Specifications

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Whether you like to start from the scratch
with an initialized Performance, take a pre-
set Performance as a template, or simply
adjust a preset Performance to meet your
requirements, depends on your working
style. However, the procedure for program-
ming Performances are somewhat different
depending on the MOTIF model. Since
the S90XS/S70XS - now also in the MOX
- a Performance-Creator function allows a
much easier programming of a new Perfor-
mance in comparison to the MOTIF series.
In a Voice there already are individual
Elements, as described above. The Perfor-
mance area is a level above the Parts that
are assigned with one Voice each. Simp-
lified this area could be compared with a
4-channel mixer. However, the Performance
mode offers much more possibilities than
solely adjusting the volume of the Parts and
EQing them. The control surface of the ins-
trument with all its sliders, buttons and kn-
obs offer a variety of parameters to directly
control finest details of the sound. Examples
include filters, envelopes, tempo or groove-
relevant parameters such as quantization
and so on. So the term „Performance“ in
general does mean some sort of stage per-
formance. A Performance in the instrument
offers extensive intervention in the combi-
nation of Voices during the actual perfor-
mance.
Here are two practical examples. As lear-
ned in the section on Voices you are able
to set up split and layer sounds with the
Elements of a Voice. But to control this com-
bination of Elements, the Voice Edit mode
would be necessary in most cases.
to have a horn section layered behind the
piano.
But the horn section should not respond
to the sustain pedal. And it should be pro-
cessed by a delay as an effect, which in turn
should not be applied to the piano. You
can easily create such a combination in a
Performance and are able to adjust the ef-
fect intensity, the volume or the filter for the
brass section while playing.
Many preset Performances included arpeg-
gio patterns.
A good knowledge of the memory contents
of your instrument is always very helpful, so
you are able to create new variants from
appropriate templates, if necessary.
The Performance mode will be discussed in
detail in a later episode of this series, so
let‘s proceed with the presentation of other
terms.
sOngs and
PaTTerns
A very large part of the terms we use today
as a matter of course in the context of mu-
sic has its origin in the English language.
In many cases, non-native English speakers
probably have almost lost consciousness
for that.
A Song for instance is first and foremost a
tune. However, in music production with
synthesizers, workstations, DAW‘s etc. the
term Song is rather used as delimintaion to
other notions - for instance to the Pattern.
In a musical environment a Pattern could
be described as a section that is repeated
regularly - thus the music follows a pattern.
In earlier years of music production, when
the first drum machines were used, a pat-
tern-oriented work was most common. For
certain parts of a production, such as Intro,
Verse, Bridge, Break, Ending, etc. one-bar
phrases (Patterns) were created and then
strung together in a meaningful way (this
example is limited to the drums), ideally re-
sulting in a song, which closes the circle.
Let‘s take a look at a practical example.
The instruments of the MOTIF series inclu-
de a so-called Sequencer section, which
can be used Song- and Pattern-oriented.
Today Patterns can take considerably more
musical content than in the aforementioned
drum machines.
Suppose you have a Performance to
prepare, with a piano as main instrument.
And at certain points of the song you want
The MOTIF series synthesizers contain
thousands of arpeggios, which are cate-
gorized according to different instrument
types. There are (abbreviated) ARPs for
synth sounds, basses, guitars, drums - to
name just a few examples. These phrases
can be integrated into a Performance and
controlled by the keyboard as required. A
chord recognition, for example, perfectly
transforms a played keyboard chord into
a typical guitar phrase. By using so-called
Mega Voices this results in a very realistic
sound that could not be achieved with „nor-
mal“ keyboard playing. All four Parts of a
Performance can have arpeggios assigned
to. Each Performance can have up to five
variations of the ARPs, which can be set to
fit each other. By this it‘s possible to create
some structure for a Performance from intro
to outro. A Hold function for the arpeggios
ensures that the phrase doesn‘t stop after
being started by playing on the keyboard.
This provides the opportunity to have at
least one hand free for parameter changes
and such.
Now take a few minutes to work through
the Performances of your instrument. Try to
determine, how the factory Performances
are programmed and what type of musical
performance they are suited for.