Easier to make this a point by point reply...

Q
So you CAN, per registration, chose which Style Parts get sent out to an external module, and which Parts get played by the Internal Tones on an S900?
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A
Yes, its the same on the Korg, you just simply turn off RX for whichever part you don't want sounding locally, and have TX on for the same channel. All the arrangers have the channels for the arranger parts permanently set.
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Q
Or is it a case of setting up the receiving module to ignore the majority of the messages that the arranger is sending, and muting the internal Tone of the arranger, but NOT muting the MIDI output? My head hurts.
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A
If you are not using GM, then yes, there is some setup required on the module. All that needs to be turned off on the module, well in my experience with the MoEs, is patch change and the RX for the parts I am using the PA for, or in this case the S900.

I still want all the other stuff, volume pan efx etc to be transmitted, unless I have a particular efx setup I want to use on the MO, in the case of some o'd and dist guitars for example.
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Q
From what I'm reading, it seems that those of you that do this have to mess with the module itself as well as the arranger, unless you use one basic setup for everything.
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A
On the Yamaha Motif line they have something called a Multi, which is a multi-part (16) setup especially for MIDI operations. All the setups on this multi can be saved, much like a registration. And they can be recalled via midi as well. So once setup they are there forever. I have several setups, several for a guitar based rock band, another for a jazzband yet another for hip-hop dance sort of stuff. And then all I feed these from the PA is the style data generated from a style on the PA.
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Q
Which, kind of defeats the purpose of using a module, IMO, which are supposed to be just racked up and controlled remotely (at least, this is how WS's do it). I would prefer to have the arranger as the sole master, and the module out of reach. There's enough to do between songs already!
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A
Yeah! You got that right but it does work after some initial setup. I have a couple of PC programs that make setting up the MoEs Rack and absolute doddle.
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Q
Anyone doing this successfully?
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A
Yes I use it all the time when I do Pub gigs, not so much for the quieter ones where the PA is more than sufficient.
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Q
I guess the holy grail for all of us is to have a rack module (or another keyboard) MIDI'd to our arrangers, and, on a registration by registration basis, be able to chose which parts, keyboard AND style/smf go to the internal sounds, and which ones go to the module, and have the correct codes for sounds (BTW, for this to be effective, this HAS to address more than just GM sounds - in fact, any sound in the module whatsoever ), levels and effects be transmitted... Correct?
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A
Yes that would be ideal, and to a certain extent it can be done by creating user sounds with the correct address(midi) saved with the sound. Now I am not sure on the Tyros/PSR line as I never got that far in, but on the PA it can transmit a patch externally so I could, if I really wanted to, set up banks of user sounds with the correct motif patching data to send to the MoEs Rack, but with the multi system it is never necessary as with the sending of one CC message, I can get a complete set of 16 sounds including drum kit, instantly, and I can have 128 of these...
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Q
So, with our 21st century arrangers and modules, who is able to pull this off flawlessly.
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A
Well I have got to admit it's not flawless but it does work pretty well. Some of the styles on the PA that sound, well a bit Ho-Hum really come to life when used with the sounds of the Motif.
Plus you can create your own unique styles on the PA ONLY for use with the Motif and that perfectly suit the Motif sound palette.

Hope that helps Diki, and was not too long an answer

Dennis