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MONTAGE Series Synthesizers
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I have finally "closed the loop" on something that Bad Mister suggested to me years ago on motifator.com, and then again here more recently. I now have a quick way of producing a "backup band" (drums, bass, rhythm tracks) for any song I want to work with.
I took a suggestion from that motifator.com thread and bought Band In A Box. All you have to do is type in the chord progression, and it produces the tracks for you. I export those tracks as a MIDI file, and import it into Cubase. Then I find a particular sequence of bars that seems suitable, and "Play" them into the Montage recorder the way Bad Mister described. Once I have them in the Montage recorder, I make User Arpeggios out of them. Then I can build a Performance that uses them, and use that "backup band" to play behind me on any song that I want. I've been trying to figure out a way to do this quickly enough to make it practical for years, and I'm delighted that (thanks to help I've gotten from a number of people) I can finally do it.
It leads to a question, though. I'm thinking I'm going to end up with a lot of User Arpeggios. What's the best way to manage a large set of User Arpeggios? All I can think of so far is a combination of using the category structure and some consistent way of encoding information in their names (similar to the names of the built-in arpeggios). I'd love to hear any other ideas people might have.
And a smaller question: when I created this first set of User Arpeggios, I forgot to set the category and subcategory for them. Is there any way to edit them and fix this? Or do I just need to re-create them and do it right this time?
Posted : 09/12/2017 9:56 pm
...when I created this first set of User Arpeggios, I forgot to set the category and subcategory for them. Is there any way to edit them and fix this? Or do I just need to re-create them and do it right this time?
I’ll take the smaller question first... it must be a rite of passage, I did a very similar thing. I didn’t name the phrase (but I did set the Category). Name you can fix, the Category/SubCatehory not so much.
So the first thing you want to pass on to those about to embark on Arpeggio making, is to come up with a naming scheme that helps you remember what’s in that Arp Phrase. Definitely set the Category/SubCategory, and spend some time naming the phrase so it means something to you later.
Fortunately, you can rename your Arp phrases easily enough. The Arp Phrases (256 User Phrases) can be in the User Bank at any one time. They are placed in your Library File when you create it and become apart of that Library’s Data. So you can amass quite a few as you build them up...
While the Arps are in the USER Bank they are contained in the “Arps” Folder
Press [UTILITY]
Touch “Contents” > “Data Utility” > Folder “Arps”
Once in your Folder, Touch an Arp Box to see the pop-in menu appear, select RENAME
Depending on how many you’ve made and what you’ve named them, this can be easy or difficult.
Initially they are listed alphabetically (Name)... I found it useful to view them by DATE (arrow pointing downward) as this lists them in the order I created them... was able to then systematically rename them.
If worse case, you can’t figure which phrase is which, just RENAME them with a number, then go back to a Performance and identify what’s what (paper and pencil) then you can go back and properly name them...
It’s one of those things you should do the first time. But I was in too much of a hurry to get them in there to see how this worked. I looked at my notes from a couple years ago, I wrote it down: create an Arp - name it wisely. If you are doing a major project with Arps... pays to setup your “System” at the start.
If you are only going to use it once, for a very specific purpose, then fine no need... but for an Arp to be found later, to be used for some other purpose, do yourself a favor.... you must name and categorize it for yourself carefully.
Forgetting to Name it properly was rectified by the above, but the Arp’s Category and SubCategory assignments are not editable after the fact... as far as I know.
Category - Is imperative because Drum Arps can only really be used on DrumKit Parts. Same with MegaGtr, MegaBass Arps need specific instrument Parts
Posted : 10/12/2017 1:46 pm
Topic starter
Thanks, Bad Mister. Perhaps editable categories and subcategories for User Arpeggios could be a feature of some future firmware release?
I sure hope someone (John Melas?) comes up with something like the Motif Total Librarian for the Montage sometime soon.
I’m tempted to do one myself, but I’m retired and would really rather do music at this point in my life.
Posted : 10/12/2017 7:43 pm
