The secret to using the COPY JOBS is understanding what they are used for. There are four of them — details below. Use the wrong one, you will be scratching your head about the results.

First hint: every one of the potential 256 recordings you can do in a Motif ES Pattern has a unique number to identify it. [F4] PATCH will show you the name and number of each recording. You can “patch” a Phrase that you have recorded into any Section... often the instrument is going to play exactly the same thing in different Sections. Usually unnoticed, but Phrases each can be named... not necessary because they are numbered, if you use “usr:001” in Sections A, B and C... editing one will edit all three... “usr:001” can be used in all 16 Sections... but even though it sounds strange to say: if you add a crash cymbal to Phase “usr:001” that crash cymbal will play in every Section “usr:001” appears.

Don’t laugh, most folks that have issues are unaware that this is true!!! One of the Copy Jobs simply copies usr001, as usr:001 from Section to Section... while a different Copy Job will copy usr:001 to a new empty phrase location, with a new usr#... copying it to a new Phrase number means it can be edited uniquely. The significance is important! Here are the details... take your time.

CONCEPT:
When you record into PATTERN mode, your MIDI data is automatically placed into a PHRASE, and each Phrase is given a number 001 through 256 in the order in which you record them. You can see this by going to the [F4] PATCH screen. Say you have recorded four tracks in Section A: drums, bass, guitar and Clavinet tracks have been recorded. There are 256 potential user Phrases because there are 16 Tracks per Section and there are 16 Sections total, [A]-[P]. Once a Phrase has been recorded it can be used again in this PATTERN without copying by simply “Patch-ing” its number into another Section in the “No.” (number) column.

The Phrases are numbered 001-004. The Section Length (upper right corner) is indicated , say you set it to 008 measures – this means that an 8 measure window is set for Phrases to repeat. Each of Phrase’s length, also, happen to be 008 measures – listed to the far right next to each track. This means that each Track’s Phrase will play through once before the Section repeats. While the Section Length (upper right corner) can be changed by highlighting it and entering a new value, it is important to know the individual Tracks Length is fixed and can only be changed by applying and executing a “job”: The Copy Event job, the Append Phrase job or the Split Phrase job.

If you wish to use the drum groove, Phrase 001, in Section “B”, you do not even have to copy the Phrase, you can simply move to SECTION “B” and PATCH Phrase 001 on to track 1.

But sometimes you want to lengthen a Phrase, or simply use the same data but do something different to that Phrase in SECTION “B” – that is where the COPY JOBS can be useful. You see also you could name each Phrase (you do not have to, but there is a place for you to move the cursor and give each Phrase a specific name). Normally, the numbers suffice to identify each Phrase. If Phrase “USR 001” appears in another section – it is the same Phrase. If you copy “001” to another Phrase number, say “005”, then, and only then can you edit it differently.

Make sense? It is no longer “001”, it is the same data but now in Phrase 005. Knowing when to use each COPY Job will help you when you need to edit.

From the main PATTERN screen:
Press [JOB]… You will see the Function buttons will let you access different categories of Jobs:
[F1] UNDO/REDO; [F2] NOTE; [F3] EVENT; [F4] PHRASE; [F5] TRACK; [F6] PATTERN

Press [F3] EVENT > JOB 02: COPY EVENT
Copy Event: Specify the region of a Phrase in measure-beat-clocks, set the destination start point by measure-beat-clock location and specify the number of times to copy. Use COPY EVENT when you wish to extend (lengthen) the current Phrase. For example, to turn a 4-measure Phrase into 16 measures, you would set “M001:1:000 ~ M005:1:000 to M005:1:000 x03”. This says copy everything between the start of the Phrase and the first beat of measure 5 (that defines 4 complete measures) to Measure 005 and do it three additional times: 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 – making the Phrase 16 measures long.

Press [F4] PHRASE > JOB 01: COPY PHRASE
Copy Phrase*: Copies the current source Phrase to a User Phrase location. We placed an asterisk next to this copy job as it is the one that is available directly from the [F4] PATCH screen by pressing [SF5] COPY. If the track contains an audio phrase check the box for ‘Copy Sample Voice’ when you wish to have the destination Phrase associated with the local sample voice of the original. If no sample is involved this setting will be meaningless and you can ignore it. The thing to be careful about here is the target destination will be overwritten by this job. You will have to be certain (on your own) that the target Phrase is empty. You have an option to select the Phrase as SOURCE (top) and the DESTINATION (bottom) regions of the setup screen when you are working within the current Pattern. Copy Phrase is one way to make a copy of a Phrase when you want to edit differently in another section – if you have recorded lots of Phrases you will want to be certain the destination Phrase is empty… The PATCH screen allows you to see what Phrases you have recorded… you must target the Phrase manually… but “don’t worry Obi Wan, there is another…” read on.

