There are no "multi-tapped reverbs" or tempo driven "ring modulators" but perhaps you're speaking generally. There are Insertion Effects that do reference the tempo (they have "tempo" in the name) and there are other Insert Effects like the "Slice" function which appears in both of the programs you mention.

Both "Envelope" and "Vibrancy" feature the SLICE effect type which basically controls audio output by slicing it into musical values causing a pumping/gating effect.

You need to determine if the effect seems to be "free running" (meaning it does not necessarily reset each time), versus the tempo. The other condition would have it reset on each key-on. If it resets you can use it for precise value, if not you may need to reset it each manually each time you wish to use it.

Whether or not it sounds precisely in tempo can also be affected by the various parameter settings. There is a panning and an amplitude function to the effect's movement. The movement references the current specific tempo, whether not it sound exactly in sync is going to be a perception based on the combined settings. As is the nature with all effects you must work with them to understand how their setting affect the results.

When you say the first time is in time and the second time it is not, I cannot explain that without values. ...inconsistency seems to indicate a problem. But when sync'd it should behave consistently in or consistently out of sync. Perhaps you notice it more the second time... Or are you using a specific dotted value. Please provide a few more details, I'll have to take a look at the XF SLICE effect again.

thank you for your response. It's obvious that you have much more of a firm grasp on how effects work in the MOTIF, which, I suspect, is a big part of my problem. I don't know how this works well enough to be able to determine what the particular effects settings are for each part. All I can tell you is that when I select the part and I'm in Pattern Mode, I use it as is, meaning I don't manually tweak any settings. I've messed around a little bit with FX settings in the past, so I'm familiar with the Slice function, but I didn't specifically realize that it was added to both of those voices (Envelope and Vibrancy) by default.

I suspect I'll need to read one of the basic FX tutorials to understand this more fully, but I think maybe what got me turned around is that I thought Insertion Effects were always manually engaged... meaning, I didn't realize that there were voices that defaulted to using Insertion Effects. I assumed that mean I had to "insert" them if I wanted their operation. I think I assumed the slicing and reverbing and whatnot were just ... I don't know... hardwired into the voice. I realize that's an ignorant way of putting it, but I guess what I'm saying is I viewed the concepts of "voice" and "effect" as discrete elements that never interacted unless I specifically intended them to. I'm realizing now that was an errant assumption, probably fueled by the fact that I do most of my arranging and writing with the "insertion" button lit and I usually don't pay attention to what the voices sound like with or without.

anyway... back to the issue at hand.

Here are the settings for the voice as I understand them.

When in Pattern Mode, I select Part 4, which is assigned to the "Envelope" voice. When I press MIXING, then F6 for "Vce Edit" it shows me that Insertion A is a Chorus effect called "2 Modulator," and Insertion B is a"Tec" effect (dunno what that means exactly) called "Slice".

When I hit F5 for "Com LFO," it shows me that Tempo Sync is ON, and Tempo Speed is 4th (I'm assuming that means quarter note?) and "Key on Reset" is Off.

Under this set of parameters, the tempo sync appears to be "sometimey" meaning if I start the pattern from the beginning, it might sync, it might not.

I have noticed, however, that when I change the "Key on Reset" to "1st-on" then it seems to be locked in in a way that it doesn't exactly do if "Key on Reset" is set to Off. This seems to be what you were referring to when you asked if it was "free running."

I've tested this difference at two or three different tempo variations (the intended tempo, 112 BPM, slower at 107, and WAY slower at 85 BPM). What I seem to be observing (it was most easily observed at a slower BPM since the panning and movement is happening more slowly so I can perceive it more distinctly) is that when the "Key on Reset" is off, the effect approximates the slower tempo, but it's not exactly locked to it, it might be a bit slow, such that the slicing sound effect sort of bounces all over the rest of the rhythm and the net effect is that the groove sort of falls apart instead of staying together. My drums patterns are quantized, not mechanically airtight, but usually within 75-80%, which means it's tight enough to stay together but still feel natural instead of more artificial.

Anyway, I'm assuming that all I need to do is STORE that voice as an initialized voice with the "Key on Reset" parameter set to "1st-on" and then I should be good, with regard to that particular Pattern.

FWIW, I did some reading on the "Key on Reset" function in the manual, and it seems that what makes it feel like the tempo lock is sometimey off-or-on is that when the "Key on Reset" is set to off, the following is true (quoting from the manual):

"The LFO cycles freely with no key synchronization. Pressing a key starts the LFO wave at whatever phase the LFO happens to be at that point."

I think what makes me think that the effect is not tempo locked is that sometimes the LFO is operating from a place where the zero value -- or the middle of the LFO wave -- is not on beat one, and therefore the bounce-back effect my brain is expecting doesn't happen in the place where my ears want it to. That would also explain why sometimes it does happen that way, and sometimes it doesn't.

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Anyway, I guess the lesson here is I should do more reading in the manual. But thank you, Bad Mister, for pointing me in the right direction. 🙂

Excellent. I believe in those tempo sync'd effects, you have the "Pan Types", "Pan AEG Type", and various phase settings, these can be used (tweaked) so that it does give you the movement you desire. Now unfortunately, there are no indicators (other than what it feels like) so you totally are setting these "by ear" (the right way to tweak effects).

Try using these parameters to influence the movement. The timing is synced, these parameters change how it feels - try them.
Key-on Reset set to "1st On" means it starts when the first key hits and runs in sync from there. That and the tweaks might do it.
Hope that helps.