Casio Ctk keyboards

[Jimi]

Hi i was thinking of getting a keyboard for myself and wanted some opinion on the CTK series. I noticed that most of these keyboards have usb midi but i wanna know if this means i can use it as a proper midi keyboard with software like reason or similar virtual instruments. I'm new to keyboards and wanted one that'll last with good quality and midi functionality.

I'm mainly looking the ctk-4000 and 5000. The WK-500 looks good too, any opinion on that would be appreciated. Also how do they compare with the sounds on the yamaha e213,313,413 keyboards. I mainly am looking for a good piano sound and touch sensitivity for the keys.

Thanks

 

[kanthos]

USB MIDI does mean it should work in a DAW. You'll have to install drivers for the keyboard (maybe not if your computer is a Mac), which will make your operating system recognize the keyboard as a MIDI device. Any software that can identify hardware MIDI devices would then be able to identify your keyboard.

Can't help with the other questions; I've never played a Casio.

 

[Jimi]

USB MIDI does mean it should work in a DAW. You'll have to install drivers for the keyboard (maybe not if your computer is a Mac), which will make your operating system recognize the keyboard as a MIDI device. Any software that can identify hardware MIDI devices would then be able to identify your keyboard.

Can't help with the other questions; I've never played a Casio.

Hey thanks man... the only ting i'm worried about is that the usb midi might turn out to be just to transfer midi files like demo songs and stuff and not a proper controller for virtual instruments.

 

[kanthos]

Can you download the manual and figure that out before you buy? Generally though, you wouldn't say that a keyboard had USB MIDI i fit was just used to transfer files and other settings.

 

[Fuzzball123]

Hey thanks man... the only ting i'm worried about is that the usb midi might turn out to be just to transfer midi files like demo songs and stuff and not a proper controller for virtual instruments.

It works as a MIDI controller too, I have one. I've used it with FL Studio 8 before.

 

[Thoraldus]

Hey thanks man... the only ting i'm worried about is that the usb midi might turn out to be just to transfer midi files like demo songs and stuff and not a proper controller for virtual instruments.

Just got the CTK-5000 from AMS ... works fine as a MIDI controller. It was Plug-n-Play on my Windows XP system.

Rick

 

[Jimi]

Thanks a lot guys...

 

[Riotblade]

Hi i was thinking of getting a keyboard for myself and wanted some opinion on the CTK series. I noticed that most of these keyboards have usb midi but i wanna know if this means i can use it as a proper midi keyboard with software like reason or similar virtual instruments. I'm new to keyboards and wanted one that'll last with good quality and midi functionality.

I'm mainly looking the ctk-4000 and 5000. The WK-500 looks good too, any opinion on that would be appreciated. Also how do they compare with the sounds on the yamaha e213,313,413 keyboards. I mainly am looking for a good piano sound and touch sensitivity for the keys.

Thanks

I have the Ctk-5000 and I must say it is a great keyboard for the price. I like it and it works wonders for me. I'm not really talented with keyboards and I only been playing for maybe over a year steady. The ctk-5000 is a great one to buy.

 

[meetdhanasekar]

I have the Ctk-5000 and I must say it is a great keyboard for the price. I like it and it works wonders for me. I'm not really talented with keyboards and I only been playing for maybe over a year steady. The ctk-5000 is a great one to buy.

I am having ctk 5000 i dont know how to play the recorded music in computer can any help me now to do that i have downloaded the recorded sound to my computer using Casio data manager but it is not playing in my computer . i am new to this keyboard word.....!

 

[ypelletier]

I am having ctk 5000 i dont know how to play the recorded music in computer can any help me now to do that i have downloaded the recorded sound to my computer using Casio data manager but it is not playing in my computer . i am new to this keyboard word.....!

What is the file extension? Is it SP7? If so, here's another thread about this problem. My advice would be to record your music with your computer and save it as a MIDI file, instead of recording it directly on the Casio keyboard.

 

[A.Dawson]

If anyone is having problems using the data from a Casio keyboard (the CTK-4000/5000 in particular) because no other software recognizes Casio's file-types, you need only hook up the MIDI port to your computer and record the output to any MIDI arranging/recording software. It will record everything this way, rhythms, accompaniment, etc.

If you need to put any songs you've composed and saved on the keyboard into a useful format, then when saving (after holding down the Card Save/Load button), just select the "Sav SMF 0" option, the option just after "Sav Rec.Song". This saves your file as a standard MIDI file with the .mid extension already on the filename.

I too went in search of a solution to these mysterious SP7 and CM2 file-types. There are hundreds of posts all over the net with others having the same frustrating problem, so I too went in search of some obscure file-converter utility that didn't exist.

The solution wasn't so mysterious nor complicated after-all.

 

[DickR]

Hi A.Dawson,

Since a few weeks I own a WK7500 and have been looking for software to 'look into or convert' the SP7 etc. files.

If the solution wasn't so mysterious nor complicated would you mind to share you knowledge?
Any advice would be highly appreciated.

