I'm sure that these questions have popped up in previous threads, so being pointed in the right direction in lieu of an answer is ok.

Hey, I really dig the drums on the SX900. I know that there are more kits. Everything sounds better. I don't know if it's DSPs or sampling.

I want to record a few original songs using style generated MIDI sequences as the backbone. I want to use the DAW to 1) put in alternate drum fills, then 2) add other MIDI instruments + voice and guitar. I know how to do #2.

Here are a few of my questions:

1) I forgot how to sync the keyboard to my DAW. I'm using Cakewalk Sonar.
2) When I play a style on the keyboard with the DAW open and the keyboard is connected via MIDI, I hear some weird artifacts. What can I do about this?
3) I haven't experimented with playing the MIDI from my DAW and using the keyboard as a playback device, but when I did this some years ago, it didn't sound nearly as good as when the MIDI was playing directly from the keyboard. Is this still the case?
4. Do Sysex messages load automatically when I import a keyboard MIDI file onto Cakewalk? There's an option to echo Sysex. Should I check this? Do I need to load or send Sysex messages for a MIDI sequence to play properly?
5. I'm using the Tyros 4 as the instrument definition in the DAW. Is the Tyros 3 a closer fit? I suppose that no one has created an instrument definition for the SX900.

I just want to keep it pretty simple. I want to keep the passion - not be spending weeks troubleshooting and clicking around in a DAW. I have no problem recording audio as I've been making some raw voice/acoustic recordings some of which I'm pretty happy with.

Regarding
#2,: it seems that you're hearing the built in sounds from the PC along with the Yamaha sounds. That's the logical guess if you hear unwanted tones. Maybe you can write an internal drum kit that has zero velocity, so the notes won't sound ... and you'll only hear the Yamaha.
I know this isn't much help, but I haven't used Cakewalk in ages. Just thought I'd point out a "maybe" solution. Hope you figure it out.

3: If your interface has a dedicated midi out, there should be no difference in what you hear, providing the midi INPUT did not engage any midi filters, like program change, or syex.

Sorry I'm not much help. Haven't used Cakewalk in ages, but I thought I'd suggest a few "maybe" hints. Hope you figure it out.

What is the sound source you are using for play back ?

If it’s not the keyboard itself, it could be the the mega voices, they have all sorts of weird squeaks when played back .
I don’t actually record songs, but I used to convert psr styles to my korgs from psr midi file of the style.
When I used to play these files back on my xg works sequencer using Korg as sound
Source, I used to get all the weird little noises. For the korg style conversion, I used to just delete them, they were simple enough to find, but, you can’t do that for a psr song.

I think you need to use the sx for playback or whatever keyboard you are creating the song for.

I’ve only ever used xg works or on occasions Pg’s Real Band, and that goes back a long time since I tried syncing keyboard to pc. Sorry not familiar with cakewalk.

Could you actually change the drum fills in the style itself?

1. Depending on how you are recording, using midi, one device will have to be the master controlling tempo, start stop functions, etc. The other device will have to set as the "slave:" device. I'm still way back on Sonar 8, but I can't imagine this has changed.

2 ( and 3 ). Uncle Dave and Rikkisbears gave excellent answers. There is also another possible issue. If you record into Sonar with your SX900 rather than using the internal sequencer, when you go to play the resulting midi file back from Sonar, if the SX900 is set to receive midi on the sequencer ( often default ) or other channels instead of receiving midi and having it received by the style and/or proprietary voice / performance channels, you will almost certainly get the wrong sounds. This is often setup this way by default so you can play Standard midi files using standard midi or sometimes XG voices rather than the Yamaha proprietary voices. Otherwise, unless you know the proper cc and midi instrument numbers and have them entered into your sequence, using cc changes and the proper Ins. device, chaos often ensues.

4. Depends on what you have setup in transmit / receive. At least it did on Sonar 8 and my older Yamaha's ( Tyros 2 for example )

5. You'll have to compare the midi data and program numbers from model to model via your .ins files and / or the manuals. Back when XG was the standard, all the Yamaha boards, IF they had XG, were the same in that area, and the "proprietary voices" weren't always exact, but many, like going from the PSR740 to the 2000, were close to beingthe same. With all the extra data from the mega and SA1, 2 etc voices it's possible that changes it a bit or a lot. In my own case, I'd have to compare the T2 to the Genos and see how different they are. I have both but I rarely use external midi devices to record into now.

I agree about the Mega Voices, Rikki:

Sometimes, when recording... I have to eliminate Mega Voices/Instruments... or find a similar or better style without so many. When they work with what you are attempting to accomplish, they are wonderful... but can be a real pain in the posterior under certain conditions.

All the best, ----Dave

Thanks. I'm swamped with getting my SX900 ready for performance.
My songwriting passion will have to wait until January.
Hopefully, I won't hit too many snags like corrupted Megavoice events.

One thing I really like about recording the 900 into a daw...is the ability to record all 4 outputs
at the same time. ie...main stereo outs could play all regular keyboard tracks. The 2nd set of stereo outs could record your drums and percussion. This requires a 4 input audio interface, but Dave turned me on to the Behringer UMC404HD ($136.00) at Sweetwater. Depending on your computer and how many effects you use in the daw...latency is not a problem.
Good luck,
Mitch

Hi Dave,
one reason I’ve always held onto my old psr 2000,2100, psr1500 factory style collection, no pesky mega voices to contend with when converting to other style formats.

Rikki:

You are not alone. I still have my old 2000 and a 910 plus a ton of styles. I hope Yamaha will come up with a way to easily substitute Mega Voices with other available "Instruments." I don't know why the "Yamaneers" decided to use the term "voices" when instruments are being emulated. Guess that makes me a cranky old geezer!

Regards, ----Dave