Just after posting I found this topic I guess may answer my question, so if I understand right if I want to record a performance with four layers, just copy and paste the midi to four new tracks and just pick the voices used on the VST to recreate it? Seems like a not so elegant solution but oh well....

triggering a moxf performance from cubase

It appears not so elegant because while related to your question, it is attempting to playback four different Parts on the same MIDI channel. If you are new to MIDI, we’ll tell you the basics: you can’t do that. It is basic information you need to know if, however, as your request is to record four Parts of a Performance so that each one Transmits Out on a separate MIDI channel.

We can help you understand this but first let’s explain how you can play four Parts, simultaneously, yet send each one Out on a separate MIDI channel.

Think about the four Part Performance you are playing. And think how little you are doing to make it play. We don’t know exactly what Performance you are referring to, but let’s just for this example say it has drums, bass, guitar and keyboard... with Parts 1, 2, and 3 are using Arpeggios.

You hit a CMajor7 chord and hold it for four measures... and an entire band plays brilliantly ...

Your DAW MIDI Track will either record you hitting and holding a CMajor7 chord as tied whole note across four bars, or it can record all that MIDI data output by the drums, bass and guitar phrases... it cannot intelligently record both. If you attempt to record all the output of the Arps you must assure that separate the Drums to their own MIDI channel, the bass to its own MIDI channel and the Guitar to its own it’s own MIDI channel... (if you don’t how can it playback... that was the other posters question) but you want their tracks to ignore your CMajor7 chord (CMajor7 sounds ridiculous when played on the drum kit, it sounds muddy when played back on the bass sound, and interferes with the finger picking of the guitar part. And yet you want the piano in Part four to play that CMajor 7 chord exactly as you triggered it.

Now, as long as you can set that all up in your DAW... you can go ahead and record your four Part Performance simultaneously...

We assume this is the absolute nightmare you’ve been wrestling with just before you posted here... please stop trying.

Here’s why you won’t get it to work.
1) most DAWs are designed primarily to record one track at a time, and mainly of YOU playing. A separate setup is needed to record Arpeggios.
2) a MIDI Track can record YOU playing (Notes that you actually trigger) OR it can record the output of an Arpeggiator, it cannot record both (intelligently)
3) you are sending notes you trigger and you are sending Arpeggiator notes simultaneously.

If you are using Cubase Pro, we can show you how to isolate each incoming MIDI channel using the INPUT TRANSFORMER - we will skip that explanation here until we know it is something that is a possibility for you. If you are using Cubase AI, for example, you would have to record all incoming data to a single track then divide the data by channel.

If and when Arpeggios are used the data generated “looks” the same to the recording device... so imagine the CMajor7 chord you hit and held for four bars. To the Arpeggio Guitar Part it might be receiving instruction to hit and hold C3 for four measures, at the same time it is playing staccato notes as apart of the finger picking Arp phrase. To your DAW, it cannot tell the difference, they are just two conflicting instructions coming in via MIDI.

Obviously, the MIDI track has no way of knowing which you want... it records them both... and playback gets scrambled. It’s doing what YOU told it.

The conundrum does it record just what YOU played or does it record the arpeggiated notes from the Arpeggiator. (The problem comes when you start to think it’s YOU playing the drums, the bass and the guitar... you are not, this other keyboard guy named “Arp” is playing those sounds.

What to do
1) earn a MIDI Jedi Knight Merit Badge and setup a special template in your DAW especially to record Multi-tracks simultaneously (we can assist you)
or
2) learn to use the “Direct Performance Record” feature designed by Yamaha, for this specific purpose: recording multiple Part Performances for transfer to a DAW. It sets you to record from the four Part Performance to either a Song or a Pattern.
As we’ve stated a Performance is a single channel, so we will need to send each Part Out defining a separate MIDI channel for each as it goes to the Sequencer. Each must be routed to its own Track which will be assigned a separate channel. Those with normal note Arpeggios assigned will only output the Arp phrase data, the synth will automatically block your trigger notes. And the Part not using an Arp will record just the notes you actually played.

You play from Performance Mode
Press [RECORD]
You are offered Song or Pattern Mode
Once you do the setup, notice it prompts you that the Performance will be copied to the Mode you indicated and indoing so the Part will be reunited with the MIDI data it requires to play properly. Drums play drum notes, bass plays bass notes, guitar plays guitar notes, and the piano plays what you actually played.

Upon completion of the direct record you are taken to the Mode you selected, the Parts have been copied, and reunited with the appropriate data.

Save as a SMF (Standard MIDI File) .mid and put it on a usb stick, you can now open it in your favorite DAW.

More info.. see my response from three years ago...
https://yamahasynth.com/forum/cubase-not-recording-arp-effects-in-performance-mode#reply-1326

Thanks, yes I am pretty clueless with MIDI (obviously). I just wanted to play "MOX Flash" with arpeggio turned off. I do have Cubase Pro version. I am using a Focusrite interface as my driver, with the outputs of the MOXF plugged into the focusrite, if that matters.

Okay, first, there is no Performance named “MOX Flash”. That program is a Master program. (Semantics? Well, not really. It is important to understand the terminologyj. Master Mode will always be associated with either a Voice, a Performance, a Song or a Pattern. The purpose of Master Mode is twofold... 1) to setup your MOXF to communicate with the outside world via MIDI and 2) to organize your favorite programs in the MOXF into a single Bank.

You might need to first recall a Voice (Full Concert Grand), then a multiPart Performance (Pumping Station MW), then a Song Mixing Setup, etc., etc. by associating these with a Master program you can quickly move from one to the next without having to hunt through 1300+ Voices, then through 256 Performances, or through 64 Songs, etc., etc... you can place them in a single Master Bank of 128,that is one Bank to rule them all.

If you recall the MASTER 001(A01) MOX Flash, you’ll see that it is linked to a PERF: USR1 (005)
Press [PERFORMANCE]
You will see the “Pumping Station MW” is the Performance associated with that Master Setup (the Master Setup can have a different name, remember it can also include anything you are connected to via MIDI).

I just wanted to play "MOX Flash" with arpeggio turned off.

Okay, if no Arpeggios are involved the task is much simpler. We’ve established it is really a Performance (four Parts) since you want to play them yourself, without Arpeggio, then you can simply place the sounds on the same MIDI channel and record the data to a MIDI Track

Here’s how to setup your MOXF.
The Performance you want is in USR1:005 “Pumping Station MW”... recall that Performance.
The VST EDITOR does not support Performances - so we will need to COPY the Performance to a Song or Pattern Mixing, then the Editor will import it.. When you place the MOXF in Performance Mode the Editor goes OFFLINE.

Press [SONG]
Find a blank Song location.
Press [MIXING]
Press [JOB]
Press [F3] COPY
Press [SF3] PERFORM
Set the dialog box that appears to “USR1:005 “Pumping Station MW”
Place an ‘x’ next to each Attribute you want to copy.
Target Parts 1-4

Press [ENTER] twice to confirm and execute

This will Copy the 4 Parts of the Performance to the first four Parts of the MIXING.
On the top line of the Editor (still OFFLINE) click on “ Bulk” > “Data Sync” > Select “Receive” Current, then click START.
The Editor will bring in the MOXF SONG MIXING setup

Now bring the Editor ONLINE.

Turn off the Arps... notice all Parts are assigned to CHANNEL 1. And you will be able to play them all from a MIDI Track set to Output on channel 1
The Drums do not sound because they are set to play by the Arp Only. (“Arp Play Only” is set to On for the Drums in Part 1).

Thanks Badmister! No way I would have figured this out myself....