Hi Milton:

Unfortunately we do not currently have an ap for the CP40. You are correct that we do have them for the P255.

How many Performances are you wanting to select, and is the song line up something that plays back MIDI files? If so, you could put a program change message at the header of the MIDI file and play back that file from something like Cubasis for the iPad or even Garageband.

Hello Milton, I use an iPad to control multiple Yamaha keyboards including my CP40. With a single touch of the iPad app, I am able to control CP40 internal performances or individual voices, a combination of internal voices or performances and those from my other Yamaha keyboard, and/or patches from soft synth applications on the iPad. I perform professionally at major clubs and private and corporate events with this setup and have no issues whatsoever. With this I can control 2 Yamaha keyboards along with 2 soft synths and a soft sampler to create very rich songs - all live. If you are still viewing this thread, just respond, and I will provide more detailed information related to the application I use.

Hello Marc. I a not Milton, obviously, but I would appreciate your further explanation of "With a single touch of the iPad app, I am able to control CP40 internal performances or individual voices, a combination of internal voices or performances...and/or patches from soft synth applications on the iPad", including what iPad apps you are using to do this, how each is set up and how you coordinate them. Also, if you know, and I assume you probably do, how do you put a program change header in a MIDI file such as Cubasis or Garageband as bangelos@yamaha.com stated above.

I am using Cubasis, Garageband and several Yamaha apps including Mobile Sequencer, Synth Book, Synthesizer Arpeggiator & Drum Pad - US.

Slightly off subject, but recently I started using Songbook as a means of practicing different music styles by playing along with the various audio drum styles in Songbook (muting the Songbook instruments backing the drums so only the drum sounds are heard). These drum styles continue looping endlessly and this gives me ongoing drum loops to play along with, especially since the CP4 does not have a MIDI sequencer and Songbook does not send MIDI out to anything other than a DTX drum machine. I know there are other ways to set up drum tracks in different apps, but this is so simple, easy and immediate.

Anyway, back to how you control the CP4 from an iPad, I really am interested in learning how to do this. Thanks in advance.

I quote Earle.

Marc, I really am interested in learning how you control the CP4 from an iPad. Thanks in advance.

Earle,

I use iMIDIPatchbay to control both my Yamaha keyboards, Waldorf Nave soft synth, SampleTank, and SampleWiz. I use this fully live in our dance band which allows us to sound just like the original album recordings for newer heavy synth based electronic songs. We use no sequencers or tracks - everything is live. All the above mentioned are Apps on my iPad. I do not use a laptop.

With this setup, I am able to split both keyboards into 3 sections each so I can play six different patches per song in polyphony. I typically create programs on the CP40 by heavily modifying the already excellent in-keyboard patches. The CP40 has very solid synth capabilities on its own. Then I program iMidiPatchbay to use the CP40 program plus patches from the soft synths or samplers.

I spend a lot of time building my own synth patches on Nave to perfectly replicate the original album patches and also record my own samples. Yamaha keyboards are incredible and that is all I use and make good use of the internal patches, but I enjoy adding additional sounds from iOS sound modules (Sample Tank), programming my own synthesizer tones (Waldorf Nave Synth), and making my own samples (Sample Wiz).

If you have solid MIDI knowledge setting all of these up is pretty straightforward...except for SampeTank. It took me a while to crack the MIDI PC code to be able to change banks on that program. Here is a link to my band on Vimeo so you can hear the results. When this was recorded, I wasn't using as many patches as I do now.

I use a CP40 as my primary keyboard and believe it or not, my top keyboard is the YPG235...yes...really. It makes a great MIDI controller and has a great collection of synth patches already built in. http://vimeo.com/195340403

Earle, as a bit more info - check out videos of iMIDIPatchbay. You basically set up each song on the iMIDIPatchbay. You can even upload a chart to it. You can program in 4 master keyboards and 4 additional external sound expanders - hard or soft or even just use the expanders to use additional sounds from the master keyboards (limited to the number of channels of polyphony each keyboard can generate - (CP40 two channels, CP4 3 channels). Once you have programmed each song, you can setup a playlist and then with one touch of the iPad, you move to the next song and all the patches in your master keyboards and all the soft synths or hardware sound expanders change simultaneously. It takes about a half second for the change to take place which means you go from song to song with no delays. If you watch the video link in my previous response, we actually played those songs back to back and the patch changes were done so fast that there are no gaps between the songs.

I know you asked about recording. I am a live keyboardist primarily, but iMIDIPatchbay can be used the same way for recording. I used the same setup to do studio work a few months ago.

Marc, that is just amazing! Thank you for your comprehensive explanation. I never heard of iMidipatchbay, but will check it out. I only use an iPad, not a computer. I also only play live, except for when jamming by myself I use drum tracks Midied into the CP4 split part set to a drum voice with the split point set next to the lowest note/key. As soon as my day job permits, I will attempt to duplicate your detailed set up. Thanks again for sharing. Happy Holidays.

Earle,
Happy Holidays to you as well. I'll check back
Periodically to see if you have any questions while working it out. There are definitely some challenges along the way. It's very easy to control the Yamaha keyboards through iMidiPatchbay. It gets a bit more challenging to work with different synth apps. Here are the ones I use. Please note that in addition to the soft synths, I also make heavy use of the synth parameters in the CP40 also to customize and create new patches "performances" starting from the original internal voices.

All IPad
IMidiPatchbay to control:
CP40 sound bank and custom performances
YPG35 primarily as a controller - and for a few of the better internal synth voices
Nave Synth
ThumbJam
SampleTank
SampleWiz

I custom create a lot of synth patches from scratch with Nave to match the newer sounds on the latest top 40 music.

Good luck.

Thanks again Marc. I just realized I did not respond to your last reply. Sorry about that as I appreciate the time you are taking. I know this will require a large block of time to work through your great instructions. Too frustrating to start and then not have time to finish. So I am going to take time off on Sunday and spend the rainy day staying in and puting my regular work aside to focus on music and this creative pursuit. Thanks for the challenge. Will update.

...still struggling with MIDI control of the CP40. According to the CP40 data list, program change commands can only access the factory patches, not any of the performances (the CP4, however, does provide MIDI access to the performances).

We are using an I-Pad Mini mounted on an arm attached to the keyboard stand to change patches quickly on demand. It works well, however we still haven't been able to do custom splits and layers (only the combinations already part of the standard patch list).

One of the above replies indicates that the stored performances CAN be accessed on the CP40.

Can anyone confirm that, and if so, how to do that?

Thanks in advance.

still struggling with MIDI control of the CP40. According to the CP40 data list, program change commands can only access the factory patches, not any of the performances (the CP4, however, does provide MIDI access to the performances).

We can help. Firstly, according to the CP4/40 Data List (Page 37), you can recall any Preset Voice and any User Performance using Bank Select and Program Change.

Can anyone confirm that, and if so, how to do that?

Page 37
To recall Performances you use MSB 63, LSB 80, Program Change 0-127