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MONTAGifying MOTIF XF Performances

Written by Bad Mister on May 16, 2018. Posted in MONTAGE, 2010s.

In anticipation of the new firmware we’ve been studying the programming of these four Part Performances, a process we like to call “MONTAGification! We got a head start on what to expect with all this new (but familiar) content. Not everyone wants to start sound designing with an INIT program. By starting with the data from the Motif XF, it allows us to jump start the process of sound design. Be sure to update your firmware and download the new version of MONTAGE CONNECT to be able to load our example.

Let’s have fun and MONTAGIFying some MOTIF Performances!

You will find the file containing all 512 Factory Performances of the Motif XF on the Official MONTAGE Download page. This can be found by going to your regional Yamaha website (here in the United States of America, that would be www.usa.yamaha.com), navigate to the Synthesizer/Music Production area where you can find the MONTAGE product page. As if you were going to find information out about the MONTAGE series:

There, listed with the Overview, Features, etc., is “Downloads”. This will take you to all the Downloads that concern the MONTAGE – including the Brochure, the various Manuals as PDFs, Firmware and Software updates, as well as, “Other Downloads” which currently includes the Compatible Device list (USB drives) and the Motif XF Performance Content.

The download file is zipped – download it to your computer and unzip it. It contains a folder named “Motif XF Performance” – this folder contains a total of four Files: two (2) MONTAGE Files plus two (2) “Readme” text files, one in English and the other in Japanese. The two files are “Motif XF Performance.X7L” and “Motif XF Performance.X7U” – these can be loaded as a Library or to your USER Bank, respectively. Copy these two files to a USB stick you use with your Montage. Read, the ReadMe File.

These files have already been converted to MONTAGE format. If you are working with a custom Motif XF ALL data file (.X3A) File, please be aware that MONTAGE cannot translate older compression schemes (LPC, WXC), nor can it import 8-bit data. If you have any orphaned Waveforms (Waveforms that are not used), or incompatible data, you will receive a message that some Keybanks may not have been found/loaded. The orphaned Waveforms will be loaded and found in the UTILITY > “Contents” > “Data Contents” > “Waveform” Folder, if you direct the file to the USER Banks.

Converting a .X3A Motif XF ALL Data File, will take longer than loading the same data already in MONTAGE file format. So when converting files yourself, be sure to SAVE a file in MONTAGE native file format for future use.

LOADING the PERFORMANCES:
Place the USB stick with the “Motif XF Performance.X7L” and “Motif XF Performance.X7U” into the TO DEVICE port on the MONTAGE back panel. Within seconds the screen will recognize the drive: “Connecting with USB device…”.

Press [UTILITY] > touch “Contents” > “Load” > set the CONTENT TYPE = either “USER File” (if you want to load the data to the USER Bank) or “LIBRARY File” (if you want to install the data to a Library). Let’s load the data to the USER Banks.

If you load to the User Bank you will receive the warning screen:
“Current user data will be overwritten by “Motif XF PERFORMANCE.X7U”

This is to remind you that if you have not SAVED the data currently in the USER Banks, you should STOP, and create a File. If you are not sure, STOP, touch “Cancel” – and SAVE your data to a USER File, before loading new data to the USER. This is normal and should be apart of your routine – knowing what you have saved and what you have not yet saved. If you have already saved a file for the data in the USER Banks, simply proceed by touching the “Load” option.

This will place the 512 (Multi PART) Factory Motif XF Performances into your MONTAGE.

FINDING the PERFORMANCES you just loaded
Don’t laugh… We are to the point in synth technology now that you can actually load 512 Performances and not be able to find them. Managing the 32 sounds that I loaded into my original DX7 (back in the day) I knew I only needed to press one of the 32 buttons on the front panel to find them. When you add 512 Performances (almost 2000 PARTS), they can actually “hide” inside this instrument. Well, you realize we have reached a point virtually undreamed of back in the day. You can archive all kinds of sounds, with all kinds of variations. The memory here is huge when it comes to creating variations of sounds – that is what synthesis is all about. Knowing where to look for them will be important.

The cloud of programs in the MONTAGE is huge: as of Version 2.00, you have 2143 Preset Performances. You may know a Bank of Normal program Changes is 128. The catalog of Program in MONTAGE uses this 128 layout. Each of your Libraries could be an additional 640 (5 sets of 128). And the USER Bank, itself – which is where you construct MONTAGE Library files – can hold 640 more (5 sets of 128) at any time.

In a future firmware update, Yamaha has announced that it will add these 512 Performances to the Factory Presets.

