I have my XF hooked up to cubase and I have midi channel 1 selected.  This midi channel is feeding omnisphere and I’m using the cutoff knob on the XF to control the cutoff in omnisphere.

When I move the cuttoff knob on the XF past the initial mid point it does start controlling the cuttoff in omnisphere, but after I press another note the red arrow indicating the initial cutoff position on the XF gets reset so I have to then move past the mid point once again to start controlling cutoff.

How can I turn off the behavior where the controllers are set to only act once they’ve passed the default location?

More Information:

Omnisphere is irrelevant, just set up a blank midi channel (see attached image) and turn off local control on the XF. 

It only does this if Local Control is turned off

It doesn’t even require a key on the keyboard to be pressed in order to reset.  If I move the cutoff past the default location and then just wait a second the red arrow illuminates to the default location.

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

First, let’s explain the Motif XF’s behavior. Then we’ll explain why you are setup improperly for what you want to accomplish. Then finally we will offer you a better way to proceed. Fair enough?

Motif XF Behavior
The red arrow indicators you see in the Motif XF screen indicate the stored position of the KNOB and/or the Slider for the Motif XF program (be in a VOICE, or PERFORMANCE, or MIXING program).
You say you have LOCAL OFF, and you are not routing the MIDI data generated back to the Motif XF, at all. So you move the knob, it *sends* data OUT via MIDI but it does not edit the Motif XF, at all. So the stored XF value for the XF’s own program has not changed at all. Period. The Motif XF’s behavior is absolutely what it should be. If you were to actually change the STORED value (as indicated by the red arrow) then the arrow disappears completely as the Controller (Knob/Slider) is now live controlling the XF’s own sound. You as you said are not controlling the Motif XF sound.

The red indicator has no meaning for your external device be it Omnisphere or an external keyboard or module. Forgive the Motif XF but it does not know what your external devices stored value is. :)

The red indicator indicates the Motif XF’s programs stored position for the controller you are moving.

Using the Motif XF’s own front panel functions while they may work is not the right way to control your softsynth
Yes, moving the Motif XF’s CUTOFF knob sends the univerally known MIDI Control Change #074 and will adjust brightness for most MIDI devices. But the XF provides a better more direct way to control VSTi softsynths… one that actually displays and indicates every unique parameter of the object you are controlling.

The Remote Control Layer
When you are using the Motif XF front panel to control an external soft synth, you should be using the dedicated REMOTE CONTROL function. This is handled on PORT 2 of your USB or Firewire connection between the XF and the computer. You should use it because,
1) It is designed for this purpose
2) the parameters of your selected softsynth will become available in the Motif XF’s REMOTE layer - for example, say you are using Steinberg’s “Prologue” softsynth… you wind up with 22 pages of Editable parameters available via the 8 Knobs of the CONTROL area. The parameters and values show up in the Motif XF screen and allow you to really control your softsynth properly. Leave the Motif XF front panel for the Motif XF, and use the Motif XF REMOTE layer for your external devices.

To set this up: Press [REMOTE ON/OFF]
Use the [SELECTED PART CONTROL] (Up) and the [MULTI PART CONTROL] (Down) buttons to select between the various Control screens.
Press the [MULTI PART CONTROL] button for down to select the “Global” layer
[SF1] INST will allow you view and select among your VST Instruments
Press the [SELECTED PART CONTROL] button for up to select the “Selected Ch” layer
Here you will see [F1] PAGE DOWN and [F2] PAGE UP
These will allow you to navigate the various pages within your VSTi

Also when you are in this REMOTE ON/OFF layer (ON), the front panel SEQ TRANSPORT controls work to control Cubase, not the XF’s sequencer. In fact, most every front panel button has been retasked to control your selected DAW… in your case CUBASE.

Press the [SF6] INFO button to learn about what each button has been retasked with… for example, [PRE 1]-[PRE 8] buttons can be used to zero out KNOBs 1-8. [USER 1] is the RECORD READY button for track 1; The GROUP A-H buttons are SOLO buttons; The 1-8 buttons are MUTE buttons; 9-16 are SELECT buttons..

You get to know it after a session or two, and it is really very cool.

Discover your Motif XF… much, much more than meets the eye or can be discovered in the first 5 readings of the manual (lol)
:-)

Bad_Mister - 05 February 2011 08:24 PM

Discover your Motif XF… much, much more than meets the eye or can be discovered in the first 5 readings of the manual (lol)
:-)

Dear BM,
You’re God’s ‘AVATAR’ as far as the Motif is concerned. I think Yamaha should seriously consider publishing a collection of your Q&As;from this forum for all of us. It’ll be a treat and I would happily pay for it.
Regards

That did it!  Man BM, you are amazing!  Yamaha is in big trouble if they ever lose you.  Thanks for the help!

Please put my name second on that large list of
interested-motivated readers of:
“Phil Clendeninn’s Motif Philosophies”

Chas

Phil is “da Man”!

I read somewhere that they give awards to the most helpful and knowledgeable admins of music sites. I don’t know if Phil (BM) has ever been nominated for this, but surely he is an incredible / indispensable asset to the Motifator community and should be enlisted..  “He’s Bad!”