There are 3 categories of Parts. Normal AWM2 (sampled instruments that use all 128 piano keys), Drum AWM2 (sampled drum kits), and FM-X (completely synthesized sounds). Most drum "kits" are the Drum AWM2 type - which gives you 73 keys worth of samples. Each of these 73 keys would be a different sound in the drum kit with different envelopes and parameters. This is probably the type of drum sound you are asking about although there are minority of drum "kits" that are assembled using Normal AWM2 Parts and require an entirely different set of Arpeggios.

Here's an article that walks you through some of the basics by example: https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/montagifying-motif-rule-the-earth

Although arpeggios and drum are somewhat independent (you can change out drum kits without changing the arpeggio or vice versa) - drum kit Performances have arpeggios embedded because the Performance itself has the arpeggios programmed. If you completely replace a Part with a drum kit - then arpeggios will be replaced. There are ways to prevent this. "Param With Part" and removing "Arp/MS" will load the kit without its arpeggio. This will keep the current arpeggio while changing the drum kit.

You can change the arpeggio while keeping the drum kit the same by going to the Arpeggio -> Individual setup screen and select drum arpeggios. Not all drum arps are compatible with all kits. This is because sometimes drum kits are not "arranged" the same way - meaning a specific drum type being in the same drum key. For the most part they are interchangeable. The Data List has an arpeggio list and all drum arpeggios list the intended drum kit the arpeggio was designed for. The drum kit shown is not exclusively the only one that will work fine.

Thanks Bill and Jason for this info. It's a bit late to read through and digest this tonight but these two posts will be first on my list as starting point.

I know my new MODX is not an arranger keyboard. Aside from what I think are it's great sounds, what I've heard so far from a few rhythm accompaniments sound pretty good, almost less finished and less cheesy than an arranger, so it will be nice to understand how it all works so I can create a few more accompaniment genres of my own.

Bill,

When I said "what I've heard so far from a few rhythm accompaniments sound pretty good" I was actually referring to a specific performance from a Soundmondo performance called "PVB Kevin BALLAD TRY". You might want to have a listen to it if you have time. Someone told me Soundmondo doesn't allow arpeggio performances but this contributor with the intitials "PVB" has several arranger style arpeggio performances on that platform. I did audition many of the MODX presets and did not hear one close to the one I mentioned above, in terms of a more traditional arranger type of pattern. What this Soundmondo performance tells me is the MODX is pretty capable of doing a decent arranger style for playing songs, and that's good enough for me. I just wish more performances like this were available, paid or free.

Rich

@Rich... meaning no offence, but reading your first post, highlighted you are truly "new" to the MODX.

As was I in December 2020.

A straight answer to your OP is that the MODX is a Synthesiser, not an Arranger. The dividing line between the two, with 21st Century high tech is a little blurred. The ancestory though is very distinct.

A synthesiser is a blank canvas on which to paint. An Arranger, is a Colouring Book.

The MODX provides Drum Sounds, and also a mountain of Arpeggios that can play those Drum Sounds.

Each "Arpeggio" is just a looping computer program of "magic piano key presses" that will automatically play whatever you put in front of it... not just drums.

Each "Drum Kit" is just a collection of one-hit Drum Sounds, gathered together in one "Part".

With no Arpeggio, you can play any Drum Kit, just by pressing the piano keys.

An Arpeggio, once triggered, will play those piano keys for you.

So, typically, you need to first select a Drum Kit that has the sounds you need. Secondly, you need to select an Arpeggio that plays those keys in a style/rhythm you need.

Sounds easy?

There are hundreds of Drum Kits (collections of Drum "Sounds")

There are thousands of Drum "Sounds". You can make your own "kit" from these sounds.

There are over 10,000 Arpeggios to choose from.

Compared to an Arranger...

The Pros are... you have limitless choice, and ability to create (by contrast, Arrangers are predetermined "pick from the menu")

The Cons are... there are "too many" options to choose from, and it takes too much time to assess each option. The caveat here is that "Synthesists" don't like to be Boxed in with limitations. It's the Blank Canvas design intent... Synthesisers are traditionally about Sound Creation.

The good news is, hang around here (YamahaSynth), and you will learn the ropes pretty quick.

Someone told me Soundmondo doesn't allow arpeggio performances

Soundmondo allows for preset (from the factory) arpeggios. Soundmondo does not allow for custom arpeggios also known as "user arpeggios".

Therefore, the creative landscape is narrowed for sharing on Soundmondo since you cannot supply custom user arpeggios but instead can assemble Performances that include built-in arpeggios.

To share custom arpeggios requires exchanging Library, User, or Backup (X8L, X8U, or X8A extensions respectively). This cannot be done using Soundmondo. In doing so, one has to make sure copyright/licensed material is not mixed in with what is exchanged.

Bill, OK I will try to find that video. I mis-spoke in my earlier message that I couldn't find any good accompaniment arpeggios. That was when I was auditioning through the normal preset Performances. I still have not figured out how to Audition the arpeggio library, as every time I access the arpeggio list for example the audition button won't turn on. This is all super complicated right now but I've only owned the instrument for a week. The sounds I have from this instrument are well worth the price. I am just hoping there are enough preset accompaniment type arpeggios in the instrument to play around with, because I may never have the skill to program my own.

Not all preset Performances have arpeggios turned on, but most have arpeggios programmed.

There's an [ARP ON/OFF] button you'll want to turn on if it isn't already. Then, for all Part(s), from the [PERFORMANCE] (HOME) screen, touch the "Arp" square to turn on that Part's arpeggio. Then strike some keys to see what happens.

What you may find is that there are more Performances that demonstrate arpeggios than initially thought.

"DJ Montage" and "Moving Floor" are two examples commonly referenced as "ARP-filled" Performances. There are certainly more.