From the HOME screen:
Press [CATEGORY SEARCH] repeatedly to toggle through your current MONTAGE Bank headings. Initially, the ‘search’ is through “All” Banks, if you press it again you can view just those you have marked as “Favorites”, press it again to view just factory “Presets”, etc. The toggle cycle is as follows:

All > Favorite > Preset > User > Library 1 > Library 2 > etc.

Hint: If you hit and hold the [CATEGORY SEARCH] button it will take you back to “All”
Each Library will be identified by its name.

When you press [CATEGORY SEARCH] to select Bank = “User”, you will be looking at a field containing just the Motif XF Performances.
If you installed them to a Library, press [CATEGORY SEARCH] to select Bank = “MOTIF XF PERFOR…”.

Alternate Method:
– Press [CATEGORY SEARCH]
– Touch “Bank/Favorite” to view a pop-in menu of the Bank headings.
– Touch the Bank you want, then [ENTER]

The programs in these files have not been given MAIN or SUB Categories (they are all “No Assign”). Because you are to edit these, you can assign the Main and SubCategory, if you so desire. Performances take on the Main and Sub Category assigned to Part 1.

Please use these programs as starting points to create your own customized sounds. If you have been following this series, you should be pretty adept at navigating the MONTAGE architecture.

First, using the OVERVIEW screen and its shortcuts to the Control Settings, you can quickly study what the original programmer assigned to the controllers. This way you do not wind up fighting against some inherited programming. You know that a maximum of four PARTS are programmed, you also know that a maximum of two of the eight AssignKnobs are assigned to anything per Part, you also know that nothing on the upper COMMON/Audio Level (Super Knob and it’s eight Assign Knobs) has yet been programmed. This is the case because the Motif XF did not have these features.

New for Version 2
We can anticipate questions about how to get the SUPER KNOB “to do something”. Take your time… first, figure out what you would like to do with the Super Knob. By now you probably have a good idea of how it can be used from having worked with the MONTAGE Factory Performance programs. The Super Knob can be used to morph one sound into others, it can fade in/out drums or fade in/out entire musical instrument Parts; you can change effect amounts which change the setting, for example, the “proximity effect” (where you are altering both EQ and time delay effects to simulate distance from the stage), etc., etc., etc.

Let’s try something simple to grasp how the new Super Knob assignment implementation makes it easier to get going Programming your own:

MOVIE STRINGS

From the PERFORMANCE HOME screen:
– Press [CATEGORY SEARCH]
– Set “Bank/Favorite” = the location of your “Motif XF Performance” Bank; If you loaded as User File, set to “User”, If you loaded as Library File, set to “MOTIF XF PERFORMA..”
– Under the Magnifying Glass type “Movie”

This narrows our ‘search’ to just Programs containing the letters “Movie” in the MOTIF XF data.

Recall “Movie Strings”:

Here we have a simple layer of two distinctly different strings ensemble sounds. PART 1, “Background” are very smooth and stately – aptly named because that is how they function. PART 2, “Stryngs” are bigger, closer and definitely more bow articulation is heard. Take the time to play them individually, and together. Use the upper [MUTE]/[SOLO] buttons – and play each enough to get a feel for how they play (that is, discover how they have been adjusted to respond).

To see an overview of the controller assignments: Press [SHIFT] + [HOME]:

Change the PART = COMMON so you can view PART 1, and then, finally, PART 2. You will discover that only Assign Knob 1 and 2 are assigned. (This is typical of Motif XF Performances as they only had two Assign Knobs per PART). As you may know, the Super Knob can be moved “hands-free,” allowing you control its movement via a Yamaha FC7 sweep-type pedal. If you have not experienced this Super Knob/Foot Controller Function… run, don’t walk to your local Yamaha music store and try it out — they have one connected. It makes a huge difference in being able to perform with the Motion Control Synthesis Engine. Accept no substitutes, get a genuine Yamaha FC7 (at least one).

GOAL: Let’s quickly assign the Super Knob to control the volume of the brighter, closer, bowed string ensemble in PART 2:
– First, because the Motif XF did not have a Super Knob, you can bet that all of the Motif XF Performances default the Foot Controller sweep pedals to FC1 = cc11 and FC2 = cc4.
– We will need to assign the SUPER KNOB duties to FC2. The CONTROL NUMBERS can be set on a per PERFORMANCE basis.

We should know how to do this already but in case you forgot:

– Press [EDIT]
– Press the upper [COMMON] button
– Touch “Control” > “Control Number”

Here you can change the Foot Ctrl 2 = Super Knob — turn the Data Dial fully clockwise to select “Super Knob”:

We want to next navigate to the PART VOLUME parameter of the “Stryngs” in PART 2:

– Press [PART SELECT 2]
– Touch “Part Settings” > “General”
– Move the cursor to or touch the “Volume” box: currently set to “98”.
– By highlighting a parameter that is assignable the [CONTROL ASSIGN] button will be glowing (located to the lower left of the screen, next to the OCT -/+ buttons).
– Press [CONTROL ASSIGN]

– The new version 2.00 “Destination Parameter” screen appears – it simply says the next controller you touch will be assigned.
– Turn the SUPER KNOB – the assignment is made! It is literally that easy now.

