There are two types of pattern pads -though the literature does not make this clear.
The first type play MIDI Pattern files. They are compatible with Beat Agents. They can be dragged into Cubase and the MIDI is shown in the Pattern view, which shows a drum editor where MIDI changes can be made with in the app, by the user.
The second type are Style Player Pattern Pads. Although the Style Player does use MIDI, its complicated automatic algorithmical MIDI which changes substantially when Style Maker dials are changed. We are shielded from seeing this MIDI. Such a Pattern Pad will not open in Beat Agents. They are custom files for Acoustic and Percussion Agents only.
It seems to me these two file types are very differentt. but I know of no quick way of telling one pad from another.
What’s the best way to visually or otherwise distinguish please?
The Groove Agent manuals refers to Style Player, not Style Maker - nitpicking but helpful maybe to someone searching for info about this.
I’m not sure why one would need to identify what type of pads they are? It seems to me they can either be manipulated by the Style Player - or they can’t. There may be exceptions, but generally all the Acoustic Agent and Percussion presets can use Style Players and the Beat Agents can’t.
A pad that’s been edited with Style Player can be dragged straight into Cubase and dropped as midi on a midi track or a Groove Agent track. Once it’s dropped in place it’s “just midi” and can be fully edited and played back through any kit, including a Beat Agent one.
Thank you Paul for your thoughts . I edited my post and corrected it a little thanks. The reason why we should identify which type of pads are which is because new users, when learning the program, or those that are only using surface features will find different pattern pads responding in different ways and they may not yet know why. It makes things clearer. They are different. IMO. It was quite a while before I began to understand Styles.
The Agent and Style differences can indeed be confusing to new users, particularly the screen and options/buttons changing when loading a new kit.
If I were overhauling Groove Agent, I would provide exactly the same interface screens for each type of kit. For options not available for a certain kit, I’d grey them out with a note that they’re not accessible in this “Agent”.
Then, for example, for a new user it would be immediately obvious that “Oh I can’t directly edit the samples in this Acoustic Agent Kit” rather than wasting time endlessly clicking to see where the options went.