Motif patch list.

[grouse]

Every couple of years this problem raises its ugly head for me, I fail to solve it and move on.
I just thought this time I'd ask on here.
I've been using the Motu Fastlane USB to connect my Yamaha Motif 6 to DP for over a decade.
I've switched to straight USB for periods but I have always lost my patch lists and moved back to the Fastlane. It seems to be the only way to see the list in DP.

Recently I added a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 as my main audio interface and it also has MIDI in/ out.
Everything is working fine but the patch list is gone again. It actually says "No patches" in Digital Performer when I click on "Patch" or "Default Patch". It doesn't even give me a generic list.

I copied the midnam and midddv files (from OS 10.6) to Mavericks/ Library/ Audio/ MIDI Devices/ Motu
I tried putting them in "MIDI Patch Names" too, to no avail.
I've deleted and re-added the Motif in Audio MIDI Setup, restarted computer, quit DP et. etc.

Am I doing something wrong?
I'm curious do people use MIDI In/Out anymore or is it all USB?
I could go back to the Fastlane but I'd love to save a USB slot and use the audio interface.
Any help is appreciated.

[David Polich]

Yes, people still use MIDI. I do. I'd never use the keyboard's USB to connect it because I have
way too many other things connected via USB (printer, MIDI Timepiece AV, two i-Lok's, two
Syncrosoft keys).

About patch lists - dunno. I've never used them. My "patch list" consists of reaching over to
the hardware and selecting the sound I need. It takes almost exactly the same amount of time.

Have you tried using the Motif's Category Search button? That works better than any patch list, and you can browse presets by category, which you can't do with a patch list in DP.

[grouse]

Thanks Dave for the response. In the past I have used the keyboard to switch sounds but I much prefer to have it in DP.
I like to edit notes, switch sounds, switch back, try different things in one place (i.e. DP), otherwise I'd be back and forth and it would interrupt workflow.
Plus it's a lot easier see things on a big computer screen than the small Motif 6 window!
On top of that, how do you save the sounds when you save a DP project and come back to it?
Do you have a generic list of patches that saves with the project?
Right now I'm getting "No patches" so I couldn't even pick one which would be saved with file unless I also save a Motif Pattern which I would load in conjunction with the DP project.
I've done that in the past too with Ableton Live but it got very messy.
I was on to Motu about this issue and they sent me .midnam files and instructions.
So far all I'm getting is a list of General MIDI patches so I'll follow up with them and see how it pans out.

[David Polich]

On top of that, how do you save the sounds when you save a DP project and come back to it?
Do you have a generic list of patches that saves with the project?

How to "save your sounds" in a DP project:

1. Create MIDI track, assign it to the Motif.
2. Find the sound you want to use on the Motif.
3. Rename the MIDI track to the sound (voice) name and location on the Motif. For example:
"Pre1 A1 Full Grand".

I do this for every MIDI track, regardless of whether it was used to trigger external hardware or a virtual instrument. That way I never lose track of what was used in a project.

Here's the deal with patch lists - they usually only reflect the General MIDI sounds, OR they
do not list all the sounds in all of the banks, OR they become outdated because you erase
the factory sounds and replace them with your own, OR the product itself becomes discontinued and there just aren't any patch lists for it anymore. (Your Motif is over thirteen years old now).

[grouse]

I always put the patch name in the 'comments' section.
Usually have my own weird names for tracks!
Having worked with and without a patch list, definitely don't like to work without them.
If I can't work this out with Motu, I'll just go back to the Fastlane.

[reedster]

Does a Motif driver show up in AMS?

Did you connect a Motif device to the Motif driver?

[grouse]

Turns out the problem was simply capital letters.
I had set up the keyboard as 'Motif' in Audio MIDI Setup. The .midnam file was saved as 'MOTIF'.
So it didn't reference the sound banks until I changed to all capitals.
(Incidentally 'Yamaha' should be written with a capital Y, then small letters).
Happy camper now.