[quotePost id=120376]I have had a long-standing desire to play multiple tracks simultaneously in PATTERN-mode, and after using this machine for over 10 years, I stumbled upon a method to do just that. In addition to playing multiple tracks/voices simultaneously, I was also able to have several arpeggios running at the same time. However, upon listening to the recording, I realized that the technique I used may not have been intended for use in PATTERN-mode. It sounded like mayhem not as it did when playing it in real time! Unfortunately, playing multiple voices with PERFORMANCE-mode is not a viable option since it is limited to only 4 voices.

Am I using it wrong? 🙁

[/quotePost]You aren't doing anything wrong but perhaps the following will explain why it does not work to RECORD (MIDI) in your particular scenario.

The Motif XF can only transmit on one MIDI Channel at a time. In order to “play” (trigger with the keyboard) multiple Parts at the same time, you place the Parts on the same Receive Channel.

The keyboard only sends one set of coded messages (the notes you triggered directly). The Parts setup normally, respond exactly as you’d expect, however, those Parts set “play” what the assigned Arpeggio is generating are NOT answering to your key presses. They only use the timing and/or the chord analysis of what you “played”. The actual Note-On events are quite different from those you actually played.

In other words, if you have a Drum Kit with Arpeggio assigned in one of the Parts you’re controlling, “you” are not “playing” the drums; you are only triggering the Drum Arpeggio Phrase to begin when you touch the keyboard.
If you have a Guitar with Arpeggio assigned in one of the Part you're controlling, the Note-On events generated are not "you" playing, but rather an entirely different source (the Arp Phrase).

So, think it through to the other end of the MIDI flow… only one stream of messages are output from the XF Keyboard (on one MIDI Channel). What gets recorded is the Note-On events that represent the keys you actually pressed.

When you play it back — ‘if’ that stream of MIDI messages arrive at the Drum Part, it will sound like someone threw a drum kit down the stairs. To hear exactly what that Drum Kit is receiving… call up a Drum Kit set to sound normally — and play what you played. NOW, you are triggering the Drums directly. NOW, it is “you” playing the Drums. Sounds like chaos.
-- 'if' that stream of MIDI messages arrive at the Guitar Part, it will sound like what you actually pressed, not the strumming guitar riff generated by the Arp Phrase.

In order for a Sequencer to RECORD and then PLAYBACK what you hear, you would need to:

__ Have each Part transmit OUT via MIDI, separately, on its own MIDI Channel so that those Parts you are “playing” directly send OUT just what they require to playback properly, and those Parts assigned an Arpeggio transmit the contents of the assigned Arp Phrase OUT on a correspondingly numbered MIDI Channel.

In order to RECORD (MIDI) in a situation where you are controlling multiple Parts (some directly, others via Arp Phrases) you must have a system that can transmit simultaneously on those multiple channels…

In other words, you’d have to have a MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+… This is exactly the background story to how these next generation synthesizers work. They ARE capable of transmitting on multiple Channels OUT via MIDI simultaneously. So multiple MIDI streams can be isolated and documented on separate Channels. You can link 8 Parts to be under your real-time keyboard control; assign some to play directly, others to respond to Arpeggio Phrases (8 Arpeggiators)… Any combination of direct-control and Arp controlled Parts that add up to 8 total Parts, at a time. This all can be documented to the Sequencer simultaneously and intelligibly. Parts and Tracks can be COPIED and/or EXCHANGED so once documented to the Sequencer you can reassign the Arps and Parts involved.

In the MOTIF XF you can setup in a MULTI MIXING program (like in Pattern Mode) and you can set all the Parts you want to control via your keyboard to a single MIDI Channel (sufficient to play and trigger them all “live”), but you cannot record this as intelligent MIDI messages (explained above)… you can record it as Audio, however.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the answer. Didn't quite understand though if it was possible or not. I interpreted that it wasn't. That Montage/Modx/Modx was needed. But this gave me hope?
__ Have each Part transmit OUT via MIDI, separately, on its own MIDI Channel so that those Parts you are “playing” directly send OUT just what they require to playback properly, and those Parts assigned an Arpeggio transmit the contents of the assigned Arp Phrase OUT on a correspondingly numbered MIDI Channel.

Thanks for the answer. Didn't quite understand though if it was possible or not.

To simplify: It is NOT possible with the Motif XF
Reason: in Voice Mode, Performance Mode, Pattern/Song Mode the Motif XF only transmits on one channel at a time.
The only time the Motif XF can transmit on multiple MIDI Channels from the Keyboard is in Master Mode.

The MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ has only one mode (it combines all of the Motif XF Modes into a single operating mode -- instead of each being a separate MODE, all functions in the newer synths takes place in one Mode) -- You can therefore, transmit on multiple (8) MIDI channels, simultaneously). The direct play Parts each has its own Channel Out to the Sequencer, and each Arpeggio Part has its own Channel Out to the Sequencer... the requirement for recording multiple MIDI streams, intelligibly.

Didn't quite understand though if it was possible or not. I interpreted that it wasn't. That Montage/Modx/Modx was needed.
. . .
It sounded like mayhem not as it did when playing it in real time!

That arises when an arpeggio is involved.

1. you play notes that TRIGGER the arpeggio but the notes you play are NOT sent out as MIDI.
2. the arpeggio plays several notes that ARE sent out as MIDI.

So if you play a C the arpeggio might play C7 chord notes of C, E, G and Bb.

The MIDI will have those C, E, G and Bb notes. So if you now send the MIDI back to the Motif the C will trigger the arpeggio which causes C, E, G and Bb to sound but the E, G and Bb notes in the MIDI will cause them to sound again also.

You end up having two sets of E, G and Bb playing out of sync; that is the mayhem you hear.

What Bad Mister is explaining is that when you want AUDIO you want to record the arpeggio output but when you want MIDI that you can send back to the MOTIF you want the MIDI to have the notes YOU played that triggered the arpeggio - you don't want the notes that the arpeggio produced.

That is why the notes you play need to be on a different channel than the notes that the arpeggio produces so you can send the notes you play back to the instrument and let the instrument trigger the arpeggio again.

You can't do that on the Motif as BM said:

Reason: in Voice Mode, Performance Mode, Pattern/Song Mode the Motif XF only transmits on one channel at a time.

On a Montage/Modx (and other newer instruments) you can use separate channels for the trigger notes you play and the notes the arpeggio produces.