Not really. Not like I infer you want it to work.

A scene can set your ARP number to a different one. So you could have Scene 1 with a normal ARP pattern with no fill. Then Scene 2 switch to an ARP with a fill. If you leave Scene 2 selected - the fill will keep repeating. You'll need to go back to scene 1 to stop the fill or go to another scene (3-8) that also changes the ARP to a non-fill ARP #.

As far as I know, there is no feature anywhere (scenes or otherwise) that tells MODX to switch ARPs just for a short period of time then switch back. I'm trying to think of a way to do this - and maybe you could record a scene change inside your ARP so it automatically switches the scene back for you. Testing this - it seems that scene CCs are filtered from ARPs - so I'm not sure this is available to you.

The only other trick you could employ is use two PARTs both running your drums. Then instead of using scene to control the fill - use volume. You could still use scenes - but differently. The scene change could kick off a motion control that switches volume over to the fill PART for a measure (or "X" measures, or "X" beats), then lowers the volume of the fill to zero while simultaneously raising back the volume of the non-fill PART.

Variations on this theme could get you in the ballpark of what the automated "fill" button would do on other keyboards.

Arpeggio select is not a destination - so one cannot use motion sequence to directly manipulate the arpeggio number - which would be useful for this kind of automation.

Still - this is theoretical. The way motion sequences are triggered - you have to have a key start them or ARPs work as well. I haven't put this all together - there may be roadblocks preventing this from working.

Superknob automation may be easier to deal with but you have some of the same types of details to work with there. I'll try to see if there's something I can force to happen when switching scenes that will temporarily set an offset.

As an alternative - one thing that would be relatively easier to program is stick with the use PART 1 for non-fill, PART 2 for fill drum ARP (running all the time) and volume cross-switch between the two. Use superknob automation or motion sequence - but dedicate a key to trigger this. What I do not like about motion sequence and superknob automation is that you cannot assign a keyboard piano-key (note) range for the trigger of motion sequence (which includes superknob automation). So there's not a great way to limit triggers of these events. There's a not-so-great way - and that is to use ARPs as the sync source and then note-limit the ARP you use as the sync source. This means "burning" another PART since 2 PARTs in this overly complicated way are used for duplicating the drum parts (so they can't be used - they're running for other purposes). A 3rd part for control of superknob where superknob's automation screen would have the sync source as Arp and the Sync Part as this 3rd PART. In the 3rd PART setup your ARP key limit so you can make superknob move only by touching a certain key. Then you could have superknob automation loop = OFF and pressing the single key will bump superknob to the other extreme for a measure. This part is not that difficult to program. So not using scenes - but a certain key on your keyboard for fills.

If you've made it this far - it's worth reiterating that your original question's answer is still "no" - scenes can't do that. There's not a great way to do it. There are non-great ways to approximate what you want. None are particularly simple. None exactly what I imagine you're looking for. Hopefully there's a missing easy way I'm not aware of.

For now what I think you need to do (if you do not want to consume lots of resources and do a bit of programming) is manually control the fill yourself. Have a scene for the fill and the other scenes for non fill. When you want the fill, switch to the scene that switches the ARP to the fill ARP. Press the other scene button to return to the non-fill ARP at the right time after the fill completes.

Hello guys,

I am currently creating a performance with 5 parts, in which 4 parts has arpeggio on (i.e piano, drum, bass and guitar).I stored these parts in different scences with difference aperggio. I would like to create fill in when I switch between scences. Is it be possible to do so? In other words, can I made this performance works like an arranger?

Thank you very much.

Cheers,
Minh

Thanks for the question.

The MODX is NOT an Arranger. Yamaha is a leading maker of “Arranger” keyboards; we know what an Arranger is and how it works. While MODX SCENEs can act in similar fashion to the “Style Sections” of an Arranger, they are not the same thing. And while MODX ARP Phrases are similar to the Arranger “Style Phrases”, they are not the same thing, either.

Arranger Focus
The way that you use the Arranger is heavily focused on the real-time performance of songs... you have a variety of “Intros” that automatically transition to one of four Main Sections, ranked in complexity from A to D. You also have a number of Fill-in buttons that, again, automatically transition either to another Main Section, or back to the original Section. And perhaps, even a “Break” button that momentarily causes a tacit moment with appropriate fanfare and flam-a-diddles... and a variety of simple-to-complex “Endings” that actually automatically, STOP the Style-Engine... and can even pull off Ritardando endings...

