How To Use The DJX2 Patterns With A DJX1 Keyboard:

This question seems to be on every DJX-1 owners mind with the event of the DJX II and DJX IIB. Fortunately, there are several solutions available to DJX-1 owners. While these solutions may not be practical for all DJX-1 owners they will work for some of us. What follows is a trial and learn process as I experimented with the DJX II voices per the request of users of our original website.

First let me address the big question on everyone's mind. Can I Up Load The Patterns To My DJX?

This is a tricky question to answer. The answer can be yes and it can be no. First, the No's.

The No's:

1.) No you can not use the pattern editor made for the DJX II on your DJX I. The DJX-1 simply does not have the programing to receive data from the pattern editor and launcher.

So don't even waste your time with it. Instead download the Sysex program from our forums website www.yamaha-djx-users.com.

2.) No you can not use the Sysex programs to upload the patterns to your keyboard. At least not in their present form.

3.) No there is no straight out way to get the darn files into your computer.

Now I will tell you what your options are with the DJX II patterns available for download at the Yamaha DJX Europe Website. (You must install or already have flash player installed on your computer to access this website)

The Yes's:
Yes, you do have several options available. Which one is best for your situation depends on you.

First let me tell you that the DJX II Patterns are midi files. Below are several theories about what could possibly work, and also several definite workarounds that will work.

1.) A Theory: If you have a computer software sequencer that can be configured to work with the DJX I and it is also able to read and edit Midi files, you should be able to upload the pattern midi files to your computers sequencer, check the voices that the DJX II pattern midi file is using to make sure that the voices correspond good with the DJX I keyboards voices, and then upload the file created by the sequencer to the DJX I. Now, this is all theory. I have not tried it personally.

Before attempting it, you would want to test out the theory with your computer software sequencer by doing a BULK SEND to the computer sequencer after you have recorded a small sequence on the DJX I's sequencer.

Make sure your DJX I can receive the song you recorded on yourDJX I. If your sequencer can read the sequence received from the DJX I and allows you to edit it.

Then you will want to test re-uploading the edited sequence back to the DJX I.

Once uploaded in Theory the edited voice should return back to the user song bank you saved it in. Either User 1,User 2, or User

3. If it works then there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to substitute the DJX II Pattern midi tracks data with the sequence data you bulk dumped into your computer sequencer.

You would not be making any changes to the downloaded sequence other than copying and pasting in the midi file track information from the Pattern over the track data information of the DJX I downloaded sequence file track information and resetting the channel voices to match the patterns as possible.

2.) Will Work: If you plan to use your computer as part of your setup, there are several ideas that will work.

You can download a midi player like the Yamaha SXG-100 which is basically a playback sequencer. You can also use the newest version of Microsoft Multimedia Player.

First make sure your midi cables are setup correctly and working with the DJX. Now open the DJX II midi pattern file into whatever playback sequencer you have and it will begin playing the pattern through the DJX-1.

It's limitations however are obvious. You need your computer with you and you have to click the midi player button to start the pattern.

Also, unless you set the midi sequencer software to loop, it will only play through one time.

Note: You may need to set your midi player to play through the DJX I. (See Sound Font Below)

3.) You can open the DJX II midi pattern in a sequencer that can edit midi files and edit away.

Copy and re-paste the pattern several times to get the length you need for playing to it.

Then save it and play it through the midi player on your computer. Note: You may need to set your midi player to play through the DJX I.

4.) You can open the DJX II midi pattern in a midi editing application and simply edited it as mentioned in number #2 for the sequencer. (Turtle Beach makes a midi file editor. It comes with
their audio sound cards or you can buy it separately.)

5.) If your desperate for a solution that does not require using a midi player. You can go to the DJX website and download many of the patterns as a MP3. Once downloaded, convert the MP3 into a Wave file and edit it into a six second loop.

Now record the loop into the DJX I's sampler.

Set the sample on the DJX-1 to a key that is easy to hold down while you are playing to it with the opposite hand.

The other alternative is to create a sequence on the DJX I while holding down the sampled pattern which is looping. Then play live to the recorded sequence.

The disadvantage of this process is it requires a lot of work and you only get 6 seconds worth of the pattern. Note: (See using the sampler notes below)

NOTES: Sound Font:

Sound Fonts are general midi voices and sounds that can be downloaded into the sound card of the middle end to higher end audio sound cards.

Tons of professional sounds are available, including the sounds of higher end professional keyboards.

The sound fonts work with the internal synthesizer of your computer sound card. It would be like uploading a new sounds into your DJX keyboard if that were possible. The concept here as it relates to number #1 and number #2 above is that instead of having the midi player or sequencer play back to the DJX I while you play, you could have it play back into the internal synthesizer on your audio card.

This would be like having a second synthesizer module or keyboard in your setup. You could also load new Sound Fonts into the audio card synth. and customize the pattern sound.

7.) Using the Sampler: This is a theory that another friend pfpir website came up with one time while we were discussing the DJX II patterns an the DJX I.( I will add his name here if I can find it.)

His theory is that you could convert the DJX II MP3 Pattern into a wave file. Then use Acid Pro, Acid Music, or a similar program and paste it into a track. Once pasted into the track you change the BPM (Beats per minute) to a faster BPM until it fits into the seconds of DJX sample time length.

(It will now sound like a mouse talking or a chipmunk. In other words it will be really fast and accelerated compared to the original MP3.) Next you play the wave track and record it to the DJX I as a sample.

Store it on your keyboard. Once the sample is recorded into the DJX, you go into the function menu and change the BPM for the sample to slow it back down to as close to the original as possible.

When you play it back on the keyboard it should sound like the original in theory while remaining within the (6 Second) DJX I's sampler limitations.

Remember to do a Sample Dump to your computer using one of the SYSEX programs so that it will be saved for the future for easy re-uploading to the DJX I. Again, you could then record a sequence on the DJX I using the pattern sample.

Well, there you have it! Quite a few possible techniques for using the DJX II patterns with the DJX I. Not all of them are necessarily practical.

Which idea is best for you will depend on your budget, the software you own or intend to own, your keyboard/computer setup, and the amount of time you invest in it.

Personally, I'd like to see someone convert all the DJX II patterns into DJX I samples using the technique above and the make them available to all users of the website. Good Luck!

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Copyright 2000 Randall Gorden
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