Saving an X8A backs up everything at the time you create the backup file and writes this to your USB stick. All User Performances, User Live Set, System Settings, Libraries, Microtunings, User Curves, etc.

If you load the X8A then any changes you made since you saved the X8A will be lost because you will be overwriting them with the X8A you have saved.

Let me clarify. When I have re-loaded a User Performance that had been backed up, if I then make further changes to it, I need to save it as a New Performance. I don't want to create a new performance; I simply am editing the existing performance. Don't get it.

"Let me clarify. When I have re-loaded a User Performance that had been backed up, if I then make further changes to it, I need to save it as a New Performance. I don't want to create a new performance; I simply am editing the existing performance. Don't get it."

Hello

You are unable to change or edit a performance. They will always be there as presets. Instead you must create a new performance and just save it as the edited version. This will ensure all the presets are always the same and your edits are kept separate. I like to rename mine to a whole different name based on what I am using it for, but you could just name it the same and add characters at the end. If you name it the same it will be in your list twice and can be hard to tell what is the edit without inspecting the performance. Once you make the new performance you can edit as much as you want and just overwrite it.

Sorry, I'm still not clear. So Performances that I previously created, saved, and backed up are, when re-loaded from backup, are now considered "Presets" and cannot be changed and simply saved/updated? When they are now edited, they must be saved as a new performance?

1. what you did.
Utility/BackupFile/Load emerson_ave 3_25.X8A/open Performance "Happy"/make a change to the performance/Store
2. what results you got. Requires New Performance Name
3. what results you expected to get. Why can't the change simply be stored to original 'Happy" performance? I don't want to rename every performance I have made.

Thank you for your patience.

No, I only see [Store as a New Performance}

1) Press [CATEGORY SEARCH] multiple times until you see the Bank filter is set to "User".
2) Search for "Happy"
3) Recall "Happy" from your user bank
4) Make any change, then press [STORE]

You should be able to overwrite.

If you are editing "Happy" from a Library slot - you cannot overwrite that which is why I suggest filtering on only the User bank.

Bill: answer is yes

When you press the [STORE] button after an editing session, the options you see will depend on whether you started with an existing Performance, or you created ‘from scratch’ or bulk dumped a program via MIDI.

If you started with an existing Performance you will be offered to either: Store as New Performance or Overwrite an existing Performance. Since you cannot directly STORE to the Preset Bank location, nor can you STORE directly to a Library Bank location, in both cases, you are STORING to the USER Bank.

The options you are offered depends on whether you are creating a brand new Performance, or updating an existing User Performance location.

It is not correct to just say “you can’t edit a Preset, or that you can’t edit a Library Performance”… without explaining that they CAN be edited, but to STORE the change you must create a new User Performance. The USER Bank is the target for storing any edited Performance.

Preset - is defined as the 2,227 Factory Performances provided by Yamaha.
User - is defined as the 640 Performance locations to which you can store your edited creations.
Library (8) - each of the 8 Library locations started out as MODX User Bank data (640 x 8) Performances. A Library is a User Bank that is SAVED as a “Library File” — it includes the coded message that allows the MODX to “burn” this data into FLASH MEMORY. When Waveforms and Samples are involved this can be a huge amount of data, in comparison to the other types.

_ If you edit a “Preset” Performance, and wish to keep the changes, you must STORE it to the “User” Bank.
_ If you edit a “User” Performance, and wish to keep the change, you must STORE it to the “User” Bank.
_ If you edit a “Library” Performance, and wish to keep the change, you must STORE it to the “User” Bank.*

*If you want to make a change to a Waveform or Sample in an installed Library, you must use “Library Import” to additionally move the audio data to the “User” area. All edits that you want to document for recall must be made in the USER area. Therefore, making a permanent change to a Library Performance means, literally, redoing the entire Library, by creating a new User Bank, then SAVE it as a new Library. Then Delete the old Library—Load the new Library.

Plain talk:
To understand a BACKUP FILE .X8A, think about what it is designed for:
Example— touring musicians often do not carry their own instruments. They rent gear on the road. In the tour requirements they stipulate the synth they need to be provided. With a .X8A File you can take a rental MODX, load your Backup File, and all of your data will appear in that rental unit. Every detail of everything in your MODX (provided they share firmware versions). The musician can travel with a USB stick with the latest firmware and their .X8A (Backup) file.

Example— Often a musician plays at a venue that has a MODX, rather than bring their own from home, they can bring a .X8A file on a USB stick and load it into the venue’s MODX (This happens with musicians who play in church or at school—they may have a MODX at home and one that stays at church or school).

The Backup File allows you to move all your data: Performances, Songs, Patterns, Curves, MicroTunings, Arpeggios, Waveforms, system settings, etc., etc. literally everything. The only stipulation is that they have the same operating system.

Extra Credit:
When you are still new to MODX, your Backup File may not take a long time to load. However, by the time you accumulate lots of data, it can be a cup of coffee and a couple of cigarettes while you wait for all of your data to be installed in the target device. So while Backup files are the ultimate security for your data, it is not designed for daily use.

If you are working at home (not renting units, or switching to a second MODX in another location) you should make a Backup file, keep it safe, copy it to your computer … and refer to it in emergencies.

For day-to-day use, work with Saving a .X8U file… USER file.
The USER area is your work area with room for:
640 Performances
256 Arpeggios
256 Motion Sequences
8 User Live Set Banks of 256 each (2048)
2048 Waveforms
8 MicroTunings
32 Curves
and your System (Utility) settings.

User Files are generally smaller; they load very rapidly when compared to a Library File that needs to install audio files (Waveforms/Samples) and can take 20+ minutes, or more.

The concept is to have all of the permanent Factory Waveforms (Preset) and all of the FLASH Waveforms (Library x 8) always available each time you power on your instrument. Loading User files that reference Preset and/or Library Waveforms, means day-to-day saving and loading is generally quick, easy and efficient. Each User File (.X8U) when loaded overwrites the previously loaded User Bank, with its data.

Data that remains and is not overwritten when loading .X8U files includes:
Preset (Factory) data
Library data
Song (128)
Pattern (128)