My question is whether there is an equivalent to the 'Track Mute' functionality.

That is, if he chose to, could Bad Mister write an equivalent article for the Modx?

I did write an equivalent article for the MONTAGE (which applies to the MODX/MODX+ as well).
Mastering MONTAGE: Scenes in OS v3.0

Just FYI: It does not include any mention of the Track Mute because they do not apply to the MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+.

As I read your post.... I must ask... Are you confusing Track Mute with Part Mute?
The Motif XF had a dedicated Track, SCENE Track, to document Track Mute data.
The MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ does not have a dedicated Track for this type of data.

__ The MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ are geared toward being a real-time synthesizers. So the MUTE buttons control whether the Part's sound goes to the audio Outputs.
__ There is no direct Event List editing in the Performance Recorder functions (MIDI, Audio, Pattern) so inserting Track Mute events is not going to be available. And certainly, pressing a PART Mute will not accomplish the equivalent of what a TRACK Mute does. The 'source' is quite different.

That 'shown below' pic appears to show 'keyboard' icons that can be inserted at specific measures and beats and suggests that on the Motif XF they can be inserted and used to turn parts on/off during the song itself.

?
The screenshot in the Motif XF (those are not "'keyboard' icons" - but rather the letter 'm' for MUTE... Track Mute.

Since there is no Event list editing - inserting Track Mutes as on the XF is not available in the MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+.
FYI: There is no standard MIDI command for Mute (Yamaha developed that "Track Mute" feature for the Motif series).

What you can do...
You can accomplish automating mutes in other ways (Volume, Expression, XA Control, etc).

The difference between a Track Mute and a Part Mute is an important one to recognize.
A Track Mute will prevent the data from playing back from a Sequencer Track.
A Part Mute will prevent the Part's sound from reaching the Audio Outputs.

Although the results are similar (ie., silence) - obviously they have very different applications due the source

If you wish to prevent a MIDI SONG Track from playing back from the Sequencer:
Go to "Play/Rec" > touch "MIDI" to recall the MIDI Song function > recall the Song you wish to play. Presuming you have it 'linked' to a specific Performance you can determine which Tracks will play:
Each Track has an ON/OFF button. These "Track Play Switch" buttons, will allow, or prevent, that Track from outputting data.

These do not generate any MIDI message - However, if your goal is to document your selections you should document the results to an audio mixdown... or use them 'live'. The workflow for the MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ is live performing... there are methods to execute the automation of what is sounding that involve your performing gestures; through your physical controllers, which can be assigned to accomplish the goal of what is currently sounding as you perform.

Extra Credit:
It's a very strange question _ because you do not say exactly what it is you want to do. We can only guess that it might be something you used to do in the Motif XF but only you know (???)

There are several ways to silence a Part from sounding that can be documented to the MIDI data... Perhaps, if you specify what it is you are trying to do, it will help in finding a workable solution. Approaching this from comparisons to the Motif XF, most likely will not get you where you want to go.

The MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ are performance-oriented music synthesizers. Much of what you can do by event editing in a DAW-type sequencer is actually controllable and achievable 'live', in real time. Switching between instrument sounds is an important function in these engines - You will find many examples within the Factory Presets of how instruments are brought in and out of the mix my manipulating the Knob system, Assign Switches, etc. Its a real-time function. Thinking of the Play/Rec (sequencer) as a Performance Recorder is the approach you want to take - you perform it, using the keyboard and controllers (keyboard control), the Performance Recorder will document it. (There are some exceptions but this is the general rule...)

In the SCENE Memory area, you have the ability to control and automate MUTE status. This is found under the "MIXING 2" Memory Switch. While not the same as the function on the Motif XF, here you can use the 8 Scenes to activate and deactivate Part Mutes... and doing so can be documented to the sequencer. All automation type functions require you use the linear format (as in the Motif XF) - looping Patterns do not work well for documenting automation.

I am talking NOT talking about storing the part selections in the scene itself but storing
the muting in the midi.

Don't confuse this with the KBD CTRL Memory switch (that determines "Part selection"), that is, to which Part, or Parts, your Keyboard is transmitting.

The presses of the [SCENE] buttons can be documented as MIDI events into the linear MIDI Song... and allows you to record the MUTE status. You can manipulate any of the physical controllers... which includes your Assign Switches, Knobs, Sliders, Foot Controllers, etc.

Overall: So, NO, it is not the same as on the Motif XF but for fairly obvious reasons... they are not Motif XFs... the operations fit the current products workflow and needs.

Let us know what you are trying to do. There is no one-way to work with any synthesizer__ it all depends on what you are attempting to do.

