Casio WK-220 - Can I record without a rhythm track?

[Steve Saylor]

I want to create songs with these six tracks, but don't always want a rhythm track. I used to have another Casio, and you could turn off the first track, and the rhythm track would be gone, but it seems to stay on all the time with the WK-220. If anyone knows how to mute the drums on this model, I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Steve

When you first turn on the WK-220, obviously it comes up as a straight 76 key piano keyboard. Now, if you press the START/STOP button only, you have a straight 76 key piano keyboard with a drum machine for backing. You can select different rhythm patterns by pressing the "Rhythm" button to the right of the display screen and using the keypad. If you press the START/STOP button again, the drum machine shuts off. If you now press the Accomp button and play a chord with your left hand, you have a split keyboard with melody on the right and bass plus a two or three voice harmonized chord on the left, but the chord is steady, not to a rhythm beat. With Accomp turned on ("Acc" showing in lower left of display), if you press the START/STOP button, the drum machine is turned on and the bass and harmonized chords play to the rhythm beat, but the drum machine provides the rhythm beat for the chords, so you can not have bass and chords to a rhythm beat without the drum machine running. I go through all this, because I am not sure how familiar you are yet with the WK-220 nor what you mean by "rhythm". To some folks "rhythm" means just the drum track, but to others it means the entire accompaniment section (drums + bass + chords). So, turn the drums on and off with the START/STOP button and the bass and chords on and off with the Accomp button and just remember you can not have bass and chords to a rhythm beat without the drum machine running.

Good luck and enjoy the WK-220. It's a nice board !

 

[Steve Saylor]

Steve

When you first turn on the WK-220, obviously it comes up as a straight 76 key piano keyboard. Now, if you press the START/STOP button only, you have a straight 76 key piano keyboard with a drum machine for backing. You can select different rhythm patterns by pressing the "Rhythm" button to the right of the display screen and using the keypad. If you press the START/STOP button again, the drum machine shuts off. If you now press the Accomp button and play a chord with your left hand, you have a split keyboard with melody on the right and bass plus a two or three voice harmonized chord on the left, but the chord is steady, not to a rhythm beat. With Accomp turned on ("Acc" showing in lower left of display), if you press the START/STOP button, the drum machine is turned on and the bass and harmonized chords play to the rhythm beat, but the drum machine provides the rhythm beat for the chords, so you can not have bass and chords to a rhythm beat without the drum machine running. I go through all this, because I am not sure how familiar you are yet with the WK-220 nor what you mean by "rhythm". To some folks "rhythm" means just the drum track, but to others it means the entire accompaniment section (drums + bass + chords). So, turn the drums on and off with the START/STOP button and the bass and chords on and off with the Accomp button and just remember you can not have bass and chords to a rhythm beat without the drum machine running.

Good luck and enjoy the WK-220. It's a nice board !

 

[Steve Saylor]

Ted,

Thanks so much for your response... and I should have just said “drums” in my original question. With my first Casio (I think it was the wk-6500?), I could record drums onto Track One (along with a piano tone that I wouldn‘t need later), then record other instruments on the other tracks. Next, I would mute that first track, and record the other tracks one by one into my computer (for editing with the Audacity audio-editing program), and the drums wouldn’t be there… because they were only on Track One. But with the wk-220, the drums are on all the tracks.

When you mentioned the Start/Stop button for the rhythm (or drums), I remembered I could start recording by just playing the song. I would have to use the Metronome now to play in tempo, but the Metronome won’t be on the recorded tracks, so… Problem Solved!!

In the past, it was more “enjoyable” for me to practice, and then record, those other tracks while playing along with one of the drum-rhythms. Now I’ll have to play along with the just the Metronome, but I can do that. I’m just glad that my problem is solved, and I thank you again for sharing your knowledge and time, and pointing me in the right direction!

Steve