Just another query...

are there any Preset Pattern Sequences? If so, how/where can I find them?

Yeah, if only the Pattern sequencer could fill in what we intended to play ... unfortunately we'll have to play the right note at the right time.

There is annie delete option, you can press SHIFT and play the (faulty) note to take it away. Also the quantized can be of great help.

If playing the notes does not cut it for you, you can always stilk rely on your DAW (Cubase AI came with the MODX and also Cakewalk is a great, and free, DAW) and edit the notes on the piano roll, export as midi and load the midi file into a patt3rn / scene.

"NY Jam Sesh" is supposed to have a preset pattern.
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/question-about-some-new-performances

There are others
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/pattern-presets

Pattern 001 = Copy
Pattern 002 = Space is Fine
Pattern 003 = NY Jam Sesh
Pattern 004 = My Ballad
Pattern 005 = Out West

Your keyboard may not have them. It's easy to blow these away and I think there are cases when the pattern data is not landed. I think if you upgrade without first initializing your keyboard - the pattern data may not land. I'm sure that's what happened in my case.

... I'm reviewing some of Blake's initial tutorials. Looking at the first in the series - it goes fairly slow and explains the definitions/terms and basics. Nothing deep - just surface lay-of-the-land stuff and practical tips to create a scene.

I've also looked at the manual for the job options and those are relatively clear what they do.

Even though in French - they are subtitled. The Moessieurs videos do a good job of running through all of the options and explaining what they do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv6Au-Mcch4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es8yMSKU_I4

... another take on beginning w/the Pattern Sequencer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP2p4awFaXE

... and this user generated tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bviHbzHeyaA
He makes lots of mistakes - so it may help to learn from the unrehearsed mistakes

Blake Loop Recording ...
https://youtu.be/gSptrJcJvik?list=PLS-Ia4lCojtxdBKo9Slnys72561UJ75xT

On the article front:

https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-modx-pattern-sequencer-features-in-os-v3
Newer features:
https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-pattern-workflow-and-recording-features-in-os-v3-5
...MODX
https://yamahasynth.com/learn/modx/mastering-modx-pattern-workflow-and-control-improvements-in-os-v2-5

https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/rehearse-and-erase-functions-in-a-pattern-mastering-montage

What's that drum roll job Pattern: "Note"->"Roll"?
https://www.yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-the-create-roll-job-os-v3
Quantize
https://www.yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-quantize-in-os-v3
Scenes (the Pattern type)
https://www.yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-scenes-in-os-v3
Pattern Play FX
https://www.yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/pattern-play-fx-in-os-v3-0-mastering-montage

Quick Tips:

https://yamahasynth.com/learn/news/montage-modx-synthtips-1-2
https://www.yamahasynth.com/learn/modx/montage-modx-synthtips-quick-beat-making-with-the-pattern-sequencer
Not pattern per-se, but you may want to change the count-in time or click sounds:
https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/changing-precount-measures-and-click-sounds-montage-modx-synthtips

Hi J,

thanks for your response, helpful as ever, but my initial frustration remains.

I still think it would be cool if Yamaha put together a "Single Source" tutorial set for using the Pattern Sequencer - et al.

Ideally this would cover all aspects of the "recorder" functions... Song (midi, wav), User Arpeggios and Pattern... as well as covering the optional inter-plays between them all.

At the moment, all knowledge is scattered across various web-sites, and reliant on 3rd Party users sharing their aspects of discovery. Otherwise, unlinked articles aimed at specifics, with little or no cross referencing to related knowledge, or pre-requisite understanding.

By contrast, the FM-101, Manny's FM-Xploration, BMs FM Explorer are a superb set of tutorials with a "ground up" knowledge build... examples, explanations, DIY exercises, video & audio demos and references to "further reading".

I know I'm not the only one who finds the whole "Recorder" features... UI, Application, Implementation, Operation etc utterly confusing. There is no logic or detectable intuition in these features' presentation.

Some users (posts in forums) even found the "cumbersome" approach too much to bear and moved to competitor products.

My view is, there is probably a mountain of powerful application in there, which is currently nigh on impossible to unlock without scouring the web.

We want to play, not do PhD level research

I really think Yamaha need to get a handle on this and deliver some dedicated tutorials. They could turn this around and make it a selling point, rather than the product detraction it is currently perceived to be.

