It is not a silly question, at all. It is one that has many moving parts (as you’ll see). And because there is no one single way to work, there is not going to be just one method to work around the issue.

A Pattern Scene is a looping entity. This means you set a LENGTH and the data will cycle around, over and over at the currently set Length

If you think this through, it makes no sense to document your Mutes while the data is looping. Say you recorded 4 Measures in Scene 1. You do so with the idea that you will let it play, then repeat three times to create 16 measures. You decide that fourth time it cycles, measures 13-16 you want to mute the guitar part... where in the 4-Measure Scene data would you place the MUTE command?

Right! This is impossible to answer because there is no measure 13 in your 4-measure entity. You must wait to add such automated items until after you convert the Pattern Chain to a linear Song structure (after the sequencer has ‘flattened’ the playback order to a linear timeline. It is at this point you can place things like volume changes, mutes, effect activation, and so forth and have them make sense.

For these automation commands to make musical sense you must construct a linear timeline... One that counts measures linearly and allows you to place an event precisely on the timeline to make it occur.

The Pattern Chain, is the step in between creating the Pattern Scenes and the Linear Song. It is the ‘playback order’ of the Scenes... not only in which order they play but how many measures of each is played (Scenes play over and over for as long as you let them, and can be changed at any measure line)... It is the Pattern Chain that can be converted to a linear MIDI SONG.

The Pattern Chain literally, places a Scene Change MIDI event into Track 1’s data.

It is in the MIDI Song, that you can successfully document Mute status, but you do so with “Scene” events ... using REC TYPE = OVERDUB
This means you will want re-task the Scenes. If you require to actually record MUTE activity, it is recommended you prepare your Pattern Scene structure to accommodate your requirement prior to converting to a Song.

_ Scenes in Pattern mode are used to define a Section of music (this in addition to its role as “snapshot” memory).
_ A musical section (Scene) can be a maximum of 256 measures before it loops. This means that a Scene can pretty much contain a full composition before it loops back to the top.
_ The Scenes also can memorize Mute status, Volume, Pan position, Effect Sends, offsets to the EGs,Filters, etc., etc.
_ If you would rather use the Scenes to memorize Mute Status (et al) when you convert your Pattern data to a linear Song, then you should prepare for that eventuality (you may need to create linear data that is free of any Scene events - I should mention you can remove these by editing your MIDI File externally).

Currently, to do so onboard the synth that would mean either re-tasking the Scene events so that you could use them during Song playback.
You could do so by: Using the “Append” Job, along with “Put Phrase” and “Get Phrase” Jobs, you will assemble your composition as one very long Pattern Scene. .. or you could manually transfer data from the Pattern to the Song without the Chain.

This would allow you to use the Scene recall buttons 2-8 to act as Mute status after you create your one long Scene or manual construction to the Linear Song.

Hope that helps. Other solutions certainly exist ... which will work best will depend on what you envision as the finished product. Are you interested in having manual Mute available during playback, or do you want to create an automation that happens each time it plays?

Please let us know if you can, how you envision using the MUTE function in the MODX — it’s not a silly topic, at all, but one that bares scrutiny. Thanks for your participation.

I will try my best to explain by using my past experience on my Motif XF.

When I recorded my first Pattern on the XF I noticed that I used all 16 sections. When I compose music, I like to add instruments as the song progresses. In this particular Pattern I had a verse and a chorus that played several times. The first verse and chorus had only 4 tracks playing. The second verse and chorus had 6 tracks playing and eventually I had 8 tracks playing together on the last chorus. This was before I knew about Track Mute. I discovered that I could mute tracks while I was recording a Pattern Chain. When I found this out I used only 7 sections on my next Pattern.

Think of the song Drift Away by Dobie Gray. On the second chorus a string section was added. Later in the song before the final chorus, most of the instruments were absent as he sang the chorus lines. Then all the instruments came in for the last set of measures.

On the MODX I could just progress the song by copying tracks to another scene then adding more instruments, but I am afraid I might run out of scenes. This is where Track Mute would come in handy.

Let me add one more thing. I like to track my compositions into my Tascam DP32. Sometimes I record one track at a time. I would like to have the MODX mute specific tracks as I record. I never thought about doing it manually. That might be a less bemused method. I just like to conserve scenes since I only have 8 instead of the 16 sections that I used on my Motif XF even though I learned to use less. So far the MODX is a joy to play!

Let me add one more thing. I like to track my compositions into my Tascam DP32. Sometimes I record one track at a time. I would like to have the MODX mute specific tracks as I record. I never thought about doing it manually. That might be a less bemused method. I just like to conserve scenes since I only have 8 instead of the 16 sections that I used on my Motif XF even though I learned to use less. So far the MODX is a joy to play!

Ah ha! Thanks for sharing this last bit... it gives context to query. If your end game is to record to a digital audio device, (Tascam DP32) then you’re options with the MODX will offer many new workflows...

If you were performing live and needed to have real time control of musical section playback, that would be a completely different situation.

You can build your musical Sections using the Pattern Sequencer, with as many as 16 instrument Parts... to assemble the full composition you can use a linear Song as a template timeline. It is possible to create an 8 measure Scene representing your verses.

Record all the instruments (don’t worry about Mutes). Once you have the Verse recorded in Scene 1... and the Chorus in Scene 2... you might decide the first 24 measures should be just 4 instruments playing, and the next 16 should be 6 instruments playing, and at measure 41 it should 8 instruments are playing together, and for the Bridge 12 instruments playing together, and so on...

By using the Pattern Job “Put Phrase” to Song... you can basically copy and paste the tracks you want into a linear timeline. Placing each where they should playback.

Instead of using the Pattern Chain which moves all the Tracks, by using the “Put Phrase” Job you can pick and choose which Tracks are transferred to the Song.

4 instruments rhythm guitar, bass, keyboard and drum kit... take each Track-by-Track, and use “Put Phrase” to place the 8-measure phrase to the linear timeline at measure 001, then target 009, then 017... Making sure you target the correct target Track with each placement.

By using the Pattern sequencer’s “Edit/Job” > “Song” > “Put Phrase” job you will be able to assemble the instruments you need, when you need them... and only when you need them. No Mutes necessary, no Pattern Chain (the individual construction (Track-by-Track) allows for more detail. The first time I did this it was new, but after I completed a composition this way, I now am able to construct my compositions with exactly the instruments I need, playing the appropriate thing, on the appropriate a Track... and it is second nature.

You must maintain the Track layout, but once you get used to this workflow, it will serve you well.

Hope that helps.

Extra Credit:
The “Put Phrase” and “Get Phrase” Jobs allows the user to work in either direction... pPattern to Song, or Song to Pattern, and back again. You can assemble musical sections using the Pattern Scenes, and then Put the data into the linear Song. ...You can initially record in a linear Song, and then go and “Get” a region of measures and work on them in the looping Pattern.

Often you may just find a drum Arp and you are playing along with it - developing ideas... why not record to a linear Song... you later can move a region that sounds worthy into a blank Pattern... work out a custom Drum Part, create fill-ins, etc., etc. and reconstruct a linear Song.

There is no one way to approach this, let necessity be the mother of invention.

It all makes sense now. I composed a short song and tried out the Put Phrase and Get Phrase functions and everything worked out magnificently. I can no longer be concerned with trying out a composition that is longer and more complex. The workflow is very different from when I used my XF, but if the end result is the same then that is the important thing. Thank you and God Bless!