DickR
Bali

 

[A.Dawson]

Hi A.Dawson,

Since a few weeks I own a WK7500 and have been looking for software to 'look into or convert' the SP7 etc. files.

If the solution wasn't so mysterious nor complicated would you mind to share you knowledge?
Any advice would be highly appreciated.

DickR
Bali

There was no software I found that would convert SP7 to MID files. But I already gave you the answer:

If you need to put any songs you've composed and saved on the keyboard into a useful format, then when saving (after holding down the Card Save/Load button), just select the "Sav SMF 0" option, the option just after "Sav Rec.Song". This saves your file as a standard MIDI file with the .mid extension already on the filename.

I'm not familiar with the WK7500 so maybe it has other options that I don't know about. The WK7500 also has other more-advanced support software for it than what I have available for my CTK-5000, perhaps there's some options in that too. Look on Casio's support software pages.

 

[DickR]

There was no software I found that would convert SP7 to MID files. But I already gave you the answer:

If you need to put any songs you've composed and saved on the keyboard into a useful format, then when saving (after holding down the Card Save/Load button), just select the "Sav SMF 0" option, the option just after "Sav Rec.Song". This saves your file as a standard MIDI file with the .mid extension already on the filename.

I'm not familiar with the WK7500 so maybe it has other options that I don't know about. The WK7500 also has other more-advanced support software for it than what I have available for my CTK-5000, perhaps there's some options in that too. Look on Casio's support software pages.

Hi,
As it happens I was online.
Thanks for your answer, I must have misunderstood your explanation. I though you found a way to look into the Rhythm and Tone-files. Midi is reasonable clear for me.
Casio Support pages? I have been trying to find them but Casio World or Casio Europe are way backdated with their info and not very interested in their clients it seems. If you have suggestions????

Regards
Dick
Bali

 

[A.Dawson]

Try this link: http://support.casio.com/download.php?cid=008&pid=340&rgn=1

Also, read this full thread for further info on using and extracting MIDI data from their rhythm files: https://www.keyboardforums.com/163-free-extra-rhythms-casio-ctk-5000-a-t22540.html

This page http://www.casio.com/support/driverdownloads/musical_instruments.html has some zip packs of oddly named files in them. Perhaps those can be used with the new datamanager or IDES utilities ( at http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/ ).

 

[DickR]

Try this link: http://support.casio.com/download.php?cid=008&pid=340&rgn=1

Also, read this full thread for further info on using and extracting MIDI data from their rhythm files: https://www.keyboardforums.com/163-free-extra-rhythms-casio-ctk-5000-a-t22540.html

This page http://www.casio.com/support/driverdownloads/musical_instruments.html has some zip packs of oddly named files in them. Perhaps those can be used with the new datamanager or IDES utilities ( at http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/ ).

That makes sence! Thank you very much for your info. I will look into these.

Best Regards
DickR
Bali

 

[The Y_man]

Try this link: http://support.casio.com/download.php?cid=008&pid=340&rgn=1

Also, read this full thread for further info on using and extracting MIDI data from their rhythm files: https://www.keyboardforums.com/163-free-extra-rhythms-casio-ctk-5000-a-t22540.html

This page http://www.casio.com/support/driverdownloads/musical_instruments.html has some zip packs of oddly named files in them. Perhaps those can be used with the new datamanager or IDES utilities ( at http://www.casio-europe.com/euro/emi/cms/ ).

Hi A.Dawson - thanks for your great tips. Really appreciated.

I bought a CTK-7000 recently and was trying to get my head around the rhythm editor they have - but it was a bit of a pain.

I didin't think of playing it direct over midi to the PC as suggested above, but instead I recorded a few bars of the rhythm as a "song" on the board, then saved it as a SMF before copying to the PC (via the Datamanager for the CTK7000).

After modifying the piece, I used the IDES from the site - it takes a bit of reading and re-reading the instrucitons, but got it to work (i.e. converting the SMF to a CKF) - and back onto the CTK7000 (via the CTK's own Datatmanager) as a user rhythm - hooray!!

For those with a WK7500 - the CTK7000 is the same engine so I can conform the additional rhythms form the Casio site, as well as the IDES works.

The Y-man

 

[mhall]

cm2 files

The keyboard is some 5 miles away so I can't just plug the card in it, but I want to hear the music in the file... how do I do it with Win 7 64 bit?

 

[The Y_man]

The keyboard is some 5 miles away so I can't just plug the card in it, but I want to hear the music in the file... how do I do it with Win 7 64 bit?

If it is saved as a SMF, any midiplayer will do it - even Windows Media Player.

Otherwise, Anvil will work on W7/64bit
http://www.anvilstudio.com/

The Y-man

 

[mhall]

If it is saved as a SMF, any midiplayer will do it - even Windows Media Player.

Otherwise, Anvil will work on W7/64bit
http://www.anvilstudio.com/

The Y-man

Their all cm2 files. Are you saying a program called Anvil will ply them?

Thanks