Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

Ok Daniel, Here comes some basic stuff about midi.
I´m using my midi setup as an example.
My system consists of a PC with soundcard and midiinterface which can also be included in the soundcard.
My CZ is connected as following:
Cz midi out ---- to PC midi in
Cz midi in ------to Pc midi out
Cz midi through---to midi in of other synthesizers 
(that might be the point, the cz1000 has no midi through , so you  need a second midi out port on your PC if you want to play other external synthesizers with your Cz`s keyboard.)
Ok your hardware should be ok now. Lets have a look at the software: I´m using Cakewalk Sonar as a Sequenzer.
The software serves not only for recording midi data, it takes control over your hardware(masterkeybord and synthesizers), too. Lets suppose you want to play a software synthesizer (piece of software that makes sounds) with your cz`s keyboard. Every track in the sequenzer has an input and an output. As input, you choose the port(your midi interface) and the midi channel, your cz is connected to.(example, cz is sending on channel 1 an is connected to "mpu 401external midi": Input channel 1, port:mpu 401 external midi) Got it??? The output of the track has to be the input of the software synthie.
If you now hit a key on your Cz you will her two sounds, one generated by the softsynth and one by the cz itself.
And thats the point why you need to send a local off message. Local off disconnects the Keyboard part inside your CZ from the Synthesizer part. That means the keyboard is able to send its data directly to your pc without going over the cz synthesizer. Every goog Sequenzer software can do that for you automatically- read your operation manual for details.(The PC has to send the local off message)

If you decide to use some cz sounds, simply choose the cz`s input midi channel in the sequenzers output.
So you can switch between several synths and play them all over the same keyboard.
I hope that brought you a bit ahead, Im not very good in explaining such things. 
Daniel




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