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MONTAGE Connect Part II: Working with User Arpeggios

Written by Blake Angelos on May 16, 2018. Posted in MONTAGE.

Also, for info on creating other kinds of User Arpeggios, you might want to take a look at “Arpeggio Making 101 for MONTAGE Part I and Part II“. Both of these articles take a deeper dive into User Arpeggios.

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to:

Create loops using the MONTAGE Song Performance Recorder
Convert the drum loops into User Arpeggios
Replace an existing drum Part with one of your User Arps
Replace the Preset Arpeggios with User Arpeggios
Edit the drum Part effects and mix
Record the new Performance into the MONTAGE Song Performance Recorder
Transfer into Cubase using MONTAGE Connect

In this lesson, I’ll be using two Performances:

“DUB Kit”: This is a Performance found in the Drum/Perc Category. I will create 8 drum loops using the MONTAGE Song Performance Recorder and save these as 8 separate User Arpeggios that are all 8 measures in length.
“Moving Floor” is found in the Syn Comp Category. This is an EDM Trance Performance that has a “4-on-the-floor” dance groove. The drum Part is on Part 6 and features 8 different Preset Arpeggios programmed to change with each Scene selection.

Step 1: Create drum loops within MONTAGE using the Song Performance Recorder

First you’ll select the Performance to create the drum loops. I have selected the Performance “DUB Kit” Press [CATEGORY SEARCH], selecting the “Drum/Perc” Category then selecting the “DUB Kit”(Fig.1 & 2):

Now I want to create some 8 measure MIDI drum loops using the Song Performance recorder. Pressing the [RECORD] button on the transport opens the “Play/Rec” screen on MONTAGE. I made a change within the “Rec Quantize” setting, which will take everything I play into the Song Performance Recorder and quantize it to the nearest 16th note (Fig. 3).

Since I am creating a Trance-type EDM groove, using the Rec Quantize setting will work great. Note: Every time the [RECORD] button is pressed from the main Performance screen, a new song is automatically created with the name “NewSongX” where “X” is the next number available. Once I am done with this recording I’ll name it “Blakeloop1”.

I first recorded the kick drum pattern for 8 measures. After making that first pass, you will notice the appearance of the Loop settings in the center display of the screen. New in firmware 1.20 is the ability to turn the Loop function on and set Loop Start and Loop End points. Since this is an 8-measure drum loop I set my loop points this way (Fig. 4):

Although Loop recording is not implemented in MONTAGE, the Loop playback feature is a nice addition that allows you to listen to how the Loop will play once it is converted into a User Arp. Now I am ready to make a few more additional record passes to create my drum loop. Since there is already music data on the track, pressing [RECORD] now allows you to select from three different recording modes: Replace, Overdub and Punch-in. For the next few passes I select “Overdub” (Fig. 5):

Step 2: Rename the song and store Song and Performance Settings

Now that I have my drum loop ready to go, I will first rename that file as “Blakeloop1” by touching in the “Song Name” box and renaming. Notice that this process is also how you go about creating a User Arp, which is coming in the next step. After renaming, press “Store Song & Perf Settings” to register the Performance “DUB Kit” to the song “Blakeloop1” (Fig. 6 & 7):

After I save “Blakeloop1”, I press the [PERFORMANCE (HOME)] button to return to the main “DUB Kit” Performance screen. To begin the process of creating the next drum loop, just press the [RECORD] button on the transport. This will automatically create “NewSongX” where “X” is the next number available. To create the next 7 loops, I repeat the process outlined in the first step, subsequently naming each loop “Blakeloop2”, “Blakeloop3”, etc. Each loop is saved as a song and viewable by pressing [UTILITY], selecting “Contents/Load” and selecting “Song&Perf” in the “Content Type” pull-down (Fig. 8):

Step 3: Create the User Arps

To create the User Arps, I will start by loading “Blakeloop1” (the same screen as in Fig. 8) by selecting it in the Touchscreen. Once loaded, touch the Song Name on the screen and select “User Arp” from the choices that appear on the left side of the Touchscreen. When this is selected the following will appear (Fig. 9):

Here you can assign a Category (Drums/Perc is what I selected), a Sub Category (Techno/Trance is what I selected) and a Name (I named this “BlakeArp1”). This is just a drum loop on a single track so I will leave the “Song Track” area as is. Below the “Convert Type” is the “Measure” where I can set the Start and End points of my User Arp. This will automatically correlate to the ranges set in the Song, but I can also change these to any number from 1 to 999. That’s right: If I needed to I could create a 999 measure-long Arp! If I were creating an ambient sonic landscape, this could come in handy. Once these are set, the next thing I need to do is to change the “Convert Type” by touching the box and selecting “Fixed” (Fig. 10):

The choices are as follows:

Normal: The Arpeggio is played back using only the played (fingered) notes and its octave notes.