If you press the Fill-in button on beat 4, you get a 1 beat fill... if you press the Fill-in button on beat 1, you get a full measure fill, and so on. But the movement between Sections is pre-determined. This type of interface is maximized for playing and singing while performing and constructing the arrangement. It has its advantages and limitations.

MODX Focus
The MODX borrows somewhat from the Style-Engine in certain features (but certainly not all), and makes them available to those who are writing or attempting to create their own original music. The focus is less on “automatic” pre-determined moves and more on creative revamping of the content. All changes of what “section” is currently playing is done manually.

From just this difference, you can glean that accessing a one measure fill-in while attempting to play and sing is not optimized on the MODX. In order to use the MODX Scenes and Arpeggios to mimic the Sections and Styles of the Arranger, would mean to execute a one measure fill-in would require “too much” work In too short a period of time: You must hit the Arp Select just prior to the measure you want to place the fill, then during the 1 Measure fill you must give another command to tell it where to go next. Not really optimized for real-time entertaining! Too many instructions necessary in too short a space of time...clumsy in comparison; you are definitely going to miss that pre-determined destination feature of the Style-Engine.. No doubt!

It would be fine, if you are not attempting to play and/or sing simultaneously... so just what was the thinking behind the Scenes and the Arpeggios...?
Certainly if we wanted to mimic the Arranger exactly, we would have implemented fixed movements (Intro —> Main A; Fill-in B —> Main B, dedicated Endings that automatically Stopped Play, etc., etc.)... So what was the thinking? (Understanding the thinking behind the concept will help you in figuring out what you can do with it...)

Constructing a rhythm backing that could be documented to MIDI. So when you think about “Recording” this data (notice the concentration within the instrument on recording of the 8 Arpeggiators and the Arp data)... if you are constructing a rhythm section backing using the Arp Phrases you can at your leisure, press the Scene buttons to select Arps — why, because you are not playing and singing... in fact, you can do this prior to playing along. So the Arp Scene Functions can be seen as a “construction tool”.

Attached to this post is a link to examples of such setups... you can hear the Main Sections, the Fill-ins... but importantly they are yours to define... no one dictates that a Fill-in has to be used as a Fill-in; if you want to base the entire Main section on a Fill-in phrase, you can. There are no rules concerning how the Phrases can be used... or where they go next.

How you might use this to record a 32 Measure song structure AABA:— where A is an 8 Measure Verse, and B is an 8 Measure Chorus section.
On an Arranger Style-Engine... you might play 7 measures of Section A, hit the “Fill-in —> A” button to fill measure 008.
Then at Measure 16 you have the “Fill-in —> B” button play that measure and move you to B.
At Measure 24 again the “Fill-in —> A”
And again at Measure 32.

On the MODX, you would Setup SCENE 1 to be your Verse, SCENE 2 to be the Chorus, Setup one of the Scenes to be the fill that would lead back to the Verse, and another to be the Scene that will lead to the Chorus. Execute the creation of your form while recording to the MODX Performance Recorder. Since you are not occupied with playing along while recording this as MIDI, executing these button presses is easy.

Once you have recorded this, you can now manipulate it as you desire. You can play along with it... you can expand upon it.... you can even create new, more conveniently lengthened Arp Phrases...

Your goal is to use the Scene functions ability to recall Arp Selects, and playback and chord intelligence of those
Phrases in an “Arranger-Type” manner....

What I do in the instance where I want to use the Scenes and Arps like an “Arranger”, (meaning I want real-time control over the chord intelligence), I then take the recorded data and create a new Arp.

Here’s what I mean... take the Main A drum groove we let play 7 measures, and followed with the 1-Measure fill-in.... and I create an 8 Measure User ARP from that 8 measures of drum data. Thereby eliminating the need to execute that clumsy 1-Measure button pressing routine.

With this method my sections that are typically 4, 8, 12, or 16 measures in length will *include* the Fill-in as the last Measure.

It is really quick and easy to select a Main section Arp, tag on an appropriate Fill-in.... Record it to the Play/Rec, use that data to convert to a User Arp that includes both the main groove + fill as one entity. The first time you do it - it might take you a minute... but thereafter it becomes second nature.

