Hi,
My knowledge with the MO8 is limited. Not sure if this question has already been answered, if so please point me to the post. My question:

I have imported a MIDI file into a MO8 song. It has 7 tracks and they play via the MO8’s voices. So far so good.
Now i want to add percussion tracks(say 3-4) and while in the song mode i can’t get to see the “PATCH” page like it appears in the pattern mode.

One option that i am considering is creating a pattern with 3-4 tracks which contains my percussion tracks but don’t know how to toggle to my song and apply the drum tracks in my pattern to the song’s empty tracks and sequence it (if thats possible at all) ?

Alternatively is there a way to add the DR1 -> DR4 drum pre-recorded beats/patterns to my song as the additional percussion tracks ? Like when i am in the pattern mode “PATCH” page i can say in track one assign DR1:021 and when i hit the play button the auto drum loop plays. Now i can record over it. How do i do such a thing when in the song mode ? Basically with the other voices in place all i want to do is insert the DR1 -> DR4 loops such that when i hit play button the drums play automatically.

Even if i am way off in my thought process, i am sure someone has already addressed/cracked/solved this on the MO series. I seek your expertise. Basically i need some solution.

** I know i can in my song add percussion tracks by assigning a drum voice to the track and then recording that track by playing the keyboard while the other tracks playback but thats my last resort.

thanks in advance.

regards
qg

There are several ways you can proceed, without resorting to your last resort, (lol). I’ll provide two different methods here… read through them both, then decide which one will work better for you. (or perhaps a combination of both...)

First, let me state that the MO has but one sequencer. It is divided into two related modes: SONG (for linear work) and PATTERN for (cycling looping work).

You can, via the various JOBS and Functions, quickly and easily, move data back and forth between the Modes as necessary to accomplish your goal(s).

METHOD 1: Moving data from SONG mode to a blank PATTERN
I don’t have access to the musical composition that you are working on so I’ll kind of make up my own for this example. Then you can apply it as necessary to your specific data.

Say the composition has an 8 measure introduction, and the main groove begins at Measure 9 and goes for 16 measures. Let’s just work with these two sections of music (for now).

Press [SONG] to be in the SONG mode
Press [JOB]
Press [F6] SONG
Select JOB 02: SPLIT SONG TO PATTERN
Press [ENTER]
Set the dialog box so that:
Meas 001 - 008
goes to
PatternXX ___ Section A

Where XX equals a blank Pattern
Press [ENTER] to execute

Next set the same dialog box so that:
Meas 009 - 024
goes to
PatternXX ____ Section B

Press [ENTER] to execute.

You have now “Split the Song” into the PATTERN portion of the sequencer (at least the first two portion of it)… now you can go to PATTERN XX and work out by adding your drum grooves to it.

The MO allows you to divide the SONG into SECTIONS in this manner at any measure line you desire. This will work for you if, and only if, the musical Sections begin cleanly at a measure line… If you follow my meaning. As long as there is a clean break at measure, you can sub-divide the SONG into PATTERN SECTIONS.

Later using the PATTERN CHAIN function you can reassemble the musical SECTIONS back into a linear (link) Chain… and Convert them back to SONG mode.

For details on how to CREATE A PATTERN CHAIN please see the following in your Owner’s Manual:  CREATE A PATTERN CHAIN

--- End Method 1 ---

METHOD 2: Moving Phrases from PATTERN mode into a linear SONG
At any time if you want to add Preset Drum phrases to a linear SONG you can do so as follows:

As background information, lets say we are working on SONG 01 and PATTERN 01 as our locations. And that in SONG 01 we would like to add the drums to “Track 10” of the SONG…

Go to a blank PATTERN location
Press [F4] PATCH where you can audition the various Drum Preset (as you mentioned). Select Track 10 - that is where we will place the DRUMS.
Say you find one in DR1 that you want to use in the SONG…
For example, you select DR1: 021 and place in the PATCH Grid on Track 10.
Look in the upper right corner of the screen for information about this preset drum groove. It is “4/4” time and is “M004” (4 measures in length). This is information you will need.

If you feel this is appropriate for your song…
Go back to SONG mode
Press [F5] PHRASE
The dialog box will already be setup for you (it’s magic!!!)

You are now set to COPY PHRASE “DR1: 021” to your SONG, on “Track 10”, starting from “Measure 001”.

