One important target of an user arpegio made from 4 tracks is to trigger elements of a part thru velocity ( or not) but when you built these arpeggio, you have to works with 4 parts, not 4 elements. This is quite annoying as you have to build 4 part that contains each the specific elements you would like to trigger in a single part. The simple way is to replicate the concerning part and then on each part you disables elements for keep on each part one element. How do you proceed in such case of building an arpeggio from 4 traks in order to triggers specifics elements of one part? Personally, I would have prefer to build 4 tracks arpeggio at element level, one track by element in one part in the recorder.
What you're asking for is directly addressed in the tutorial for Montage classic which covers 4 track arpeggios. Each track triggers a different element due to either note range or velocity limits on each element.
https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage-series-synthesizers/montage-the-4-track-arpeggio/
Yeah, this is just how they designed it to be done. I'm sure Bad Mister could tell you all the specifics of why they designed it this way, but maybe it makes it easier to create a single arp phrase with different convert types using a DAW..!?
As you can see in the image near the bottom of the article that @Jason provided, during the 'Put Track to Arpeggio' phrase, when you go to convert all the recorded data to an Arp, you can choose different Convert Types for the 4 tracks and then convert the phrase to an Arp.
So, for example, when I created some acoustic guitar strumming Arps, I used 3 tracks. One for the strumming & sustain, another for specific notes that hit high velocity notes without sustain, and a another for 'string noise' of sliding up & down the fret board.
So when I went to convert, I chose either Convert Type='Org Notes' or 'Normal' for both the rhythm guitar strumming & high velocity notes tracks, and I chose Convert Type='Fixed' for the string noise on specific keys/notes, and then Stored As User Arp. And yeah I basically just copied Part 1 to Parts 2 & 3.
Sure, it would have been nice if they used Element based somehow, but lining the copied Parts up with the tracks on the DAW works out so you can easily see and modify the 3 or 4 quickly when creating the pieces of the Arp Phrase on your DAW.
One important target of an user arpegio made from 4 tracks is to trigger elements of a part thru velocity ( or not) but when you built these arpeggio, you have to works with 4 parts, not 4 elements.
Well you don't 'have to' but, if you think about it, if you insist on creating that arp on the instrument then that is the only way that makes sense.
The FIRST question to ask yourself is: what is the BEST tool to use to create this 4 track arpeggio.
SPOILER ALERT: the answer is NOT 'the Montage'.
In the article Jason referenced the creation involved using a DAW to do the editing needed to adjust the velocity values properly.
So if you need to use a DAW why not just create those 4 tracks on the DAW and leave the Montage out of that step?
Or you could use a simple midi editor.
This is quite annoying as you have to build 4 part that contains each the specific elements you would like to trigger in a single part.
You don't 'have to' do it that way but, for me, it would be 'annoying' to have to use only one part. You only want one element to participate for each of the 4 tracks. So that one part would either have to have 4 elements that you switch ON/OFF for each track you record or 1 element that you manually modify for each track you record.
Using only 1 track would be a LOT of manual labor.
The simple way is to replicate the concerning part and then on each part you disables elements for keep on each part one element.
EXACTLY! That IS the 'simple' way and that is why it is done that way. The alternative would be to manually change one element in a single part 4 times - one configuration for each track. Configure the element for track 1, record track 1, reconfigure the element for track 2, record track 2 and so on.
Copying one part to the other three parts lets you do all of that element configuration ahead of time and test each one to make sure it does what you want. Then you record part 1 to track 1, part 2 to track 2 and so on.
Simple and straightforward.
Personally, I would have prefer to build 4 tracks arpeggio at element level, one track by element in one part in the recorder.
You are free to do it that way if you want to.
1. create one part with one element
2. configure that one element for track 1 and record track 1
3. reconfigure that one element for track 2 and record track 2
4. reconfigure that one element for track 3 and record track 3
5. reconfigure that one element for track 4 and record track 4
But if someone goes wrong in the middle of that process you have to start all over.
Or you can do it the way that article describes
1. create one part with one element
2. copy that one part to parts 2,3 and 4
3. configure the element in part 1 for track 1, the element in part 2 for track 2, and so on
4. record part 1 to track 1, part 2 to track 2, and so on
After step 3, but BEFORE you record, you can test each part/element/track one at a time to make sure it produces the correct result. If it does you proceed to step 4 and do the recording.
Always strive to use the BEST tool to do the job. The Montage is NOT that tool as it doesn't have the functionality needed to adjust the velocity values properly and you have to either copy parts/elements around or manually manipulate a single part/element.
The Montage is NOT: a DAW, MIDI editor, style creator/editor, sequencer.
Since you need a DAW or MIDI editor anyway to do the velocity adjustments just use it to do the whole thing.
I'm not sure if the linked tutorial was authored before or after Pattern sequencing was available on Montage Classic - but it's "easier" to create user arps - if you're limiting yourself to the instrument - to use Patterns.
Arpeggio creation doesn't require using the target sound so most often I'll create arpeggios with the Init Normal AWM2 sound. Which - itself isn't even velocity sensitive (meaning the output doesn't get louder or software with velocity). And this lack of velocity sensitivity generally doesn't get in the way for my arpeggio workflow.
