AC7 Rhythm format file

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Hi, I have a CTK-4200 Casio keyboard which unfortunately supports only .ac7 rhythm's files format. I want to create some custom rhythms but I don't know how to convert them to ac7 format.

I've already seen this topic https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/wk-500-ac7-file-rhythm.23501/ but didn't solve. Is there any converter from midi to ac7, or from any other format to ac7? Or, at least, can I find anywhere the binary specifications of this file format considering that their programs are open source?
 
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It works, with .ctk files. Awesome. Thank you.
I didn't see any "convert" button/menu so I assumed it could't convert files, also because on the manual it says that the keyboard supports only ac7.

Now, how do I create ckf files?
 
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there is a program that will attempt to convert midi to ctk files and also a program that will conver yamaha styles to casio ctk file do a sear h on google or check the boards on here as iam sure i have sent it posted here. good luck
 
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The Data Manager 6.X software will convert .ckf rhythm files from the older keyboards to the AC7 rhythm file format of the newer keyboards, but it no longer supports MIDI-TO-RHYTHM conversion. The Yamaha-to-Casio converter was non-Casio associated third party software that was really never totally completed. It seems to have disappeared from most sites, and has become very rare. The Data Manager software for the older keyboards was more commonly referred to as IDES (Internet Data Expansion System) and included a standalone program that would convert a MIDI file to a .ckf rhythm file. The newer Data Manager should be able to convert the resulting .ckf file to the newer AC7 format, but do not expect it to perform like a rhythm file specifically designed by Casio software engineers for their keyboards. Those "converted" files' performance was typically spartan and hit-and-miss, at best, unless one was willing to do considerable "tweaking" which required a fair amount of knowledge of Casio rhythm file construction. Expect to do some research and studying. The IDES software can still be downloaded from the Casio-Europe site at:

http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/specials/ides/downloads/

Unless you have a specific older model that you are trying to match, I recommend downloading the IDES 4.0 version, as it is the newest version and should be compatible with just about all .ckf files.
 
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I did some research but did'find any usefull information except the thread on this forum I linked in the first post. There is no format specification of ac7 files. Or any editing documentation.
 
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biowep

If you have not already done so, you might want to review Pages 45 through 47 of your CTK-4200 Owner's Manual - particularly the charts in the left hand column of Page 45 and the right hand column of Page 46, as they give basic insights into the constructs of the AC-7 file. This section of the manual deals with "Editing Auto Accompaniment Patterns" and that is what the "AC" in "AC-7" stands for: Accompaniment. When you edit an Auto Accompaniment Pattern, you are editing its AC-7 file. I wish I had more to offer, but as far as I know, that is about it. Perhaps another user who owns a Casio board that uses AC-7 files will pop in here and give us both some additional insights. I was going to suggest you download the manuals for the CTK-7000/WK-7500 and/or the CTK-6000/WK-6500 for more info on this, but your CTK-4200 manual presents this in a much more straight forward manner. Those other manuals get so wrapped up in the steps of doing the editing, that they give very little, if any, useful info on the basic makeup of the AC-7 file. I have downloaded the CTK-4200 manual for my own future reference. I will continue to look for info that goes deeper into this subject, but at present can make no promises.

Good luck !
 
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biowep

In the link you mentioned in your original post, I am wondering if you scrolled down far enough to see the reply from Mayo, where he explains how he converts MIDI to AC-7:

You can convert MIDI to CKF

1. Set up a MIDI file, I use Cubase and set markers

2. I export the file as General MIDI

3. Important: You need to set 11 markers Intro 1 & 2, Var 1&2, Fil1 -4, End 1 and 2. Since the one I use ( WK 7500) has 1 intro, 1 end, and 2 variations, I just copy them twice.

4. Open the software Music Data Management Software

5. Click the second box –Rhythm Converter

6. File open, Open SMF ( Previously set)

7. Then go to Command: Convert to Pattern ( It is 5 th in the file drop menu)

8. It will create CKF file

9. Wk 7500 reads ckf as if it was AC.7 files, so you can load it directly on the media card and then load it as user rhytm.

In Step 4, where he mentions the 'Music Data Management Software", he is talking about the old IDES-4 Data Manager - not the new 6.X Data Manager. The 6.X Data Managers do not include the MIDI-to-CKF converters that the old IDES packages did. At this stage, I think this is your best bet: use Mayo's method to convert MIDI to ckf with the old IDES-4 software and then convert the ckf to AC-7 with the new 6.X Data Manager. You would need to download the IDES-4 software from the Casio-Europe website. In Step 9, once you use the Data Manager 6.X to send the CKF file to User Memory in the keyboard, you can then use Data Manager 6.X to bring it back to your PC as an AC-7 file for future use. It is the download from the PC to the keyboard that actually does the conversion. I doubt very much that you are going to find the engineering specs on the AC-7 file in order to write your own converter, and I am not so sure Casio would be willing to share that info.

Again - Good luck with your endeavors !
 
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