An example of an Arpeggio Phrase Accent (they are all documented in the Data List booklet) would be a Drum Arpeggio, where when you set the “Velocity Threshold” value to a high value, like 125, for example, you can trigger a Kick drum and Crash Cymbal *punch* any time you exceed the velocity as set by the “Velocity Threshold” parameter. This allows you, when performing with drum Arpeggios, to place the simultaneous Kick+Crash “punch” wherever you wish to have the beat accented. The Velocity threshold should be set high enough that you only trigger it at appropriate times. (If the Vel Threshold is too low you wind up sounding like you keep falling over the drum kit, set properly it really give you a sense of real-time control over the drums track).

A word on the musical Sound FX, like sound on the acoustic guitars — you may notice the programmers have “hidden” some of the sound FX within the Key Off Element (XA CONTROL) at a very specific Velocity Range — for example I was playing one of the Acoustic Guitars and every great once in a while I would hear a finger zing or a scrape - but it was not consistent. In fact, you couldn’t really control when it would happen.

I mentioned it to a guitar player friend of mine (who was helping me “think like a guitarist”… ) his response made me laugh, he goes, “…happens to me when playing, too.” And he couldn’t really control when they happened either!

They set the velocity of the Sound FX to an extremely narrow velocity range, 110-110. So only if you play a note-on at exactly 110 would the random fingering noise (zing) appear when the key was released. It makes it some how - more organic.

The secret to those sound fx, whether added manually, or hidden with narrow velocity ranges, is not to use so many you are aware of them, but just enough to give the feel of authenticity. When you hear some of the MegaGuitar Arpeggios played on the MegaGuitar Parts designed to go with those Arp Phrases, you can hear how these sound FX are used to make things sound authentic…

Like any Key Off or sound fx Element, less is more… if you become aware of it, you’ve overplayed your hand. Like the noise of the acoustic hammers falling back in place, if you actually hear them, you have way too much level… they should more ‘felt’ than heard.
No recording engineer is trying to feature the KeyOff noises or the sound fx when recording music… they are just apart of the general overall sound — too many of them sound as wrong as having none!

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the quick tutorial. Sneaking those Random SFX in via the Key Off is quite clever.

So I'm clear. Only certain Voices include Accent Phrase, so you either hear it happen or you can seek them out in the Data List but they're not something you can add to a Voice on your own. Is that correct?

I play all my own drum parts, at the keyboard though, so I'm usually just doing bass drum and snare in one pass, then adding the rest of the parts in a separate pass. As a drummer, I'm constantly striving for it to feel and sound organic. (I'm positive nobody notices or appreciate it, but I go through my high-hat, ride and crash and tom fill events and remove any strokes that are technically impossible to do unless you have three hands.) What I miss most are those punches and syncopation that you really have to be at a drum kit to have the proper feel. So in that regard I'm never really satisfied with what I've recorded.

So I'm clear. Only certain Voices include Accent Phrase, so you either hear it happen or you can seek them out in the Data List but they're not something you can add to a Voice on your own. Is that correct?

To be clear, the “Accent Phrase” refers to specific Arpeggio Phrases — as does the “Random SFX”. I mentioned the MONTAGE Data List booklet, if you look up the “Arpeggio Type List”, among the columns which describe the 10,239 Arps is one for “Accent Phrase” and one for “Random SFX”, and one that tells you what was the original “Sound Type” used when the Arp Phrase was created… you can apply any Arp Type to any Part, but when they don’t make sense, it’s good to know what was the intended target. You can put any Drum Arp Type with any Kit, but as a drummer you know that you might play something entirely different if challenged with a different set of sounds. Sometime changing the original Kit, after the fact, is a brilliant move! And sometimes, not so much… you know what I mean?

The (Mega)Guitar, (Mega)Bass, and Drum Arp Types are the main targets for this special detailing.

This Data List is essential if you are going to decode how they (the programmers) recreated some of the hyper-realistic guitar Arp Types.

We have a tutorial article that attempts to shed some light on just how one could put together their own “Arp Phrases” using the on board sequencer… and it shows how you can include the artful noises and sound effects as apart of the Arpeggio data. If you are curious - it’s worth a read through….
Here's a link — MONTAGifying Motif - Performance: “Free Fall” - Guitar Arp Study

I play all my own drum parts, at the keyboard though, so I'm usually just doing bass drum and snare in one pass, then adding the rest of the parts in a separate pass. As a drummer, I'm constantly striving for it to feel and sound organic. (I'm positive nobody notices or appreciate it, but I go through my high-hat, ride and crash and tom fill events and remove any strokes that are technically impossible to do unless you have three hands.) What I miss most are those punches and syncopation that you really have to be at a drum kit to have the proper feel. So in that regard I'm never really satisfied with what I've recorded.

While it is very true many, perhaps even most listeners will not notice or even appreciate that attention to detail. Mostly because, I’ve discovered, everyone listens and hears differently. But as a musician (as an artist) you do it for the few that can and do listen for that difference. And you do it because it’s what drives you to music. Don’t stop!

If you are taking the time to make your drum tracks so that they are technically possible, the folks who “get that” will hear it — you must count on that! Enjoy!

Thanks for the input and encouragement.

The most perfect technique is that which is not noticed at all.“ — Pablo Casals