Is there any way to "lock in" settings like the ARP and Key Range on a part, while switching sounds?

Yes, of course, otherwise it might get annoying when you want to substitute a sound without changing the Part settings you already have in place

Why does the Montage want to turn on the ARP for any part added to a Performance?

If you select a Part that is stored with the Arp = On, when you select it to add to your Performance it naturally comes in with the settings of that Part (that’s the default). If you would rather it inherit your current settings, you need to set the option that makes that determination.

This annoys me to no end. Is there a parameter somewhere?

Yes. When you are replacing a Part, for example, you are creating a piano / bass split, and you want to just substitute the bass sound — in this case, you wish to maintain the Note Limits that you have already set, and you don’t want the new sound to come in with the Arp On, nor do want its previous Arpeggio assignments...

The feature is called “Parameter with Part” and the options appear on the “Part Category Search” screen.
You can opt in (green) or opt out (grey) on the following functions:
“Mixing” — deactivate if you want the substitute bass to inherit your current Volume, Pan, etc., etc
“Arp/MS” — deactivate if you want the substitute bass to come in without Arp On. It will inherit current settings, if any.
“Scene” — deactivate if you want the substitute to come in and inherit the current Scene settings for this Part slot
“Zone” — you will only see “Zone” if the Zone Master function is active, but this allows you inherit current Zone settings of this slot.

If these options are green when you make your selection, you are basically saying you want the Part exactly as it was programmed originally.
If these options are grey when you make your selection, you are telling the selection to inherit what you have already setup.

I mean, otherwise it would be annoying...
Hope that helps.

Extra Credit: Using Category Search like a Pro
There are three different Searches for sound programs in your MONTAGE. They look similar at first but have three different uses.
_Performance Category Search
_Performance Merge
_Part Category Search

Please see the following for details: Link - Using MONTAGE Category Search

Thank you thank you thank you, Bad Mister! Your information is most appreciated.

I haven't been using the ARPs in the Montage much, but I've recently found myself playing with them more and more. This will help me a great deal, thanks again.

Michael

Many folks struggle with the Arps either because they don’t understand them or they have an unrealistic expectation of their usefulness.
Some one was recently recording all the Arpeggio Phrases to their DAW... while you might be able to make a case for transferring “Fixed” Note Arpeggio Phrases, like the drum grooves, but recording each of the musical phrases to your DAW is a great misunderstanding of their value. What chord quality are you recording? And if you think of them as just complete phrases to be used, as is, you’re missing a major point to their usefulness.

The musical, chord intelligent Arp Phrases are not fixed, and will change and respond differently depending on how you interact with them. If all you do is a hold down a chord (not very inventive) the result will be one thing... but if you vary the voicing of your control chords, or vary the rhythm with which you touch the controlling keys, or you use the many “offset” parameters — velocity offset, swing, etc., the phrases take on new context.

When we were doing in-store presentations (pre-this distancing pause) and a question would come up about Arpeggios (usually someone will notice the similarity to the Styles of an Arranger Keyboard).... usually I will not correct them straight away, but I will use that degree of their understanding to show them that while the Arpeggiator does respond to chord voicing, and is made up of musical Phrases, that can be applied to several instruments to create an ensemble/rhythm section, but then we get into it’s designed purpose which generating unique musical phrases that enhance your composition. They are designed to be transferred/recorded to a MIDI Sequencer... they can of course, also be used live (true), but recording them is their *focus*.

When recording Arps to the Pattern Sequencer it is highly recommended that you use the KEY ON START = ON and LOOP = OFF, to automate the Start and End points of your Arp transfer. This is designed for the transfer of an Arp to MIDI Track Events... and is essential because it is critical that you start an Arp on the downbeat if you want it to play in time. And you want recording to STOP before the Pattern Sequencer loops around (and you start entering notes on top of notes). Using Key On Start takes away all the pressure of the count-in, and if you are thinking you’re fast enough to press the Stop button between the last clock pulse 479 and it cycling back to the top 000 — you are not! Use the Key On Start and Loop Rec Off when recording Arp Phrases to the Sequencer.

If you start the Arp Phrase an eighth note behind the beat, the entire Arp Phrase will be shifted late by exactly an eighth note.
Once an Arp Phrase has been recorded to the Sequencer it is no longer a Arp... but is now MIDI event data. Remember to disable or bypass the Arpeggiators.

The guitar strumming, picking and rhythm guitar patterns are great place to start. Because of the enhanced MegaGuitar and MegaBass Part programming, many Arps have a hyper-realistic sound, with all the random scrapes, finger zings, and dead notes to make it sound authentic.

You know when you’ve done good when you play a sequence you’ve done and someone asks you: “Who’s on guitar?”
You’ll tell them it’s “Arp”, they’ll say “Art who?” lol

Do’s and Don’t
__ There are too many Arps to listen to them all - don’t attempt to.... if you do, by the time you’ve auditioned a couple of dozen, you will stop knowing what you’re looking for...
__ If you know exactly what you want, don’t spend time looking for it, go ahead and record it.
__ Do... Experiment with the various HOLD Modes, remember Arp Phrases can be used in whole or in part... with Arp Hold = Off lifting your hand interrupts the Phrase, re-triggering the keys starts the Phrase over from the top. With Arp Hold = Sync-Off lifting your hand interrupts the Phrase like Hold = Off, but re-triggering the control notes picks up the Phrase at whatever point it would have reach by this time. This allows you to vary the rhythm of your controlling Notes to create endless varieties of the content in the Arp Phrase.
__ Do consult the Data List booklet - it tells you which instrument (Part) was used to create many of the Phrases.
__ Do experiment with Swing Quantize and other Arp offsets, changing the dynamics of a phrases turns it into something entirely different. You can increase or decrease the velocity of the “swung notes” giving the Phrase an entire new persona
__ Don’t just pick an Arp and use it exactly as is — you can, but realize that this is the ‘least you could do’ — do more, it’s a creative tool

Have fun...

Thanks for the ton of useful information, Bad Mister.

I'm going to take your info/advice and sit down with my Montage and make sure that I understand everything you've shared. Although I haven't done it yet, I definitely want to record/transfer some drum arps into my DAW (Digital Performer).

Thanks again,