recording songs on DGX-650

[dr4sight]

Someone recently posted in the Recording Songs section:

I've tried many times to try and follow the manual [handbook] which came with my PSR 970 but  have not been successful. I would like to make a MP3 or even post something in Members Performance.


That member received a few helpful replies.

I've had a similar issue but my instrument is the DGX-650.

I've tried to follow the instructions in the manual but the recordings never seem to happen.

Can someone please do a step-by-step tutorial on how to record songs on the DGX-650.  (I assume if you have a DGX-660 that the method would be the same since the models are very similar).

thanks

[overover]

Hi dr4sight,

the steps to make an Audio recording on a DGX-650 are completely different from those on  PSR-S models.

Have you really tried to follow the instructions on page 45 of the DGX-650 Owner's Manual? Which of these 7 steps do you have problems with?

(Download DGX-650 manuals >>> https://uk.yamaha.com/en/support/manuals/index.html?l=en&c=digital_pianos&k=dgx-650 )


Probably nobody will be able to describe these 7 steps, which are necessary for an audio recording, more easily. Here is a quote from DGX-650 Owner's Manual:

Audio Recording (DGX-650)

Before recording, make the necessary settings such as
Voice/Style selection ...

1 Connect the USB flash memory to the USB TO DEVICE terminal.
Before using a USB flash memory, be sure to read "Connecting USB device" on page 70.

2 Press the [SONG/AUDIO] button once or twice to call up the AUDIO SELECT display for Audio recording.
If a User Audio file was not selected beforehand, this operation selects a new Audio file as recording target.

3 As necessary, select the Audio file for recording target.
If multiple Audio files are in the USB flash memory and the wrong file is selected by mistake, you can select a different file by using the dial. If you want to create a new Audio file, select "000 New Audio."

4 Press the [REC] button to be ready for recording.
If you want to cancel recording, press the [REC] button again or [EXIT] button.

5 Press the [EXECUTE] button to start recording, then play the keyboard.

6 After you finish the performance, press the [EXECUTE] button or [REC] button to stop recording.
The Audio file will automatically be saved as "UserAudioxxx" (xxx is 001–100) in a folder labeled "USER FILES" which will automatically be created on the USB flash memory. To delete the User Audio files 001–100, perform "USB Delete" described on page 77.

7 To hear the recorded performance, press the [START/STOP] button.

P.S.
You can only record in WAV format (not directly in MP3 format). You can convert your WAV file to MP3 format by using a corresponding converter program on your computer, or you can use a online converter website.


Best regards,
Chris

[dr4sight]

I have done my best to follow the directions to the letter as written in the manual and have yet to successfully record a song.

I am hoping that someone with a DGX-650 (or 660) who regularly records his/her songs can tell me if there is something amiss in those directions or some shortcut or work-around that will make recording a song less of an ordeal.

Just saying "follow the directions" has not helped me.

[overover]

Hi dr4sight,

I had taken my description (quotation in my post above) from the DGX-650 manual, but I had already shortened the text to the bare essentials.

Now I have edited my post above again: the IMPORTANT steps are now in blue letters. Please read this description carefully again and try again to make an Audio recording on your DGX.

It should be clear that you first have to connect a USB stick.

Then only 4 steps are necessary to create an Audio recording (# 2, 4, 5 and 6 in my post above).

(Step # 4 is only necessary if multiple files are already on the USB stick, and you have selected the "wrong" file by mistake.)


I think that should be possible to do.


P.S.
If you still have problems, please write exactly what you have done so far and where you are stuck.

If you just say that the descriptions didn't help you, nobody will be able to help you here ...


Best regards,
Chris

[DerekA]

and have yet to successfully record a song.

Can you say exactly what's not working? Did you get to the end, then can't find the recording again, or do you get errors, can't find the right button or option, etc?

[dr4sight]

First let me thank those who have tried to help me here.  While I'm clearly frustrated I am appreciative of people who are lending a hand.  And now to today's project.

What I am attempting to do is play and record the song I'll Follow The Sun on my DGX-650.  The USB jump drive I will use has just one folder on it called User Files and the folder has just one file in it, named 05-Follow Sun  T110.

I want the tempo to be 115, the voice to be #2 (Live! Grand Piano) and the style volume to be set at 60.  I will use the Intro on the Main-B track.


