keyboard that can reproduce MIDI files

[tonik89]

Hi. I'm new to this site, but I would like to ask a question. I already have a Casio CTK-230. But my wish is to buy my self a keyboard that can reproduce midi files. For example, I download a midi files from a site (la paloma, or anyother song) put it in a keyboard and the midi file reproduce like a back song, on which I play. Like we can see a lot of youtube videos that most people use on tyros yamahas keyboards.

My question is: Can a Yamaha psr-e353 do it? or even a Casio CTK-3000?
I see that they have a midi sample record, but that's not the thing i'm looking for.

Any help and opinnion is great.

 

[Fred Coulter]

The PSR E353 is compatible with MIDI files. However, with only 32 note polyphony, the texture of the music better not be too thick.

The CTK-3000 is also compatible with MIDI files. It's polyphony is 48 notes, so the texture can be a bit thicker.

However, remember the limitation of MIDI files. The sound generation is done by the keyboard, and what one keyboard calls Piano may not sound like the other keyboard's Piano. Additionally, the MIDI file may not be assigning the voices the way the sounds are organized in the keyboard. The Yamaha follows certain sound definitions, so IF the MIDI file uses the same definitions, then it should sound reasonable. But if the MIDI file doesn't follow the same specifications, you may need to edit the tracks so that the instrumentation is reasonable. (Hopefully the drums are the same. Otherwise you're in for a much more serious job of editing. Change all the E3 to F2. Etc.)

What's the source of the MIDI files? They may very well use a standard, such as GM or XGlite, so the sounds will be reasonable close if the keyboard also supports that format. (The PSR supports both GM and XGlite. The CTK-3000 only supports GM.)

It appears that neither of the keyboards have traditional MIDI ports, so you'll need to send the files via a USB connection from your computer. I don't know if either of them will read the files off a jump drive.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

The PSR-E353 can play MIDI song files that you've transferred to its internal memory using Yamaha Musicsoft Downloader, and it also lets you record two tracks, or one track plus a style. However, it doesn't have a USB TO DEVICE port for plugging in a USB flash drive, so there is no function for converting your recorded tracks into a MIDI song file. If you want to create a MIDI file using the PSR-E353, your best bet is to use a DAW to record and edit the MIDI data.

The PSR-E453 or PSR-EW400 (or one of the earlier PSR-E4xx models) would be better than the PSR-E353, because it lets you record five tracks plus a style, and afterward you can convert your recorded tracks into a MIDI song file that can be loaded into a DAW for further work-- or you can just use a DAW to record and edit the MIDI data.

The PSR-S models would be even better, but they also cost a lot more.

I'm not as familiar with Casio models, so I'll let someone else comment about them.

 

[tonik89]

Thank you for the fast reply. That's whats bugging me. I would like to make it easier for me, so that i can put on an sd or usb thoose midi files. What keyboard do you recommed? My budget is from 180 dollars to 230 dollars. I'm not in too profesional use. I'm more for house and my fun time playing. I do heared Yamaha has better reproduced sound instruments.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

The PSR-E453 and PSR-EW400 have a USB TO DEVICE port for plugging in a USB flash drive, but not an SD drive. They can play MIDI song files directly off of a USB flash drive. The PSR-E453 is a bit over your budget, but you may be able to find a used PSR-E443 or PSR-E433 for $230 or less. Note that the PSR-E403 through the PSR-E423 did not have a USB TO DEVICE port, so if that's a requirement then you wouldn't want to get one of those models.

 

[tonik89]

Thank you. So much specification difference in so little model number difference. haha
USB port will do good for me. Thoose keyboards I guess, have touch sensitivity, it would be a great feature, us my casio is amateur basic keyboard.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, the PSR-E3xx and PSR-E4xx models have touch (velocity) sensitivity, whereas the PSR-E2xx models do not.

The only Casio model I have any experience with is the CTK-710, which I gave away last year. It wasn't velocity-sensitive, either. A keyboard without velocity sensitivity is still useful for playing organ voices and some synth voices, but you really do need velocity sensitivity for the vast majority of voices. I wasn't very happy with most of the tones (voices) on my old CTK-710, although it did have a few that I rather liked. As I understand it, the tones on Casio's newer Privia keyboards are a huge improvement over the tones on their CTK and WK models.

 

[tonik89]

Thank you for the reply. Sorry for a little delay. I forgot to ask, do keyboards that have USB Type B device to pc transfer have the same option of pplaying like the one's that have even regular USB? In other words as i'm in too working on a keyboard that has a MIDI backing system while playing, does the keyboard with only type B usb can do it too? Or thoose keyboards can only record my playing on the pc?
Sorry for the long two questions, it is a bit hard to explain it accurate.

