| Bad_Mister
Total Posts: 36620
Joined 07-30-2002
status: Legend
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Re: Noobie question
1.Is multi function is the same as performance in XS7? If yes, how can I control the volume of the parts?
Yes and no. I know that is not a very descriptive answer but YES, there are similarities but NO it is not exactly the same.
A PERFORMANCE in Yamaha-speak is a situation where you can place up to four VOICES into four PARTS (one Voice per PART) of a multi-timbral setup and access them all on a single MIDI channel. This allows you to play them and control them simultaneously - either directly with your key presses or via the four arpeggiators that can be assigned one to each PART.
So a PERFORMANCE can exist in what, on the keyboard, is called a MIXING setup. “Mixing” mode and “Multi” (Motif-Rack XS) are similar as you can have 16 Voices each assigned a PART. The units are both 16 PART multi-timbral. You have total flexibility in what MIDI channels each PART is assigned. So when the first four PARTS of a Motif-Rack XS Multi are addressed together - it does resemble a Motif XS PERFORMANCE. This is called “Layer 1-4PARTS” in the Motif Rack XS.
Where they differ is that in the keyboard version you have dedicated physical controls to interact with the PARTS. The front panel buttons, control sliders, knobs are integrated to work specifically with the various modes of the XS engine. And in particular in PERFORMANCE mode there are the PERFORMANCE CONTROL functions.
Since all PARTS of a Performance are on the same MIDI channel… on the XS keyboard, the CS (Control Sliders) send System Exclusive messages so that each PART 1, 2, 3 and 4 can be independently controlled via CS1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Standard MIDI Volume (cc007) or MIDI Expression (cc011) could not/cannot be used to control individual PARTS of a Performance since they are “Channel-wide” messages.
The Motif Rack XS while it can load the same sounds and they can be played together - you will not have the same control options. These include access to the PERFORMANCE CONTROL functions where you can:
SELECT PARTS - for realtime editing via the 8x3 rows of real time Knob functions
ARP ON/OFF - independently turn each PART’s Arp on and off in real time
PART MUTE - real time access to PART MUTE function
ARP HOLD ON/OFF
The whole concept of the four arpeggios and the real time performance control functions of the PERFORMANCE is to optimize use in recording to the Motif XS on board sequencer. Since the Motif Rack XS does not have a sequencer, it is not going to have these same functions.
In fact, recording the Performances to an external sequencer is totally possible but it is simply handled differently. As you can imagine, the typcial DAW software paradigm is to record one track at a time. And you would do this when you record the Motif Rack XS to an external sequencer… Here’s how that works: You record yourself playing the PERFORMANCE…
The Motif Rack XS Editor allows you to load any of the 384 PERFORMANCES that are in the XS keyboard. You load the one you want to record to a MULTI location. It occupies the first four PARTS - you turn “LAYER 1-4PARTS” = ON
Now you record your trigger note performance to your DAW while listening to the Motif Rack XS do its multiple arpeggio thing. Now that you have your trigger notes documented in your DAW, you can route them back to the Motif Rack XS and trigger each PART while capturing the output of the arpeggio as it triggers each PART individually.
In this fashion you accomplish the same thing the keyboard does in one pass with its built-in “Direct Performance Record”. The Rack XS is different. You still only play once but during that once, you record exactly what want… then you route those trigger notes back to the Rack XS and capture the output of the arpeggiator by assigning each PART to a separate MIDI channel… This is necessary because as you can imagine - if you understand MIDI, you only are playing on one channel - if four separate PARTS are going to playback the data - you have to separate it. (It sounds complicated but it is not).
2.I know there is no sampler in it, but can I somehow put the wavs into the rack?
No. That would require a sampler…
3.How it is working in live conditions (program switching, editing, etc.)?
You send the Motif Rack XS Bank Select MSB/LSB (063/068) and a Program Change (000-127) to select MULTIS 001 through 128 (version 1.02.1)
If you are in Voice mode it uses Bank Select and Program Change messages the same as the keyboard version.
Because of the 8 Element architecture and the 1-space rack unit of the Motif Rack XS, in depth editing is handled from the Editor (on the download page for the Motif Rack XS from: The Motif Rack XS Download page
You would not want to navigate the scores of pages from the 1-space units screen - so in depth editing is best handled on your computer. While you can edit COMMON parameters, controllers, effects, EQ, overall EGs, etc - Element level editing (which you would not be doing on stage in a live situation anyway) is restricted to the Motif-Rack XS Editor.
4.I don’t know how to call that function which gives more power to acoustic sounds like sax, where is it in rack?
This is called XA CONTROL for Expanded Articulation. This is handled by standard MIDI commands and can be done from any good controller with assignable controls. For example, switches assigned to send cc086 and cc087 will trigger the default Assignable Function 1 and 2 controls. These are used very often as the switches for XA Control.
Some XA Control is simply about how you attack the keyboard. For example, the legato XA Control is only activated when you play in a legato fashion on your controller (that is trigger a new note before releasing the current note)… this will cause the Motif Rack XS to trigger the legato samples which will articulate a smooth entry of the new note (legato).
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