USING A DRUM KIT VOICE FOR AUDIO LOOPS
A Drum Kit Voice makes the perfect Voice to house any audio clips that you might want to assign to a SONG or PATTERN. The reason is that you can place a different audio clip on each key and control it individually. Remember: audio in the Motif XF’s Integrated Sampling Sequencer are always samples. The advantage of being samples is that you can turn them on and off conveniently with note-on/note-off events. Controlling audio loops in a drum kit means also you can apply useful things like ALTERNATE GROUPS, RECEIVE NOTE-OFF, and apply an AEG (Amplitude Envelope Generator) that will hold the sample indefinitely. If you have your audio clip KEY set so that it ignores Note-off, and the AEG’s DECAY 2 TIME parameter is set to 127 (maximum) this will mean when you hit the key the audio clip begins playback. You will not have to hold the key down in order to make sound continue, it will automatically continue on its own until you hit another KEY in the same ALTERNATE GROUP. That KEY could be the beginning of a new audio clip or it could be a “silent” Key. A silent key is a key with nothing assigned to it – it simply is used in the same ALTERNATE GROUP as your other audio clips to end playback.

A Drum AEG is different from a Normal Voice’s AEG. The ATTACK TIME is how fast the level rises to full volume (Attack Level). DECAY1TIME is how fast it drops in volume to DECAY2LEVEL (which is fixed at 0). DECAY2TIME is how fast the signal dies away to zero. All percussion sounds eventually die out.

DECAY2TIME can be any value between 0 and 126, or 127 (127 which would be equivalent to HOLD). For sample loops that you want to remain at the same volume indefinitely, set the Decay2Time = 127.

At left you see the AEG set where Decay2Time = 127. The envelope will continue indefinitely or what is considered HOLD. When you have a long audio clip this is the only setting that will allow it to play completely.

Below see the actual Amplitude screen. You are in VOICE mode (upper left tab always tells you where you are), you are in EDIT and you are editing a KEY of the Power Standard Kit 1. The Output Level of this drum is 111, and the Velocity Sensitivity (its ability to get louder as you strike a key harder is +29.

Velocity Sensitivity can be set to any value between minus 64 and plus 63. A setting of +32 is the equivalent of a linear curve. That is where the harder you hit it the louder it is. Any value above +32 will mean that extremely slow strikes will not be heard at all. By the time you reach +63 only an extremely hard (fast) key strike will trigger a sound. Negative values work the opposite to positive values. The softer the key is stuck the louder the sound.

You will notice that there are PAN, ALTERNATE PAN and RANDOM PAN parameters per drum KEY.

Notice that with the TIME and LEVEL parameters, there is no ATTACK LEVEL. This level is determined by the audio of the sample itself. And there is no Decay 2 Level which is found in a normal Voice (as mentioned), because it will always be 0 for a percussion family sound… except when Decay 2 Time is set to maximum (127/Hold) which would be useful for audio clips (loops).

Here is a screen shot of a KEY setup to playback an audio loop:

It is clear by just looking at the shape of the envelope that there is an immediate response to NOTE-ON, and when maximum Level is reached it remains at there indefinitely. A setting of 126, while quite a bit longer than most musical instruments would ever require, is not just a small step away from 127. This setting of 127 is truly HOLD. By placing certain main audio loops in the same ALTERNATE GROUP together, you can artfully setup certain loops to replace playback of others. and with 73 KEYS and multiple velocity levels to play with it is truly the best way to trigger audio clips and loops. You could set up 12 loops in an octave where one replaced the other, and 12 audio loops in the next octave, assigned to a separate ALTERNATE GROUP, that compliment those in the first octave; so any two keys – one from each octave would make a unique combination.

There are several loop libraries with various Drum and Percussion Loops assigned to keys where any can be triggered simultaneously to create incredibly intense complex grooves.

ASSIGN MODE should be set to “single”. If set to “multi” then multiple instance of the audio can be triggered. When set to “single” each re-trigger replaces the audio playing.
RECEIVE NOTE OFF is set to “off” so that you do not have to hold your finger on the key or keep your foot on the sustain pedal.
ALTERNATE GROUP – there are 128 groups so every loop can freely be grouped, as necessary.

Triggering audio via MIDI note-on events opens the door to more creative possibilities. Wild stutter triggering effects can be easily accomplished. And think about this. When you designate a drum kit for audio clips, you have 73 different keys on which to place audio. Turning a track on or off is easily done, either manually with the keyboard or automatically using the sequencer. Drum Voices offer 73 keys to place audio, while a Normal Voice has 128 keys on which to place audio.

So thinking about the number of tracks you have, remember this: In the Motif XF Integrated Sampling Sequencer, any track can be MIDI data and any track can be audio. When you designate a track as an audio track (waveform icon appears) it actually can house lots of audio. Each Key can contain 6 minutes and 20 seconds of audio in stereo… 

In a future article we will delve more deeply into Drum Loops, Slicing audio, Real Time Loop Remix and other fun things you can do related to Drum Track Construction… Until then: Make more music!

