Hi Jason,
Thanks for the question.

I remember the RS7000 extremely well, in fact, I produced half a dozen of the Presets in that product... Where did that last two decades go?
Same as operating a cell phone from back in 2001, you’ll want to throw out some of what you know and treat the MODX as an entirely different beast.

Yes, some of the terms are going to be recognizable— you still can dial by pushing what now look like buttons, but you can now also just ask your phone to dial your contact for you. Go into this EXPECTING some things have changed!

The Scene is still a “snapshot” of some critical mix and tone generator settings, but as you’ll discover, the construction of what you remember as RS7000 “Sections” is quite different.

If you last remember Yamaha Song and Pattern Sequencers from 2001, you’ll be having a nearly calendar accurate “Rip van Winkle experience“ (an American fairy tale featuring a chap who slept for twenty years to awaken to a ‘new world’)... its been almost twenty years, what has changed from the RS7000 is the ability to construct (what you remember as Pattern Sections) in a more interactive manner. The RS used the sequencer to assemble the sections, the MODX uses a newly developed Arpeggiator function (which allows a real-time component to this section concept).

You can control as many as eight Parts (instruments) simultaneously versus interacting with one-at-a-time in the old system.
You can have as many as eight Arpeggios (work like real-time hands) simultaneously — so what you remember as something you could assemble Part-by-Part in the sequencer can be constructed and controlled in real-time.

Right after the release of the RS7000, Yamaha started in on re-invention of the Arpeggiator. This allowed the player to assemble a backing band of chord intelligent instrument parts and rhythm parts that could be assembled to accompany the player. Sophisticated algorithms for guitar voicing and bass lines were developed. As you recall from the RS7000 you had all manner of phrases you could assemble into your Sections. Imagine these are chord intelligent and can adjust to real-time input. No sequencer necessary to have these multiple instrument accompaniments to play...

Well, imagine a keyboard were you can assemble phrases into what you remember as Sections, there are still 16 Parts but you can control as many as 8 of them in real time, the other 8 can playback independent of your control (like RS7000)... But it is the real time, chord intelligent, interactive control over the content, that is what’s new and very different... So the sequencer doesn’t have to be used to create these ‘sections’ — they play in real time.

There are some 10,231 Preset Arpeggio Phrases. There was nothing like this back in RS7000 days... but imagine, we took the individual phrases content of a device like the RS7000 and made it accessible as building blocks to assemble a real time rhythm section.

Because the MODX and MONTAGE are synthesizer keyboards... the real time “performing” function with keyboard interaction is the focus.
In addition to the greatly expanded function Arpeggiator engine, there is a Motion Sequencer - which is like an engine that allows you to create parameter automation. You can automate change for virtually any parameter... you can apply it like an envelope or like an LFO. As many as eight Motion Sequence automation lanes can be active at any one time.

Again, where the RS7000 was a “groove box“ that allowed you to assemble music into recallable segments for real time performing... the MODX can be understood as a similar thing but based around playing and performing with a chord intelligent, musically hip, backing band, where you can ‘perform’ live.

The live performing aspect means you will be playing some sound *directly* (your lead/solo/melody) while controlling others that are accompanying the lead... on a very sophisticated level. While you are playing you recall fill-Ins or breaks, mix changes, mute/solo, etc., etc... all of this can be recorded “live” to the MIDI SONG portion of the “PERFORMANCE SEQUENCER”

Every knob movement, pedal movement, button press, every nuance of your interaction with what Yamaha calls the “Motion Control Synthesis Engine” can be documented to this linear recorder... from this linear document... you can export it to your favorite DAW and continue work... or if you want to continue work in the MODX, you could break it down into what you remember as playback sections... Pattern Scenes. These Scenes can be from 1 to 256 measures in Length.

While in the linear playing mode the Scene buttons memorize synth and Seq setting... you have 8 snapshot memories, these same Scene buttons become recall buttons for any segment of the composition you wish to place there.You can break your linear Song into shorter looping segments.

A Song Scene is different from A Pattern Scenes
A Song Scene recalls settings that are applied to the Synth and Sequence... the song has a linear measure count starting from 001 and continuing til it ends... Scene changes are applied whenever the button is engaged (or at the top of the *next* measure).
A Pattern Scene adds a looping set of measures to the memorized Scene functions. Eight sets of Scene conditions, including the captured region of measures, are storable. The Scene Length is dynamic (until you create a Chain) this you will remember.

Pattern Scenes are dynamically adjustable as to Length during playback, making it possible to set to 8 measures to repeat as long as you want, and by changing the Length to a longer value you can reveal additional music parts. Each Scene can be 256 measures long at max.

