SONG mode is linear recording, PATTERN mode is loop recording (Loop length can be from 1 to 256 measures). It is often easier to assemble your musical composition one musical section at a time. PATTERN mode allows you to work on the Intro as a section (A), and then separately work on the Verse as a separate section (B), then build a Chorus or Bridge section (C) and so on. There are 16 user definable sections (A-P). PATTERN sections can later be assembled into a playback order, called a “Pattern Chain”… these are a list of instructions as to which section goes to which section — literally, a Chain of musical sections which can be converted to a linear SONG.

Pattern sections loop over and over. Not only allowing to isolate the musical section while working out the musical parts. As the tutorial below will explain, you can freely move your data back and forth between the modes to take advantage of the different Jobs and edit features you may wish to apply. Data can move in either direction PATTERN —> SONG or SONG —> PATTERN.

The advantage of the linear SONG is it plays from start to finish without any assistance from you during playback. PATTERN sections will simply loop forever… until you “chain” them - tell them what to do, they are completely separate.

Recommended Tutorial Article:

Link — MOXF: ONE Sequencer / TWO Modes / MANY Related Jobs

If you still have questions, post back here.

I have a pretty good grasp about how to use Pattern for creating Songs. What I'm trying to do is use Patterns "live", instead of Song. So I can improvise or open up sections in the middle of the tune. I know there are some limitations to doing that so I choose only certain Songs for a Pattern version.

But I'm not even clear on how to save a Pattern. Why did my ALL Pattern show up when I was in Master mode working from an All Song file? I didn't mind that it was available to me, but if they are using up sequencer memory, I need to be able to organize them. Even outside of Master mode, when I open an ALL SONG which is devoted to only ONE song while I'm still working on it, if I go up into Pattern I might see Patterns from other entire Song projects. It's confusing in terms of management of sequences, Pattern OR Song.

Maybe I'm not making myself clear. There's something I'm not grasping, for sure. But at this point I don't even know how to make sure a Pattern is saved or how to avoid clearing it permanently.

There are 64 Song locations, numbered 01-64
There are 64 Pattern locations, numbered 01-64 — each Pattern location can have 16 Sections, A-P

When working on anything in the MOXF, you first [STORE] it to internal memory, then you can press [FILE] and SAVE the data to a USB stick you use with the MOXF.

REMEMBER because this is important: Only the STORED data gets SAVED to your File.
Storing is the operation of writing data to the MOXF’s internal memory… Saving is the operation that writes the selected stored data to an external USB stick for long term storage and retrieval.

If you go to [FILE] > [F2] SAVE and you set the TYPE = “All” — all user data *stored* in the MOXF internal memory is Saved to the File (.X6A). An ALL data file will Save all of the User Voices, Performances, Waveforms, Arpeggios, Songs, Patterns, etc., etc
If you set the TYPE = “All Voice” — all User Voices, and User Waveforms will be saved to the File (.X6V)
If you set the TYPE = “All Arp” — all User Arpeggio will be saved to the File (.X6G)
If you set the TYPE = “All Song” — all 64 Song setups will be saved along with the MIDI Event data (.X6S)
If you set the TYPE = “All Pattern” — all 64 Patterns setups will be saved along with the MIDI Event data (.X6P)
If you set the TYPE = “SMF” — Sequence Track (1 – 16) and Tempo Track data of Songs or Patterns created in the Song/Pattern mode can be saved to USB flash memory as Standard MIDI File (format 0) data. File format is (.mid)
If you set the TYPE = “All Waveform” — All the Waveform data can be saved as a single file (.X6W). The Waveform data includes all the Samples on the optional Flash Memory Expansion Modules (FL512M/FL1024M). Note that the Samples on the FL512M/FL1024M may not be included in a file of this type because you can select whether or not these are to be saved before executing the Save operation.

Okay, that covers all the FILE SAVE TYPES. You don’t have to memorize them all but I included them so you can start to understand the best way to manage your different types of user created data.

If you SAVE the File TYPE = ALL you grab everything. And because it is everything you will have options when you want to restore certain things. Here’s what I mean - and this pertains to your Sequence data.

When you save as .X6A that All data file contains your Songs, and your Patterns, and all the Voices you may have used in creating them.
You can elect to set the [FILE] > [F3] LOAD and you set the TYPE = “All” it will restore All your data.
But what if you only wish to restore Song #14… you can set the Load TYPE = “song” — this will allow you to Load just the one Song.

It’s SAVE All, but you have options to Load All Songs or Load just one Song.
Same goes with the All Pattern File — you can choose to Load All Patterns or you can Load just one Pattern (16 Sections).
You SAVE “All Voices” — but you can choose to Load All Voices or you can set the Load Type = “voice” which lets you select just a single Voice.

And so on. “All” Saves all data, and “All” Loads all data, but when you wish to assemble new combinations of data from various saved File, you can opt to set the LOAD TYPE so that you can Load just a single title.

This always begs the question… “Can’t I SAVE just one SONG?” and Can’t I SAVE just one PATTERN?” - The answer is NO… You SAVE All, but you can opt to Load just one. That’s how it works. As you get deeper into this you start to see why… you can use several Patterns to assemble a Song.

Remember, your Song and/or your Pattern has two major components:
1) the MIDI event data that get recorded to the Sequencer Tracks
2) the MOXF “Mixing” setup that is your selection of 16 Voices placed into the 16 PARTs of the MIXING program.

A Song is a combination of these two components. You need both to equal a SONG.
A pattern is a combination of these two components. You need both to equal a PATTERN.
Hint: For example, say you SAVE your Song as an SMF -Standard MIDI File (.mid) — this will only contain the MIDI event data recorded to the 16 Tracks… it will not include your MIXING setup.

See page 156 of the MOXF Reference Manual for the LOAD Options you have… reading through them will give you a good idea of how to manage your data.

Until you are sure about what you’re doing — the safest thing to do is first press [STORE] then go to FILE and SAVE using the TYPE = ALL
If it was worth working on - it is worth pressing [STORE] and then going to [FILE] and SAVE ALL