Hello I am in the market for a new workstation. My question is how easy is it to call up a drum groove on the motif xs? The Korg Krome has a separate drum track feature where you can instantly call a drum pattern and change it to what you need. I don’t like the build quality of the Korg Krome. Can this be done just as easily on the MOTIF XF/XS line?

Is it done differently on XS vs XF?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum.

It could be as simple as selecting a Drum Voice (kit) and choosing one of the many Preset Arps, or a lot more involved than that if you want things more sophisticated.

See http://www.motifator.com/index.php/support/view/drum_track_construction_tools
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http://www.motifator.com/storage/support/DrumConstruction.pdf

The XF has some additional Arps not found on the XS, but the operation is basically the same.

Thanks for a quick reply. So I would have to be in sequencer mode? I currently use kontakt for piano and bass, superior drummer and stylus rmx and triton rack for pads. I wanted to get a motif for extra sounds plus recording ideas with drum tracks that I could later transfer to cubase 7.5 for further work. 

My triton can output only one sound at a time ( it has multi mode but the sound quality goes down )
How many sounds can a motif output without quality loss?
Are the drum tracks GM map?

So I choose a drum track and can choose arp patterns? When I tested motif in the store I could only get 4-5 arp patterns per drum kit. Are different drum kits linked to a specific set of arps or can I choose the drum set separately from the patterns?

Thank you!

Guitarist9891@yahoo.com - 23 October 2014 10:00 PM

Thanks for a quick reply. So I would have to be in sequencer mode? I currently use kontakt for piano and bass, superior drummer and stylus rmx and triton rack for pads. I wanted to get a motif for extra sounds plus recording ideas with drum tracks that I could later transfer to cubase 7.5 for further work.

It all depends on what you want to do. Sequencer (Song or Pattern) modes are one way, especially if you expect to need up to 16 tracks. Performance mode is another, where you can have up to four Parts, your Drums plus three more. Direct Performance Record could then be used to record what you (and/or the Arp) are playing.

 

Guitarist9891@yahoo.com -

My triton can output only one sound at a time ( it has multi mode but the sound quality goes down )
How many sounds can a motif output without quality loss?

Loss of “quality” doesn’t seem to be an issue with the XS or XF (I have both). Of course, there’s a limit to polyphony. The spec is 128, but naturally the number of active Elements in a Voice, whether mono or stereo, etc., will play a part in when you hit the limit.

 

Guitarist9891@yahoo.com -

Are the drum tracks GM map?

There’s a GM Drum Voice, but there are also 64 other Preset kits in both the XS and the XF. Those Preset kits are mostly based on the GM mapping, but of course vary from it to a greater or lesser degree. In addition, there are 32 User Drum locations, where you can store edits of Preset kits or create your own kits. When the XF is new or after a factory reset, the first eight of the User Drum locations in the XF have kits not found in the XS.

 

Guitarist9891@yahoo.com -

So I choose a drum track and can choose arp patterns? When I tested motif in the store I could only get 4-5 arp patterns per drum kit. Are different drum kits linked to a specific set of arps or can I choose the drum set separately from the patterns?

The Arps you noticed are programmed with the Voices, but you can edit that and associate any of the Arps with one of the [SF] buttons, then store the edited Voice if you decide to keep it. Not all the Arps are appropriate for drums, but there are plenty of them that are.

 

Guitarist9891@yahoo.com -

Thank you!

You’re welcome!

Guitarist9891@yahoo.com - 23 October 2014 10:00 PM

When I tested motif in the store I could only get 4-5 arp patterns per drum kit. Are different drum kits linked to a specific set of arps or can I choose the drum set separately from the patterns?

Each Voice and Performance has a fixed number of Arp Patterns associated with it.  There is somewhere between 5 and 6.  Sorry, not sure of the exact number (my Rack-XS has 5 and my MOXF has 6, so it can vary).  In any case, there is a fixed, maximum number of arp patterns for a given voice/performance.  You are free to mix things up and change these patterns.  While playing a voice/performance, you can go into the Arp editor and scroll through all sorts of various styles and assign to one of the 5 or 6 arp slots.

The drums and their patterns are completely separate and you can mix and match to your needs.  They are not linked.

As 5pinDIN mentioned, you can even create your own drum kits if you want, and then assign your own arp/patterns.

You might want to do some investigating into which board lets you create your own arps.  I don’t specifically have a Motif XS or XF (I have a Rack-XS and MOXF) and the MOXF (not the Rack-XS) lets you create your own arp/patterns which you can then assign to your drums.  If you think this might be a useful feature for you, you should find out which boards have this option.

It can become fairly open-ended allowing you to not only customize your drum kit, but also the patterns you want associated with it.

SSquared - 24 October 2014 12:56 PM

[...]As 5pinDIN mentioned, you can even create your own drum kits if you want, and then assign your own arp/patterns.

You might want to do some investigating into which board lets you create your own arps.  I don’t specifically have a Motif XS or XF (I have a Rack-XS and MOXF) and the MOXF (not the Rack-XS) lets you create your own arp/patterns which you can then assign to your drums.  If you think this might be a useful feature for you, you should find out which boards have this option.

It can become fairly open-ended allowing you to not only customize your drum kit, but also the patterns you want associated with it.

Both the Motif XS and XF have the “Put Track to Arpeggio” Job available.

Thanks!  I wasn’t sure if the Motif XS had it.  Good to know.

5pinDin and Ssquared: Thank you for your responses and your help!