Korg Pa5X tutorial: Convert Yamaha styles to Korg styles

[QuiRobinez]

Pa5X tutorial: Convert Yamaha styles to Korg styles

In this video I will show you how easy it is to convert Yamaha styles to full Korg Pa5X styles (works also the same on the korg pa4x).

We will take a Yamaha song style and convert that in realtime to a Korg song style.

timetable
00:00 DEMO: See See Rider
00:32 converting a yamaha style to korg
04:10 setting the correct korg labels
07:30 export to a korg midi file
09:00 create the style on the korg Pa5X
13:47 mixing stage: modify the levels and effects
18:22 DEMO: end result

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CYeas-GcTpM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

[BR]

Well done Qui as usual.

As you mentioned it's easy to convert from Yamaha to Korg style.
The opposite (Korg to Yamaha conversion) as I experimented, has more steps to do and longer when
specially there are customized audio drum/percussion loop involved. This applies also when converting from Yamaha to Korg with customized audio drum/percussion loop.

Good job and I enjoyed it.

[DiegoDiego74]

Mythical Qui.

[DiegoDiego74]

slaps Genos

[rikkisbears]

Hi Qui,
great tutorial.
Impressive how you make a fairly simple Yamaha style ,sound so good.

If only the newer factory styles were as simple as changing markers. One good excuse for having both brands . Haha.

Inspired me to go thru my old Yamaha song style collection . Not that I’d ever get a result anywhere near as good as yours. Still, it’s a start.

Thank you Qui.

[QuiRobinez]

Hi Qui,
great tutorial.
Impressive how you make a fairly simple Yamaha style ,sound so good.

thanks, that is caused by some basic mixing techniques. Especially the levels and some compression.

You can hear the original conversion at 13:47, i've included a quick basic mixing setup in the tutorial so that you can see what I changed. The end result is at 18:23

If only the newer factory styles were as simple as changing markers. One good excuse for having both brands . Haha.

Inspired me to go thru my old Yamaha song style collection . Not that I’d ever get a result anywhere near as good as yours. Still, it’s a start.

I've originally recorded an explanation how to convert session sound based genos styles in the tutorial, but during the video editing session I noticed that adding that explanation would take the length to far over one hour.

But if you are converting Genos 'session' based sound styles, then you will get 16 channels, where channel 1-8 has the extra session programming or extra notes that you need to merge with the other tracks. For session programmed tracks you have to delete these , and then you need to manually clean up some of the programming midi events in the other session channels.

My guess is that that is too complicated for most users, so I've decided to delete that part out of this tutorial.

But if there are a lot of likes and comments and views, and I got the impression that people really want to know how to do the more complex things. Also NTT, and other more in-depth style edit features plays a big part in these kind of conversions), then maybe I will create an in-depth tutorial for it. But I doubt that most keyboard players go that deep in to style editing.

I do have Genos styles on my pa5x , but that was a little bit more work. And since there are thousands of the more general tyros / genos song styles, this tutorial is the way to go for all those kind of styles.

[rikkisbears]

thanks, that is caused by some basic mixing techniques. Especially the levels and some compression.

You can hear the original conversion at 13:47, i've included a quick basic mixing setup in the tutorial so that you can see what I changed. The end result is at 18:23

If only the newer factory styles were as simple as changing markers. One good excuse for having both brands . Haha.

Inspired me to go thru my old Yamaha song style collection . Not that I’d ever get a result anywhere near as good as yours. Still, it’s a start.

I've originally recorded an explanation how to convert session sound based genos styles in the tutorial, but during the video editing session I noticed that adding that explanation would take the length to far over one hour.

But if you are converting Genos 'session' based sound styles, then you will get 16 channels, where channel 1-8 has the extra session programming or extra notes that you need to merge with the other tracks. For session programmed tracks you have to delete these , and then you need to manually clean up some of the programming midi events in the other session channels.

My guess is that that is too complicated for most users, so I've decided to delete that part out of this tutorial.

But if there are a lot of likes and comments and views, and I got the impression that people really want to know how to do the more complex things. Also NTT, and other more in-depth style edit features plays a big part in these kind of conversions), then maybe I will create an in-depth tutorial for it. But I doubt that most keyboard players go that deep in to style editing.

I do have Genos styles on my pa5x , but that was a little bit more work. And since there are thousands of the more general tyros / genos song styles, this tutorial is the way to go for all those kind of styles.

Thank you Qui, I will definitely go back and check the mixing section of your video, something I’m just hopeless at .

I tend to think it would be difficult covering all the stuff required to convert a Genos style , for instance.
The simple method of changing .sty to .mid worked great on the early sff1 styles.
Every time I think I’ve come up with a simple solution, an sx900 style another problem pops up.
My latest experiment
I’ve stopped trying to change extension to .mid.
I just record a midi file of the psr style on my sx900.
Variations , fills based on cmaj7 th chord, intro/ending, cmaj and c min.

Then in daw I just have to add the markers, swap midi channel 9 and 11. Remove the mega sound , clicks and squeaks and hope there’s not too much drum remapping involved.
At least doing it this way, I’ve overcome the problem of Yamaha guitar mode setting, the guitar tracks play back correctly.

Determined to get it to work. Haha

[ExTyrosFan]

Pa5X tutorial: Convert Yamaha styles to Korg styles

In this video I will show you how easy it is to convert Yamaha styles to full Korg Pa5X styles (works also the same on the korg pa4x).

