Hello, this is my first post on the forum, glad to be here. 

Is there a way that I can map a midi controller (m-audio oxygen 8v2) so that each key will play a different one of the 5 arps in pattern mode on my XS8?  I am using it for a live setup and I need to be able to play on a different part and sound with the motif keyboard while simultaneously playing on this secondary keyboard, which I have routed to the MIDI channel of the drum kit part on the motif in cubase AI4.

This would allow me to play a keyboard sound on the motif and a drum loop on the oxygen 8 at the same time, but still be able switch the arp that the drum part is playing by simply holding down a different key on the oxygen 8.  I would also have full control of starting and stopping the loop, just by holding and releasing the keys.  I need to be more flexible than recording the arps to different pattern sections can allow.  If this is not possible, is there another way to switch arps in pattern mode from an external controller?  Maybe by assigning it to a knob or button.  What CC would I need to control to accomplish this?

Thanks,
-Dylan

Control of the five ARP patterns on a Motif XS is done by the front panel [SF1]-[SF5] buttons. There really isn’t a practical way to control that from an external device.

You can Note Limit the region of the keyboard used to start and stop arpeggios. For example, you set the ARPEGGIO NOTE LIMIT parameter so that only the lowest key starts the drum arp playing… A0 on your Motif XS8

By setting the ARP’s “TRIGGER MODE” parameter = toggle rather than the default “loop”, you can start the arp with the first touch of the lowest key and stop it with the next touch of the lowest key. This can also work from an external keyboard via MIDI.

Of course, if you prefer to hold the key down and manually control play, you can do that as well, simply set the Arp HOLD to OFF, set LOOP = ON, and set the TRIGGER MODE = GATE

If you want the pattern to play just once, set HOLD to ON, set LOOP = OFF, and set TRIGGER MODE = GATE

You can use the rest of the keyboard for a piano, or lead or whatever normal Voice you want to play - simply set this sound to the same MIDI channel. But you must press [SF1]-[SF5] to change arps.