Press [F5] TRACK > JOB 01: COPY TRACK
Copy Track: Specify Pattern, Section and Track, set whether Sequencer Events, Play Effects, Mix Part Parameters, and/or Sample data are associated and copied to the resulting destination. Use COPY TRACK when you need to ‘clone’ data on a specific track to a new Section and you want to edit the data differently. You can individually select the types of events you are copying. This powerful job will search automatically for the lowest numbered empty User Phrase – there is no risk of overwriting existing data. This is an ideal way to clone a Phrase because there is zero risk of overwriting existing data in the target. Also you have the option of copying all or just some of the data types to the target location. Use this job specifically if you are thinking you want to keep the original, as is, and make a variation but wish to add to it or subtract from it and have a second Phrase based on the first. Again you have the option to select which Phrase in both the source and destination areas of the setup screen – be sure to double check both when you are copying within the same PATTERN.

Press [F6] PATTERN > JOB 01: COPY PATTERN
Copy Pattern: Specify the Style and the Section. This will ‘duplicate’ the current Section in another Section - Great for Copying between PATTERN STYLES. If “ALL” is set for the Source, “ALL” will automatically be set as the Destination. You can use this JOB when you want to COPY an entire SECTION’S layout to another SECTION or PATTERN target destination. All the Phrases will be copied. Or you can use this JOB and specify just a particular SECTION to be copied over to another SECTION. In either case all new (unique) Phrases will be created. If you use this to copy within the same PATTERN number, then all new (unique Phrase will be created. If you target an entirely new PATTERN number (not the current Pattern) then quite naturally all new (unique) Phrases are created. There is an option in the source region to set Source Phrase. You can use this Job to copy data from other Patterns to this Pattern or from Tracks in other Sections of this Pattern.

COPY JOB in use....
Now, let’s apply this knowledge in an actual situation. It is a common scenario where you wish to use part or all of a Phrase in another Section but you want to make a copy because you need to add or subtract some of what you have done. That is, you want to keep the original, unchanged, and create a new Phrase with the same data which you intend to enhance. For example, if you want to copy the drums from one Section into the next Section but you want to do something slightly different to the drum pattern data (like add a Crash cymbal and Latin percussion), you need to naturally make a new (unique) Phrase number. If you are new to the Motif-series and don’t understand how ‘Phrases’ work, you may activate the same Phrase in two Sections, then when you attempt to edit it in Section “B” you might be surprised that you also edited the Phrase assigned to Section “A”, as well. What you want to do in this instance is make a copy of the MIDI data in the Phrase to a new Phrase. It may not be initially apparent as to which of the copy jobs is the correct one for the task. To get the Motif ES to create a new Phrase (number) you could use either the “COPY PHRASE” or the “COPY TRACK” function. We recommend the COPY TRACK job because if you use the COPY TRACK job when you COPY the contents of TRACK 1, Section “A” to TRACK 1 of Section “B”, the Motif ES will automatically find the lowest numbered empty User Phrase and make a new one (same name, different number). Cool!

Now you can edit the two Phrases differently. The [F4] PATCH screen will show you the number of the USER Phrase. If the Phrase has the same number as in another section OBVIOUSLY you cannot edit it without editing it in every section that it is used. A unique USER PHRASE number - means you can edit it differently because it is unique. You have cloned it with the COPY TRACK job…

Now you can dye the hair of the clone without affecting the hair color of the original source. You can add percussion to the copied Phrase (because it has unique Phrase number) without that percussion being added to the original.

Hope that helps…

Often, I seek to copy all phrases from a single track from one pattern section to another pattern track section, but often find that other unwanted and unselected tracks go with it, why?

Hopefully after reading through this you will be able to correct this question so that it make sense... “all phrases from a single track from one pattern section” ??? Is nonsensical

Only one Phrase can occupy a Track in a Section.
You don’t mention which of the four (very different) Copy Jobs you used...

A dotted line denotes an empty Phrase.
A solid box denotes a Phrase with data in it.

