I’ve using my MO6 in Pattern Mode, but for some reason the Mix (specifically the Voice for each track) won’t change. I have recorded several parts of a pattern using a particular piano voice for tracks 1 and 2, but somewhere along the way some parts of the pattern have a different piano voice, and no matter what I try I can’t change the voice.

I’ve tried the Track Job “Erase Event: PC”. I’ve tried the Mixing Job “Initialize Current Mix”. I’ve also tried changing/selecting a different piano voice for each part and each track. Interestingly, after “Initialize Current Mix” every voice for evert part and track is set to “Full Grand”, but as soon as change from one part to another, then come back to the first part, the initialization is gone, and the different voices are back.

I’ve also tried to “Mix Store” immediately after “Intialize Current Mix”, but the same thing happens. The initializing workd, but as soon as I swith from part C to D, then switch back to part C, and check the mix voices they are back to where they were before the initializing process.

PLEASE HELP ME!

You have just encountered one of the most common user traps for owners of the Motif, Motif ES, and MO.

You should be aware that when pattern phrases are recorded (either by you or preset pattern phrases) the mix settings for the voice specified at that time are stored in the phrase header. By default, these settings - and in particular the voice selection - will override any changes that you make in the mix after the fact. The reason for this “feature” is that the designers of the Motif products wanted you to be able to re-use pattern phrases in multiple sections and/or patterns without having to remember the voice and other settings it was created with.

Thus if a pattern phrase was recorded using a Piano voice, by default it will always play back using that voice. If you want that phrase to be played back using a different voice it won’t be enough to simply change the voice selection in the mix for this part.

To change the voices that previously recorded pattern phrases are played back with, you must either change the “track voice” that is stored in the phrase header or tell the instrument to ignore the track voice and playback phrases using the voices specified in the current mix. For more information on how to make these changes, see Bad Mister Explains Phrase Headers and Track Voices.

(Note - this link is to a post in an earlier version of the Motifator.com forums… don’t reply to this post as there will likely be no one monitoring that thread. If you have further questions, post them up here.)

Regards,

Brad Weber

Brad, you are a wise and gracious human being! THANK YOU!

I have a MO8,
I had the same problem working with a midi file, but then I read the Over-ride Phrase Header post and got that part figured out. So, I’ve succesfully changed the voices and saved it. But now.......
How do I re-adjust the track volumes in the mix, and save them?
The Bass track is loud, all the way up. I’ll turn it down, but as soon as I hit the rewind button to start at the beginning, it snaps back up to full volume.
How do I re-adjust the track volumes in the mix, and save them?
Thanks,
Freslanta

Hello Freslanta,

Works the same way as the voices that you want to adjust after initial recording: you have to change it in the phrase header.

Press ‘rec’ and open phrase header, now you can change the voice, the volume, pan settings. Press stop and the volume change is ‘saved’ in the pattern. Hope this helps.

Michiel

It’s a feature. If the MO PATTERN did not memorize your VOICE, VOLUME, PAN and INSERT EFFECT Status, just imagine how messed up that would be… you’d have to write it down somewhere and reset everytime you wanted to play the pattern.

Press [RECORD] to view the SETUP screen
Press [F2] VOICE to see the information currently contained in your Phrase Header… make changes as you require
Press [STOP]

You must realize that when you first go into record - to record the track, the PATTERN’s Phrase Header automatically memorizes not only what you played but what Voice you played, what Volume was set, where it was panned and whether the INSERT EFFECT was ON/OFF. It’s a feature, really, it is!

:)

Michiel D and Bad Mister,
OK, if the answer to my question had been a snake, I’d be bitten!
What you say is totally logical and makes perfect sense. I can’t believe I did not figure that one out on my own. Of course the volume would be handled in the same fashion as the voices, duh.
Ya know, this forum is a really great resource. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Thank you both very much for your answers. I really appreciate it.
Cheers.