I’ve capture roughly 30 MIDI styles from a Yamaha DJX (PSR-D1). Contrary to popular claims on the Web, the DJX will send MIDI messages in its Style mode. You must send MIDI to an external sequencer (like a DAW) and switch patterns using DJX front panel buttons. The DJX wants to be the master clock in Style mode, so the receiving sequencer must be set for external clock.
I’m using the same basic set-up as my Yamaha AN200 adventure. The DJX sends 5-pin MIDI to an HP personal computer running good old (and I mean old!) Cakewalk Home Studio on Windows 11. Because the DJX is clock master, you need to prime Cakewalk to RECORD, turn to the DJX, and fast finger those front panel buttons.
I decided to lay down the Style parts in the following order:
Lead In | Beat A | Break AA |
| Beat A | Break AB |
| Beat B | Break BB |
| Beat B | Break BA | Lead Out
In normal arranger style lingo, the lay down order is:
Intro A | Main A | Fill In AA |
| Main B | Fill In BB |
| Main C | Fill In CC |
| Main D | Fill In DD | Ending A | Fill In BA
This lay down order makes it easier to find style sections and to drop in MIDI markers for the sections. I added an extra section above, Fill In BA, which usually appears at the end of a style file. I add Fill In BA Fill In DD makes a good BREAK section.
The DJX sends style data on eight MIDI channels (3 to 10):
PSR/Genos DJX Mapping
------------ ---------- ----------
3 Hi-hat -> PSR 15
4 Percussion -> PSR 16
5 Bass -> PSR 11
6 Phrase 1 -> PSR 12
7 Phrase 2 -> PSR 13
8 Phrase 3 -> PSR 14
9 Rhythm Sub Kick
10 Rhythm Main Snare
11 Bass
12 Chord 1
13 Chord 2
14 Pad
15 Phrase 1
16 Phrase 2
I created a template with eight tracks where each track receives a particular style part (MIDI channel). Thus, the MIDI data is broken out into separate tracks, ready for editing.
You’ll notice from the table that basic PSR/Genos styles operate on channels 9 to 16.
One can also use channels 1 to 8 in a PSR/Genos style by making the appropriate CASM settings. I’m going to keep things simple. My styles, my choice. 🙂
I created a separate Cakewalk template to start a PSR/Genos style. The template has the same track order, but different channel assignments along with initial voice and drum kit assignments. I simply copy and paste the captured MIDI to the style template. Track order is maintained and channels are auto-magically mapped.
The RAW style data from the DJX does not include voice, volume, effect, etc. settings. In a way, this is good because I will re-mix the style, anyway. The DJX has a FUNCTION (number 87) to send MIDI set-up data. I capture the set-up data to its own MIDI file then reverse engineer it. (Michael Bedesem’s Style Dump program is invaluable.) See the example set-up below.
The RAW style MIDI needs a little bit of time correction due to capture skew. The incoming timestamps are consistently 20 ticks too early. Cakewalk lets me nudge all of the messages 20 ticks later (i.e., to the right on the time-line). After nudging, the very first MIDI messages are 20 ticks too late. So, those timestamps need to be changed to 1 : 1 : 0 (measure : beat : tick). These simple steps properly align the RAW data to the timing grid. MIDI notes from the DJX are quantized to a grid, so you can tell if notes are aligned in Cakewalk by inspection.
As to scales and chords, the DJX programmers designed its styles for one-finger players. (Hate to say it.) If you strike a single key (C, for example), the DJX will use the preselected key scale, major or minor. Most of the DJX styles are in a minor key (e.g., Cm). The preselected scale may be based on a chord extension such as Cm7(9).
PSR/Genos styles are very flexible allowing major and minor scales taken from a wide range of chord types. I’m trying to keep things simple and target a single scale. A converted DJX style should always respond correctly when the played chord matches the original preselected chord (and scale). A converted DJX style
Another complication is built-in chord progressions. Yes, some of the DJX styles have preselected chord progressions, e.g., |: Cm7(9) | Fm7(9) :|. Try as I might, I cannot shoehorn such chord progressions into a single chord type and scale. The DJX uses a lot of extensions (7th, 9th, 11th, 13th) and it isn’t always possible to find a single scale.
If a DJX style follows a progression, I take the simple approach and produce a one-finger style. If you’re familiar with arrangers, a one-finger converted style is similar to so-called “DJ Styles“, or INTROs and ENDINGs. Yamaha INTROs and ENDINGs are often complicated affairs which mimic popular songs and have non-trivial built-in chord progressions. It lets one-finger players sound like virtuosos. 🙂
Before ditching out, I’ll leave you with an example set-up. The only way I can keep my sanity is to make a table like this for each style to be converted.
********************************
098 On Hit 86 BPM
********************************
Minor key, chord progression, can override. |: Cm7 | F7 :|
Ch Part MSB/LSB/PC0 Level Pan Rev Cho Var
-- ---------- ----------- ----- --- --- --- ---
3 Hi-Hat 126 0 22 92 C 0 0 0 B900 Kit
4 Percussion 127 0 32 86 C 15 0 0 Jazz Kit
5 Bass 0 0 35 90 C 0 0 0 Fretless Bass
6 Phrase 1 0 0 73 86 C 50 0 52 Flute
7 Phrase 2 0 0 90 60 C 0 0 0 Pad 3 (polysynth)
8 Phrase 3 0 0 28 76 L63 0 0 26 Electric Guitar (muted)
9 Kick 126 0 22 76 C 0 0 0 B900 Kit
10 Snare 126 0 22 100 C 0 0 5 B900 Kit
Reverb Type Hall 1 F0 43 10 4C 02 01 00 01 00 F7
Chorus Type Chorus 1 F0 43 10 4C 02 01 20 42 11 F7
Variation Type Cross Delay F0 43 10 4C 02 01 40 08 00 F7
Hi-Hat B900 Kit 58 HH 2 Closed --> Drum Machine OR HipHop Kit
59 HH 2 Open
Percussion Jazz Kit 49 Crash Cymbal 1 --> Jazz Kit
53 Ride Cymbal Cup
54 Tambourine
63 Conga H Open
64 Conga L
Kick B900 Kit 37 BD T8 2 -> 44 --> T8 Kit OR Bass Drum Kit
38 BD Jungle 1 -> 55
39 BD Jungle 2 -> 54
40 BD T8 2Cont -> 45
Snare B900 Kit 49 SD HipHop2 --> HipHop Kit
The channel table summarizes basic voice settings. These settings give me a starting point for new voicing and mixing decisions. The drum info at the bottom lists the specific kits and drum instruments in the rhythm tracks. The DJX uses non-standard drum kits (B900, DJX kit, etc.) and its drum notes (instruments) need to be mapped to standard PSR/Genos kits and drum notes. Mapping is a major pain, but somebody has got to do it. 🙂
Hope you found this post informative!
Copyright © 2026 Paul J. Drongowski