Howdy, folks.

I’ve got my Motif XS7 hooked up to my computer via USB MIDI. I’m recording MIDI to a DAW (Pro Tools LE), and I wondered if there was a way to transmit the MIDI data from all those great arpeggiator patterns and have it show up as MIDI data in my DAW. For instance, on my Fantom X7 I can hit the arpeggiator button, play a sustained chord, and it shows up in Pro Tools as 16th notes, transcribing what the arpeggiator is doing. When I do the same thing on the Motif XS7, I just get long, sustained notes in Pro Tools.

Thanks for any help with this.

In the manual, look up Arp MIDI Out Switch.  If you have trouble with this setting, report back and we’ll try to help you.

Thanks, Donald-M.

There is a patch in Perform mode I’d like to record the arpeggiator from, but the Utility for Perform Mode doesn’t seem to include the Arp MIDI Out option. Patches in Voice Mode seem to have the Arp MIDI Out option, but not in Perform Mode. Is there any way to send arpeggiator data from Perform Mode?

The XS is still pretty new to me, so I appreciate the help!

“There is a patch in Perform mode I’d like to record the arpeggiator from, but the Utility for Perform Mode doesn’t seem to include the Arp MIDI Out option. Patches in Voice Mode seem to have the Arp MIDI Out option, but not in Perform Mode. Is there any way to send arpeggiator data from Perform Mode?

The XS is still pretty new to me, so I appreciate the help!”

Because your Motif XS is capable of multiple arpeggios, and because it is the right thing to do, the normal keypresses are transmitted OUT via MIDI as the default condition. Most times you are recording the actual notes that you play. So if you want to transmit the arpeggio OUT via MIDI you must turn that fucntion ON and select a MIDI channel on which it is to travel OUT. In a Performance it is possible to have some PARTS following an arpeggio and others to play normally. (A bit different perhaps from your other keyboard).

Of course, there is a way to transmit arpeggios OUT via MIDI in every mode.

From PERFORMANCE mode
Press [EDIT]
Press a button [1] - [4] to view the PART’s parameters
Press [F3] ARP OTHER
On this screen (at the bottom) you will find the “MIDI OUT SWITCH” and the “MIDI OUT CHANNEL” parameters. This can be set per PART.

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

Outstanding. That’s exactly the information I was seeking. Thanks, Bad_Mister!  :-)

Hello Bad Mister,

Eric here hailing from Frostburg, Maryland.

I’ve done some searching on this subject, came up with 2 GREAT threads (of old, before the new website design)...and we have communicated a few times orbiting this same subject. 

I am (and remain) a bit frustrated.  Not so much in “recording arps”...but during the play back of said arps via my PC based DAW (Mackie’s Tracktion 3 namely).

I am familiar with the theory:  From PERFORMANCE>EDIT>ARP OTHER>

Selecting parts 1 thru 4, and making sure the ARP out switch is ON, and the ARP OUT CH is set for Part ONE to MIDI OUT CH ONE, Part TWO to MIDI OUT CH TWO...etc...thru part 4.

Before hand, I do take time to select the SEQ SETUP, and select REC ARP TO COMPUTER…

To the “best” of my knowledge, the MIDI “thru” is set to OFF in my DAW.  In my case (in Tracktion) this is probably related to the “end to end” function that applies.  This “end to end” function relates to the specific MIDI channel, AND Tracktion’s internal mixing/audio engine.

In summary, the recording of the ARP goes quite well.  All 4 input meters are showing velocities relating to their specific part (guitar, drum, base, whatever)...yet…

When I stop at the end of say, 4 measures...the problems arises.

Upon playback>>>

I bring the DAW’s curser back to the start of measure 1, make sure the MOTIF’s ARP on/off switch is ON...and press play on the DAW>>>

The result is not the same as if the PERFORMANCE was recorded internally.  IOW, there is some commonalities between instruments vs. data.  The data doesn’t play back in an isolated manner.

(Boy, this IS a stretch trying to communicate this to you from where I’m sitting)

Please know that I have had some “relative” success in the PERFORM>UTILITY>CONTROL>MIDI page.

Setting the BASIC RECEIVE CH and the KEYBOARD TX CH to channel 4 in both cases seems to respond in an exact “likeness” of the original ARP recording...however, there is a small snag when it comes to actually editing the existing MIDI events and how that performance plays back as per the TX and RX channels as described earlier.

I chose to change a few notes on the bass line as they were recorded on a MIDI clip (CH 2 on TRK 2 for ex).  The MOTIF would not respond to this change (during playback) UNLESS the RX CH was set to CH 2.