 

[Fred Coulter]

do keyboards that have USB Type B device to pc transfer have the same option of pplaying like the one's that have even regular USB? In other words as i'm in too working on a keyboard that has a MIDI backing system while playing, does the keyboard with only type B usb can do it too? Or thoose keyboards can only record my playing on the pc?
Sorry for the long two questions, it is a bit hard to explain it accurate.

A normal USB cable has one end with what you call a normal USB plug, and the other end has a USB Type B plug. That's normal. So you'd use the USB B in the device, and the regular USB on the computer. That means the computer is the master device.

If the keyboard has a regular (rectangular) USB plug, it's the master device, and the slave device would be a disk drive, a keyboard, or some sort of controller. I don't know of any computer that has the Type B plug or the ability to be the slave device.

Or am I misunderstanding your question?

 

[happyrat1]

Often a keyboard will have the rectangular type A USB connector to use with USB Thumb Drives. Usually, however, these ports do not have any other "host" features.

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

BTW, pretty much all the Casio CTK and WK models in current production have velocity sensitivity as well. If in doubt check the specs.

Gary

 

[tonik89]

I do understand now why it has a USB B type and regular USB. But my question is about the reproducing MIDI files on a keyboard.
I know that for example Yamaha PSR-e443 has an USB A type. Using USB drive which contains MIDI files I can reproduce Thoose files as a backup band on the keyboard with witch I then play.

Is this option of backup band with MIDI of my choice possible with keyboards that contain only USB type B? Example Yamaha psr-e353, or Casio CTK-3200 ?

 

[tonik89]

Didn't found a edit button. but i found a used Casio CTK-6000 that is selling at 140 dollars. In money that is a bargain for me. And As I saw it has an SD card slot for MIDI, touch sensetivity keyboard. Any Casio players can confirm, how's the model ctk-6000? Or to buy for 300 dollars a new yamaha? used one's are hard o find and i'm not happy with the psr-e443 that doesnt have touch sensetivity.

 

[Fred Coulter]

According to the Yamaha Computer Related Operations manual, you can both transfer songs to the keyboard as well as use the keyboard to play a MIDI file on stored on the computer on the keyboard.

A couple notes about playing MIDI files. First, the 353 only has 32 note polyphony. If the song is complex, the keyboard may not play all the notes. Second, the sounds used to play the file are the sounds on the keyboard, which may not sound much like the original piece.

 

[happyrat1]

Basically there's a few ways you can play a MIDI file on most keyboards.

1) From a thumb drive or memory card depending on which is available on that keyboard.

2) Using a computer as a sequencer to play the MIDI thru a USB or MIDI adapter cable depending on which is available.

As for the CTK-6000 for $140? Good deal and it can easily play MIDIs using either method. Also velocity sensitive.

Gary

 

[Fred Coulter]

According to the specs (http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musi...digitalkeyboards/portable_keyboards/psr-e443/) The 443 is touch sensitive.

It's not PRESSURE sensitive, but that's a feature for higher level keyboards.

Touch sensitive, also called velocity sensitive, is how pianos work. I'm not sure any traditional instruments are channel pressure sensitive (across the whole keyboard). Individual key sensitivity is extremely rare at any price point, and it's how clavichords work, allowing the player to bend the pitch of a single note up.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

The PSR-E443 does have touch sensitivity, also called velocity sensitivity. As Fred notes, what it doesn't have is aftertouch sensitivity, which is normally available only on higher-priced keyboards-- although many MIDI keyboard controllers do have it. There are actually two types of aftertouch sensitivity-- channel aftertouch, which applies to all notes played on a given MIDI channel; and polyphonic aftertouch, which applies to specific notes (i.e., different notes on the same MIDI channel can have different amounts of aftertouch depending on how hard they're being pressed down). Channel aftertouch is more commonly found than polyphonic aftertouch. But for basic velocity sensitivity that lets you play notes more loudly or more softly, you want touch sensitivity. In contrast, aftertouch sensitivity is used for modifying the notes after they've been played, such as adding modulation to them, although it doesn't do anything by itself unless the keyboard or patch (preset voice) is programmed to use the aftertouch messages for a specific function (modulation, vibrato, filter cutoff, etc.).

The PSR-E443 lets you record User Songs which are stored internally using MIDI data. It also has a function in its FILE CONTROL menu for converting a User Song into a Standard MIDI File (SMF) which is written to your USB thumb drive. Yamaha models that do not have the USB TO DEVICE port-- such as the PSR-E353-- don't have a FILE CONTROL menu and therefore have no built-in function for converting a User Song into a Standard MIDI File.