I just got a Yamaha DJX and was wondering if anyone could teach me some basics like syncing it up with ReBirth and Cakewalk. I am an extreme novice with no clues how to set it up with my PC. Please help!

DJX or DJXII? They are very different in many ways and I'll need to know before I can help.
http://www.geocities.com/dj_white_rice/ is a good info source.

Thanks for the reply Grahawk. I own the DJX 1 and just found a page to setup a template to get the keyboard to respond to changes I make within cakewalk. I guess my questions now are how to write tracks/sequences that will play on the keyboard itself or play on the keboard and insert into Cakewalk. I am VERY new to Cakewalk. Thank you.

Firstly I assume you have a midi cable - you probably need one that plugs into your joystick port unless you have a really good soundcard with normal midi in and out connections. Make sure the midi out lead plugs into the midi in socket on the DJX and the in lead goes into the out.

If your recording from the DJX (midi) make sure the source is selected as MPU-401, which is the standard midi socket (may be called something else if you have a decent soundcard), though once you've loaded the DJX instrument definitions into Cakewalk you can select DJX instead which allows you to choose the voice using bank and patch boxes in the track properties. If you haven't done this select instruments from the tools menu then select define and then import and choose the djx .ins file assuming you've downloaded this. Once you press record in Cakewalk it will start recording whatever you play.

If your recording the preset DJX patterns firstly do an initial send from the DJX (as explained in the DJX manual). Then record the pattern on the same track. In my midi sequencer I can then demix the recording down to seperate channels - should be something similar in Cakewalk. Each voice goes to a seperate channel. You can edit this information in many ways.

As long as DJX or MPU-401 is selected as the output port then when you select play in Cakewalk it will play back on the DJX.

You can create sequences in Cakewalk by using the piano roll to enter notes where you like and whatever length you like. Make the voice selections in track properties and they will play back properly on the DJX. Once your happy with a track you can record it as audio. Choose a track to record and select the line in port on your soundcard in track properties. Connect the DJX aux out to your soundcard line in. Play back the midi track and record the audio track.

That's a fairly brief summary. The main thing to do is get familar with Cakewalk and get the inputs and outputs correctly selected. I'm happy to try and answer any other questions though I only have a demo of Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 so I'm not that familiar with all its functions. I would recommend using the DJX forums from the users group website as well though you may find it's mainly me answering questions there as well but there are some Cakewalk users I believe as well.

Thanks again grahawk. I am able to get the DJX to play whatever I input on the piano roll just fine. My question is whether or not I can input my own sequences from another source into Cakewalk, i.e. make a synth bass line using Fruity loops then inserting into the piano roll. The Piano roll is fairly difficult for me to use as I am used to 16 note patterns like Fruity and ReBirth. If you have any simpler methods of producing sequences, I would love to hear them. Thanks again grahawk.

I agree using the piano roll is tricky especially after using step sequencers. Fruity Loops 2 does have some midi support though I haven't really tried it. Fruity Loops 3 has better support and it should be reasonably easy to drive the DJX from it.

[This message has been edited by grahawk (edited 10-19-2001).]

I've got FruityLoops 3 to talk to my DJXII-B successfully. Setup all the tracks and MIDI stuff. It works nice, Chorus, Reverb, Expression, etc. all work. Anything I make in FruityLoops plays out through the DJXII-B. Took a little time to setup & make, but having the manual helped. If anyone would like the .flp file, let me know.
I also used Cakewalk 9.0 with the DJXII-B, and for making dance or techno music, FruityLoops is much easier. You can even save your 'Loops as MIDI files and export them to the DJXII-B as Patterns (don't know if this works for the regular DJX though).

DJ Billabong