One way I´m kinda looking at my OT in terms of understanding Banks, Parts and Patterns (but I might have got it a bit wrong somewhere…):
Banks (not necessarily but could equal different “songs”)
Parts (not necessarily but could equal different “sections” of the “songs”)
Pattern (equals different… ahem… patterns within the two above)
All of above are interlayered with each other, making them up to you in how to get the most out of them in your prefered way of how to work. This could be a bit confusing if you don´t “have” an prefered way of how to work…
However, if i e seeing these options as a drummer with his/hers drumkit:
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[li]Patterns = a whole lot of different (rhythm)patterns utilizing mainly the same “drumkit” (i e the same pieces, only different rhythm, speed and/or volume etc…)[/li]
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[li]Parts = song sections where you can add, change or remove different pieces of the “drumkit” (i e exchanging pieces, as in temporarily picking up the handheld cowbell/tambourine but loose something else)[/li]
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[li]Banks = a song with or without added, changed or removed pieces of the “drumkit”. Patterns within banks aren´t necessarily part of the same “song” but are easily seen as they “should be” that as they are grouped within the OT in such way when working manually with the OT. One bank = 16 patterns instantly aviable with the trig buttons.[/li]
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However, with banks, an real drummer can and mostly will have the same “drumkit” during all the songs if playing them live. He won´t change that “on the fly”, but he has an infinite options of i e what rhythms, speed and volume he uses (= patterns).
However, if you would see the bank as the tracks on a CD from any artists. There would most probably be differencies between the tracks, perhaps an totally different drumkits/instruments. They weren´t “forced” to change anything between the tracks on that CD, but they choosed to. Same thing applies to the OT too, since you can have control of changing patterns(/banks) with i e MIDI program changes. Any specific pattern could be tied to an specific section of any of your songs, calling up other synths specific sound for that section as well as calling up specific internal samples (= parts + patterns).
As you can see. One of the beauty here with the OT is that it IS in a way very transparent to your prefered methods, i e:
You have an “default” memory location with drumkit sounds you often want to use somewhere within the banks, where you can bang out some basic beat. To that you´d like to have a specific synth sound (i e saved somewhere within that synth), you could easily find out WHICH pattern (location) you need to copy your newly made beat into to have that synthsound becoming activated at the same time you activate this pattern (i e via MIDI program change to both your synth and OT).
Change to the next OT pattern and it could be all different, as if it would be a totally new song. If you however would want the same synthsound but with different OT patterns, you could either copy the sound in the synth to this next location so it is in “sync” with the locations in your OT. Or you can have the OT recall this synthsound upon this pattern change (= sending out program change to your synth).
In many MIDI controllable effect processors you have different memory locations but you have to fill them up with your settings at the specific locations (presets = program change). Thus each location can held very similar or very different settings.
The OT is very similar to this procedure. And no unit knows how and where YOU would just want altered copies of something, or want something totally different.
But your prefered way of working, i e copy & paste on the fly will probably affect how you SHOULD see and use the Banks, Parts and Patterns to make them feeling logical to you. No methods fits all…
