Is your custom Performance in a live set and is the live set linked to the pattern you last edited?

I'm thinking it has to do with the Perf+Pattern settings.

The performance is a Live Set and is linked to pattern #26.

I have a problem. I created a performance from scratch. I created a keyboard, drum, and electric piano on Scene 1. I saved the performance and then I create a live set from that performance. The problem is if I shut my keyboard down and come back to it later and let's say for example I hadn't put a high hat on the drums. I then go into record mode but I notice it doesn't give me the option to Overdub. It erases everything I had in the scene and starts over with nothing.

When you create a Performance, you actually press [STORE] and you store it to a User location. Your USER Bank has 640 locations and are contained in a Folder.

Press [UTILITY] —> “Contents” —> “Data Utility” —> tap the Folder “Performance”.
This Folder will show you how many of the 640 Performances you have put data into.
The terminology is “Stored”
Differentiated from “Saved” — which is the act of writing data to a USB drive.
Offered just for clarity’s sake.

The time when “OVERDUB” Record is not available is when you are attempting to record to a MIDI SONG where you failed to activate “Arp Rec” on the initial record session.

Your MIDI SONG consists of only the key presses that you actually executed.
So say your three Part Performance is keyboard, electric piano which you are playing live and the Drums are being played by an Arpeggio.

In order for you to document the Output of the Arpeggiator you must set “Arp Rec” = On.
If you do not, the Arp will play along with you, but it will NOT put MIDI Events on the Song Track.
The Arp Phrase is not written to the Track, so when you play it back you must reset and rearm the Arp On/Off switch so it can create the Arpeggio data in response to your recorded tracks.

As mentioned MIDI SONG only records the exact keys you played… the reason this exists is so that you “try out” a different Drum Arpeggio… when you play it back.

If you set Arp Rec = Off, you will only be able to redo (REPLACE) your recording.
In general, if you are recording to a MIDI SONG, leave it set to “Arp Rec” = On.
By leaving this set to On, any Part assigned an Arpeggiator will output the Arp Phrase, any Part with no Arpeggiator assigned will record exactly your key presses.

And all future recording will allow you to select “Overdub” in addition to “Replace” and “Punch”
This setting for “Arp Rec” is available only during your initial recording session.

When you set Arp Rec = On an amber tag that indicates “Arp Rec” is added to the MIDI SONG title line… this means all normal Parts and Arpeggio Phrase data has been documented as MIDI Track Events… and you will be able to add (overdub) to this Song.

You cannot change the status after-the-fact.

Unless you are just “trying out” Arpeggio Phrases you should always set “Arp Rec” = On

Pattern Sequencer
The Pattern Sequencer automatically records any assigned Arpeggio Output…
Any Arpeggiator assigned data is automatically transferred to the corresponding Track as MIDI Event data when you activate RECORD.

A Performance can be linked (blue chain links) such that whenever you recall the MIDI SONG title or a PATTERN title, it will automatically go and get the Performance you linked with… provided the Performance is still in your User Bank.

When you press Record on the MODX, whether in Song or Pattern, remember, ALL tracks go into record. But only those Tracks that you are communicating with via your keyboard will record data to their dedicated Track. If you happen to leave KBD CTRL active and you hear multiple Parts, if you were to go into record you would record to multiple tracks.

__What you hear when you touch the keys is what you get when you place the unit in Record.

If REPLACE or OVERDUB is the Rec Type you will wipe out previous data on ALL tracks
If OVERDUB is the RecType you will add new data to existing data
If OVERDUB is not even shown as an option, then you are in MIDI SONG (not Pattern) and you selected “Arp Rec” = Off

LIVE SET — If you make changes to your User Performance (the band)… make sure you press [STORE] to update the data contained in your Performance Folder.

You can choose to link the Performance to a User Live Set… but it would probably be more convenient to link the MIDI Song or Pattern to the LIVE SET:
Recall your MIDI SONG or PATTERN linked to the correct Performance on the top line.
While on the Song screen hold [SHIFT] + [LIVE SET] to “Register” it to the Live Set slot.

Finally, go to [UTILITY] —> “Contents” —> “Store/Save” —> set “Content Type” = User File —> Save a .X8U file to your USB stick (for long term storage).

Extra Credit:
Your MIDI Songs and Pattern Sequences are stored in memory and will stay there until you manually DELETE them
[UTILITY] —> “Contents” —> “Data Utility” —> you will see Folders for “Song” another for “Pattern”. Data is stored here as .mid files.

They remain in memory 128 Songs, 128 Patterns. And will not be overwritten by loading a File. They are very much like storage on a USB stick, except the memory for their storage is built-in.

Your Performance data, however, will be overwritten when you LOAD a different User File (.X8U or .X7U). You receive that warning when you attempt to load a new User File - this to remind you to save a User File if you have not already.

Yes, your Songs and Patterns remain in your MODX, but your Performance Bank is volatile - It can be overwritten by loading a file.

If you do load in different Performances, your Song or Pattern will not be able to recall the appropriate Performance. Simply reload the appropriate USER File (containing the Performance).

Could you please clarify something?

The time when “OVERDUB” Record is not available is when you are attempting to record to a MIDI SONG where you failed to activate “Arp Rec” on the initial record session.

Does this mean that when NOT using Arps and recording a multiple part performance in SONG mode that you can't overdub just a single part (or two) but have to replace/redo all parts?

An example might be you record a song using one part for bass, one part for harmony and one part for melody. No arps were used and "Arp Rec" was OFF.

Can you overdub the bass part without having to play the harmony and melody parts?

Does this mean that when NOT using Arps and recording a multiple part performance in SONG mode that you can't overdub just a single part (or two) but have to replace/redo all parts?

Yes. By not enabling Arp Rec, as explained you have set this data so you cannot Overdub. You would do so when you are auditioning different Arpeggio Phrases before committing to them. (If you are not using Arps, at all, just leave Arp Rec as it defaults = On.

An example might be you record a song using one part for bass, one part for harmony and one part for melody. You want to overdub the bass part with something different. No arps are involved.

If you turned “Arp Rec” to Off (which deletes Overdub as an option)… you can simply go to a blank Pattern and use the “EDIT/JOB” —> “Song/Event” —> use “Get Phrase” to bring All Tracks into a Scene, and the entire range of Measures, (up to 256 measures per Scene).

The act of opening the data in a Pattern allows you to overdub new data… with Pattern Tracks, as explained above, you can automatically record data from the keybed or the arpeggio output; or if you prefer working in the linear Song, you can use the “Chain” and “Convert to Song” features to return your (now Arp-enabled) data to a linear MIDI Song. It will return to the linear Song with the amber “Arp” icon on the title line. (You can now overdub in Song Mode). “Arp-enabled” here simply means all routing goes from the keyboard through to the Tone Generator - the Arpeggiator is in between, if an ARP is assigned it can be set to output the data you play, or the result calculated by the Arpeggiator… if you don’t use it your normal key presses are documented, same as always.