RECORDING MIDI Data Generated by an ARP with KEY MODE = “SORT + DIRECT”

RECORDING MIDI Data Generated by an ARP with KEY MODE = “SORT + DIRECT”

You may have already discovered that not all arpeggio Types behave the same way, nor can they be treated the same when attempting to control or record them. We have been discussing those special arps that combine both “sorted” notes (the very typical running notes we associate when someone mentions arpeggios) and “direct” notes (that we realize are the trigger notes that we input to the arpeggiator to initiate the phrase), but what happens when a receiving device, like a MIDI sequencer tasked with documenting what we are playing, tries to record this type of combination/hybrid Arpeggio? How does it differentiate between the notes we are HOLDING down to trigger the PAD Elements (sounding directly) from the notes that DANCING in response to the Arpeggio pattern. What if the same note, say a “C3” is being HELD by the trigger note and is at the same time DANCING to a specific staccato rhythm as set by the arpeggio pattern? How does the MIDI Sequencer record both a long held note-on event for the same note that is told to play staccato by the arpeggiator? And more importantly: What happens when we play that back?

Well, as you might imagine (or you may have already discovered) there is a definite conflict. The same note if documented as having a short staccato GATE (duration) and a long held note GATE would cause trouble. A conflict would occur and the held note is cut short or it may not sound at all - it is told to play a short time by the note-on from the arpeggio. If you are not sure of what this means… try recording the VOICE in the following example to a PATTERN:

Call up a blank PATTERN
Place PRE 7: 113(H01) Trancing in the Rain as PART 1 in a MIXING setup. Here’s how:

Press [MIXING]
Press [EDIT]
Press the PART SELECT [1] button
Press [F1] VOICE
Press [SF1] VOICE

Make sure PARAMETER WITH VOICE = ON
Then move the cursor up and select BANK = PRE 7, NUMBER = 113
By turning on “Parameter with Voice” prior to setting the Voice Bank and Number will copy all the assigned ARPEGGIOS assigned to this VOICE in [VOICE] mode to the [MIXING] setup.

Press the dedicated [ARP EDIT] button
Press [F1] COMMON
Set the COMMON SWITCH = ON

Press [F3] ARP MAIN
Set the PART SWITCH = ON
Set HOLD = OFF

Place the SEQUENCER in Record (verify you are set to use internal clock - the TEMPO will read a number when you are using internal clock)
Set the LOOP = OFF - this way recording will automatically stop at the end.

Here’s what you will be doing: Recording four measures - holding a chord for two measures and switching to a new chord for the second two measures.

Press [RECORD]
Press [PLAY]
When you press the PLAY button the count-in will commence, you will need to play the first chord on the downbeat (default count-in is 1 measure). Don’t worry if you mess up - this is for example only - so that you can see what happens when you attempt to record both the “sorted” notes and the “direct” (trigger) notes to the same track simultaneously.

When you go to play this back, notice how the HELD notes (the notes used to ‘trigger’ direct) do not sustain like they did when you were initially playing it. The sequencer can record to a track either YOU playing ‘direct’ or it can record notes as generated (sorted) by the arpeggiator… but not both simultaneously to the same track. This is true even though the tone generator can differentiate and respond on a per Element basis to MIDI messages. When you playback the data, you can tell that the “trigger notes” (those you actually played to control the Voice) are not allowed to travel directly to the sequencer track… instead they travel into the arpeggiator block. The MIDI messages of the trigger notes do not travel to the sequencer, only the notes that are being sorted by the arpeggiator continue to the sequencer track.  Therefore, recording arpeggios with the SORT+DIRECT Key Mode requires a slightly different methodology when attempting to capture the MIDI data in the sequencer. We will separate the trigger note (direct) from the arpeggiated (sorted) data, recording them to separate tracks of the sequencer. This will require that we split the Voice into two groups of Elements: Those that are sustaining in response to the trigger notes (PAD sound) and those that are responding to the arpeggiator phrase (ARP sound).

Arps that use the “sort+direct” Hybrid type arpeggio Type are complex because they combine both a PAD type (held) component in addition to a component that is dancing to the ARP note-on events. This is accomplished using each Element’s ability to respond with specific velocity ranges. We need to direct the control notes to two separate TRACKS. This can be done simply by creating two separate VOICES and playing each from a PART of a PERFORMANCE. Below we will show you how to construct such a PERFORMANCE. As you probably already know, the different PARTS of a PERFORMANCE can easily be directed to their own (discreet) MIDI Track using the powerful MOX’s DIRECT PERFORMANCE RECORD function.