We will take a Yamaha song style and convert that in realtime to a Korg song style.

timetable
00:00 DEMO: See See Rider
00:32 converting a yamaha style to korg
04:10 setting the correct korg labels
07:30 export to a korg midi file
09:00 create the style on the korg Pa5X
13:47 mixing stage: modify the levels and effects
18:22 DEMO: end result

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CYeas-GcTpM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

Thanks to Qui here are the steps to follow in his video. I have documented them as my PC is not close to my PA5X and wanted a way to print the steps out if anyone was interested.

1. Remove track SysEX Data (channel 10 / track 10 on yamaha)
2. Remove introduction bar by splitting (alt + x) highlight part before main A delete
3. Select all tracks (cntl + A) and drag to position 1
4. Select total length for selector to include all tracks
5. Yamaha bassline is in channel 3 / track 3 called "Percussive Organ" Drag this to position 1
6. Percussive Drums are always channel 1 / track 1 called "Lead 7" drag to position 3
7. Renumber Midi Channel for bassline (position 1) to 9
8. Renumber Midi Channel for percussion (position 3) to 11
9. Drums are on midi channel 10 (to confirm this)
10. ACC1 = 12
11. ACC2 = 13
12. ACC3 = 14
13. ACC4? = 15
14. ACC5? = 16
15. Update Marker Names (Intro A = I3, Intro C = I1 etc)
16. Save MIDI on PA5X
17. In PA5X on Main Style Create page change TABLE = NoTranspose (For Intro 2 and Ending 2 only)
18. Use the names on the original Yamaha style to update the tracks in the Style Mixer to better sounds
19. You can have either two drum kits or percussion in yamaha style = change the kit according to sound of the style

[ExTyrosFan]

Pa5X tutorial: Convert Yamaha styles to Korg styles

In this video I will show you how easy it is to convert Yamaha styles to full Korg Pa5X styles (works also the same on the korg pa4x).

We will take a Yamaha song style and convert that in realtime to a Korg song style.

timetable
00:00 DEMO: See See Rider
00:32 converting a yamaha style to korg
04:10 setting the correct korg labels
07:30 export to a korg midi file
09:00 create the style on the korg Pa5X
13:47 mixing stage: modify the levels and effects
18:22 DEMO: end result

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CYeas-GcTpM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

Hi Qui,

I have a question at 9:30 point when you have selected the .mid to be imported into the PA5X and you have selected the location and click on exit. I have tried this step with a few different .mid files. Some of them are not selectable / return the path of the .mid file when you click on exit. Some do; but some don't. Do you possibly know why?

Regards,
P

[QuiRobinez]

Hi Qui,

I have a question at 9:30 point when you have selected the .mid to be imported into the PA5X and you have selected the location and click on exit. I have tried this step with a few different .mid files. Some of them are not selectable / return the path of the .mid file when you click on exit. Some do; but some don't. Do you possibly know why?

Regards,
P

Most likely your midi file doesn’t start at position 1, the first label should be at measure 1, you see me deleting the first part og the midi file and then move the rest to measure 1.

[ExTyrosFan]

Hi Qui,

I have a question at 9:30 point when you have selected the .mid to be imported into the PA5X and you have selected the location and click on exit. I have tried this step with a few different .mid files. Some of them are not selectable / return the path of the .mid file when you click on exit. Some do; but some don't. Do you possibly know why?

Regards,
P

Most likely your midi file doesn’t start at position 1, the first label should be at measure 1, you see me deleting the first part og the midi file and then move the rest to measure 1.

Thanks Qui,
I now have 100% success using Cakewalk by BankLabs which is free DAW converting MIDI to Korg Styles. Still working out kinks with chord changes etc on some styles. I have not had great success with the PA5X instrument (.ins) files I have found - not knowing what bank patches are in is harder to select.

[Smoothiemusic]

Is there any way of converting Yamaha Styles to Pa5X Without using Cubase?

I don't have any software like Cubase, and most of these sort of programmes are way too expensive to even consider for occasional use. They all seem to be hugely complicated to use.

[JagiChan]

Is there any way of converting Yamaha Styles to Pa5X Without using Cubase?

I don't have any software like Cubase, and most of these sort of programmes are way too expensive to even consider for occasional use. They all seem to be hugely complicated to use.

Try Cakewalk from Bandlab it is FREE. You can do the same stuff as in Cubase.
Download from here https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk?lang=en

[Smoothiemusic]

Thanks for this Jagichan.
I'll take a look.

[ExTyrosFan]

Thanks for this Jagichan.
I'll take a look.

Somthing I posted for another message on the forum regarding a question on cakewalk. ....

The key for me that works in cakewalk is that the first marker regardless of what it is needs to start at 1:01.

To do this swiftly, you need to do a few things to make Cakewalk work:

Update preferences --> midi playback and recording -->
disable Always use sysx banks for MIDI files

Update preferences --> customization --> midi
enable split midi notes
enable non destructive midi editing

Use Options --> Ripple Edit All (enabled)
then press control+A to select all tracks.
right click on any of the tracks and split.
Update the Split at time option and select the time where the first marker is at - IE 2:01 or whatever. Click Ok.
Now highlight all the first segments in ALL tracks that have been split out as a result. Hit delete button on the keyboard. This will then automatically move all markers (first and subsequent) up and all tracks to 1:01.

Save file.
Done!
Import into PA5X.

PS. I have tested this process with MIDI type = 0 AND 1 and they both import successfully into PA5X. I would still use type 0 because that is what is recommended on this forum. DM me if you have any questions.

Regards,
P