You will find some similarities, and many differences. I recommend you learn the MODX based in what it does. It is NOT an RS7000.
The MODX can be used in many different ways... what I described above served to show some of those differences, but you can work entirely differently.

You may wish to bypass the real-time accompaniment setup where the Scenes works as Main, Fill-in, Bridge, etc. and build your compositions up for individual Patterns using the Scenes as Sections and then chaining those Scenes into a linear structure. Or you may invent your own method to assemble your compositions.

In the RS you prepared your data in a manner that allowed you to “perform” the data as you desire.
When you get your MODX you must find your own best method to prepare your data... don’t hamstring the learning process by expecting it to work like the RS7000. Embrace the evolution.

Thanks for question.

The RS used the sequencer to assemble the sections, the MODX uses a newly developed Arpeggiator function (which allows a real-time component to this section concept). So the sequencer doesn’t have to be used to create these ‘sections’ — they play in real time. The live performing aspect means you will be playing some sound *directly* (your lead/solo/melody) while controlling others that are accompanying the lead... on a very sophisticated level. While you are playing you recall fill-Ins or breaks, mix changes, mute/solo, etc., etc... all of this can be recorded “live” to the MIDI SONG portion of the “PERFORMANCE SEQUENCER”

Every knob movement, pedal movement, button press, every nuance of your interaction with what Yamaha calls the “Motion Control Synthesis Engine” can be documented to this linear recorder... from this linear document... you can export it to your favorite DAW and continue work... or if you want to continue work in the MODX, you could break it down into what you remember as playback sections... Pattern Scenes. These Scenes can be from 1 to 256 measures in Length.

So, the Pattern Scenes and the Sequencer Scenes are two different things. Got it: the Pattern Scenes are essentially what the Sections once were.

I just want to be sure that I can create entire songs on the MODX in the way that I could on the RS7000. How I do this isn't the issue. Can I do this with MODX is the issue. It isn't clear whether the MODX is simply a lead synth with a ton of motion and an accompanying drum track or if it's a workstation that allows for complex song construction in the way the RS7000 is. I want to be able to have different drum parts with different bass lines played in sequence. It doesn't have to be press play and go. It can be anything. As long as I can play a song from start to finish including drums.

Are you saying that I can arrange an entire song in a performance mode and simply progress through the song while performing? Is this like some sort of RPPR thing? The performance itself triggers the progression through the song? and if I wanted to, I could then capture these progressions as Pattern Scenes? Korg has this function. You can assign patterns to specific keys and then map zones across the rest of the keyboard. The left hand triggers a key and drum beat that loops and then you can move on to hit keys with arps, patterns or just realtime playing. Or is it more sophisticated than this?

So there are three ways of looking at this?

1. play it live on the keyboard and progress through the "scenes" just by playing, rather than pressing play on the transport and the subsequently triggering each section button in whatever order as on the RS7000. You're saying that a Performance will somehow allow me to "progress" through the sections of the Song merely by playin?

2. play it live on the keyboard and capture this in the sequencer and then assign it to scenes. And then do what with these scenes? chain them? or can they somehow be assigned to the performance as stated above?

3. Setup a 16 channel multi-timbral template and build a Pattern Scene.

I like all of the exciting language and imagery but I also need the practical aspects. I'm just not sure I'm following.

I've read your other posts and you really know this machine. I am not stuck on the RS7000. I just don't want a a Prophet 6 with lots of motion. I want a workstation that can play back songs somehow.

The MODX will fit the bill

It seems like the Live Set is a good place to stage all the various "creations" made within the various recording modes, if I'm understanding this correctly. I'm assuming what is made in the pattern sequencer can be staged there as well.

I now see how the Performance Scene is different from the Pattern Scene.

What I've just discovered is the ability to record Performances into the performance sequencer and save it as a scene and to also save it as an audio flies and then drop them into the live set.

My deeper curiosity is how do the pattern sequencer scenes relate to performance scenes. Are they different modes? The hierarchy isn't clear yet.

Can I seamlessly toggle between Performance Scenes and Pattern Scenes for a total of 16 scenes? I'm assuming they're different modes. That is different approaches to creating music.

8 Scenes Doesn't seem enough to compose a complex song. Yet, the Live Set mode seems like it might be able to bring creations from the different modes together into something more complex.

I understand that a Performance is a multitimbral setup or a complex patch - like a korg combination. From the Performance Mode one can record live to Scenes using the Performance Sequencer.

Alternatively one can record into the Pattern Sequencer using a multitimbral setup also called a performance or it could be a performance.

and it's not really clear how either of these modes relate to the Song mode.

I think I need to investigate more.
Thanks again for your help.