Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

Mark,

Here is the general idea of how to use computers along with your CZ
synthesizer:

The CZ synthesizer communicates with sysex data that travels over a
midi cable.  A CZ synth can both send and receive data.

If you have some sysex data, you can send it to your computer.  And if
you have a keyboard full of sounds, you can send them to your computer
and save them forever and ever.  Then reload them at a later date.

To do this, you need to connect your computer to your keyboard with a
MIDI cable.  Then you need a computer program that can send MIDI data
to your keyboard.  There are many differnt programs.  I have had good
luck with MIDIOX. (http://www.midiox.com)

A couple n00b mistakes not to make:
- Connect the cables the right way, "midi out" from the computer to
"midi in" on the synth
- To send data to your CZ synth you need to have the protect switch off.
- To send data to your CZ synth you need to have "System Exclusive
Tone Data" enabled.

Now all you have to do is find some sysex data to load.  Look for
files that advertise "CZ patches" and have an extension of ".syx".

I would give you a link to some sysex data, but I don't know which
synthesizer you have.  Different CZs hold different amounts of data:
CZ-101: 16 user patches
CZ-1000: 16 user patches
CZ-3000: 32 user patches
CZ-5000: 32 user patches
CZ-1: 64 user patches

It's best to find a sysex dump that came from the same sort of machine
you have.  Which CZ do you use?

There is a good tutorial on this site which helped me out:
http://www.cosmosynthesizer.de/
When you visit that page, click on "MIDI & SYX" at the top of the
page.  There you will find the tutorial on dumping and loading.

--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Rauch" <billbigrig@...> wrote:
>
> Howdy,
> 
>  That is a good question. i have not used computers at all in music. 
> but now i've decided to at least load some CZ sounds off the net. 
> What do I need to do this? I have a dual usb/midi adapter, that's 
> all. Where do I get a program to download sounds and put them in the 
> synth/ thanx
> Rig
> 
> --- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "Fulfil Objective" <kasploosh@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > Also, I have been using the patch dumps you made and I definitely
> > appreciate the work.  It's fun to pump the machine full of new 
> sounds
> > in just a few seconds.
> > 
> > I have not been able to get a functioning patch editor and librarian
> > working on my computer, though, and that's still big hangnail in my
> > life.  I can dump sysex data back and forth with MIDIOX.  But I 
> wish I
> > had a little (free) program on my computer that would let me
> > manipulate the sysex data.  I've read back through this yahoo group
> > for ideas, and tried all of them I could find.
> > 
> > What I would like to be able to do is rearrange/rename the patches 
> in
> > any given sysex dump.  For example, you have them arranged in what
> > looks like rough alphabetical order.  I would like to make a dump 
> that
> > is all organs, one that is all electric pianos, one that is all toy
> > pianos, one that is all basses, one that is all synth leads, etc. 
> > That way they would be more suited to my needs.  It's just hex data,
> > so it doesn't seem like it would be that hard.
> > 
> > Also I'm on the lookout for a patch editor, so that I can quickly 
> make
> > changes on a computer and shoot them over to the keyboard.  It seems
> > like that would be faster and better than messing with the little 
> LCD
> > screen and nested menus.  I've read back in this group as well, but
> > haven't had any luck.
> > 
> > I even ran the Atari emulator and tried CZDROID and CZRIDER.  
> CZRIDER
> > was really promising as a patch editor, but it wasn't quite 100%.
> > 
> > I also tried CZPATCH and CZEDIT running under DOS emulators, but had
> > similar problems.  The programs worked, but they couldn't talk to 
> the
> > keyboard, probably because they are being run under emulators.
> > 
> > Here is a list of the things I've tried and some of my notes:
> > 
> > 
> > CZ Sysex Editor
> > ---------------
> > by Alfonso Hermida
> > - Won't send data to CZ-1.
> > - Saves as .syx, so I can send the saved data with MIDIOX.
> > - But MIDIOX doesn't transmit the patch names.
> > - Also, when saving as .syx the program doesn't save the patch data.
> > - Can't control where patches are sent.
> > - Can't transmit velocity and aftertouch data.
> > 
> > 
> > CZDROID running on STEEM Atari Emulator
> > ---------------------------------------
> > 1986 by Tom Bajoras
> > - Droid function for random patches is cool
> > - Edits patches fine, but doesn't send them to the CZ-1
> > - Doesn't save data in a sysex format, so patches created here can't
> > really be used.
> > 
> > 
> > CZRIDER running on STEEM Atari Emulator
> > ---------------------------------------
> > by Bob Melvin
> > - Edits patches nicely
> > - Saves patches to disk
> > - Recalls saved patches
> > - Can send a collection of patches to CZ-1, but patch names aren't
> > transmitted.
> > - Can't retrieve patch data from CZ-1.
> > - Can't transmit patch names.
> > - Can't control where patches are sent.
> > - Can't transmit velocity and aftertouch data.
> > 
> > 
> > CZPATCH running on DOSBox DOS Emulator
> > --------------------------------------
> > 1991 by Karl Schmidt
> > - Librarian only
> > - Can't talk MIDI with CZ-1, maybe because of emulator
> > - Seems difficult to use for renaming and regrouping patches.
> > 
> > 
> > CZEDIT running on DOSBox DOS Emulator
> > -------------------------------------
> > 1988 by Gary P. Richardi
> > - groovy DOS patch editor.
> > - editing patches works fine
> > - Can't talk MIDI with CZ-1, maybe because of emulator
> > - Can't retrieve patch data from CZ-1, hangs
> > - I should try this with legit DOS instead of emulator
> > 
> > 
> > CZLIB
> > -----
> > by Matthew Suffidy
> > - Librarian only, not a patch editor
> > - Could not make it talk to CZ-1.
> > - Made for CZ-101, Maybe it has a different handshake than CZ-1?
> >
>