Phil, I copy using track copy jobs.. I understand the difference between simply assigned the same phrase to several places inside a pattern vs copying to create an identical copy with a new user ##. I tried to copy a single track (one phrase) from one section of a pattern to another section within the same pattern. However, oftentimes, this job copies over what sounds like the same phrase to additional tracks playing whatever voices I has in the mix for the additional tracks. Then, when I try to clear the track that contains the unwanted copy, it wipes out / clears both tracks? In other words, they seem linked together... I understand losing both if they are both the same user phrase number but how can this job copy anything to any destinations other than what I select when I execute the job. why should it matter how many places the same phrase is used when I simply want to make a copy (or another copy) and place it somewhere else? Why would this job ever put the same phrase to more than places than the single destination, section and track I selected? I apologize if I missed the answer in your detailed explanation above....still don't get it.

As far as the phrase / patch data I see looking at the patch screen, are you saying its possible to see a phrase ## with no data in it, i.e. an empty phrase? You mean the dotted box appearing next to user phrase ## indicates an empty phrase as opposed to one with data in it? And is that different from seeing just a dash line with no user phrase or ## next to it? In other words, I might see three possible patch situations for every track? either, nothing, empty or with data? I thought that there are only two, either a track with a recorded phrase or blank/ no recorded phrase. What is the use of this third possibility - an empty phrase, is it some sort of placeholder?

Apparently I missed this question (if I miss answering I eventually get an email alert)... you’ll have to inspect those USR Phrases that get assigned. It is possible to generate these by mistake — particularly when experimenting with various COPY, ERASE, CLEAR, Jobs.

It is easy enough to highlight the Phrase on the PATCH screen, hit EDIT and view the events in the track. Solid box denotes events in the Phrase, dotted box denotes an empty Phrase (as best I can remember)

A recording in Pattern Mode is recorded to a Track, but different from Song Mode, each Pattern track can store 16 different recordings. One for each of the 16 Sections A-P. It creates a Phrase. That Phrase can be moved “patched” into any Section. Simply call up the Section and dial up the USR Phrase by number. You will know a Phrase has data because of the solid box.

Nothing prevents you from patching “usr:012” into Sections A, B, C, and F, then later erasing the data in that Phrase... it will still be patched to those Sections, now empty. if you remove the events in a Phrase that is different from removing the Phrase from the patch grid.

Like the multiple COPY Jobs you have, Erase Event, Clear Phrase, Clear Track, Clear Pattern... and yes, each has its own specific use.

Ok - thanks Phil...... I will have to ALWAYS check the Patch screen for all sections carefully first before executing any COPY job... My unsolved mystery is why I sometimes end up copying from one pattern section and track - thinking its one phrase I am copying one occurrance of a single phrase copying to one destination section and track only to find out that the same phrase also was copied to other tracks.... I am thinking that my source copy phrase must have already been used and remained in other places when I executed the copy so when I copied it, the job also replicated from / to the other tracks in the destination track where the same phrase appears. In other words, if the same phrase is used on three different tracks, then using a phrase copy will copy it to the same three tracks in my destination section. I probably need to use an event copy, something less than a phrase copy to only copy one of many occurrances of the same phrase.

I will have to ALWAYS check the Patch screen for all sections carefully first before executing any COPY job...

Not when you use COPY TRACK. It will always place the copied data in the lowest numbered empty location.

Only when you use the COPY PHRASE Job do you have to check and be careful. Re-read the individual descriptions of COPY PHRASE and COPY TRACK... when you think about the definition of Phrase as used here... it is an individual recording to a Track within a Section.

The COPY TRACK job you define which Section, and which Track.
The COPY PHRASE job is used when you want to duplicate the Patch... say you record a drum groove - usr:001, a bassline - usr:002, and a piano - usr:003... you then want to use the same drum groove in Section B. You would use Copy Phrase. This will “patch” usr:001 in Section B.

If you use COPY TRACK, to copy the drum groove, you would define Section A, Track 1, and target Section B, Track1, this would create a brand new Phrase using the lowest numbered empty location usr:004, and it would “patch” it to Section B

Please appreciate this important difference: if you use COPY PHRASE (properly) you are placing the same exact Phrase in Section B.
But when you use COPY TRACK (properly) you have a Phrase that sounds exactly same, but can now be edited differently than the original.

Add a crash cymbal to usr:001 in Section B, also causes Section A to change and have a crash cymbal.
Add a crash cymbal to usr:004 in Section B, makes it completely unique