So I load up the "Init Normal (AWM2)" Performance, press the record transport button, select the "Pattern" tab (if not selected already), then change the settings. Mainly I change the setting to start when a key is pressed so beat 1 is synchronized.
I record what I want for "track 1" (by default this is what you're recording here). Then I have some options - but for the sake of this - I'll just describe what I did to demonstrate the workflow.
Then I go to edit the sequence, choose the "Note" tab, and set all of the velocities of track 1 to 100. "100" is an arbitrary value to show velocity based element triggering.
Then I copy track 1 to track 2, track 1 to track 3, and track 1 to track 4. So now all 4 tracks have the same 100 velocity notes.
Then I go back and set track 2 notes to velocity 101, track 3 notes to velocity 102, track 4 notes to velocity 103.
The arpeggio is "done" - I go to save the Pattern to an arpeggio and setup the arpeggio tracks so tracks 1-4 are all saved in the arp. I'm leaving out some details of other settings since these might change for you (such as conversion type for each track). Note that we only needed one Part to create a 4 track arpeggio.
Once the user arp is created - we're ready to use it. You can make a new Performance (that has the right sounds ... elements) or, as I did, just keep using the same Init AWM2 Perf.
In order to use this velocity based arp, I have to massage the Init Normal (AWM2) performance. I go to element 1 and change the velocity range to 100-100. Then I copy element 1 to element 2 (and 3, and 4). Actually what I did was manually edit the velocity ranges of elements 2-4 and also turned each element on -- but copying is probably easier. Edit element 2 to velocity 101-101, element 3 to velocity 102-102, and element 4 to velocity 103-103.
For elements 2-4 I changed the coarse pitch setting so I would hear chords with each track in the arpeggio playing one element which is stacked into a 4-note chord of elements 1-4. Also to better hear things, I randomly changed the waveforms of elements 2-4. This is more to better evaluate the result.
Last, add the new user arpeggio to the Performance and trigger it with a key press.
Pattern mode (vs MIDI record) has a lot more features that let you target different aspects of user arpeggio creation.
Then I go to edit the sequence, choose the "Note" tab, and set all of the velocities of track 1 to 100. "100" is an arbitrary value to show velocity based element triggering.
I did not have in mind this function, that should be ok for building complex velocity arpeggio. I will have a try. . But of coarse best way should be to use a daw for midi post editing or even for step note recording as you are not always able to play in live recording the arpeggio you desire. Thank you guys for all your comment above. In fact the process that everybody here knew about duplicate the same part and enable/disable the element you target came in my mind when I was writing this post. 🤤
So if you need to use a DAW why not just create those 4 tracks on the DAW and leave the Montage out of that step?
how do you load this four midi file in the four tracks? One midi file for one tracks and so one? I know you can load midi file in pattern but how you choose a targeted track? I did not see that in the loading process.
I don't use the feature to know for sure but I would imagine using multiple MIDI channels in the MIDI file would do it.
how do you load this four midi file in the four tracks? One midi file for one tracks and so one?
There is only ONE midi file and it has four tracks.
I know you can load midi file in pattern but how you choose a targeted track? I did not see that in the loading process.
As Jason said earlier - it is all explained in the article.
Put Track To Arp:
To understand how this ARP was made you must imagine the four phrases recorded to the first four tracks of the recorder. The data can be recorded in your favorite DAW, edited to meet the velocity range limits for the target sound, and then exported as a .mid file and loaded to the Montage MIDI PLAY/REC feature. Once loaded to Montage we can Convert the data into an arpeggio.
The key is that the performance you use has 4 parts - one for each of the 4 tracks in the midi file.
When you load the midi file each track will get associated with its own part.
Look at the 'Put Track to Arpeggio' screen in that article and you will see it shows you can specify the Convert Type for each track separately - that is what the ONLY step that needs to be done on the instrument.
The creation of the midi file and the four tracks can be done in a DAW or midi editor where it will be much easier to set the proper velocities and SEE the actual notes/timing you are dealing with.
I suggest you actually TRY that specific example shown in the article. Bad Mister shows you EVERYTHING you need to do and what the result of each track should look like.
Try to create those 4 tracks shown in the article in a DAW or midi editor and then work with it from there.
Thank you, I see… I had red these tutorials but I did not join the lines.
Thank you, I see… I read these tutorials but I hadn’t joined the lines. 😊
Thank you, I see… I had red these tutorials but I did not join the lines.
Vuja De! I usually have to look at something from 3 different angles before I start grasping it. Just had that happen in my 'InsA Param 2' thead where Jason had to explain something a couple of different ways before it made sense to me.
The example in that tutorial though really is a good one to get your feet wet working with arpeggios. It is a short example at just two measures and only has a few notes which even a beginner can reproduce pretty accurately.
And the only real editing you need to do on the Montage is the velocity setting for each of the four tracks which can be done separately by changing ALL notes in that track to ANY velocity in the range for that track.
That example happens to only use one Convert Type but you need to set that value on the instrument - not in a midi file.