You are taken straight away to the PART 2 – Common – “Mod/Control” > “Control Assign” screen.
A drop-down message briefly appears informing you of the work that has been done in the background by MONTAGE: Modified: Common AsgnKnob1->AsgnKnob3:

Translation: Previous to version 2.00, to make this assignment we would have had to go to PART 2, assigned the control of Volume to the first available knob, which we know for a Motif XF PART would be Assign Knob 3. Then we would have had to go to the upper COMMON Control Settings and then linked the first available COMMON ASSIGN KNOB (1) to control PART ASSIGN KNOB #3.

Instead… we simply highlighted the parameter we wanted to control, we touched the [CONTROL ASSIGN] button, moved the SUPER KNOB and MONTAGE does the rest. The brief drop-down (screenshot above) tells you that the upper COMMON AsgnKnob 1 is linked to control the movement of PART 2’s Assign Knob 3.

It opts for the first available PART Assign Knob (which was 3, all XF converted programs will only ever use a maximum of 2 Assign Knobs) – and it opts for the first available COMMON Assign Knob (which was 1, because the Motif XF did not have any Common Assign Knobs/Super Knob). All of the Motif XF Performances will have but two Assign Knobs used, and will have nothing programmed on the upper COMMON level.

This shorter method is not only quicker but it saves the “brain-game” of assigning then linking. We just think: I want Volume on the Super Knob (from there it is pretty much “touch and go,” done). MONTAGE does the heavy lifting. But you know what is taking place and you have the knowledge to see how this is an improvement.

Extra Credit: Why does it go to the first unused Assign Knob in each case? Can’t you assign multiple items to a single PART or COMMON Assign Knob? Well, yes you can. But you will need to do this manually. Obviously, you will want to tailor the response of each parameter assigned to a controller, particularly, when more than one thing is assigned to a Knob. You want it so that each responds, as you require. When more that one parameter is assigned to any Assign Knob, each assignment has its own set of parameters that allow to control what happens to that particular assignment. We’ll take a look into multiple assignments in a future article. For now you have sixteen Source/Destination Control Sets, so spread out.

Lets deal with the response of this “Stryngs” layer to the movement of the Control: By leaving the PART Volume set at “98” (the stored value), we can setup the CURVE, POLARITY, RATIO, PARAM1 to shape the movement of this control the way that we want it to respond.

CURVE = Standard _ a straight line curve (is that an oxymoron?) great for turning up or down.
POLARITY = Bi _change the Polarity to “Bi” so that we can move up and down from the “98” stored setting with movement of the Super Knob. “Bi” POLARITY means that at 12 o’clock the volume of PART 2 will be the stored value “98”. Clockwise to increase, counterclockwise to decrease the stored value.
If the PART Volume was set to “98” and “Uni” was the POLARITY, then we could get louder from “98” and return to “98”. 98 would be minimum – and 127 of course, maximum.
RATIO = +45 _ How to set the “minimum”: Turn the Super Knob all the way to minimum. MUTE PART 1, so you can only hear PART 2. Raise the RATIO from +32 slowly until you can no longer hear the “Stryngs” – this is how you can set the minumum for no sound output. At approximately “+45” the PART is basically gone from the mix. Now turning the Super Knob you have 0 volume at minimum, “98” volume at 12 o’clock, and maximum 127 volume at Super Knob all the way up.
PARAM 1 = 5 (range 0~10) _ Adjust this setting to taste… it controls *when* the PART 2 gets loud in response to movement of the Super Knob. If you lower the number from 5, the graphic shows the sound get louder earlier in the SUPER KNOB travel, as you raise the number towards 10, the SUPER KNOB will take longer before it begins to apply significant volume change to PART 2. A setting of 5 will be linear:

Touch the shortcut box that appears in the screenshot above “Edit Common Control Settings” – this is like a “wormhole” that takes you to the upper COMMON level where the COMMON Assign Knobs settings are made. And as shown below you can see a summary of the assignment that we just completed:

SOURCE = Common AsgnKnob 1
DESTINATION = PART 2’s Assign Knob 3 which is currently the only Destination for AsgnKnob1. It is set to control PART 2’s Volume, Bi-directional polarity, with the CURVE as shown above. Notice the return ‘wormhole’ – “Edit Part 2 Control Settings” to whisk you back to Part 2’s Control Set.

