I recently participated in a MOX forum thread which got around to use of Master mode. I realized that what came up might not be common knowledge, and it also applies to models besides the MOX.

Have you ever set Parameters in a Song or Pattern Mixing, associated that Song/Pattern with a zoned Master, and then found things sounded different in the Master? Your careful balancing of the Mix might be gone in the Master. Here’s why, and what you can do about it…

Turning the Zone Switch on in Master mode can be advantageous in certain circumstances, but there’s a need to be aware of something that might not be immediately obvious. When a Master is selected, it can set Bank MSB/LSB, Program Change, Volume, and Pan for each zone when the Zone Switch is “on”. You can choose whether the bank selection and program change are active. However, setting of volume levels and pan positions can’t be turned off (without causing other limitations) - Volume defaults to 100, and Pan to Center, which might be dramatically different than what those Parameters were set to in the Mix.

To avoid the problem, Volume and Pan settings can be made for the Master:
1) Press [EDIT], [1]~[8] to select zones, [F1](Transmit).
2) Note which zones have “Int Switch” checked (on).
3) Press [F4](Preset), and set Volume and Pan to what they are in the relevant Parts of your Mix, for each zone noted in step #2. (See caution note below.)
4) STORE the Master.

Alternatively, you could:
1) 1) Press [EDIT], [1]~[8] to select zones, [F3](Tx Switch), [SF2](Control).
2) Un-check (turn off) Volume/Express and Pan for relevant zones.
The problem with that approach is real-time control of those Parameters is also turned off.

If you were previously aware of the above, great. Apparently whoever programmed the XF was not. For example, when new or after a factory reset, Master 008/A08 is “Demo Song 1”, which is “Yours To Save”. The Master has the Zone Switch on. If Song 1 is played in Song mode versus playing it in Master Mode, it becomes obvious that the Master mode “Presets” were left at default values, changing Volume levels and Pan positions from those in the Song. You can verify this for yourself, but please read the following caution first.

Caution:
With the XF, selecting a Master sends the “Preset” values to the associated Song/Pattern. If you look at the Volume and Pan settings in a Song/Pattern Mix after having selected an associated Master, they will be those of the Master, not the ones that were stored when the Song/Pattern was created. That change isn’t permanent - selecting another Song/Pattern and then returning to the one of interest resets those Parameters to their proper values. If you’re trying to set the “Preset” values in the Master, be sure that those in the Song/Pattern Mix are the ones initially programmed. (By the way, I consider this behavior a bug. It’s evident in XF OS 1.50, and may be in earlier versions as well. However, it’s not evident in the XS with OS 1.60.)

I hope this helps those who were wondering why their zoned Masters don’t match an associated Song/Pattern.

Once again 5pinDin, based upon this info you just shared, your value to this forum has been unquestionably upgraded from Priceless to God of Motifs!

music2345 - 27 November 2016 04:14 PM

Once again 5pinDin, based upon this info you just shared, your value to this forum has been unquestionably upgraded from Priceless to God of Motifs!

I appreciate the very kind words, although “thanks” would have been quite sufficient.

Now you’ve suggested elevation to a status I might not be able to live up to
- “Guru” is hard enough.  :-)