Re: [MoAccess] Changing time signatures in sequencer
- From: "Bryan Smart" <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <MoAccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:57:30 -0500
That's interesting. You're right that, in general, the Motif will
capture most changes that you make while you're in record. So, if you're
recording, and you turn a knob to tweak the sound of a voice, change the
attack/release of a sound with the knobs, move a volume fader, change
the tempo, etc, those all get recorded. In a lot of ways, that is a much
easier way of doing automation than people have to deal with in DAW apps
like Sonar.
The drawback here is when you need to set an exact value at an exact
time. For example, if my drum track is mostly dry, but, in the last
snare hit before the downbeat of a new song section, I want to wash the
snare with reverb, then I'd just move to the top of the last bar, go
into overdub record, turn the reverb knob up before the snare, turn it
back down after the snare, and press stop. Sure, I've put lots of knob
automation all over that track, but who cares. I got what I wanted. When
it comes to things like tempo and meter, though, you might want to jump
directly from one value to another. So, in that case, just turning a
knob is going to create a gradual change. At least, that is how it has
worked with most of what I've tried so far.
So, just so that I understand you correctly, you jump forward into the
song where you want the meter to change, start recording, and then arrow
up to and change the meter during the count-in? If you were fast enough
to make that change during the count-in, then maybe, when recording
started, only the most recent meter change would be recorded to the
tempo track.
Or, are you saying that you move to the bar where you want the meter
change, go into Record Setup, change the meter setting, and then press
play?
Those Yamaha people are really the smart ones. I'm always so happily
surprised when I expect to have to do things in a highly technical way
(like I've come to expect from a computer), and they've already made the
Motif figure it out for me. Here is an example. On the Motif, when you
wanted to make a pattern into a song, you have to record a pattern
chain, and then you have to dump that chain into a song. On the ES,
recording a chain involved recording a pattern track that contained info
about when to switch between the different pattern sections, and a scene
track, where you could record your mute/solo of tracks. This made the
pattern chain mode almost a mini sequencer in its own right, complete
with overdub and replace recording, multiple tracks, an editor that had
to be learned, etc. On the XS, you just go into Pattern Chain mode, hit
record, and play the pattern with the buttons, just like you would from
pattern play mode. You can switch sections, perform your solos/mutes,
and it will all be recorded. Since it is all recorded at once, there is
no need for separate chain tracks, and, while there is an editor for the
chain, it is usually easier for me to just hit record and perform the
pattern again. On the ES, I didn't bother to create a pattern chain
unless I was serious about turning the pattern into a song so that I
could record overdubs. However, on the XS, when I'm writing patterns, I
almost always record a rough chain with a demo song structure laid out
(intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, etc -- something like that), so
that I can hear the patterns in context and bounce my song ideas off of
people.
Another way that they've really made all of this easier is when you get
ready to render the chain to a song. When you go into the render screen
on the ES, you need to pick the song number where the chain will be
dumped. You can't numerically enter a number there, so you must count
with the inc/dec buttons or clicks of the data dial in order to reach
the correct song slot (Adrian? Ernist? Have you all learned differently
since I had an ES). There were several times on the ES when I'd make a
mistake by missing a click when counting, and I'd over write the wrong
song. Of course, there was no un-do, so that lead to bad situations. On
the XS, you don't need to enter a number or count clicks. If you go to
song mode, and dial up to song 12, then, when you go back into Pattern
Chain mode and select to render the chain to a song, the XS is smart
enough to start you out on the last song that you were using in song
mode, which, in this case would be song 12. So, I use song mode to
select the slot (where I can actually hear if anything is stored in that
song slot), and can then switch back to pattern chain and start the
render operation. it is really smart of them.
There is stuff like this everywhere. If you're in Performance mode, and
you record to a song, then press the song button, you're immediately
placed into the song that you just recorded. Working the other way
around, if you select an empty song or pattern, switch to performance
mode, and hit record, you'll be recording into the last song or pattern
that you were using. Of course, you always get a settings screen where
you can manually set the number, but these new ways are much more useful
to someone that is working based on what they hear rather than what they
see.
What a great instrument!
Bryan
________________________________
From: moaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:moaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jes
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 1:17 PM
To: MoAccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [MoAccess] Changing time signatures in sequencer
Actually Bryan, you don't need to do anything with the event editor. I
found out through trial and error that if you just go to the measure
where you want to change the time signature and you just change the
whole meter, the meter will change on the start of that measure. For
example, say you had a time signature of 4/4 at the start of your
sequence, but after 8 measures you wanted to switch to 3/4, then 8
measures later you wanted to go back to 4/4. When you want to change the
time signature from 4/4 to 3/4 at the 8th measure, just go to measure 8
and change the meter by pressing the record button then scrolling up and
changing the meter that way. When you want to change it back to 4/4,
just do the same thing. I've found that method to work, unless I'm
missing something. Thoughts?
----- Original Message -----
From: Bryan Smart <mailto:bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: MoAccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 3:53 AM
Subject: Re: [MoAccess] Changing time signatures in sequencer
To change the time signature in the middle of a song, you need
to insert a meter change into the event list. From song mode, press
edit. In here, there is an insert function. When you pick it a screen
will come up asking the type of event.
You'll need sighted help for this. I haven't had anyone go
through the event editor with me in any detail other than how to use the
main event edit screen to change notes, velocities, and durations.
Bryan
________________________________
From: moaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:moaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jes
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 8:35 PM
To: MoAccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [MoAccess] Changing time signatures in sequencer
Bryan, I am using the MoTif xs. I should have made that clear in
my last message.
--
From: Bryan Smart <mailto:bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: MoAccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: [MoAccess] Changing time signatures in
sequencer
The short answer is yes. You can change the time
signature in the middle of a song.
Which Motif are you using?
Bryan
________________________________
From: moaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:moaccess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jes
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 3:01 PM
To: MoAccess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [MoAccess] Changing time signatures in
sequencer
Hi all. I know how to change the meter from 4/4 to 3/4
in the song mode, but how do you change the number of beats in a
measure, like from 4/4 to 6/8? Also, is it possible to change the time
signature throughout a sequence, like going from 4/4 to 3/4, then
returning to 4/4? I would hope that the Motif can handle complex rhythm
changes like 6/8, 5/4, 9/12, etc. Thanks
Jes
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