Below: The OVERVIEW for PART 2 shows its ASSIGN KNOB 3 and SUPER KNOB assignments now added to the view:

Nice.

Creepn Worm study
Last time we took a look at “Creepn Worm” and some of the different Filter Types (Dual BPF, Dual BEF, Dual High Pass, etc.). Let’s see how the some of the new features in version 2.00 impact our look at the MONTAGE.

You will want to pick a PERFORMANCE that is of interest to you, and while exploring it, come up with something you want to try. Some Performances feature arpeggio phrases, some do not, some include drums, some do not. We’ve looked at both kinds – there are no rules. In the last article we were looking at the Motif XF Performance called “Creepn Worms” which was a study in HIGH PASS FILTERING. Let’s continue with this one.

At the bottom of this article, please find a download .X7B example called “Creepn Worm study”. I’ve added a Drum Kit with arpeggios and the Drum Kit fades in via the Super Knob. This data requires a MONTAGE with firmware 2.00.x and MONTAGE CONNECT v1.0.3 (both available from the Official Yamaha MONTAGE product page).

You can change the ARP Type by either using the blue SCENE buttons, which will recall also the Super Knob position or you can change the ARPs manually using the [ARP SELECT 1-8] buttons, row four of the right front panel.

“Creepn Worm” was made up of three PARTS: Long HiPa, High Wire, and 5th Atmosphere. You can review the last article for the details, but MW, RIBBON, and the ASSIGN SW 1/2 play a role in ”moving” this sound.
I added (merged) “Trap Kit 2” into the empty PART 4 — this is one of new “crunchy” Drum Kits, it’s edgy!

– This was accomplished on the [PERFORMANCE (HOME)] screen by touching the “+” in PART 4 to ADD a new PART. This will automatically take you to “Category Search – Performance Merge”
– Part 4 – Performance Merge: touch “Drums/Perc” > select “Trap Kit 2”

I am using the Drum Arps (PART 4) to modify the “High Wire” PART (2). Setting up the Envelope Follower in version 2.00 has been simplified, again, through a series of ‘wormholes’ (shortcuts) between pages you would normally have to know how to navigate to. Here’s the scenario. If you remember “High Wire” was the PART that was using the XA CONTROL (AsSW1/2) to determine which of the 3 Elements was going to be sounding at the time. Element 1 played when both “AsSW Off”, Element 2 played only when “AsSW1 On” and Element 3 only sounded when “AsSW2 On”.

I wanted to control the Volume of this PART with the rhythm of the Drum Arp phrase. Since it is a very heavy Drum pulse, it seems the perfect modifier to make movement in PART 2. So again my goal is to influence the VOLUME of this PART (2) with an Envelope created by the Drum groove (Part 4):

– First, navigate to the PART VOLUME for PART 2
– Press [EDIT]
– Press [PART SELECT 2]
– Lower COMMON should be light or PART2/COMMON should be showing in blue in the lower left corner of the screen
– Touch “Part Settings” > “General”
– Move the cursor to highlight “VOLUME” (currently set to 73):

– Press the glowing [CONTROL ASSIGN] button – the new “DESTINATION PARAMETER“ screen to assign PART 2’s Volume appears:

– You can now, in Version 2.00, select an Envelope Follower (or Motion Sequencer Lane) as the control from this quick assign screen – we want the Drums PART 4 to create the Envelope for PART 2 to Follow – touch “Envelope Follower 4”

– You are taken straight away to the CONTROL ASSIGN screen for PART 2 where VOLUME has been assigned to “EnvFollow 4”, and you can setup how it is going to be applied using CURVE, POLARITY, RATIO, PARAM1:

Also on the screen at the top is the ‘wormhole’ shortcut to travel directly to the Envelope Follower…

– Touch “Edit Envelope Follower” to travel straight to the Envelope Follower:

Here at PART 4, you can see that Dr/Pc (drums/perc) are feeding (arrow up) and PART 2 (Pad) is receiving (arrow down).

GAIN is audio output created by the DRUM ARP phrase as it plays.
ATTACK – this is drums so you want a quick attack. Set too high and you will miss the event entirely.
RELEASE – this is how quickly the envelope disappears and prepares for the next ATTACK. If set too long you will miss the next Attacked percussion note.

So with Drum/Percussion sounds in creating the Attack/Release envelope you want to be aware of the time. Purposefully, set the parameters too slow to get an understanding as to why this “breaks” what you are trying to accomplish. Punch-punch, jab, jab, jab, this is stick and move, percussion like a boxer. Quick stab like. But experiment: you may find that a slower ATTACK might create an interesting change in how it works. The only rule is: you have to like what it does, if not, change it.