Since there is no Event list editing - inserting Track Mutes as on the XF is not available in the MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+.
FYI: There is no standard MIDI command for Mute (Yamaha developed that "Track Mute" feature for the Motif series).

Thanks - then, for me, that answers the question about there not being an equivalence.

And the FYI explains why I couldn't find any such 'Track Mute' or 'Note Mute' event in the MIDI docs.

Each Track has an ON/OFF button. These "Track Play Switch" buttons, will allow, or prevent, that Track from outputting data.

Yes - but my 'guess' was that the 'Track Mute' events allow the user to both specify the exact placement/timing of the track ON/OFF as well as automate it during playback.

I'm not aware of any way on a Modx to use the Track ON/OFF switches and correlate their status (ON/OFF) with specific measures and beats.

So I was surmising that, like styles, the muting functionality isn't present in the current hardware at least for creating the muting events.

An open question, not really needing an answer, is whether the current functionality could still execute mute events if they were present. Similar to users not being able to create certain mega arpeggios on the instrument yet can still execute them if you know how to match up the zoning and velocity requirements.

It's a very strange question _ because you do not say exactly what it is you want to do.

Not really as strange as you might think. In this case I am only trying to understand the functionality differences between the Motif and the Modx.

When I read that reference doc about track muting it just made me wonder what happened to it. Was it still in there in a different form? Was it eliminated entirely? Was there ANY backward compatibility? Or was it superceded by other functionality and not really needed anymore?

Not complaining, mind you. It's not my concern or issue about what functionality should be in any particular instrument. Lines get blurred between synths, workstations, arrangers, etc. and some functionality gets moved around.

My main goal is just to understand what the features are and how to make the most of them.

That is where I found the old docs (e.g. Motif) and your old articles come in handy. For many features previous doc versions have a lot more detail than the docs for current hardware.

One example is the detail in the older Data Lists for the Mega arpeggios that actually list the key and velocity ranges. For some reason that info isn't included anymore.

In the SCENE Memory area, you have the ability to control and automate MUTE status. This is found under the "MIXING 2" Memory Switch. While not the same as the function on the Motif XF, here you can use the 8 Scenes to activate and deactivate Part Mutes... and doing so can be documented to the sequencer

Yes - I've verified that when recording the scene changes will get recorded also. But that also relies on MANUALLY making scene changes while you are recording as opposed to inserting 'SCENE CHANGE' events offline. Offline editing has the precision that manual manipulation will never have (similar to Mega objects ability to produce specific velocities that humans can't).

Let us know what you are trying to do.

No current 'problem' that I have to solve to meet a deadline.

Just understand the functionality related to 'Track Mute' and if it can be duplicated in the Modx.

My understanding of 'Track Mute' as explained in the Motif doc was that it was functionaly equivalent to:

1. There exists a Track/Note 'Mute' event similar to other MIDI events
2. The Motif allows the user to embed as many Mute events as they wish directly in the Midi
3. Those Mute events can be tied to specific measures and beats based on the current tempo and time signature
4. The Motif will execute those Mute events as ON/OFF similar to Note event ON/OFF
5. The Mute events allow the asynchronous, automatic, manipulation of tracks

You've basically confirmed that my understanding is functionaly correct even if the details aren't. No current need to duplicate that on the Modx - just trying to understand if it is possible or not.

Yes - I've verified that when recording the scene changes will get recorded also. But that also relies on MANUALLY making scene changes while you are recording as opposed to inserting 'SCENE CHANGE' events offline. Offline editing has the precision that manual manipulation will never have (similar to Mega objects ability to produce specific velocities that humans can't).

The MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ have a way for you to create SCENE Change events, either in real time by recording them to the linear MIDI Song or automating at which Measure they occur by creating a Pattern Chain.

Here I'm talking about using the 8 SCENE Memory > MIXING 2 > MUTEs... used to determine which instruments are meant to be sounding for each Scene. You can record [SCENE] button presses directly into a linear MIDI Song by setting REC TYPE = OVERDUB __manually inserting them (as you have discovered).

Alternatively, if you have constructed your linear MIDI Song by initially using the "Play/Rec" > "Pattern" sequencer, you can prepare the 8 Scenes, ready to be configured into a linear structure, called a 'Chain'.

The recall events can be placed on a measure grid, while "offline", thus creating the PATTERN CHAIN. Basically you setup a map of how many Measure each Scene is to playback.

SCENEs can be used for different configurations of your musical data... they can be used as musical sections with particular Measure Lengths; SCENEs can be used to simply change the feel/swing quantize of the current musical data by applying different PLAY FX offsets; SCENEs can also be used to configure Mute status, etc., etc. __it really depends on what *you* require for your particular project.