I took photos of the display screen.  They are in a zip file that can be downloaded here:
https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZHUFqkZbnPk2BEKmrzP5SR6t2ctVukW3Xtk


step 1- turned on piano
2- inserted jump drive (pic 1)
3- pressed song/audio button twice (pic 2)
4- pressed record button (pic 3)
5- pressed execute button (pic 4)
6-  hit style button, selected desired style(pic 5)
7- hit voice button and selected desired voice (pic 6)
8- set style volume (pic 7)
10-  set tempo  (pic     (that smiley face is supposed to an 8 -  that's weird)
11- now wanted to turn on ACMP and set up intro but can't without hitting exit
which apparently cancels the recording
12- hit exit so as to set intro but then recording is cancelled  (pic 9)


My conclusion is that things were on target until I wanted to turn on the accompaniment, the intro, and the Main B.  I can not access those without hitting EXIT and as soon as I hit exit the recording gets cancelled.

What do you think?

[tyrosaurus]

Pressing 'Exit' whilst in the Audio Recording menu cancels the recording!

I can't believe that you haven't already tried this, but why not select the voices and style, and set the keyboard up ready to play (set tempo, turn on ACMP, select the intro, turn on Sync Start, etc) before you enter the Audio Recording menu?

Then set up and start the Audio Recording and play a chord to start the style.

This seems to be in line with the very first instruction in the section 'Audio Recording' on page 45 of the owner's manual which says:

Before recording, make the necessary settings such as
Voice/Style selection and the AUX IN connection (if
you want to record with the input sound via AUX IN
jack).


Regards

Ian

[dr4sight]

I will try that but I believe I've done that in the past and still been unable to get the song recorded.

thanks

[overover]

Hi dr4sight,

please make the required Voice / Style settings (including e.g. ACMP / Sync Start on) BEFORE calling up the Audio Recording display (just as when you play "normally", without recording).

You can also use the Registration Memory. If needed you can switch to other Registrations while playing (and recording).


Best regards,
Chris

[dr4sight]

Still won't fly.

The applicable photos are at:  https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZM2zqkZ88Rmk6D5xWuLi6sSXbGHUBxHE5I7

This time I turned on the piano and immediately made all the settings preparing to play the song  (see pic 11).  Notice that here the ACMP is listed as on and so is the INTRO.

Then I hit the song/audio button twice and the screen showed   (see pic 12)

Then I pressed the REC button  (pic 13)

And when I went to actually play the  (pic 14) shows that ACMP is off and so is intro.

If this is supposed to be so straight forward and accurate why is it that no matter what I do I can't get the settings to be as I need them and for the song to record?   To me this is unbelievable.

[panos]

Hi dr4sight,
I don't know if you have already watched this video but had not success still:
start the video at timing 5:40 for the multi recording process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBI4qLGWxwI

On your pictures I don't see on your screen Rec 1,Rec 2 or Rec 3 etc to be inside a square.
The letter "A"(accompaniment) I think it should also be inside a square.
The square indicates the part or parts that will be recorded, leaving the other parts as they were. 

Maybe you also have to press the Sync Start button while you are preparing the recording so the accompaniment starts when you start your playing?

[panos]

hm...
I watched closer the video and "Rec 1+A" on the screen should be white in order to record.
If they are blue than means that they are probably disable for recording.
The square probably means that there is something previously recorded on those tracks.

Here is another video with a DGX 660 that may help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYnrU3epA40&t=123s

We will figure it out at some point  this recording function

[dr4sight]

I have now tried several times using the suggestion of Sync/Start and it still will not record.

I now have viewed carefully several more YouTube videos that touch on recording songs on the 650 or 660.  What I've noticed is that none of the videos address recording songs with styles and none use the intros (or outros).  Given the fact that the exit button is used in normal (non recording) play to maneuver and make changes during play but that the same button ends any recording being made I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for the DGX-650 to record a song that has a style and intro.

It has bothered me that when I started this thread the first response was just to follow the instructions in the manual.  The threads that I have posted show that following those instructions WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT result in a successful recording.

And I certainly doubt that the engineers at Yamaha would be interested in investigating this matter given the fact that the 650 is no longer being produced.

Again I thank those that have tried to help but unless an owner of a 650 or 660 can chime in and say "this is the technique I use to record songs with styles and intros" I am abandoning the project.   It's too frustrating.

[overover]

Hi dr4sight,

why do you think you have to press the "EXIT" button while an Audio recording is in progress?

