Pattern import? Or is it only Scene/midi import? 

Watched the video and, as usual, it covers the important points really well. But it also raises several questions but didn't want to muck up the comment section.

1. aren't you really just importing a midi file into Cubase rather than a 'pattern'?

True - the midi file was created as one part/scene of a pattern and, as you point out, won't include 'tempo'. But won't it also be missing other pattern-level parms like 'time signature'?

2. at 5:40 in the video you mention the tempo issue saying that in Cubase 'the default tempo is still 120 BPM. But what about time signature? Doesn't it need to match also?

Don't you need to 'intentionally' open/create a Cubase project that has already been configured properly for the scene/pattern midi files you want to use. On the Montage M you create a 'pattern' that acts as the framework for the scene content but that framework isn't saved when you save an individual scene as a midi file.

The phrase 'when importing a pattern' could be slightly misleading since it isn't really a 'montage pattern' that you are importing but only a low-level piece of the pattern. I'm not sure there actually is any way to copy/move/import/export entire patterns except on the Montage M itself.

I think the one piece missing is that to use the scene midi files properly the user needs to know certain details about the pattern that created them: tempo, time signature, perhaps other things.

Then they need to create/load a project file configured for that tempo/etc.

Notice that the 'Arpeggio Type List' in the Data List doc that lists the 10,000+ arps has columns for 'Time Signature', 'Length', and 'Original Tempo'. 

Here's the companion video where this Montage M pattern was saved as MIDI files for importing into Cubase:

Part 1 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlUCm0tMRC8

It's important to link these as Part 1 and Part 2 of the same tutorial and the link in the original post:

Part 2 -

https://youtu.be/LHCYgpU4XR8

Then this "pattern" stuff makes more sense because this content originated as a pattern, got saved as MIDI file, and ended up as a MIDI track in a Cubase project.  Part 2 is really about using Cubase as the master and Montage M as a slave for its tone generator only.   How to deal with some head scratchers you may run into.

In the original Pattern when everything was inside Montage M - no MIDI files - no Cubase - the tempo was 90.  Montage M was the master controller.  There was nothing except Montage that determined the tempo and it was set to 90.   When the MID files were imported to Cubase - Cubase "decided" the tempo should be the default value of 120.  Since Cubase is determining the MIDI timing (note on/off) based on its own MIDI clock - you have to set the tempo on Cubase to match.  There may be a way to make Montage "tell" Cubase the tempo its using but Joel's configuration was that Montage is fully a slave to Cubase's clock so you have to set it.   

These MID files you import into Cubase are just note on/off messages.  It doesn't matter what the time signature is.  Time signature doesn't matter to a piano roll that is made up of holes in a sheet of paper you load into a player piano.  When there's notes with space in one direction this sets the time between each note and notes with space in the other direction this plays two different notes at the same time.  The player piano doesn't care what the time signature is -- that's a matter of interpretation anyhow.  And when Montage M is a slave to Cubase it just faithfully plays note on and offs and doesn't care how to interpret the time signature.  In the MIDI data used - all ARPs are recorded as their full note outputs of the ARPs - not the input (trigger) notes.  That's why Joel turns off arpeggios when he's using the Montage M as a tone generator slave to Cubase.   

So this is just what you would call a flat "linear" MIDI recording.  All of the notes non-note MIDI data is individually placed in the MIDI file.  If something is repeated 10 times (10 loops) then there's 10 repeated sections of the same thing in the MID file.  All of the arpeggios are fully documented with the output result of the arpeggio.  It's all explicitly mapped out in Cubase and just plays from start to finish - no loops.

On the Montage there are certain times when you're dealing with time representations where time signature is needed.  One example would be - how many of which value of note is contained within a "measure"?  The Pattern Sequencer on Montage M deals with "measure" and so time signature is needed to complete that story.  None of that really matters when Montage M is a player piano using Cubase as the piano roll.