There are many different applications for using Scenes - in a couple of the tutorial articles are examples of using SCENEs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 as different musical 'main' sections, while SCENEs 6, 7 and 8 only apply changes to whichever main section Scene you played last. This way you can 3 different levels of intensity and feel available for each of the 5 main grooves (See the MONTAGifying Motif articles on the "Smooth It Over" Performance _ it starts out as a 4 Part Performance and we build it up adding 3 additional instrument... And as instrument Parts are added, we dive into showing how you can use the Scenes to change the feel/swing/intensity of the currently playing Pattern... instead of just changing instruments or muting data, we apply a different Play FX setup, dramatically changing the feel and volume of the currently playing groove).

In the Motif XF you had 5 Scenes; now you have 8 Scenes. Point being there is no single way that SCENES must be used - it is really up to you and what you need/want to accomplish.

You can remain in a Pattern SCENE (playback) for as many measures as you desire -- this is an important thing to recognize when working in the Pattern area - the difference between the recorded length of a Scene and the playback length of that data.
__ "Record Length" determines the musical length of the data before it cycles back to the top. "Playback Length" is really just how long you allow the data to play.
__ You set Record Length prior to inputting data to a Track_ it remains the same and is not changeable except to re-record the data.
__ Playback Length is flexible and is changeable at any moment during playback.

You automate the playback by creating a CHAIN: By using the convenient "Edit/Job" > "Chain" function you can manually determine at which Measure each SCENE change occurs using the edit function.

Alternatively: If you already have a linear MIDI Song, you can use a blank Pattern > transfer your linear Song to a Pattern using the Pattern "Edit/Job" > "Song/Event" > "Get Phrase" to 'get' the data (bringing the entire composition into the Pattern Sequencer). You can define SCENEs as you transfer the data... each Scene can have up to a maximum 256 Measure. You can subdivide any linear recording into separate measure regions _ thus creating up to 8 Scenes.

Use the "Edit/Job" > "Chain" to place your SCENE Change events at any Measure you desire. You do not have "Beat:Clock" resolution, you can place a SCENE event at the top of any Measure.

Now if/when you CONVERT this CHAIN to a MIDI Song - your Scene Change events will be precisely placed by the technology... the Chain grid is a map of Scene change events.

Extra Credit: Getting Creative...
I mentioned that "XA Control" can also be used to create "track mute automation". It works on instruments that are Normal AWM2 (naturally): Using an Assign Switch to 'turn off' a Part is one way to accomplish silencing an instrument on a Track.

Say you have a linear MIDI Song and you wish to insert a region of silence for your String Track from measure 49 measure 57 (or it could be any region you decide).

Call up "MediumLargeSection" - because it is a string sound already setup so that pressing [AsSw 2] will cause all subsequent key presses to be silent... Important: you will want to set it so that the Assign Switch 2 is set to LATCH (instead of MOMENTARY).
Pressing the switch (set to LATCH) creates a MIDI documentable event. You can easily 'overdub' this gesture. And because it is not a MUTE (per se) it does not cutoff any sounding notes when engaged. It is like a musical mute - it works to silence any note-on event that occur while the switch is Latched On. And it really takes the worry out of precision.

Besides music does truly rely on that 'human' thing - so fear not any human timing - learn to embrace it (my humble opinion).

Did you know...
You mention something about Mega arpeggios and (not) being able to recreate specific velocity data because of the not humanly possible thing...
Just FYI: you are provided with the EDIT/JOB to accomplish such velocity specific data not humanly possible_ Again this is found in the Pattern Sequencer:

If necessary, move your MIDI Song into the Pattern Sequencer to work on specific regions of the data or move the entire thing into the Pattern sequencer... you can use the appropriate Pattern EDIT/JOBs and then put the data back into the linear MIDI Song or simply Convert the Pattern Chain to a New MIDI Song (using the "Edit/Job" > "Song/Event" > "Get Phrase" and "Put Phrase" Jobs to move data).

Explore the Pattern "Edit/Job" > "Note" > "Velocity" Job > Here you can surgically adjust the Velocity of recorded MIDI data. Especially useful when creating Velocity-zoned data - like for when creating velocity specific data for a User Arp. You can "Set All" data to a specific velocity, or you can change the Velocity by % Rate, or you can Offset by a specific value the data for a specific Measure:Beat:Clock region (You can apply this to a Track or All data within a Scene.

This is an essential tool for the creation of your own Velocity-zoned Arpeggio data. Spend some time with this particular JOB, it is very, very useful for doing things that seem to be not humanly possible!