Notice the little “EDIT” shortcuts below each of the MONTAGE synth PARTS and the COMMON. Again speeding the setting up of the Envelope Follower – often you need to go back and forth between the CONTROL ASSIGN page and this page while getting the exact response you are looking for.

Okay that’s enough for now. If you have a favorite Motif XF Performance or if you have an area of the Motion Control Synthesis Engine you would like to see us dissect in this Scuba diving expedition, let us know! MONTAGE is an incredibly deep instrument but programming it is a matter of getting used to navigation (which is getting easier all the time) and a matter of your willingness to explore and try things. Study the original assignments, then dive in. Don’t just layer sounds — anyone can do that — get creative. Until next time… enjoy!

Bad Mister

Have a favorite Motif XF Performance you would like Phil “Bad Mister” Clendeninn write about and help you bring to your MONTAGE? Suggest it here on the Forum.

And stay tuned for more!

Download here: CreepnWorm_study.X7B

MONTAGifying MOTIF: “Rule the Earth”

Written by Bad Mister on May 16, 2018. Posted in MONTAGE.

This is your quintessential rock shuffle – “Everyone Wants to Rule the World” is the fairly obvious musical reference used here (Tears for Fears, circa 1980’s). We often get the question about copyright infringement – no, it’s not copyright infringement until you use this to create the same chords and melody line, and then try to claim it as your own! You cannot steal a song “by accident.”

So let’s get started:

PART 1: Rock Stereo Kit 1
PART 2: Uni Punch
PART 3: PWM Percussion
PART 4: Slow PWM Brass

Let’s continue with the discussion of Assignable Outputs. The MONTAGE signal routing scheme mimics what you would find in any professional mixing console. The mixer here is very much a digital mixer, with Inserts and Sends, Mutes and Solo, Pan control and Faders. There are eighteen inputs to the console: 16 Synth Parts, an A/D Input Part and a Digital Input Part. It features methods of automation that integrate with the synthesizer engine and it can be controlled with tempo related commands. You can even create, store and recall on-demand, your own MIDI and audio setup templates – which can include Part output assignments, monitor preferences, and in general, settings for your most common tasks.

Yamaha pioneered digital mixing consoles back in 1987 when the DMP7 was introduced as the world’s first MIDI automated digital console designed to work with the TX816 – back then Synthesizers didn’t have EQs or Effect processing – those things were added at the mixing console. Old school. Today, all the sophistication found in stand alone digital mixers is built into the MONTAGE. It is important from a historical standpoint but also from a conceptual standpoint to understand exactly how the synth engine and the digital console integrate in your MONTAGE. As we’ll see, there are settings that can be made and stored as part of the synth sound, and others that are stored as part of the mixer. Imagine having a physical mixer, the Fader is set to 101 and currently Channel is a mic on a guitar… later you might change the channel to support an electric guitar. You could change the instrument on the channel and the Fader could still be set at 101. There are channel settings that can be made and maintained independent of the instrument on the channel. A Part can “inherit” certain mixer channel settings.

The factory QUICK SETUPs should be used to gain a basic understanding of what can be configured. In working with literally hundreds of first time users, I have discovered that there are three common “newbie” misconceptions 1) SETUP with a synth and a computer is difficult (it is not), 2) it must be done every time you want to work with the synth and computer (it does not, once you configure some basic things your computer “remembers” the configuration and 3) there is one configuration that works for everything (there is not, you need to learn several basic things to allow you to record, to overdub and to mixdown).

Once you’ve gained a feel for working with MONTAGE and your DAW, you can tweak these Factory Quick Setups and overwrite them with your own custom configurations. There is no “one way” to work. This means you can develop your own workflow and MONTAGE will remember your preferences. The common newbie misconception is that everyone works the same exact way. You will develop your own workflow.

For example, the factory AUDIO REC ON DAW “Quick Setup”, routes each of the 16 MONTAGE PARTS to its own stereo pair of Outputs. And you can understand why this is the factory default – it’s the one setup that would take you the longest amount of time to manually configure. If you want to create complete audio stems of each MONTAGE PART, the factory Quick Setup is ideal.

In many situations as a keyboard player/composer doing music for hire, you are asked to deliver your parts as individual audio stems for the convenience of mixing elsewhere. This is when having the option to route Parts, isolated to their own Audio Outputs and Tracks, without “shared” effects (Reverb), is on point. MONTAGE is flexible enough to route individual drums to USB Outputs from within your Drum Kit Part.

However, if you only need to route a few Parts in isolation, you might opt for a Quick Setup for Audio that resets all Parts to “Main L&R” – then you can make the individual settings on a case by case basis, as necessary. Point is, you can customize this to your most often used workflow.