I do agree that out of context Part 2 doesn't readily make sense since "pattern" invokes one train of thought for Montage M (Pattern Sequencer) and Part 2 didn't directly deal with that aspect of Montage M at all.  The MIDI data was the aftermath of a Montage M Pattern Sequencer export but you don't "see" that unless you've viewed Part 1 first.   And I agree MIDI files aren't patterns and all.  Sometimes things get lost in translation.

Whew ... I got the gateway timeout error I haven't seen in a while and thought I lost everything.  Hit refresh and luckily it resubmitted my response and worked.   But, hey, the forum is showing some cracks.  Hope that was a fluke.

The point is that 'pattern' has NO meaning in Cubase. No knocking the video - just pointing out that the title is misleading. Otherwise people might think you can somehow create a pattern on the M and import it into Cubase or other DAW.

Then this "pattern" stuff makes more sense because this content originated as a pattern, got saved as MIDI file,

While I understand what you mean terminology is important. That pattern on the M did NOT, get saved as MIDI files. The MIDI info for each scene got saved but not the pattern 'per se'. 

How to deal with some head scratchers you may run into.

And for that Joel put a lot of meat on the bone as always!

Cubase "decided" the tempo should be the default value of 120.

Maybe I'm wrong but my understanding is that before you can import a midi file you have to create/open a project and that it is the 'project' within Cubase making that decision.

There may be a way to make Montage "tell" Cubase the tempo its using but Joel's configuration was that Montage is fully a slave to Cubase's clock so you have to set it. 

Therein lies the potential for confusion if the user thinks they are importing a 'pattern'. A pattern DOES include tempo data in its header but the midi tracks that get created do not.

All we are saying is that before a user decides to import midi files created by saving scene data from a pattern they should first create/open a project and configure that project appropriately for the midi data they play to import. Part of that configuration would be to set the tempo in the project.

 It doesn't matter what the time signature is.

Sure - but only in the context of playing back those 'holes in the paper' from the midi data you are importing. But it often matters in the biger picture of the Cubase Project you are importing that data too. An existing project will likely already have a tempo track with time signatures. You might be adding it to other tracks where the signature is important.

All we are saying is that in a typical use case the context/configuration of the project as a whole needs to be considered. No - not if you just want to show how to press button A to import a midi file. Yes - if you want to import that file into a useful project that will often include pre-existing content.

That prexisting content is going to become part of the 'Montage M is a player piano' scenario.

It would be helpful if Yamaha put more thought and effort into treating patterns as legitimate objects in their own right. Then they could be more easily manipulated. Same goes for Arps and motion sequences.

We like Joel's videos - he does a good job covering the nooks and crannies. We were just trying point out some possible areas for confusion.

Hi, thank you Jason and Toby

I start the video explaining on first part i have record a pattern with scenes: that's the base pattern start,  and yes you import MIDI to rebuilt what you have record on your Montage M as pattern, to recreate your pattern inside Cubase, the video part 3 will be about audio recording.

Scene can be confusing too, on stage i use scene memories and i do not have any recorded MIDI data inside it, pattern is the current name users know.

When you record you know what is your tempo, your time signature ...

When Cubase opening, it does not "know" this, it's up to you to apply the good settings on your project, that's the current mistake done by users that do not know how to set a project, for audio also to chose 44.1 kHz or 48 kH as starting project.

<a style="color: #ffffff;" href=" removed link " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fnaf

In this video, I’ll walk you through common mistakes to avoid when importing patterns into your Yamaha Montage M, and how to make the process smoother and more effective.

The techniques apply to MODX, MODX+, and the original Montage as well!

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:52 – Importing MIDI Scenes via Drag & Drop
02:17 – Common Mistakes When Importing Patterns
03:19 – Playing Each Track Independently
04:23 – Fixing Drum Parts with No Sound
05:29 – Setting the Correct Tempo in Cubase
06:35 – Continuing MIDI Production After Import & Best Practices
07:00 – Conclusion

Subtitles are fully edited to help you follow along and even translate into other languages.
Voice-over is included for the technical explanations.
Recorded using OS version 2.10.

Have a great weekend and happy music making!