Fixed: Playing any note(s) will trigger the same MIDI sequence data.

Org. Notes (original notes): Basically same as “Fixed” with the exception that the Arpeggio playback notes differ according to the played chord or key.

For a drum loop, it is important to choose “Fixed” if the intention is to playback the drum loop exactly as it was recorded! Any of the other choices will produce different results depending on what note is played. In the first article of the “Arpeggio Making 101 for MONTAGE” there is a much deeper explanation of these types with a great educational tutorial that shows the differences. Once I have created each of my User Arps, it’s time to place them into the Performance “Moving Floor”.

Step 4: Place the User Arps into the Performance “Moving Floor”

The first thing I will do is call up the Performance “Moving Floor”. What I want to do is replace the existing drum Part with the “DUB Kit” and replace each of the 8 Preset Arps with my User Arps. To do this, simply touch the existing Part at the very top of the Part channel and the selections to the left appear. Select “Delete” and remove the existing Part (Fig. 11):

Now that I have deleted Part 6, I will replace it with “DUB Kit”. Touch the box with the “+” in the middle to call up the Performance Merge screen and replace Part 6 with “DUB Kit” (Fig. 12):

This Part has Preset Arps that are active when it is merged with this Performance. I need to replace those with the new User Arps. To do this, touch the Part in the same manner as in Fig. 11 but touch “Edit” instead of “Delete” to drop into Performance Part Edit. From here, I’ll touch “Arpeggio” on the far left in the Touchscreen, then I’ll touch “Individual” to see a listing of each of the 8 Preset Arps assigned to the Part (Fig. 13):

To replace the Preset with the User Arpeggios, touch the first slot in the “Category/Sub/Name” area of the Touchscreen. A dialog will appear on the left. Touch “Search” to drop into the Arpeggio Library. Finding the User Arpeggios is easy. Touch the “Bank” pull-down in the upper left of the Touch screen and select User, then touch the “X” to close that window. The process is outlined below (Fig. 14 & 15):

I did this 8 times in total, dropping into Arp Category Search, selecting each of my User Arpeggios and replacing each one. You can also simply touch in the “Category/Sub/Name” area and spin the Data Dial (directly to the right of the Touchscreen) to the very end of the Arpeggio list. The User Arpeggios will appear at the end of the list after you move through the Preset Arpeggios. With the Preset Arpeggios replaced with my User created ones, my screen now looks like this (Fig.16):

Step 5: Make a few edits to the effects and the routing of some of the drums in the DUB Kit

A quick word about effects and routing: Just like all the Parts of a Performance, this Part has two Insertion effects available in addition to the System effects that are available to ALL the Parts. All Parts have access to the Variation, Reverb, Master FX and Master EQ. With regard to the Variation and Reverb effects, each Part has individual send levels to increase or decrease the amount of that effect to the individual Parts (The Master FX and EQ are applied to the entire Performance and do not have sends). Drum Parts allow some cool routing and individual drum edit options within MONTAGE.

I made a few changes to the Performance effects and the routing of individual drums within the DUB Kit in Part 6 as well. The first thing I wanted to do was change the overall Variation Effect from the “Tempo Cross Delay” to the “Analog Delay Retro”, which simulates a vintage tape echo and has a great sound. This is accomplished by pressing [EDIT], pressing the [COMMON] button located underneath the [LIVE SET] button (to ensure that I am at the top “Common/Audio” level of the Performance) and touching “Effect” then “Routing”. Touching in the “Type” area of the Variation Effect area of the routing page calls up a pull-down menu listing all of the available effects. Fig.17 and 18 below show the original Variation effect compared with the changed one:

What I want to do is route a few of the individual drum sounds in the DUB kit through the Analog Delay Retro Variation effect. The first thing I will do is turn off the Arpeggio playback by pressing the [ARP ON/OFF] button all the way to the left next to the master volume slider (it is off when the lighted button is off), then select Part 6 to make this specific Part edit. Additionally, I will want to solo this part, so I press the part [SOLO] button on the far right. At this level I can make edits to the entire drum part (Part Common) or to individual drum sounds (Part Element). Note the difference in Fig.19 and 20 below:

A great user interface feature is the “Keyboard Select” option that appears when you are at this level (highlighted in Fig.20 in the lower righ). When you touch this option in the screen, pressing the key associated with an individual drum sound shows the settings for that sound. You have three options:

“Thru” which bypasses the Insertion Effects entirely and allows sends to the Reverb and Variation effects per individual Drum Key.
“InsA” which routes individual Drum Keys through Insertion Effect A.
“InsB” which routes individual Drum Keys thought Insertion Effect B.