My view is, there is probably a mountain of powerful application in there, which is currently nigh on impossible to unlock without scouring the web.

In another thread I made the point that part of the problem is believing this.

It simply isn't true.

it is a VERY simplistic MIDI recorder, with incredibly simplistic "editing" under the Edit/Jobs button, that's really just spreadsheet-like operations on the MIDI data in the arrays of parts.

It's a "bolt on", the whole Pattern Sequencer, and feels much more like a Genos-lite-LITE Performer Assist than anything else in the world, once it has some materials in it (which are more easily best brought in from a DAW's MIDI editing if you want anything more complex than simple takes).

Given that the UI has all the widgets needed for a Step Sequencer, it's a great shame that wasn't included in the last update, as that would at least provide an absolutely accurate manner to create drum patterns and arpeggios of consequence with visual references to what's being made and what it's creating when playing back.

As I've said before, there's a reason nobody's made a great video with the Pattern Sequencer. It can't be done. As a playback tool, of Patterns, it's somewhat useful. As an editor of recorded patterns it's atrocious. As a recorder of patterns, it's VERY fiddly and counterintuitive in just about every way possible.

As a sketching/draft recorder, it works, but there's a need to dump from the device all the patterns once full that simply doesn't exist. And it's way too easy to fill it for someone getting a bit busy with it as a draft/sketch recorder.

It's VERY labour intensive to unload and free-up the Pattern Sequencer once it's full.

And it's no fun at all if you want to repopulate it with a bunch of old drafts/sketches. So bad as to not really be doable by anyone sane.

In fact, it creates a need for lots of bureaucratic house work if you get busy using it as a draft/sketch recorder - the one thing it's actually ok at doing it doesn't suit doing.

The pattern sequencer isn't a replacement for what most consider is their own vision of what a "useful" sequencer is and does. The original Performance Recorder (MIDI) is simple to explain - it isn't a sequencer at all. You press record - do anything - and it records what you do. Everything. You can save the result off as a MIDI file or keep it as an internal "song". When you play back either - everything you did will be reproduced. Assuming you have the same, unaltered, Performance you had loaded when you recorded this song or MIDI file - the same result will play back. You couldn't (can't) do any editing of this data - so the utility was as a scratchpad for rough ideas or to transfer to a DAW to clean up. Editing in the MIDI Performance Recorder means you overwrite what you did before. You can choose which measures (punch in) - but it's crude stuff.

The new Pattern Sequencer bolts on some editing features we didn't have before and some provisions for relating one pattern to another (chaining - or just association with buttons). It doesn't give you what some/most would want. More surgical control. DIfferent modes of note entry that match other sequencer traditions. That's not a defense - just facts.

If you were using the Performance Recorder (MIDI) before to make user Arps - then the lack of any editing whatsoever had workflow implications. Adding a few rough tools to the bag does help this effort. I'm glad they (the new Pattern tools) are there. I've asked for more surgical editing - but still am happy at the trend of getting closer in terms of granularity. Maybe more surprises are in store. Maybe not. The keyboard had little at launch.

I'm with you when it comes to documentation. I've made similar observations about the scattered nature of documentation. I don't live in a world with all of the things I want. So I have to adapt to the world that is. I participate, respectfully, in the process of suggesting wishes while also not expecting fruit from that effort. Keeps me sane.

Meanwhile - you'll have to pony up if you want to learn. There isn't a huge amount of material to cover. The short list of features means there's not much to learn yet.

Thank You Jason.

I hasten to add, the opinions of Andrew are not mine. I notice every post I write, Andrew is quickly all over it like a cheap suit. Clearly he is entirely unhappy with MODX/MONTAGE products, and pounces on every opportunity to display his anger.

In my opinion this is spoiling my/our interaction with knowledgeable contributors like yourself and Bad Mister.

The old adage applies "If you are not part of a solution, you are part of the problem". I suspect Andrew will read this and to him I say... contribute helpful solution driven comments or do not comment at all. Your cooperation will be much appreciated.

I will persevere with the Pattern Sequencer in the meantime.

Tony

Your mileage may vary.

I notice you've not corrected or apologised or otherwise annotated where it is that I've shown you've been wrong when "answering" the questions of others.

Now you ad hom.

Good luck.