How does it know?

Because as I stated at the very beginning. The MO has but one sequencer with two very related Modes - SONG (for linear work) and PATTERN (for cycling, looping work)… they work in conjunction with each other. There are jobs for moving data back and forth between the modes - PATTERN mode is used to help you construct a finished product i.e, the linear SONG.

In this fashion you can move back and forth between your linear SONG and you working PATTERN, audition different Drum grooves, fill-ins, etc and simply target the Track (track 10 in our example) and the measure that you wish to place the data. Remember this will copy and paste the data once - so you now have the first four measures of drums copied into the song.

Rinse and repeat to construct your “drum song” - placing fill-ins where appropriate. Sending new data in on top of an old measure will simply re-write that measure. So say you want that Phrase Dr1:021 for measures 1-4 and 5-8, but then decide you want to play a Fill-in type Phrase at measure 8… simply target measure 008 and it will overwrite the data in that measure with the fill-in.

In fact you place a drum phrase into the song and you don’t like, simply select another and overwrite it.

Cool! Very Cool! The MO has the same powerful sequencer as its bggger cousins in the Motif family: Motif ES, Motif XS.

Hope that helps.

Brad,
I really appreciate the verbose explanation.

In the past while in the song mode i have attempted PHRASE copy of drum presets to a certain track and measure but it never stuck me that i could repeat this for different tracks and measures while controlling which preset to apply. Your reply really helped.

At 1st i tried option #2 that you mentioned, but then while in the song mode i moved to the PHRASE page, changed the drum preset and set to the desired measure and hit ENTER > YES/NO buttons. This worked perfectly.

To put it in steps:
1. I broke down my song into logical sections (intro1, intro2, bridge1, bridge2, main, theme, varation1)
2. While in the pattern mode figured out which drum presets best suited each section
3. Mapped each measure range in the song to the appropriate section. Say MSR1->4 and MSR24->32 were bridge1 and so on…
4. While in the song, i moved to phrase page and then adjusted the DRUM preset, track and measure based on my previous observations(steps 2 & 3) and went about layering the drum track for the song.

I found one nag though. If my bridge1 spanned 8 continuous measures, there is no way i could find to apply DR2:015 in one shot to that range, instead i had to select a measure then hit ENTER > YES/NO then move to the next measure and repeat till i exhausted the range of measures. It would have been nicer if i could set the start and end measures of the range and the MO8 could apply it to all the measures in context in one shot. Is that possible ?

regards
qg

First, I’m not Brad.

I found one nag though. If my bridge1 spanned 8 continuous measures, there is no way i could find to apply DR2:015 in one shot to that range, instead i had to select a measure then hit ENTER > YES/NO then move to the next measure and repeat till i exhausted the range of measures. It would have been nicer if i could set the start and end measures of the range and the MO8 could apply it to all the measures in context in one shot. Is that possible ?

No. This is why I mentioned the bit about Time Signature and the Phrase Length… each Phrase has a set Length that it plays (this is so Pattern modes knows when to cycle around again).

You do not have to repeat the input each time. If you have a 2 measure phrase that you need to expand to 8 linear measures, you can place it at the first measure then use the SONG mode’s COPy JOB to copy the data as necessary. Particularly when copying a data on a single track you would use the COPY EVENT Job

From SONG mode
Press [JOB]
Press [F3] EVENT
Select JOB 02: COPY EVENT

For exaple to Copy a two measure phrase, that you placed at measure 001, you would set the dialog box so that:

TRACK xx __ 001:1:000 - 003:1:000
to
TRACK xx __ 003:1:000

Number of times = 03

The result would give you 8 measures of the original transferred 002 measure phrase.

Bad_Mister - 20 August 2009 08:32 PM

First, I’m not Brad.

Phil,

One more time down the mistaken identity rat hole… hopefully, your aren’t to frustrated by this… LOL

Brad ;^)

No, Brad, not at all… It is all done with a smile!

It is a testament to you, however, as one of the most knowledgeable and helpful members of the community...!!! I cannot thank you enough for all you do… Hope all is well with you… Every now and then I get so busy - and when I come back I find that you have handled many of the questions I just simply would not have had time to get to… It is all about music/community/fellowship and you embody the spirit of the community and you embody just what we hoped would happen with having a website in support of products.

Thanks!!!