I am very pleased that the MODX has many great rhythm patterns on board. However, the number of patterns is huge, and they all seem hidden behind numerous drum kits, arpeggios and scenes. As a result, I am struggling to get to suitable drum patterns. One thing that would help is excluding intro, fill, break and ending patterns from searches/browsing.

How can I get to a limited number of rhythm patterns in a certain style/category (e.g. funk, 4 beat rock, bossa-nova, blues, etc.), without having to go through thousands of patterns??

Hi Rob,
Welcome to Yamaha Synth!

The MODX has some 3,400 Drum Arpeggio Phrases… the Factory Performances include examples of what can be done when you combine instruments with arpeggio phrases with sounds you play live.

The Arp Phrases are not “hidden”, rather that’s what they look like when you combine normal instruments with Drum Kits. You can assign some or all of the Parts to their own Arpeggio Phrase. Any ARP Phrase can be assigned to any instrument sound, however, they do make more sense when applied to an instrument similar to the one that was used to create the data.

There are so many Arpeggio phrases they have their own Search engine. You define whether to Search Preset (10,231), User (256) or Library (256x8), you can select the instrument phrase type— you would specify Drums, and tYou can specify the general genre type.
However, you are encouraged to create your own…particularly, when you have something specific in mind.
There are broad genre categories, which you can pay attention to, or not. There are musical uses like Intro, Fill, Break, Main, etc, which you can pay attention to, or not.

Recommendations:
Prefix of MA, MB, MC, MD are Main drum grooves with an increasing degree of complexity A-D
Setting your Arp Search by typing (next to the magnifying glass) just one of those prefixes will refine your search. If you specify “MA” all Main section grooves will fill the field… continue to refine the search parameter as you desire.

Arp Phrases are designed to transferred to the Pattern Sequencer. You have several tools that you can work with to customize any of the drum grooves.

It takes no imagination to transfer them and use them exactly as programmed, but you also have the ability to use all or some of the data, add to it or delete from it, change the groove using PLAY FX to offset timing with Swing Quantize, and you can modify the velocity, etc., etc.

Begin to listen to to Arp Phrases from the standpoint of is there something in it you can use. In other words, you might just want the Hihat phrases from a particular Arp Type - removing data you don’t want to use - you can add data to any phrase using the Pattern Sequencer.

Drum Arp Phrases can be broken down to individual drums separated by Track, you then start to grab and mix the components you like from any Arp Phrase in memory… in other words it is possible to use the Hihats from one Arp Type and combine it with the Kick and Snare of another. It’s possible to remove the Latin Percussion from one Arp phrase and combine it with your own drum groove.

Learning to use the provided data and the Pattern Sequencer together, you can create customized data to fit your needs. This is much better than sitting down auditioning 3400 Arp Phrases… if you find yourself doing this, STOP. Remember you do not have to use the phrase as is… if you start teaching yourself how to transfer an ARP Phrase to,a Pattern Sequencer Track, then experiment with timing and other Edit/Job of the Sequencer, you’ll find it a much more rewarding experience.

Start by calling up a Drum Kit you want to work with…
Experiment by assigning different “MA” a drum Arps to it from the Drum Kit Arp listing in the genre that appeals to you.
One you have something close to what you like or one that contains a component you like, assign it to the Kit, and go to work with on it.

Thanks for your quick and helpful reply Bad Mister!

I'm looking to reduce complexity with regard to rhythm patterns, rather than assigning parts to arpeggio phrases or creating my own arpeggios. Your suggestion to search for MA drum patterns sounds like a good starting point. Great advice!

One more question if I may: is there a way to save rhythm patterns that I like as such, e.g. as favorites, or can I only save drum patterns as part of saving a Performance?

is there a way to save rhythm patterns that I like as such, e.g. as favorites, or can I only save drum patterns as part of saving a Performance?

Your terminology makes this difficult to answer.

If you are referring to Arpeggios. The Arpeggio Phrases are stored/cataloged as Preset, User, Library - they are stored as separate entities. The Arp Search engine (purple) allows you to select any catalogued Arp with any synth Part.

Once assigned to a Part (presumably because they work together) then you have them in a Performance. This means they can be accessed, together.

You can mark any Performance as a “Favorite”… this will include any Arpeggio Phrases used by any of its Parts, you can link 8 Arp Phrases with any of the Parts of that Performance. Again, the Arp Phrases, although stored/catalogued individually, make the most sense when combined/linked to the instrument Part that was used to create it… or at least one that works with it.

If you recall a Factory Drum Kit and then assign 8 different Drum Arps to it, when you rename and STORE this to the USER Bank… it will include your 8 selected Phrases… your name should include the title of musical composition you use it in. Then you can mark this new Performance as a Favorite.

You might take the same Kit and assign 8 other Arp Phrases to it. This time name it the composition fit these Phrases and Store a new Performance… and so on. The same Drum Kit sounds can be stored with various sets of 8 Arp Phrases… each named for its purpose.

Anytime you wish to recall any one of your Kits… you can use the “Part Category Search” to not only access the Kit, but any Arp Phrases or Motion Sequences you may have linked with that Kit.
If you want to assign the same Arp Phrase to a new Kit, you can use the Arp Search engine to apply it.

Once you associate a Drum Arp Phrase with a Kit, you create a ‘bundle’ - they can be accessed separately, but are linked together because they belong together. In other words, when you use the “Part Category Search” you can recall a Drum Kit with, or without, it’s associated Arp and Motion Sequences.

Sorry for my terminology! I guess this is because I’m trying to achieve something which was not intended in the design of the MODX: I would like to be able to change a rhythm pattern without changing sounds - while playing, or similarly: change sounds on the run without changing the running rhythm pattern and tempo. Based on your advice I’m trying to reset my thinking (coming from Roland RD) and explore alternative ways based on various Arp Phrases per part. This is looking very promising indeed, so MANY THANKS for your quick and valuable help!

I have one related question: while playing, I often adjust the tempo slightly. When I then move to another scene the tempo is reset to its stored value. Is it possible to exclude arpeggio tempo changes while changing scenes?

I'm working on a "Drum Cheat Sheet"... so watch this space. Its nothing more that what BM has already advised, or than you can find scattered through the Manuals, but it will spoon feed you through the hoops from a beginners perspective (I am also a beginner, relative to the seasoned veterans on here).

That's great Antony, looking forward to your Drum Cheat Sheet!

Does anyone know if it's possible to exclude arpeggio tempo changes while changing scenes?

Sorry for my terminology! I guess this is because I’m trying to achieve something which was not intended in the design of the MODX: I would like to be able to change a rhythm pattern without changing sounds - while playing, or similarly: change sounds on the run without changing the running rhythm pattern and tempo. Based on your advice I’m trying to reset my thinking (coming from Roland RD) and explore alternative ways based on various Arp Phrases per part. This is looking very promising indeed, so MANY THANKS for your quick and valuable help!

Not quite sure what you are considering a “rhythm pattern” to be. Is it just drums, or is it drums + bass + guitar, etc.
In either case, you change patterns without changing sounds, while playing. You can also change sounds without changing the rhythm pattern or the tempo.

I have one related question: while playing, I often adjust the tempo slightly. When I then move to another scene the tempo is reset to its stored value. Is it possible to exclude arpeggio tempo changes while changing scenes?

Tempo remains where you set it last.. it will change only when you instruct it.