Before moving on, I’ll take a moment to look a little more closely at the Common Effect routing page for Part 6. Fig.21 shows this below and I’ve highlighted some of the important routing options:

Note that you can use the keyboard to select individual notes and routing here as well (highlighted on the left). In Fig.21 I have F#3 selected (“Dub BD 6 St”, the primary bass drum sound I am using). I want this drum to have no Reverb or Variation effect, but I do want to route this through the VCM Compressor (set to a fast attack and boost preset as highlighted in the middle) so I have set the Reverb and Variation send level from the Insertion effect to “0” (highlighted on the right). This gives me the powerful kick drum sound with no Reverb or Delay applied.

Now I’m going to look at individual Drum Keys more closely by touching the “Drum Key” tab in the lower left part of the screen. I want to route two of the drum sounds—one on G1 (“Flam Mn”) and another on F2 (“Dub Fx2”)—and route them to the Variation effect only. First I’ll select the sound on G1 from the keyboard and touch the “Connect” pull-down located in the middle of the screen (Fig.22):

You can see your Connect options in the pull-down on the left. For the “Flam Mn” sound on G1 I have selected “Thru” (no Insertion effect) and I have the Variation send (KeyVar) set to 127 for the “Flam Mn” sound on key G1. This gives me the “Analog Delay Retro” effect applied to that single key. Cool! I’ll do the same to the “Dub FX2” sound on F2.

There are other edits that are available on a key-by-key basis for the drum kits in MONTAGE. In addition to effect routing, each drum key can have its own individual tuning, velocity controlled pitch changes, resonant filter, pan positioning, amplitude envelope, and EQ. (Fig.23):

I created three audio recordings for this tutorial. I first recorded everything into the MONTAGE Song Performance Recorder then recorded just the audio into Cubase.

UserArpSolo: In this first one I played each of the individual User Arps soloing Part 6 and moving through each of them every 8 measures at 130 bpm (the tempo I chose for my version of the “Moving Floor” Performance). Note the two drum keys that have the vintage delay effects applied.
MovingFloor: This is the original “Moving Floor” Performance (124 bpm) with the Preset Arps.
MovingFloorUserArp: This is my version of the “Moving Floor” Performance using my User Arps (130 bpm) and mixing changes.

The dramatic changes in the synth parts on both the full mix Performances occur when I move the Super Knob. Note the difference in the kits and the delay effect. Even though Parts 1-5 were not changed between the two Performances, the differences in tempo, User Arps, mixing, routing and the change in Variation effect from “Tempo Cross Delay” to “Analog Delay Retro” really impart a striking sonic change between the two similar examples.

Everything has been done within MONTAGE at this point in the article. Now it’s time to move my User Arp Performance from the MONTAGE Song Performance Recorder into Cubase using the MONTAGE Connect VST3 plug-in for further work in the DAW.

Step 6: Moving the User Arp Performance and Song into Cubase with MONTAGE Connect

(Please check out the first article in this series, “What is MONTAGE Connect?” for more detailed setup information on the MONTAGE Connect VST3 plug-in).

With MONTAGE Connected to the computer via USB, it is now time to capture the Performance “Moving Floor UserArp” and then move the song I created with from MONTAGE into Cubase.

After launching Cubase, I’ll first create a blank Project and create an Instrument Track in Cubase, add the MONTAGE Connect VST3 plug-in, and then capture the Performance (Fig.24):

With the Performance captured it is time to move the Song into Cubase. I’ll first choose the “Song Import” tab and locate the song “MovingFloorUserArp”, then I drag-and-drop the song into Cubase’s Project timeline (Fig.25):

I stated this in the first article, but as a reminder I have set in Cubase’s preferences to automatically create external MIDI tracks and not create individual virtual instrument tracks. This setting is found in Cubase Preferences/MIDI/MIDI File and the “Destination” setting is set to “MIDI Tracks”. When I drag the song file into the Project the tracks are automatically created. Fig. 26 shows my tracks now existing within Cubase. I colored and named them for better visibility (Fig.26):

A note about Super Knob movements: With Version 1.20 of MONTAGE the ability to set a MIDI CC (Continuous Controller) was added. In this case, I left that setting to “Off” so the Super Knob movements are recorded as MIDI sysex (System Exclusive). Sysex data is not channel specific. Had I set a MIDI CC number (95 is a good one to choose) each individual track would have controller 95 data in the same track location as the top sysex track, because MIDI CC messages are channel specific. There are pros and cons found in each method. The benefit of recording as sysex data is it is not channel specific and the movements control all tracks simultaneously. The drawback is you cannot easily drop into a visual editor and simply “draw” in Super Knob movements as you can with MIDI CC data. However, if I recorded the Super Knob movement as MIDI CC all the tracks would have the same controller data appearing on controller 95. If I wanted to edit those Super Knob Movements I would have to edit each track individually which presents its own issues. For the purposes of this article, I left the Super Knob movements set as sysex and if I wanted to re-record those movements I would delete that data in the top sysex track and record again (old school…If I make a mistake, I will rerecord).

