If you want to use Ableton to trigger notes in the keyboard or just record the keyboard's internal sounds, you need to send the audio from the keyboard to the computer. You need an audio interface for this, then you can set up the keyboard as an external instrument in Ableton. You can record MIDI notes by playing, then playback the notes and it.

• Casio Electric Keyboard
• Walmart Casio Keyboard
• Casio Keyboard Ableton Keyboard
• Casio Keyboard Parts Replacement
• Connecting Casio Keyboard To Ableton

In honor of demonicsweaters.com’s first ever Casio Day, I’ve put together this little collection of free Casio VSTs and sound banks! This is a collection of 7 Windows based VSTs, 2 sound banks, and one Ableton instrument that are all either Casio emulators, sampled from, or Casio inspired. Each listing has an individual download link, as well as mirrors. There’s also a rar file of all the plugins and sample packs together at the bottom of the post! Enjoy!

• If you are using a MIDI to USB cable then Ableton will only see that device in your midi preferences, not the Casio directly. In my case I am using an old Roland E-Piano, Ableton sees it as 'UNO Midi' the name of my MIDI to USB cable. Make sure you turn on at least 'Track' to send midi notes from your keyboard to Ableton.
• Tap ‘M’ on your computer keyboard in Live 10 to enable the Computer MIDI Keyboard. Row keys A to L are white keyboard keys, and Q to P are the black keys. Z and C will transpose octaves, and C and X change velocity.

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First up is the classic and mega-cheesy VL tone! Here’s a nifty and very realistic free plugin called the VL1

Number two is what looks like one seriously awesome Casio CZ style emulator, The Kassiopeia!

For number three we’ve got the Plastique, an HT-700 inspired plugin. This little plugin is quite cool. Not really exactly like an HT, but has some great sounds and very useful. Still definitely has the Casio vibe too.

Number four is my own Mothman Z3000. This is another CZ type plugin. I modeled it specifically after the CZ-3000 with some slight differences. It comes bundled with 3 other Mothman synths. ALL FREE!

Number five, Casiopia. This is yet another CZ inspired 8 voice polyphonic synth. I’ve posted all the different CZ plugins because each has their own character and sounds.

Casio Electric Keyboard

Number Six – Cheapo-Tone, this is another VL inspired plugin, but instead of using samples, this one is a true software synth with digital oscillators to create the tones. You can also create your own patches from scratch and save them. Very cool!

Number Seven – Casio PT-10 Sound Pack. Here’s a 17mb soundpack from Seaweed Factory to be used in Ableton or anything really. There are sounds and loops included.

Number Eight – Casiotone CT-101 Ableton Instrument. This is an ALP file to use in Ableton which is nice other than just having raw samples to work with.

Number Nine – The undeniable classic Casio SK-1 (Sample Set) Unfortunately there’s not a plugin out there yet that emulates the sampling feature of an SK-1, but there’s some pretty good sound sets of the other built-in sounds, like this one.

Number Ten – Freon Surfer FZ. Last but not least is this really cool plugin that isn’t an FZ emulator, but rather drum samples that were captured from the Freon Surfer preset of the Sonic Charge MicroTonic software drum machine using the Casio FZ-20M, then made into a plugin with variable 9khz or 36khz sample rates, time stretched, and overdrive settings.

Well there you have it, 10 free plugins and sound sets that are all Casio! Now you have enough casio plugs to create a whole album using nothing but Casio sounds. Hmmmm… I just might do that!

If you want to cut to the chase and get everything at once, I’ve made a handy dandy rar file of everything in this post to download all at once!

Enjoy!

Do you happen to have a music keyboard or digital piano lying around somewhere at home? Put that keyboard into use by using it as a MIDI controller.

It would still work even if the keyboard you have is really old.

All you need is for your keyboard to have a MIDI OUT port to use it as a MIDI controller. Check out the video below.

If you prefer to read, here we go

Walmart Casio Keyboard

Turning A Cheap Keyboard / Digital Piano Into A MIDI Controller

First, check if you have MIDI out port on your keyboard. MIDI has existed for over 30 years now, so you can imagine even a very old keyboard sometimes have MIDI outputs. After all, before the USB MIDI controller came about, MIDI is what we use to connect gear so they work with each other.

This is what you should look for on your keyboard, the MIDI out

So your keyboard has a MIDI out?

Great! Here’s what you’ll need.

Casio Keyboard Ableton Keyboard

1. An electronic music keyboard with MIDI out
2. A USB to MIDI adapter cable(Don’t be cheap and get the cheapest one. I’ve tested them and the cheaper cables are usually very low quality & sometimes don’t work)
3. A midi software or DAW on your PC or Mac

Casio Keyboard Parts Replacement

The USB to MIDI adapter cable would have USB on one end and three MIDI ports (MIDI in, MIDI out & MIDI thru) on the other.

What you’ll have to do is to connect the MIDI in of the cable to the MIDI out of your keyboard. Connect the USB end to an available USB port on your computer. At this point, you can hit the keys on your keyboard and check the indicator on the adapter, checking to see if any MIDI signal is being sent. The USB adapter will normally be installed automatically on your Windows or Mac computer. If it doesn’t and Windows reports it to be an unrecognizable USB device, chances are you received a faulty cable adapter.

Once your computer has successfully recognized the USB to MIDI adapter, launch your MIDI software or DAW next. Most DAWswould be able to detect the MIDI inputs on your computer automatically, but if it doesn’t, you can check your MIDI inputs settings and select your USB to MIDI adapter as the input.

And that’s really all to it. Load up and instrument and start playing away!

Connecting Casio Keyboard To Ableton

Don’t buy these cables. They don’t work and is not reliable when they do.

Warning: Don’t buy the extra cheap MIDI to USB cables. Those usually don’t work or have very bad latencies. Buy a midrange USB to MIDI adapter cable like the one I recommended above and you’ll never go wrong. You can also choose to buy from a reputable brand like Alesis, but I don’t think it’s necessary to spend extra on a cable.

Did The MIDI to USB Adapter Work For You?

Let me know if you were successful in hooking your old keyboard to your computer as a MIDI controller. If you need help, please comment below.