there a way to do what I'm trying to do? Thanks again for sticking with me on this!

 

[A.Dawson]

You've never heard of "Rhythm Guitar"?

But yes, you can get just the percussion instruments section. You need any MIDI editor software out there that allows you to view and edit tracks/channels individually. A good freeware one (but there are many) that I found is "Anvil Studio". It's the full editor but they sell any add-ons for it. A good way to promote it I guess (that ploy is working here, isn't it). Works just fine without any add-ons though for most all MIDI (SMF) editing needs.

Load up the MIDI (SMF) file then delete all the non-percussion tracks. (Be in View > Mixer mode. Highlight the track, then go to the Track menu, and select Delete.) The percussion track is usually track/channel #10. There may be more than one track used for percussion in some MIDI songs/files. Listen to all tracks individually if you are uncertain, to make sure.

Save as new-name MIDI file.

I just checked a few here doing the same process with Anvil Studio to be certain it'll work as I described. That converter (CKF to SMF) seems it put all the percussion to Track 1 -- Channel 10 on all of them. (In a MIDI file you can have any track number and they are then assigned to any of the 16 MIDI channel numbers.) So when you load them up into Anvil Studio the percussion part should most likely always be on Track 1 from these converted CKF files.

 

[SonnyDaye]

You've never heard of "Rhythm Guitar"?

Yah, I guess I should have said "percussion" instead of "rhythm".Thanks for taking the time to double check the process and explaining it so well. I've got my work cut out for me now.

 

[DickR]

Something wrong with urls you've mentioned?
None of them work anymore.

 

[A.Dawson]

If those links don't work, then go to this page http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/

And follow all the links in the "Music Data Downloads" section. Each of those 4 links there, lead to further tons of files. Keeping in mind that a rhythm of one filename is not the same as another rhythm for another instrument by the same filename.

 

[DickR]

If those links don't work, then go to this page http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/

And follow all the links in the "Music Data Downloads" section. Each of those 4 links there, lead to further tons of files. Keeping in mind that a rhythm of one filename is not the same as another rhythm for another instrument by the same filename.

This is better. Other times I've tried I got the message 'Can't find the URL' or 'Doesn't excist anymore' or something similar.
Still, these links are updated according to the website in 2007. Not so much up to date one would say.
Anyhow thanks for your help, very much appreciated.

Regards
DickR
Bali

 

[Tom M]

Thanks AD for your hard work & links.
I have a CTK 6000 but was disappointed in the Casio site. Seemed very little for this model.
I'm new to midi but pretty good with computers so sure I can work it out and have a lot of fun/frustration in doing so.
If tones or rhythms have specific file extensions, surely you can import from other manufacturers. If they use a different extension I bet there's software somewhere to convert.
Anyone used Garageband?
Thanks again