To activate the Intro there is the hardware button "Intro / Ending / rit.". If you then start the Style (with "SyncStart" activated by playing the first chord on the keyboard, or also via the "Start / Stop" button), the Intro is played first and then automatically the (previously) selected Main section (A or B) is played.

The operating instructions describe that under certain circumstances you should press the "EXIT" button in order to be able to check certain settings in the Main display. Of course, you must NOT do this after you have started the Audio recording!

So you set everything as desired BEFORE starting the recording (as I said, you can also use the Registration Memory). Then you start recording and then you start your playing.

During the recording you can use the Style Control buttons at any time or you can switch Registrations. But of course you must NOT press "EXIT" anymore during recording. (To stop the recording and to automatically save it in the "USER FILES" folder on the USB stick, press the "REC" button OR the "EXECUTE" button again after the song has ended.)

Best regards,
Chris

[DerekA]

Just a thought.

Are you able to make a midi recording of your song on the keyboard? Then you can start an audio recording and play back your midi song.

[panos]

Hi again my friend,
sorry to hear that...

I have an old DGX 305 which only records in midi format and not audio format so I don't know the possibilities of a newer and higher model.

May I suggest another way?
To record a SONG (not audio) and then convert this midi song to an audio file.
When Yamaha refers to a "Song" it means a midi song.
When Yamaha refers to an "Audio" it means a ".wav" audio file.

In page 40 of the user manual are the instructions and there it says clearly that this way it can can record the accompaniment(the style) too.(pages 40-44)
I know that it can do this because I used this method to record some of my improvisations on the DGX 305.
I could record in one take both the style and my playing.

After you have succeeded to record your midi song you can convert it to an audio file using your DGX.
The instructions for concerting a midi into audio(.wav format) are in page 75.

I hope that the instructions for a midi recording and converting it to an audio file could help you better than the instructions of recording directly as an audio file and this is not your fault.

We just try to help anyway we can in this forum but the DGX series is something in between an arranger keyboard and a digital piano so it is not that easy for us    

[dr4sight]

Thank you Panos.

I will look into this alternative method.  I know the DGX while an excellent device is not mainstream on this forum so it's not like I can reasonably expect to hear from a number of owners of 650s or 660s.

I love my DGX-650, don't get me wrong, but on this subject,  recording,  it is driving me nuts.

[dr4sight]

Today I decided to try Panos' suggestion of Audio Recording.  In my user's manual the directions are on page 45.
The instruction is to set up voice/style before inserting the jump drive.



View of the display screen after I've turned on the piano and before I've inserted the USB stick

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZMIfqkZeYkgBbr39EXD4VuddErxGm1hrb3y

I hit the song/audio button twice and the appropriate display reads  000 New Audio

Then I pressed the REC button,  then the Execute button.




Display after hitting REC  (step 4) and EXECUTE (step 5)

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZUUfqkZfvb2HDiw5syxVVQSWcmiKQjAOHOy

Notice that the action of recording removes the ACMP and intro.  Pressing those buttons now do nothing.

And once again, for perhaps the 30th time I am unsuccessful at making a recording.

[DerekA]

We must be getting closer!

What happens when you press REC? You didn't give a screenshot

What happens if you just start playing after step 4 without pressing EXECUTE?

What happens if you press EXECUTE so the screen changes, but just start playing anyway?

Have you been able to make a recording without a style running?

[panos]

Hi dr4sight,
Try to select SONG and not AUDIO when you start.
That's why you are having the same problems.
See the picture below under STYLE your screen must have SONG(and not audio)

[attachment deleted by admin]

[dr4sight]

I can't believe I'm writing this but I think I found the missing,  or in this case extraneous link.

I started to try the things suggested by Derek and took photos but ran into all the same problems.

Then I tried the procedure without starting by hitting the SONG/AUDIO button.  All of a sudden things started working and I had access to the ACMP and Main buttons that were denied me in all the other attempts.

I did a quick recording  (not my best work since I was more startled that it was working than anything else).   It created a USER SONG which after a few tries I was able to get onto a jump drive.  Then I used the AVC program to convert the wave file to an MP3.   I might want to look into some other converters for that.

Anyway the song I wanted to record is here:  https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZ8a2qkZj2qb53s3aSYtAtDzAPhWd5CcB2P7

The manual instructs one to start by hitting the SONG/AUDIO button.  It looks to me that that has been the culprit.   Just starting by hitting the REC button until the panel lights up REC 1 seems to be the key.

Thank you all for your help.