Finally, it would seem as though in order to realize each channel’s MIDI info played through the MOTIF’s sound generator (as they appear in the DAW) I think I have to be in SONG or PATTERN MODE for an accurate representation of the MIDI data vs the instrument it is assigned to.

If this is the case, the work around would be to simply record the PERFORMANCE in the MOTIF, then dial up the SONG location (where it was stored when I began)...and just dial everything in from there...I know for a FACT, that when I change MIDI data in SONG or PATTERN MODE, the result is exactly what the note events (in the midi clip) dictate.

Man...this is WINDED as all get out...but I’m hoping for some clarity.

I’d really love to record a performance (4 midi tracks of data) simultaneously...and just have the darn thing play back as recorded...so I can add to it...and change things as the song progresses.

Thanks for your patience...my apologies for the long post.

Regards,
Eric

I have just read all of your post and was happy to discover that upon reaching the end, 2 of my insurance policies had matured.

I may well have missed the point but as I only have a few hours to spare, reading it again is clearly not an option.

IF ......what you are saying is that you are playing back the tracks which have the arp data recorded and using the XS as tone generator, then you should turn off the arp switch on the XS for playback. Otherwise you have arps playing arps which, while interesting, is clearly not what you are looking for.

If by some quirk of fate, this helps, it is not due to the breadth of my Motif knowledge but simply that I have spent the last 37 hours wrestling with exactly this issue!

If i am totally off the subject, please forgive me but it’s probably due to the fact that I can follow narratives no more complex than those of Franz Kafka. :))_

All the best,

B

If you have read my other posts, then you know the Direct Performance Record feature works to record to the Motif XS sequencer - it is so very easy, why anyone would attempt what you are doing is far beyond me.

I would highly recommend (unless you fully understand what Performance Record does and unless you have your MIDI Jedi Knight black belt) that you record the multiple arpeggios using the Motif XS sequencer… once the data is recorded to the XS, link that with your external sequencer and transfer it by simply synchronizing clocks.

You are transmitting on one MIDI channel to the PERFORMANCE, the PERFORMANCE’s arpeggios are then asked to transmit OUT on multiple MIDI channels.

You gave us (in all that lengthy post) no information about which PERFORMANCE, what PARTS are following arpeggios, what PART is triggering normally, etc. If you are trying to tell us it is complex - then Yes, we agree! - but that is why Direct Performance Record is so very useful.

Trust us when we tell you - we know exactly the complexity of what you are attempting. It is like one of the mensa puzzles in the flight magazines to keep your brain occupied on a long airplane trip.

You must ensure that ECHO is OFF in your DAW - when attempting to record arpeggios. I cannot help you with Tracktion… but if you don’t know how to turn ECHO OFF, then you should make sure the MIDI OUT on the Tracks of the DAW are set to OFF during the initial record… and the LOCAL CONTROL = ON in the Motif XS.

The poster above is correct, you should turn the ARPEGGIO ON/OFF = OFF when you want to playback the data. Once you have recorded the output of the arpeggios to a track, you no longer need the arpeggiators active. Make sense?

On playback you must match the data that was output by each arpeggio with the PART by reassigning the MIDI channels. You cannot just PLAYBACK… you must adjust your MIXING setup to match the data. You must ensure that the normally played PART is receiving the correct data, you must make sure that the PARTS are Note-Limited properly to receive the data in the correct region of keys, etc., etc.  (This is done automatically by Direct Performance Record, by the way)…

Let us know.

Hi Bad_Mister:

I finally “get it”:

There’s just NO way (while in PERF mode, and using the setup I explained:  Recording the ARP performance to my DAW only) can the Motif “playback” the (meaning ALL 4 trks) recorded MIDI information intelligently...again, while in PERF mode.

ONLY in SONG/PATTERN>>>MIXING can the Motif make any sense of a multitimbral data chain.

So, yes, unless I want to “track down” each of the 4 patches in a performance, then dial them in later in MIXING mode...then yes, of course the Motif will play the data precisely.

My immediate “quick fix” is to quickly PERF REC a snippet, then the MIXING set up is done for me...and I just dial in the SONG/PATTERN where I placed it...and, imagine that, it works perfectly.

I’m going to have to dig into the Motif’s sequencer reluctantly, but it will be worth it...I’m just an old dog...and not a progamming genious.

Thanks for the insight, that little light finally went “bling”...and I realized, I was attempting the impossible in PERF mode for what I was trying to accomplish.

Eric