Hi

While playing with the recording, and sound sampling, I learn that samples are recorded into SMPL bank (instead of PRE, USR etc). This could be done through normal process i.e. SONG->RECORD->Select an empty SMPL in the Voice tab->INTEGRATED SAMPLING->F6-> etc.

Is there any other way to assign to the SMPL bank (001 to 127) besides the approach above? i.e. if I get an external wav file, how can I just tag to it (and hopefully set it at the correct measure) without going through the normal recording process as mentioned above?

Thanks!!

The USER SAMPLE VOICE bank (063/060) is a function of the Integrated Sampling Sequencer. Rather than having to create a regular USER 1, USER 2, USER 3 or DRUM USER Voice you can target a special bank located right within the SONG MIXING or PATTERN MIXING program.

USER SAMPLE VOICE (bank 063/060) part of the sequencer this special VOICE bank is “local” to the SONG or PATTERN in which you create it.
USER VOICE (banks 063/008, 063/009, 063/010, and 063/040) general pool of VOICES, a/k/a USER 1, USER 2, USER 3 and DRUM USER, respectively. These Voices are available to all modes as these are not local, but in the general population of VOICES.

Since when recording to the sequencer you are recording audio clips and not creating playable instruments, this shortcut is essential for recording and playing back wave data from the sequencer.

“Playable instruments” (like a piano or flute sound) require a full normal USER VOICE or DRUM USER kit.

Items placed in the sequencer typically are audio clips (and not instruments). So typically you are going to assign them a KEY (C-2 through G8) that will trigger their playback.

If you sample using RECORDING TYPE = “sample+note” the Integrated Sampling Sequencer will not only create the special USER SAMPLE VOICE ("SMPL" or sometimes referred to as “SP") in the MIXING setup, it will create the NOTE-ON EVENT to play it back (from Start Point to End Point as outlined by your recording punch-in and punch out points).

This special Voice has 128 places to store samples and each MIXING setup has 128 of them, SP 001~SP 128.

There are two ways to get data into this special bank:
1) RECORD the data directly in (as you stated in your post)
2) LOAD the data directly to a location (PART) within the MIXING setup.

From SONG or PATTERN
Press [FILE]
Set TYPE = WAV or AIFF
The context sensitive file function will show you only FOLDERS (which could contain WAV or AIFF data) and the .Wav or AIFF files themselves.

highlight the data you want to load
move the cursor down using the RIGHT CURSOR arrow and target The PART 1-16 that you wish to contain the USER SAMPLE VOICE
Additionally you can target the KEY, C-2 through G8

When loading audio in this fashion, the ISS allow you to import 128 samples to each USER SAMPLE VOICE - it automatically creates the USER SAMPLE VOICE. Each sample is assigned to a separate KEY - you can control playback independently because each can have its own unique NOTE-ON event.

You must create your own NOTE-ON data, however - which you can record to the sequencer at any point.  You can do this in real time or by placing (INSERT) a NOTE-ON Event on the sequencer’s EVENT LIST.

Hope that helps.

Thanks BM! The detail explanation before the answer is superb!

Btw, what is NOTE-ON? I can’t seems to find it on the user guide document. I assume it’s about the KEY assign to the sound. Am I right?

Yes, you must create a NOTE-ON, that is trigger the key you assigned the sample to… if you selected KEY = C3 you must press C3 to make your sample playback.

A NOTE-ON event is created when you press a MIDI keyboard’s keys. Typically, a note-on will trigger an electronic keyboard to make a sound. The NOTE-OFF event is when you let go of the key and typically this will tell the tone engine to move to the exit strategy… however it is programmed to make the sound ‘go away’.

That Note-on event is nothing more than a message that can be recorded by the sequencer encoding when the note was suppose to begin (against the MIDI clock which is keeping track of Measures, beats and clock ticks).

In a discussion of sampling this is important: just because you create a sample does not mean it will sound. The difference (the main difference) between regular “audio recording” and “sampling”, in common speech, is that audio recording plays back automatically when you rewind and press play.

A sample, once recorded, does not. A sample is a digital recording of some sound in nature. Like the Full Concert Grand piano VOICE it is a bunch of meticulously created digital recordings (samples) - they do not play back automatically, you must, always, with samples, press the key and generate a NOTE-ON event to tell the audio WHEN to play. Same is true of any sample YOU create with the Motif XS. You must create or have the ISS create a NOTE_ON event to trigger WHEN the sound is supposed to play.

So when you sample to the Motif XS sequencer you have several different RECORD TYPES:

Sample
Sample+note
Slice+Seq

“Sample” is just a recording

“Sample+note” the XS’ Integrated Sampling Sequencer (magically) creates a NOTE-ON event and places in the sequencer at the precise clock pulse when record begins and sets the duration of that NOTE-ON event to precisely the clock pulse you when you stop recording. In this fashion it is able to frame the start and end of playback in precise timing with your sequence.

“Slice+Seq” is a “macro… that is used for creating time stretchable audio LOOPS… That is loops that can be played at virtually any tempo… a macro is set of commands that are placed in order for convenience sake. When following a recipe you take specific steps in a specific order… a macro as used here, means that once you sample you will immediately be taken to the next step in the process - which is slicing the audio loop into time relevant segments, and then finally it will create a SEQUENCE (a set of Note-On events that will trigger the playback of the time slices.

If you understand how old time cartoons worked (like Looney Tunes or Merry Melodies, like Bugs Bunny) it was a series of single drawings (time slices) that when flipped rapidly in front of a camera caused the drawing to animate (move). SLICE is doing the same thing with audio. It slices the audio into small single segments, maps them to a chromatic set of notes, then creates a sequence of MIDI NOTE-ON events to playback the audio and reassemble it into a smooth sound.

Much like Bugs Bunny appears to be able to walk across the screen the time Sliced segments can be made to animate the sound - and the faster you flip them the faster Bugs moves, and the faster the tempo of the playback. The beautiful thing is the audio does not change pitch - ie, no munchkinization or chipmunking of the sound quality.