There is one final and very important step when playing the recorded Arp data back from the Cubase. If you do not turn off the Arpeggiator and try to play back the imported song from Cubase the MIDI data coming in from Cubase will retrigger the Arps and the result may be unexpected (to put it mildly). Fortunatel, this was thought through with Version 1.20 with global Arpeggio bypass. Pressing and holding the [SHIFT] button while touching the [ARP ON/OFF] button enables global Arpeggio bypass. This is a must if you want your song to playback exactly as it was originally recorded! The Arpeggio bypass shortcut is engaged by pressing [UTILITY] and touching the “Effect Switch” Tab on the left (Fig. 27). In Fig.28 you can see where the Arpeggio Bypass function is located under [UTILITY]/Effect Switch:

I hope this article helps with your own production with MONTAGE. Stay tuned for more workflow articles coming soon!

In the meantime, want to discuss or ask questions about this article? Join the conversation on the Forum here.

MX BK/BU: Behind the scenes

Written by Blake Angelos on May 16, 2018. Posted in MX49/MX61/MX88.

Click here to download the FM Essential iOS app. Here’s a tip for yamahasynth.com users – it’s easy to unlock FM Essential. Just connect your iOS device running FM Essential to MX BK/BU and FM Essential unlocks! This gives you access to all the Voices plus the ability to save your edits.

First of all, why did you choose to update the MX BK/BU series?
Takeshita: The series was originally released in the fall of 2012, about three and a half years ago, and the MX synths remain very popular today. Powered by tone generation inherited straight from the MOTIF XS, these amazing instruments are both compact and lightweight, and they also deliver excellent value. We are extremely proud of these synthesizers, and by updating their design, we hoped to make them even more appealing to musicians.

What specifically has been changed in the new MX BK/BU series?
Okano: We should probably start with the USB terminal’s new support for plug-and-play. This functionality allows the synths to operate as audio/MIDI interfaces for iOS devices such as the iPhone® or iPad® without needing to install any drivers.
Takeshita: In addition to USB plug-and-play support, the new MX BK/BU synths can unlock the iOS app, Steinberg Cubasis LE. When an iPad® with Cubasis LE installed is connected to one of the new synths, the app’s functions will be fully unlocked. And because a Steinberg Cubase AI license is also included, owners can immediately start creating music on their Mac or PC.
Okano: We have also improved the LCD, making it much easier to read text, even in very bright locations or on dark stages. The new series also boasts two new features unrelated to design specifications, and the first of these is the new colors: MX BK/BU series synths are now available in blue as well as black.
Takeshita: We have also reordered the Performances so that the first half contains mostly those suited for playing in a band.

You mentioned two major new features. What is the other one?
Okano: A new iOS app developed specifically to accompany the MX BK/BU series update. FM Essential is—true to its name—a software FM synth. It can be downloaded for free and used by anyone, but once connected to one of the new MX BK/BU synths, its full range of features is unlocked. The new keyboards may have inherited AWM2 tone generation from the MOTIF XS, but when combined with FM Essential, they also function as FM synths. This is the other feature.
Takeshita: When we included the synthesizer AN2015 with our Yamaha Synth Book app, many owners asked us to add support for the iPad. As a universal app, FM Essential is optimized for the iPad and all other iOS devices.

What kind of FM synth is FM Essential? Please elaborate.
Okano: FM Essential has four operators, eight algorithms, and 16-note polyphony; in addition, eight different waveforms may be selected for the operators. These design specs make it no different from a four-operator FM tone generator of years gone by, so in order to appeal to die-hard synth lovers, we have added a host of new and exciting features. For starters, FM Essential gives you a choice of tone generator models.