MOTIF XF SETUP TEMPLATES FOR CUBASE
When you install the “Motif XF Extensions” (for Steinberg) Cubase will be asked to install several quick setup templates designed for your particular model of Motif XF. It will also allow Cubase to see the sixteen audio RETURNS by their proper names – instead of just INPUTS 1-16, you will see them as “MAIN L/R” plus “FW1-FW14″. In the example below we will use the Motif XF7, but templates exist for the XF8 and XF6. These Templates utlize the optional FW16E FireWire Expansion Board. We will translate exactly what is going on with these quick setups and give you an idea on how you can create your own custom default setup. These Templates are useful as starting points and for troubleshooting. Once you begin to develop your own personal workflow you will want to learn to create your own. And Cubase (software) and the Motif XF (hardware) are ready to accommodate you.

Motif XF7 A/D Input Recording
Description: “Audio signals from the A/D input channel of the MOTIF XF will be input to an audio track of Cubase. This template is convenient when using the Motif XF as an external instrument of Cubase.”

It creates 8 MIDI tracks set to send OUT MIDI data on channels 1-8, respectively, and one Audio track set to receive stereo audio via the A/D of the XF. The Cubase DEVICES > VST CONNECTIONS > INPUT tab will show that a stereo input has been set to receive audio from the Motif XF’s Device FireWire Ports 13 and 14 (FW13/FW14).

It will assign the XF’s Audio In to OUTPUT SELECT = FW13/14. Ideal for recording a stereo input such as a second keyboard, or module, or an audio source like a CD player, handheld recorder, personal playback device. Requires FW16E (FireWIre Expansion option) in order to route A/D Input to computer.

Motif XF7 Multi Channel Recording
Description: “Audio outputs from respective channels of the Motif XF will be input to the respective audio tracks of Cubase simultaneously.”

It creates 8 MIDI tracks set to OUT MIDI data on channels 1-8 respectively and 8 Audio tracks set to receive audio via eight sets of stereo pairs: L/R, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, and the A/D to 13/14. The Cubase DEVICES > VST CONNECTIONS > INPUT tab will show that a stereo input has been set to receive audio from the Motif XF’s Device Ports 13 and 14 (FW13/FW14). Requires FW16E (FireWIre Expansion option) in order to route internal PARTS and A/D Input to computer.

Description: “The Motif XF Editor VST is automatically set into the “VST Instruments” in Cubase.”
This is the only template that utilizes the VST routing.

Sets up the Motif XF VST for a number of PARTS as follows:
PART 1 goes to the L/R
PART 2 goes to FW1/2
PART 3 goes to FW3/4
PART 4 goes to FW5/6
PART 5 goes to FW7/8
PART 6 goes to FW9/10
PART 7 goes to FW11/12
AD PART goes to FW13/14

PARTS 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are routed to L/R
Requires FW16E (FireWIre Expansion option) in order to route internal PARTS and A/D Input to computer.

I cannot think of once I’ve ever had cause to use this “exact” routing as set by this template – it really is just to get you started. You are meant to make changes, as necessary. PARTs 1 and 8-16 are using the SYSTEM EFFECTS, PART 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are routed to their own discreet STEREO BUS. Could this be useful? Well, yes. But you are supposed to reassign the OUTPUT SELECT function as you require for the instrument you select for each PART.

The AD INPUT Part is routed to the FW13/14 When would you route the AD INPUT Part as a stereo input? – when you are receiving a stereo input from perhaps another keyboard or a mixer.

Using a Microphone? … For a single mono input, like a microphone or a guitar or bass, you would use the VST CONNECTIONS > INPUT Tab to create a mono input set to receive from a mono FW send from your Motif XF.

For example, set the Motif XF’s A/D input to receive a mic plugged into the “L mono” input, and set to out “FWx”, where ‘x’ is an available single (mono) port 1-14. Let’s just use FW1 for this example.
Press [MIXING]
Press [EDIT]
Press [COMMON EDIT]
Press [F4] AUDIO IN
Press [SF1] OUTPUT
Set MONO/STEREO = L mono
Set OUTPUT SELECT = FW1

In Cubase
DEVICES (called “Studio” in Cubase series 9) > VST CONNECTIONS > INPUT > ADD BUS > Mono
Set the AUDIO DEVICE = Yamaha Steinberg FW
Set DEVICE PORT = Motif XF 1

SUMMARY:
In a future article we will delve into creating your own Template/Default Mix starting point. In reality, your workflow is a personal thing. It is, how you are comfortable working. As you begin to understand the routing and setup, you will naturally begin to customize things to your liking. That is when you are comfortable.