Just when do you route an instrument (via Assignable Outputs) to its own isolated Track?
Since you can – using MIDI commands – automate fully the mixdown of your synth sounds, it seems like an extra layer of work to then separate everything as audio in the DAW. There is little reason to isolate instuments to separate audio tracks, unless you have plans to further process the sound in your DAW, prior to, or during mixdown. Because you can link the MONTAGE and your DAW via MIDI Clock, you can insure that tempo will remain locked between the two devices. This allows you the freedom to come back and overdub new tracks, keeping everything in synchronization.

If you’ve been thinking exclusively MIDI when Mixing, we must remind you that with MONTAGE there are results that only occur as a result of the interaction of the Parts as audio. If you are side chaining, or Vocoding signals, you will want to capture this interaction as audio. Your “music production” decision process must include the best way to capture this for your composition. Sometimes capturing the interaction is best done by isolating or combining certain of the Parts to certain audio Output buses. For example, when using an external audio source as a modifier in the Motion Control Engine, you may opt to use the Direct and encoded Signal, or just the encoded Signal. But our point is, some sounds you will be creating present a challenge as to how you should record them, and how you will route them. Discover and master the basics first, then branch out by experimenting.

“Rule The Earth”
Rock Stereo Kit – this Kit gives the sound of a drum kit in a room. A very open sound, not studio-slick, but plenty of ambient room sound (done without effects). There is even a ‘ring’ in the snare (an acquired taste thing). This is done purposefully and is a “production decision”. When you are choosing a Drum Kit, please recognize that they are fairly flexible when it comes to ‘producing’ a specific sound, but there is also a basic “character” fundamental to each Kit. In general, the two octaves from C1-B2 represent the drummer‘s “trap kit”: Kick, snare, sidestick, rimshot/clap, Hihats, cymbals, toms. It is these Keys that give the Kit it’s name.

Kits have “a personality” but you can freely substitute individual drums or entire Kits. Let’s take a close look at some things to know when substituting Drum Kits in a Performance that already has Arps phrases assigned and mixer settings that we would want to keep.

Using the “View” HOME screen, press [PART SELECT 1] we can view the PART 1 Drum Kit Elements:

Let’s try substituting a different Drum Kit and understand the logistics.

We can audition different Kits. Instead of a using the PERFORMANCE CATEGORY SEARCH, we can use the PART CATEGORY SEARCH by pressing [SHIFT] + [CATEGORY SEARCH] This will ensure that we are searching to replace just a single PART and not searching to replace the entire PERFORMANCE:

– With PART 1 ‘selected’ (highlighted).
– Press [SHIFT] + [CATEGORY SEARCH].
– The screen will read “Part1 – Category Search”.

– Set the “Bank/Favorite” = Preset.
– Touch “Drum/Perc” > “Drums”.

Along the bottom we will want to deactivate the “Param. with Part” options for MIXING, ARP/MS, SCENE, and ZONE – deselect these prior to making a KIT selection:

This means that instead of recalling the Drum Kit with its previous MIXING, its previously assigned ARPs and Motion Sequences, its previous SCENE settings and ZONE items, it will simply come in and inherit those settings we already have on our Mixer, it will inherit the Arpeggio phrases already selected in our PERFORMANCE, and the SCENE snapshots already taken for our PERFORMANCE, etc. If you fail to deactivate these then the Drum Kit will bring in the default Arp Phrase and settings for that Kit with the Part.

Above I have selected “Real Drums Kit 2”. Changing KITS is changing 73 instruments – you will need to retrigger a KEY to start the new KIT playing the ARP Phrase. The ARP PHRASE will remain assigned to the PART, the newly selected KIT will now inherit the current settings. Simply trigger a Key on the beat.

In this manner you can substitute KITs, and yet keep the current Performance settings. PARAMETER WITH PART – is used to bring previous settings into the current PERFORMANCE, in this case we want the new PART to inherit our current settings so you must OPT OUT (deactivate each option).

Some Kits are close miked, others have more room ambience. Find a kit that suits your taste or one that has some thing interesting to work with. In future articles we will come back to this and take a look at how you can assign any drum to your kit and how you can recreate drums that mimic any era of recorded sound.

DRUM ROUTE

Let’s say we want to take separate audio outputs for the Bass Drum, Snare Drum and Hihats.

Drum Kit PARTS are different from Normal PARTS, and it is not just that old joke about drummers being different from musicians, in a Drum Kit PART each KEY is autonomous. Each Key is a different instrument. While in the typical Normal PART all Keys make up one instrument. A Drum Kit is a conglomeration of individual drum and percussion sounds herded together into a single entity. Mostly each instrument occupies a single Key, although there are exceptions: the Hihat occupies three keys, the triangle occupies two keys… for different articulations. Each Drum Key has its own Waveform, its own Volume control, its own Pan position, its own Filters (HPF and LPF), its own AEG, its own EQ, it can even be tuned individually and can either receive or ignore NOTE-OFF. Where there is a Normal PART, the Keys usually share these things as a group; in a Drum PART, each KEY can stand alone. Each Key can even be routed to its own audio bus Output.