Because Voices, like “Trancing In the Rain”, (mainly found in the “Musical Effects” category) are mini-Performances themselves, it follows that to record them as MIDI data to a sequencer would require separate Tracks - with the same notes being told to sustain and to play staccato at the same time from a single track.

Here’s what we will do:
Create two VOICES in the [VOICE] mode: VOICE #1 will have PAD Elements (1 and 2) and VOICE #2 will have the ARP’d Elements (3 and 4). Then we will combine these two VOICES in a new PERFORMANCE and from there we can record each to a discreet track of the sequencer.

Call up “Trancing in the Rain” in [VOICE] mode PRE7: 113(H01)

Create Voice #1: The PAD: We will do so by turning OFF Elements 3 and 4, and storing this as a new User Voice

Press [EDIT]
You can select Element Edit via buttons [1]-[4] on this four Element Voice

Press [3] to view Element 3 parameters
Press [F1] OSC (OSCILLATOR)
Press [SF1] WAVE
Turn Element [3] Switch = OFF
Press [4] to view Element 4 parameters
Turn Element [4] Switch = OFF

We have now eliminated the Arp’d Elements.

Press [ARP EDIT]
Press [F3] MAIN
Set the SWITCH = OFF
Press [COMMON]
Press [F1] GENERAL
Press [SF1] NAME
Add “Pad” to the name just so we can identify it. “Trancing Pad”

Press [STORE] and store it in the USER 1: 001(A01)

Create Voice #2: “The ARP”
Using the “Trancing Pad” Voice we can make the arp’d version by turning OFF Elements 1 and 2, and turning ON Elements 3 and 4
Press [EDIT]
Press [1] to view Element 1 parameters
Turn Element 1 Switch = OFF
Press [2] to view Element 2 parameters
Turn Element 2 Switch = OFF
Press [3] to view Element 3 parameters
Turn Element 3 Switch = ON
Press [4] to view Element 4 parameters
Turn Element 4 Switch = ON

Press [F2] ARP MAIN
Set the SWITCH = ON
Press [COMMON]
Press [F1] GENERAL
Press [SF1] NAME
Add “Arp” to the name just so we can identify it. “Trancing Arp”

Press [STORE] and re-direct the Store function to USER 1: 002(A02)

We now have divided the Voice into two separate entities. Next we will create a new PERFORMANCE using these two VOICES.
Go to PERFORMANCE mode:
Press [JOB]
Press [F1] INITIALIZE to create a new PERFORMANCE
Place USER 1: 001(A01) in PART 1 and USER 1: 002(A02) in PART 2

Here’s how:
Press [EDIT]
Press PART SELECT [1] to view PART 1 parameters
Press [F1] VOICE
Press [SF1] VOICE
Then set the BANK = USR 1, NUMBER = 001 for PART 1
Turn “Parameter with Voice” = ON

Remembering to turn “Parameter with Voice” to ON before placing PART 2 - so the Arpeggios are copied to the PERFORMANCE PART.
Set the main [ARPEGGIO ON/OFF] Switch = ON

You may wish to continue to tweak the new PERFORMANCE - if you think it sounds different from Voice mode, this is probably true due to the new environment - while the INSERTION EFFECTS and routing are automatically in place, the SEND amount to the REVERB and CHORUS processors is not copied (new surroundings, you get to set new amounts).

Name and Store your new PERFORMANCE: call it “Pad/Arp in the Rain”

Press [RECORD]
Target a PATTERN and record the same thing you did earlier.
Proceed with Direct PERFORMANCE Record… the PAD Voice will be recorded as it should to Track 1, and the ARP’d Voice will be recorded as it should to Track 2.

Summary:
When working with Voices that have arpeggios assigned, it would be wise to always do some exploring. It will be important to understand exactly how the VOICE is set to do what you hear it doing in response to arpeggios. Remember, while most arpeggios are simple and straightforward, do not assume they are all made the same way, nor are they going to be treated the same way by a receiving device. SORT+DIRECT and THRU+DIRECT were two KEY MODES that Yamaha added to the Motif-series back in 2003 (on the Motif ES) and they simply broaden the musical possibilities - without them the complex MUSICAL EFFECT Voice category would have to be done exclusively in PERFORMANCES - but these “Hybrid” Arp types mean that Yamaha Motif Voices can be very complex.

In a future article, we’ll take a look at the Arpeggios that are CONTROLLER Type arpeggios.