Looking for a PC Software that can produce nice instrument sounds for my arranger keyboard.

[Maevinarsh]

Hi. I own a Casio PX560M, I bought it few weeks ago. I am kinda satisfied with its features, not all.
I usually bring this keyboard to my church to play it, I'm maybe known as a church organist/pianist.
I usually use basic instruments such as Piano, Organ, Strings, Violin, Trumpet, E.Piano, Flute and many more.
But I'm not kinda satisfied with some of the instruments, such as Violin, Trumpet and maybe Organ. Comparing to the YAMAHA Montage, I more preferred the MONTAGE's Violin, Trumpet and Organ sounds. I was figuring out a way to import the YAMAHA Montage's sound to my Casio PX560M, but (maybe) its impossible I guess. I tried going to the official website for downloads, but there weren't any Violin, Trumpet and Organ Sounds. So I'm hoping that I will be able to connect my Casio to my laptop, download a software that has these sounds, and play those sounds through my Casio. Is that possible? Is yes, tell me what should I do now.
Or, is there any way to create our own sounds for the Casio PX560?
Thanks In Advance.

 

[Maevinarsh]

1:28 - 2:05 (Just hear the violin sounds, its nice and I really like it)

 

[Biggles]

I do not see how you can compare the two, the Casio is a great 88 key unit and good vfm at its price point, the Montage is a full blown Pro keyboard ideally suited to live performances but it costs 2.5x the Casio.

What you are talking about is making your keyboard a MIDI controller but by the time you are finished I really think that you would be best advised to sell on the Casio and buy a keyboard that does what you want and has the inbuilt sound quality you desire.

Do look at both the Roland DS88 and Korg Kross 2 88 as keyboards that will have the array of sounds you desire and both are capable of layering instrument sounds to give you precisely the sound you want additionally Eq and Fx are also available and fully customisable.

 

[Maevinarsh]

Hello, thanks for the reply. Im sorry, i might not be able to sell it.
So tell me a way to make my keyboard a MIDI Keyboard?

 

[Biggles]

You can try to edit the instrument voices on your keyboard to see or rather hear if that makes them more acceptable, Page 24 onwards of the manual has explanation and a great illustration of the tone envelope and its available adjustments.

MIDI can be more complex to set up, at its simplest download a DAW such as Cakewalk by BandLab, connect up your keyboard via a USB lead and you may be good to go.

If it does not work initially then you will need a Driver from the Casio website, there may be issues with PC audio and connectivity but lets see what happens if you try the above first

 

[anotherscott]

I was figuring out a way to import the YAMAHA Montage's sound to my Casio PX560M, but (maybe) its impossible I guess.

Correct.

So I'm hoping that I will be able to connect my Casio to my laptop, download a software that has these sounds, and play those sounds through my Casio. Is that possible? Is yes, tell me what should I do now.

You can absolutely do this! It's not quite as easy as it is on some other keyboards, because the PX560M is weak on its MIDI functions, so things like patch selection of your laptop sounds or mixing/matching internal and external sounds can be more complicated, but there are ways around almost anything. Is your laptop a Mac or a PC? (This can also be done on an iPad or iPhone if you have one.)

 

[anotherscott]

MIDI can be more complex to set up, at its simplest download a DAW such as Cakewalk by BandLab, connect up your keyboard via a USB lead and you may be good to go.

If you don't need DAW functions, I don't think a DAW would be the simplest way to go. There are other apps which are more directly geared toward simply using your laptop as a sound module. I'd look at Mainstage (Mac), Cantabile (PC), GigPerformer (either). I've just recently started working with GigPerformer, and I'm pretty impressed so far. Though on a Mac, Mainstage would be simplest, since it probably already includes all the sounds many people would need. With the other two, you also have to locate and install VSTs that have the sounds you want.

If it does not work initially then you will need a Driver from the Casio website, there may be issues with PC audio and connectivity but lets see what happens if you try the above first

Casios have been class-compliant for a good while now, so no driver should be needed. I don't believe any Casios send audio over USB, but the PX560 has aux/line inputs, so you can get sound out of the laptop into the Casio that way if need be.

 

[anotherscott]

i might not be able to sell it.

Since you bought it only a few weeks ago, if it was from a dealer, maybe they would permit a return for exchange?

In terms of sounds, you don't have to go all the way up to the price of a Montage to get the sounds of the Montage... all the same sounds are in the much cheaper MODX. (And a lot of them are even in the still cheaper MX.) Another relatively low cost board you could look at would be Kurzweil SP6, which is stronger for organ than anything else mentioned and is also above average for EPs and strings.

But the PX560 is a nice board too. Compared to most of the others (including the DS88 and Kross mentioned earlier), it probably has the best feeling action, and it's the lightest weight (or close), and it has built in speakers, and it has some very nice sounds of its own. (I think I'd take its EPs over the ones in the DS88, Kross, and MX for example.) Since no board is perfect and you're open to getting more sounds from a laptop anyway, if you did decide to try to swap the PX560 for something else, I'd look for something with more complete MIDI integration. That could include the MODX, SP6, Kross, or Casio's own PX5S. (But not really the MX or DS.)