How can this be accomplished? That’s what we’ll tackle next:

Let’s say we want to take BD, SD and the three HHs and route them on their own buses to the DAW.

Drum Kit PARTS, like Normal PARTs, initially default to being assigned to the “Main L&R” Output. We can, on a DRUM KIT PART, select PART OUTPUT = “Drum”. This allows us to then route individual KEYs to an assignable Output:

What we need to understand about the DRUM PART is how it works as a whole. A Drum Kit, like all PARTs, can have two INSERTION EFFECTS. And just as we saw in the Normal PART, an individual Element could be routed to Ins A or Ins B as we may desire. Once we have set the Kit’s PART OUTPUT = “Drum”, we can select to send individual Drum Keys to Assignable Outputs. Set the Connect = Thru – this bypasses the Insertion blocks. you can see this in the flow chart shown on the screen exactly how each Key’s signal is routed:

This will be important to understand about Drum Kit routing. The screen above shows the Drum PART (PART 1), Common, Effect, Routing. As you touch a KEY (“Keyboard Select” is active, green), you can see its routing connection through INSERT A, or INSERT B or THRU. The THRU option will allow you to send that drum and isolate it to its own DRUM KEY OUT. Shown below is the Bass Drum (C1) Key’s “Osc/Tune” screen. “Connect” = Thru and the “Drum Key Out” can be set as desired:

It is set by touching the DRUM KEY OUT box to view the option pop-in menu:

– Press the snare Key D1 to recall its data.
– Set the “Drum Key Out” = USB Mono > USB2.

– Touch each of the three Hihat Keys (F#1, G#1, A#1) Assign each in turn to “USB Mono > USB3”.

Such an assignment can only take place when the overall PART OUTPUT for the entire Kit has been set to “Drum”, then the individual Drum Key has been set to THRU (bypassing the Insertion A and B blocks). Within a Drum Kit Part, a Drum Key can “share” the Insertion Effect with the other Keys, so in the Drum universe the Insertion Effects are the “shared” effects.

Options
Lets take a look at the Drum Key options. For the sake of learning, let’s recall the factory Kit “Dry Standard Kit”. Using the Part Category Search, Select the “Dry Standard Kit”. More of a neutral sound, the character is different.

As you press various Keys in this Kit, while viewing the Part Common Effect Routing screen, notice that some Keys are routed to the Insertion blocks while others are routed THRU:

If you wanted to route the SD on D1 to an assignable Output, you would have to set the Connect parameter = “Thru”. Doing so insures its isolation from the other Drum Keys which may be using the Insertion Effects, When Thru is selected, and the PART OUTPUT = Drum, you will see the “Drum Key Out” option appear (lower right corner).

If you CONNECT the Drum Key to an INSERTION EFFECT block, for example, shown below D1 is ‘connected’ to the INS B block (SPX Room reverb):

The “Drum Key Out” parameter will be unavailable (shown in black background which is the equivalent of being grayed out) for selection. Once you opt to use an INSERTION EFFECT, the signal will be returned to the “shared” system output with the rest of the drum Keys in this Kit.

Take your time with the routing options. An entire Drum Kit, all 73 Elements, each have the option to ’connect’ via the ROUTING scenario. If you want to route the entire Kit as a Stereo Instrument simply set the PART containing the KIT to “PART OUT” = “MAIN L&R”, but if you want to route some of the drums as individuals, you must set the “PART OUT” = “Drum”. This is the impetus for each KEY being able to be assigned to the MONTAGE Output matrix and having that assignment respected.

In a Drum PART, you may find certain drums routed to INSERTION Blocks in groups. For example, in the “Dry Standard Kit” it is the Tom-Toms on D2, C2, B1, A1, and G1 that are utilizing the VCM EQ 501 as a group. Anything you route to INSERT BLOCK A would share the EQ setting designed for the Toms.

If you are not going to use the Toms in your particular composition, you can certainly reallocate the INSERT EFFECT A block to do something else. Again, there is no one way to use the resources, but knowing how to explore them can help you when you need to accomplish something. I have often talked to long-time Motif users, who never realized that Insertion Effects could be applied usefully within a Drum Kit because they did not understand the routing and therefore could not see the potential. The INSERT CONNECTION parameter (located between the two Insert blocks) is set to “Parallel” meaning that these two effects can be used independently. Drums are not like a guitar where you are going to put multiple effects in a row – you might want to dedicate one of the Effect blocks to a group of drums (like the Toms) and the other to create an ambience for the Percussion.