SCENE [1]-[8] buttons often used to change the arpeggio.

Bill, thanks so much again. I was actually about to ask you for a step by step on how to audition an arpeggio, as the YouTube video for that Soundmondo PVB performance was just too fast and blurry to follow along. Your steps 3 and 4 will be key for me, as I was not doing that. I think I have enough info and links from you all to get me going.

Jason,

I will check out those presets you mentioned and also made note of all your comments for my learning.

A MODX review on soundonsound.com had the following to say about the MODX's ability to do accompaniments, so I just have not yet tapped into the vast pattern choices available:

...Many of the rest are full‑blown accompaniments that adapt to the harmonies you play, and generate bass lines, riffs, textural elements or drum patterns (and there are literally thousands of superb drum sounds on the MODX, arranged into over 150 pre-packaged kits). So not really arpeggios at all, but more the kind of thing we'd expect to find on an 'arranger' keyboard, albeit without any formal facilities for intros, endings and fills.....

Also, as I will mention to another commenter in this post, I had done heavy research on arrangers vs. synths for my needs before I bought the MODX7. While the SX900 has good sounds (except for it's thin piano), I just didn't need over 400 arranger styles, plus it only has 61 keys. If I can get 20 or so genres of accompaniment out of the MODX, no fills or endings needed, I will be happy.

Rich

Antony,

I have made note of your comments about the arpeggios.

Agree about synths being more an empty canvas. As I also mentioned to Jason in this post, I had done heavy research on arrangers vs. synths for my needs before I bought the MODX7. While an arranger like the SX900 has good sounds (except for it's thin piano), I just didn't need over 400 arranger styles, intros, fills etc. plus it only has 61 keys. Most importantly I can play music right away using the good pianos, awesome choirs and strings the MODX has and that no other digital piano I researched can offer with the exception of the super expensive Clavinova CVP. If I can get 20 or so genres of basic "accompaniment" as added bonus out of the MODX, no fills or endings needed, I will be happy. I am not super technical and I may never be able fully understand the deep menu diving and settings. But I do need to understand the basics so I can utilize these presets to make my own Performances.

Rich

[quotePost id=116294]Jason,

I will check out those presets you mentioned and also made note of all your comments for my learning.

A MODX review on soundonsound.com had the following to say about the MODX's ability to do accompaniments, so I just have not yet tapped into the vast pattern choices available:

...Many of the rest are full‑blown accompaniments that adapt to the harmonies you play, and generate bass lines, riffs, textural elements or drum patterns (and there are literally thousands of superb drum sounds on the MODX, arranged into over 150 pre-packaged kits). So not really arpeggios at all, but more the kind of thing we'd expect to find on an 'arranger' keyboard, albeit without any formal facilities for intros, endings and fills.....

Rich[/quotePost]

I think this line I've bolded is a lie, or grotesque exaggeration. Taken at face value, this is claiming things that (I think) are untrue of the Montage/MODX arp/phrase system.

It does have conditionals that somewhat adapt (if this is played, do this) but it's not nearly full-blown accompaniments. That's a huge claim that could lead readers miles astray in their thinking.

@Richard...

Read the Reference Manual on how to get to Arpeggio Category Search (Purple Background Screen).

If you Set the Main Category = Drum/Perc you will see the Sub Category has lots of different "Music Genres".

This will help you Filter out Drum Arps that may be of use to you.

Then each Drum Arp (The list/pages in the bottom window) has a "name" that can provide more clues as to the Genre the Arp is designed for.

(These lists can also be found in the Data List Manual .pdf).

Each Arp name follows a naming convention (at least most of them do). These naming conventions have been listed around the YamahaSynth site, although there is no official document (Manual). You need to search this site.

This is the way the MODX presents "Arrangements". It is not "spoon-fed" and falls a long way short of what you get on Arranger Keyboards. However, a reminder, the MODX is a Synth, not an Arranger.

Antony,

I was able to get to the purple arp screen choices using Motion Control-Arpeggio per another YouTube video about Arpeggios. I found this way a bit easier to hear them than Bill's earlier method in this thread of going into Edit-Individual buttons to hear them in a vertical list of 8 arpeggios in each part. I don't know what the difference is in each of the methods I described above. And that is the problem I am seeing with this interface and controls. It's just WAY too much confusion for people who have less technical skill who want get creative quickly with music.

I can't even elaborate right now on all the confusion, issues, frustration with all the button pushing and interface learning I have experienced the last week using the MODX. Yes, maybe I can learn the ropes eventually, but I think this is beyond being patient and is simply the wrong road for me. For example, I had a nice arranger style rhythm performance downloaded from Soundmondo and wanted to simply change out the right hand lead voice from a sax to a piano. So what happens? I replace the sax part with a piano part and whatever performance data came with the piano causes the new piano to sound like a weak piano arpeggio instead of a full piano sound, and to make matters worse, I'm not even sure the merging of the performance data was the cause. Not good. I am now on the verge of returning this and getting an SX900 where I know the arpeggios, rhythm styles and sound layering is going to be a lot more intuitive, plus I can just play the keyboard piano style. Given how Yamaha has decided to make it difficult for less technical people to use a MODX, than I suppose I belong in the arranger category after all. The MODX does have great orchestral sounds such as choir, strings and decent pianos. I will miss those sounds.

Andrew,

I believe you when you say that sentence is a lie, especially if you've been using the MODX longer than me (I've been using it only a week) I think it is in fact helpful for people to point this out. I am on the verge of returning this thing, as I pointed out to someone else on this thread. I'm going to get an arranger instead, probably the SX900. This whole Yamaha interface experience on the MODX is just not for me. Patience has nothing to do with it. I can tell early on it will be a struggle for a while, and that's unfortunate.