I just got reply from Bad Mister: there is no Pattern Sequencer on board the Montage. Now for sure.

I own Motif XF, and I love its Pattern Sequencer.

For those, who do know all of the benefits of using the Pattern Sequencer, especially in conjunction with the Performance Mode, I ‘ve got a question:

Do you guys think it would be possible to replace this function of Motif with any software? I mean, if you created a performance using arpeggios, would it be possible to record it and play it back using external sequencer, the same way as you would use Motif’s Pattern Sequencer?

If yes, it would be great to know, how I can do it. I really want to try it with my XF, and if it works, I will replace my XF with Montage in May.

I’ve seen lots of posts here, where people say that many things they had been doing on the XF were much easier and better to do in Cubase. Is it applicable to the Pattern Mode? I don’t think so… But please, let me know if I’m wrong.

Many thanks.

I’m sure there is.
However, the XF’s sequencer has a great advantage that you can
specify when the pattern should be changed.
(E.g. at the end of the measure)
For this reason the pattern swap will always be 100% rhythmical.

Normally you can record MIDI on any DAW (Cubase, Studio One etc.)
and let it play back.
However, I haven’t figured out (at least for Studio One) how to rebuild
the XF pattern functions.

Anyway, when you use a DAW, you might be work with copy and paste
instead of loops.
So on the XF you have for example 3 patterns and switch between them
after 16 measures, 8 measures, 16 measures etc.
On a DAW you could simply duplicate the patterns, so making a song
out of the pattern.
(On the XF this is possible as well.)
On a PC this will be much faster, though.

Cakewalk Pro Audio 7 from like 1996 allows you to break each MIDI track into arbitrary number of “MIDI clips”, and each of them could be cloned and “linked” to the master clip - so any edits to the “master” would be reflected in any slave clip, and you can also “un-link” clips that need to be changed at any time.

Of course any and all clips can be selected, cut/pasted or moved by any number of measures or ticks.

That’s about anything you’ll ever need to make a quick arrangement fast.

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR X3&language=3&help=Beginners.05.html#597491

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR X3&language=3&help=Arranging.32.html#1471175

Cakewalk Sonar from 2001 added an even simpler implementation, MIDI Groove clips. 

These are looped for selected number of measures but all repetitions are presented in the track view as one continuous clip - though any part thereof can be edited individually and any changes are automatically “unlinked” from the master clip.

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR X3&language=3&help=Looping.14.html

This of course applies to the latest Sonar X3/X4 as well.

Steinberg Cubase 8 has MIDI clips with looping and Presonus Studio One 3 has a dedicated Arranger track view for pattern editing (sadly neither Cubase nor Studio One have online help reference).

So I’d imagine any other major DAW should have these basic features, it’s freaking year 2016 now! Welcome to the software sequencer revolution that started 30 years ago with the Atari 520ST, C-Lab Notator and Steinberg Cubase Atari.

Ableton Live’s Session View “Scenes” works a lot like a pattern sequencer, but actually is much more powerful and flexible.  Also, Studio One 3’s “Arranger Track” can also be used like a pattern sequencer, but once again, it is much more powerful and flexible.

The only thing that makes the Motif’s sequencer truly special is it’s workflow!  It’s super quick and easy to get going.  No using a mouse and assigning midi channels, etc.

The Arranger of Studio One 3 is good, but as far as I see
it’s not that different from the markers.
When you have simple markers, you can jump to them.
For the Arranger it’s the same.
The only difference is that all events within an Arranger block get deleted/duplicated etc.

As said, the XF is great because it doesn’t change the pattern immediately.
(Only if you want and set it this way.)

Get Yamaha mobile music sequencer on an iPad. I got my xs6 synced to iPad. It’s compatible with all motifs and I’m sure it will get updated for the montage.

Raven80 - 05 February 2016 01:19 PM

The Arranger of Studio One 3 is good, but as far as I see
it’s not that different from the markers.
When you have simple markers, you can jump to them.
For the Arranger it’s the same.
The only difference is that all events within an Arranger block get deleted/duplicated etc.

As said, the XF is great because it doesn’t change the pattern immediately.
(Only if you want and set it this way.)

If you set up your loop points on your different parts in the Arranger Track in Studio One, it’s just like using a pattern based sequencer.  You could make several different Arranger track sections and name them “Sequence 1”, “Sequence 2”, etc. Then you can actually open up a Scratch Pad and drag and drop your different Arranger Track parts {Sequences} in to it.  That would be just like making patterns in the MOTIF, and then arranging them in to a complete song.

Every DAW has simple markers, but not every DAW has a “Scratch Pad”. Not every DAW allows you to move entire Arrangement blocks around.  The Arranger Track and the Scratch Pad together are what make Studio One unique.

kb420 - 05 February 2016 11:42 AM

The only thing that makes the Motif’s sequencer truly special is it’s workflow!  It’s super quick and easy to get going.  No using a mouse and assigning midi channels, etc.

Thanks a lot for the responses.  I will do some more research.
Actually, I think that the workflow may be the main problem. When I use Motif’s Pattern Sequencer,
first of all I appreciate its ability to record just with pressing 2 buttons.  After several seconds I already have a ready-to-use loop.
Is it really possible to setup a DAW (or an iPad app) so it can be always ready to record motif’s Performance in one or two clicks and automatically stop recording when required after several measures?

Sorry, I don’t have much experience with DAWs.. I have a negative experience, when I had to do midi recording from Roland BK7m into Cubase.  There is no midi sequencer on board of the Roland. I needed to create a multitrack midi file, using “style” playback from BK7m, in other words, record at the same time drums, bass, percussion etc into different midi channels. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t do it, moreover, I spend several nights in the internet, and couldn’t find instructions or tutorial on how to setup my DAW to be able to record MIDI data from BK7m, so it sounds exactly the same when I send this MIDI data back to BK7m.

I just worried that I will be experiencing the same trouble with Montage!

Just in case, if some one could share the “Pattern Sequencer” settings (as a DAW project) I would really appreciate it. Or may be just explain, step-by-step how to setup it.. I have Cubase 8 and actually can get access to all DAWs mentioned above if required. I really need to test if it works for me, before I sell my XF and pre-order Montage.
I am prepared to buy any other DAW or app, if it can work the same way (and with similar workflow) as the Motif’s Pattern Sequencer with Montage.
Many thanks

Normally you can see a DAW like the song mode of the Motif XF.
However, in the DAW you will be able to jump to a specific measure within 1 click.

What can be difficult is to have some kind of “Key start”.
On the XF you can specify that the record starts automatically when pressing any key/playing any note.
On a DAW (e.g. Studio One) I haven’t figured out how this works.
However, you can easily and quickly quantize or move all the tracks to measure 001.

P.S. But un DAWs you also have a metronom and count in, like on the XF.

The problem with recording a Performance in to a DAW isn’t just the DAW itself, but also the keyboard.  In performance mode, usually the keyboard is simultaneously transmitting on several midi channels internally.  In order for a DAW to record a performance, it needs to be set up to receive and record on several midi channels simultaneously from the keyboard.

Now, a most DAW’s can be set up to record on several midi channels at once.  It’s usually not a one step operation, however it can be done.  But, the question is, does the keyboard itself transmit midi externally while it is in performance mode? 

I could be completely wrong about all of this if the keyboard actually isn’t functioning across multiple midi channels.  If that’s the case, all of the elements of the performance may be separated by layers but will all respond to the same midi channel.  If that is the case, it may prohibit the keyboard from being sequenced with more than one sound.  In other words, you’ll only be able to sequence the performance sound, and that’s it.