In most MONTAGE Kits you will notice that Latin Percussion is covered in the two octaves bewteen middle “C”, C3 and C5. And it is these that are using the SPX ROOM to create a “percussion environment”: giving the ability to treat the reverb on the percussion separately from that on the prinicipal drum kit sounds. This bit of subtle difference can give your “Drums” more presence in your mix, instead of just a drummer, you can create the illusion of a drummer and several percussionists. If you begin to listen to your favorite recording, notice how percussion instrument sounds “fit” when there is also a drummer. Good use of placement (both volume and Pan position) is critical.

DAW Inputs
When you connect a Part or a Drum to a MONTAGE Assignable Output, you must create a corresponding input in the DAW to receive the audio. If you are using a stereo pair you’ll want to create a stereo input pair. If you are routing signals on mono buses you will make a mono bus input for each one. This is simple enough but an important thing to understand. Stereo Outs connect to Stereo Ins on the computer DAW, Mono Outs connect to Mono Ins. The importance of this rather simple rule will be discussed next.

And then finally, you create a corresponding stereo or mono audio track that uses that Input. A Stereo Track set to receive Audio from a Stereo bus; A Mono Track set to Receive Audio from each Mono bus. Many people when first encountering this type of configuration, opt to create Inputs for every possibility – then all you need to do is use the ones you need. Others opt to create the setups as they go. I believe it is best to create the inputs as you need them. Certainly software companies would likely recommend this as a strategy, because creating an Input that you are not using or not going to use does require some CPU muscle. Besides, once you understand the Signal Flow it really only takes a second to assign a Part in the MONTAGE, then with a couple of clicks in your DAW, you’ve create a corresponding Input, and Audio Track. The more familiar you are with this routine, the better you get at doing it quickly.

And you definitely want to get to the point where it is as second nature as anything you do often. The thing about Signal Flow is you can follow the audio from source to final destination and this makes it extremely easy to troubleshoot when issues arise.

Why when using USB Assignable Outputs are the sounds hard left or hard right?
When you assign a Bass Drum to USB1, as a mono bus Out, you may notice that the audio is sounding only in the left speaker channel, and when you assigned the Snare Drum to USB2 it only sounds from the right speaker. If this is the case, then you are still monitoring the MONTAGE Direct. In any Stereo pairing the odd number is the left channel and the even number is the right channel. If you were thinking, “It’s mono, hey, shouldn’t it be in the middle, equal in each speaker?” – you would not be completely wrong in thinking this way – and this brings us to our next important concept: “Monitoring” Direct or through the DAW.

When using the Assignable Output, we’ve said that the Part is removed from the system outputs. The only way you are able to hear it is because for monitoring purposes only, the Assignable buses are routed to the Main outs. Odd numbered buses left, even numbered buses right.

If, however, you turn DIRECT MONITOR = OFF, then complete the routing circuit through your DAW’s corresponding Audio Input and Audio Track, you will be able to monitor the signal after it arrives at the target destination. When you monitor the mono bus information post it arriving in the computer, the Bass Drum and Snare Drum, arriving on USB1 and USB2, respectively, will each default to “Center” as you were thinking. This is because of *where* we have selected to monitor. Once the “mono bus” arrives in the DAW, you can pan it as you desire.

If you are worried about the fact that monitoring through the computer means you are listening to the latency, yes you would be. Typically your latency is only a few milliseconds. If you think that you can hear that, you probably cannot. I don’t argue with people who say they do. If you simultaneously monitor two signals that are 6ms apart, of course you can hear the flanging as that is easily detectable by the human ear. The ear can hear items smaller than 0.01ms if they are simultaneously sounding. But if you are listen to just one signal, you probably cannot pick out which one is immediate, and which one is 6ms behind.

Perspective: when a guitar player strums a chord, there can be as much as 6ms between the E string and the A string. When transferring items from MONTAGE to audio tracks the issue of latency is often moot because the transfer can take place when no one is playing. Rendering audio can be done at non-critical times. So it is a complete non-issue here.

Often when wearing your technician (recording engineer) hat, you may switch back and forth between monitoring direct and monitoring post the DAW – once you realize that changing how you are monitoring does not interrupt or change the recording at all. Whether you choose to monitor direct or post the recorder, the signal your are monitoring is analog and totally separate from the actual digital signal that is recorded to your computer. How loud it is in your speakers does not matter; whether or not the level is turned up, at all, recording can still take place… monitoring is just listening. This is why when dealing with audio your meters are very important. Record Level is significantly different from Monitoring Volume.

Until next time, enjoy.

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