It is more like I would normally work... 8 Measure Phrases... (who writes an odd number of measures, then writes a separate one measure fill-in?)

I find working with eight Measure phrases that include the fill-in as the last Measure is more convenient. (I’m not good enough of a ‘drummer’ to think one measure fill-ins without the momentum of the rest of the groove).

Creating drum Arps is particularly easy — use the “Convert Type” = Fixed (you want the notes played in to be played back without change).

Remember: any Drum groove that is MIDI data can be loaded to the MODX as .mid and then converted to a User Arp.

Recognize the important differences in behavior between MODX Scenes (which happen as one of the things they recall, recall Arp Select) and Arranger-Engine Sections... between Arp Phrases (which are very much singular) and Arranger-Engine Styles (which are pre-grouped to mimic popular musical genres (and/or specific songs) as a unit)...

Recording an Arp to append to it or remove data from it is a viable workflow. If I need multiple measure fill-ins (not all songs work with 1 Measure fills), I simply adjust the data I record to accommodate the musical need.

Extra Credit
One of the design concepts in the product is the customization of the provided data... this, when it comes to Arpeggios, involves recording or importing data to the built in Recorder and then converting that data to a User Arp. The world of MIDI data is fair game as source material.

Just FYI, the Steinberg “Groove Agent” plug-in is one of those “best tools for the job” things that one must take into consideration. It is worth investing time into... This program is one of the premiere Drum Track Construction Tools (ever). Not only content in the way of sounds, and patterns, but the ability to quickly sample custom sounds for immediate use... while some will wait patiently for a product that ‘does everything’ (life’s too short), in the meantime, there are fantastic dedicated tools available. “Groove Agent” is one of those. And, like the DAW, they are designed to work in conjunction with your external gear.

MIDI data from any source can be recorded, or loaded to your MODX, then converted to User Arps!!! This means if you hear a drum groove or bass line that you like, you can bring it into the MODX and build your own Arpeggio Phrases. Drum grooves are fairly easy to convert... as you spend time with the MODX you will begin to recognize which chordal instrument parts make good candidates for User Arpeggios.

Take your time. This is a powerful tool, this instrument.

Below you can find several example Performances where the Scenes are setup to do Main Sections, Fill-ins, Endings and the like...

If you have not yet done so download the 512 Motif XF Performances from the MODX Product Page:
Other Downloads: Motif XF Performances for MONTAGE

Of course, they can be loaded to the MODX. Make sure you Save any important data in your User Bank before loading any data to it. Loading data to the User Bank will Overwrite any data currently in the User Bank (not a big deal if you have a file that can restore that data).

This download contains the 512 Motif XF Performances... check out the following examples that feature “Arranger-like” setups, combining left hand control over Drums, Bass, Chords (in some cases), right hand is the melody or lead sound...

Smooth Guitar
Smooth It Over
Dark Continent (Toto’s “Africa”... )
Jack Does it Again (Steely Dan’s “Do it Again”... )
Urban Shuffle (S. Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely”...)
Rule the Earth (Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”...)

Let us know...

Hello Bad Minster and Jason,

Thank you very much for your advice and feedback. Indeed, I also think about creating a MIDI backing track to serve this purpose if the arranger way doesn't work but I don't know where to begin. Your detailed guidelines is very helpful for me to start on that pathway. I will try and see how it works. So far I really enjoy this machine 😉

Once again, thank you very much.

Cheers,
Minh

Hi Bad Minster,

Just One more questions.... Regarding 512 Motif XF Performances, can I also assign the catergory attribute for each performance (i.e piano electro belongs to Piano category with sub category is dance) ?

Thank you very much.

Cheers,
Minh

If the Motif XF Performances are in Presets - you cannot change the category. If you have a copy in your User area, you can change the category by assigning the category of Part 1 and [STORE]/overwrite previous Performance.

Hi Bad Minster,

Just One more questions.... Regarding 512 Motif XF Performances, can I also assign the catergory attribute for each performance (i.e piano electro belongs to Piano category with sub category is dance) ?

Thank you very much.

Cheers,
Minh

Yes, you can. The Category and SubCategory set for Part 1 will apply for the entire Performance.