How important are the pads on todays arrangers for you?

Personally i am a big fan of Tyros 5s midi pads, and since most of the arps in Motif are compatible with Tyros 5 i have a huge database of them...

They are also not that hard to create yourself ( with the exception of the midi pads using mega voice technollogy)

So how much use do you make of the pads?

I use them Very sparingly in my songs,....and if I use them it's almost always latin percussion of some sort as most others are too repetitious adding to the already repetitious styles arrangers use..

I have never use them on my Korg pa600.

I use them much the same as Donny above. Plus in 'dance' styles I'll go with some of the built in synth sequences, drop them in and out. As with anything else, use them tastefully, sparingly and intelligently.

I use them sparingly, but would use them more if the Pad Creator was better. It won't let you use an SA voice and I have yet to figure out a way to quantize the phrase, which is important to me, especially on a repeating one.
I do use a few premade ones, such as a steel drum or marimbe effect on some latin numbers.

Skip

One of my good uses is with dance music, where i want more then 2 drum tracks in a dance styles, and mix with them, espescially for todays trance music having 4 extra drum beats to mix with is a godsgift...

I am still not happy that there can only be 2 drum tracks in a variation, i wish yamaha allowed user styles to change track type, i dont see any reason for this restriction at all..

You can use sa voices, just not the 22 SA2 voices and the organworld voices on the T5

I've edited a lot of the Pa900 styles to utilize pads I think fit better ... sometimes I delete an accomp track and use the pad instead ...
Like Donny, I also use a lot of Latin percussion pads ... pads of strings etc. are usually quite repetitious ...

I often use the pads for drum flams and ending. Adds a live feel to some songs. Can't overuse it though.

I use the pads often. Latin tunes give way for great variations to the pads. Increases interest in Latin variations.
Also use in various styles. Possible to overuse. Lloyd

I use sequence pad with most of my music. On my Pa900 I have a button which is programed to mute Acc. 1 to 5 leaving Drums, Perc. and Bass.
I use finger cords with my left hand. When I turn off the Acc 1 –5 and add my left and right hand sounds it sounds good, but is less than.
Pad Strings, Horn, Finger Click, Bass Drum, and Latin pads are my favorites.

All 5 pads without the Acc. Sound full, it is not better than the original full styles, it is different. This difference creates variety in the style. When I listen to a band playing, especially when the vocal starts the band changes, the band eliminate some the instruments that are playing.

Using the String pad when playing a ballad adds a great deal to the style. Most of my pads do not cover the original set up. They are only for effect.

EX. When playing a shuffle adding a guitar shuffle pad lifts the style.

I spend 60% of my time creating STS that I want to use, and 40% on the pads. On the KMA the pads only played Hit they did not Sequence; I hated that. Time allowing I will record how I am working without Pads.

John C.

Good to hear i am not the only one thinking the pads are just great, and a wellneeded part of todays arrangers... Espescially the midi pads...

For me, pads can be used to transform a "general style" more closely into the specific song you are trying to perform.... if there is a certain fill or melodic riff that recurs through a song, pads can be used to help the style replicate the song.... also agree with Bruno - pads can often "lift" a style and help give a more live feel.

I like the vocal pads on Tyros 4.

Also I like to add drum loops to some styles that need additional rhythm.