What exactly is a “tone generator model”?
Okano: It is a core part of the tone generator that faithfully recreates a certain classic FM synthesizer. In addition to its own standard tone generator model, FM Essential also comes with models that replicate the DX100, TX81Z, and V50, allowing owners to effortlessly reproduce the unique sounds of these definitive synths. For example, an electric piano preset may sound perfectly fine with the standard tone generator model, but switching to the DX100 model could give it a wonderful vintage feel.
Takeshita: We have carefully chosen 64 factory presets from each of the original instruments and transferred them in bulk into the app.
Okano: To ensure we gathered all the best sounds, we thought hard about the presets that were most reminiscent of each individual synth.

The ball controller at the center of the screen—is it the same as the AN2015 synth’s?
Okano: Yes, it is. The ball controller can simultaneously modulate a number of parameters. The closer the parameter is to the center of the controller display, the larger its value. For FM Essential, we have very carefully selected the ball controller parameters for each Voice.
One of the features we’re most excited about is the step sequencer, which is used to record and playback not note information, but ball controller positions. By positioning the ball controller and tapping the scene box corresponding to one of 16 steps, you can record the controller position. So, while parameter modulation is set to morphing by default, the individual steps can be selected to jump instantaneously between ball controller positions. Just think of the fun that can be had by combining this with the onboard arpeggiator!

Breath-taking modulation possible only with FM

We really love FM Essential, particularly the DX100 and TX81Z tone generator models. Do you think that some people might buy a new MX BK/BU for this feature alone?
Okano: We would certainly be delighted if that happened. These models are not merely replicas, though: what makes the app special is the way the tone generator models have been brought fully up to date. For example, you can now apply effects easily to DX100 Voices, or use the step sequencer to dynamically modulate Voices. We really hope that this app will open up the exciting world of FM synthesis to a great many new musicians.
Takeshita: Dedicated fans of Yamaha synths will certainly want to get their hands on FM Essential, but it’s a free iOS app, so we hope that many other music lovers who may not have a lot of cash to spend on musical gear—for example, high-school or university students—will also download and play with it. FM Essential is a great way to get started with synthesizers and FM tone generation, and if this ultimately draws owners into instrument stores to try out hardware synths, we certainly can’t complain. The current lineup of Yamaha synthesizers contains a number of hardware keyboards with onboard FM tone generators—for example, the reface DX and MONTAGE—and it would be great if FM Essential brought them back into the spotlight.

First the reface DX and now the MONTAGE have been decked out with FM tone generators. Add to this FM Essential, and it would seem that Yamaha is currently focusing quite a lot of effort on this particular form of synthesis.
Okano: That’s probably because FM synths genuinely produce great sounds, and the degree to which Voices can be modulated never fails to amaze. Very delicate adjustments to an FM synthesizer’s parameters can produce a dramatic change in sound or create totally new Voices that could never have been imagined in advance. Perhaps we have developed a new appreciation for these wonderful characteristics.

Is it true to say that FM Essential is intended as a dedicated app for the new MX BK/BU synths?
Okano: Actually, no, that’s not the case. Once the app has been connected to a new MX BK/BU synth and activated, all of its functions become useable, even after disconnection. So you could, for example, easily use it to make music while on a train. And with AudioBus and Audio Unit Extensions fully supported, FM Essential can be directly linked to other music production apps.
Takeshita: However, when the app has been downloaded but not yet activated, only ten of the preset Voices can be played. The voice editor can be used, but settings cannot be saved. Once connected to a new MX BK/BU synth via USB, however, all Voices and functions—including saving—will be unlocked. From that perspective, FM Essential could be described as a tone generator app for the new MX BK/BU series.

Was any part of the development process particularly challenging?
Okano: A lot of it was, but if I had to identify one particular challenge, it would be creating Voices. We definitely wanted to make them feel new, but at the same time, didn’t want to go down the path of simply making EDM sounds. By carefully combining the bright, punchy tones produced by FM synthesis with effects, EQ, and the like, we ultimately crafted an array of Voices that are a pleasure to play.

To finish up, please tell us which FM Essential functions you recommend that people definitely try out.
Okano: Definitely the ball controller and step sequencer. We meticulously programmed every preset to sound great when modulated either by very small amounts or directly in steps. Even the simplest of sounds can be pushed to the extreme using the ball controller, step sequencer, and effects.

Now that you mention “extreme” sounds, when we spoke to the MONTAGE developers, they mentioned that although parameter ranges were often intentionally narrowed on similar synths to prevent noise and the like, they didn’t follow suit with their keyboards. They actually credited this approach with the synths’ ability to produce incredibly extreme sounds. Was this also the case with FM Essential?
Okano: Yes, it was. In addition to classic four-operator FM Voices, the app can also deliver extreme tones that defy all expectation as well as cutting, edgy sounds.

Want to discuss this article further? Join the conversation on the Forum here.

And don’t forget – you can get the FM Essential iOS app here.