If I record a trigger/stab note on my XS8 sequencer and then change from INTERNAL to MIDI so that I may slave my XS8 from my VS2480. Can I have this note play an arpeggiator on say my S80 or any other sound module I choose to drive. In the past when I used my old ROLAND MC50 sequencer which had 2 outs and 1 input this operation presented no issue but since changing over to this XS8 I cant seem to get the result I need. Is there a simple answer to this question because I’ve spent more time on this forum than I care to admit to and have read many explanations on MIDI which I have tried to apply with no success. If I leave the XS8 in INTERNAL and start the VS2480 then it plays back as I would wish it to BUT when I set it to MIDI I get nothing but the stab note.

Sorry you are going to have to provide a few more details. We are going to guess that a VS2480 is some kind of (Roland?) mulit-track hard disk recorder and that you have it set to send MIDI clock.

If that is the case, first you have to figure out why it is not starting your Motif XS when you set the clock to MIDI. Here where to start troubleshooting:

1) Make sure that you are indeed sending standard MIDI Clock from the VS2480… MTC is not standard MIDI clock
2) Make sure that the Motif XS is set to receive MIDI clock, transmit MIDI clock and receive transport information from an external device
Press [UTILITY]
Press [F5] CONTROL
Press [SF2] MIDI
CLOCK OUT = ON
Set MIDI SYNC = MIDI
Set SEQUENCER CONTROL = IN/OUT

If you find that your VS2480 does not send MIDI clock, verify what type of clock it does send - let us know. If it is sending MTC (MIDI TIME CODE) you will need to have the Motif XS slave to MTC in SONG MODE.

The Motif XS sequencer can be used to trigger an external device (naturally), you can prevent the internal (XS) PART assigned to that track from sounding by setting the INT switch = OFF
Press [SONG]
Press [F3] TRACK
clear the box in the INT column while ensuring the EXT option is checked.

Just FYI: Notes on the track of the Motif XS sequencer do not / cannot trigger the XS arpeggiator

Thank you for your response. First of all in regards to the (FYI advice) I have no desire to trigger the XS8 arpeggiator with this approach. I am trying to find out if I can Trigger the arpeggiators on my:

YAMAHA S80
YAMAHA MOTIF RACK
KORG TRITON RACK

I would like to be able to drive all of these external instruments plus what ever I chose to record in the typical pattern/song mode on the MOTIF XS8 with my ROLAND VS2480 multitrack recorder as the MASTER. This MTR puts out MIDICLK as the Midi Out Sync generator I would normally select.

The settings that you suggested are in fact the same settings I’ve repeatedly used in procedure as follows.

1)UTILTY
2)SET TO = INTERNAL
3)CLOCK OUT = ON
4)IN/OUT = ON
5)confirmed i.e. Track 9 INT was checked
6)In record screen I would select a 002 measure length to be activated by whatever key/note I press
7)After recording the note/stab I would then

1)Clear INT option
2)go into UTILITY
3)change INTERNAL to MIDI or AUTO

At this point when I press PLAY on my MTR all I get is the one note stab/trigger note that I played
NOT the arpeggiated response on my YAMAHA S80 I got while in record mode.

I realise there is something obvious to you that is happening and I have read many of the posts regarding MIDI setups but unfortnately I’m missing a very important point in all that information.

When I purchased the MOTIF XS8, I did so to augment my existing equipment in my home studio
not to replace them. There are arpeggiated sounds for example on my KORG TRITON RACK that I have always enjoyed and would like to if possable continue to utilize. If this approach is not possable I wiil go about the recording process in a different way I quess.

Thanks for your time and advice.