INSERTION EFFECTS differ from the SYSTEM EFFECTS

The INSERTION EFFECTS differ from the SYSTEM EFFECTS in several ways.

INSERTION EFFECTS are interwoven into the VOICE. You can assign controllers and control them in real time. What this means in simple terms is: A Motif XS Voice can be very complex in terms of how it deals with Effects. Each component that makes up a Voice can be routed to one or the other or both or neither of the INSERTION processors. These are the effects that you can control in real time – by assigning important parameters to physical controllers like your Mod Wheel, Foot Pedals, Assignable Knobs or Assignable Function buttons, etc. The INSERTION Effect often gives the Voice its personality. The Rotary Speaker for a B3 sound, the soundboard Damper Resonance for the piano, and the Overdrive Distortion for the electric guitar are all examples of effects that give a sound its identity/personality.

SYSTEM EFFECTS (Chorus and Reverb) are overall effects – they are shared by all the Elements together. They provide the outer environment for the sound. That is, the room acoustics. Reverb is the size and shape of the room in which the instrument is played. The Chorus processor can be thought of as a “time delay” effect. Its principal function is from extremely short time delays (Flanging and Chorusing) to long multiple repeat delays (like Echoes).

When the VOICE is placed in an ensemble (either a PERFORMANCE or a SONG/PATTERN MIXING program) it does not take along the SYSTEM EFFECTS. The SYSTEM Effects are shared by all of the PARTS. This makes sense because, remember, System Effects are the OUTER environment. It would be analogous to the musicians all being in the same room acoustics. So in a PERFORMANCE or in a MIXING program all the PARTS must share the OUTER environment… just like in the real world, you would have the band in a single room…

You have an individual SEND AMOUNT control per PART in this ensemble - which allows you to send a specific amount of each PART to the SYSTEM Effects (this is analagous to a recording console where you have two AUXILIARY SENDS for each channel). While the INSERT EFFECTS are inserted inline with the channel’s signal. Eight of the PARTS can recall their Dual Insertion Effects from Voice mode.

When you place a VOICE in a PERFORMANCE or use it in a SONG MIXING or PATTERN MIXING setup, you are placing that individual ‘musician’ in a new environoment. It is no longer useful to think about it in terms of how it sounded alone. It is now all about how it sound in combination with the other ‘musicians’ (musical instrument tracks). All the different Parts must share the “outer environment” effects… so think in terms of that. If Voice mode is practicing at home alone, then MIXING mode is like going to the studio… not every instrument can bring their own room (outer) acoustics.

So if you copy the System effects of the VOICE in question to the current MIXING setup, then it will be the System Effects that all 16 PARTS must share.

Here is a step-by-step (using the Synth Lead Voice: Mr. Finger PRE 5: 053(D05) as an example):

Go to SONG or PATTERN mode where you want to use the “Mr. Finger” VOICE and do the following:

Press [MIXING]
Press [EDIT]
Press a Track Select button [1]-[16] for the Part you want to place the “Mr. Finger”
Press [F1] VOICE
Press [SF1] VOICE
Set the “Param. with Voice” = ON
Move the cursor up to Bank and select PRE 5
Move the cursor down to Number and select 053 Mr. Finger
Press [STORE] to register and lock the selection into the MIX

Now you will want to copy the Reverb and Chorus routing of the Voice into the Mix… here’s how:
Press [MIXING]
Press [JOB]
Press [F3] COPY
Press [SF2] VOICE
Here you can select to copy the (System and other) Effects from this Voice in Voice mode to the current mix

Set this dialog box as follows:
Check the “CURRENT MIX” box
Set the PART to the number of the PART containing the Mr. Finger… PRE 5 Mr. Finger should be seen in the space next to the PART number
Check the Reverb and Chorus boxes with red checks
Press [ENTER] to execute

Now, final step, to set the send amounts for the kit:
Press [MIXING]
On the channel strip for your Mr. Finger set the:
Reverb Send amount = 12
Chorus Send amount = 8

....to match the send amounts in Voice mode. (Of course, you may need to adjust these to taste depending on what other instruments are now sounding in your mix. The SEND AMOUNTS are very subjective and although the delay may be easily heard when the Voice is played alone as in VOICE mode, now in with 15 other sounds in the mix, you may need to adjust this SEND AMOUNT).

This procedure will copy the DELAY LR STEREO and the SPX HALL used for the Mr Finger Voice as the SYSTEM EFFECTS for your Mix.

Final touch:
Press the [SELECTED PART CONTROL] button repeatedly so that the top row is selected. This way the ASSIGN 1 knob and ASSIGN 2 knob will be available as they are in Voice mode and will give you real time control of the CHORUS SEND amount and DRY/WET Balance amount for the Ensemble Detune, respectively.