diff --git a/libs/ardour/disk_writer.cc b/libs/ardour/disk_writer.cc
index 2f12d14e74..75a87b8f63 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/disk_writer.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/disk_writer.cc
@@ -897,9 +897,6 @@ DiskWriter::set_note_mode (NoteMode m)
 	if (mp) {
 		mp->set_note_mode (m);
 	}
-
-	if (_midi_write_source && _midi_write_source->model())
-		_midi_write_source->model()->set_note_mode(m);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc
index bf43d58366..68fcba216e 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_model.cc
@@ -1229,17 +1229,15 @@ MidiModel::write_to (boost::shared_ptr<MidiSource>     source,
 {
 	ReadLock lock(read_lock());
 
-	const bool old_percussive = percussive();
-	set_percussive(false);
 
 	source->drop_model(source_lock);
-	source->mark_streaming_midi_write_started (source_lock, note_mode());
+	/* as of March 2022 or long before , the note mode argument does nothing */
+	source->mark_streaming_midi_write_started (source_lock, Sustained);
 
 	for (Evoral::Sequence<TimeType>::const_iterator i = begin(TimeType(), true); i != end(); ++i) {
 		source->append_event_beats(source_lock, *i);
 	}
 
-	set_percussive(old_percussive);
 	source->mark_streaming_write_completed(source_lock);
 
 	set_edited(false);
@@ -1257,9 +1255,6 @@ MidiModel::sync_to_source (const Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock& source_lock)
 {
 	ReadLock lock(read_lock());
 
-	const bool old_percussive = percussive();
-	set_percussive(false);
-
 	boost::shared_ptr<MidiSource> ms = _midi_source.lock ();
 	if (!ms) {
 		error << "MIDI model has no source to sync to" << endmsg;
@@ -1270,13 +1265,13 @@ MidiModel::sync_to_source (const Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock& source_lock)
 	   on the next roll if time progresses linearly. */
 	ms->invalidate(source_lock);
 
-	ms->mark_streaming_midi_write_started (source_lock, note_mode());
+	/* as of March 2022 or long before , the note mode argument does nothing */
+	_midi_source.mark_streaming_midi_write_started (source_lock, Sustained);
 
 	for (Evoral::Sequence<TimeType>::const_iterator i = begin(TimeType(), true); i != end(); ++i) {
 		ms->append_event_beats(source_lock, *i);
 	}
 
-	set_percussive (old_percussive);
 	ms->mark_streaming_write_completed (source_lock);
 
 	set_edited (false);
@@ -1301,11 +1296,9 @@ MidiModel::write_section_to (boost::shared_ptr<MidiSource>     source,
 	ReadLock lock(read_lock());
 	MidiNoteTracker mst;
 
-	const bool old_percussive = percussive();
-	set_percussive(false);
-
 	source->drop_model(source_lock);
-	source->mark_streaming_midi_write_started (source_lock, note_mode());
+	/* as of March 2022 or long before , the note mode argument does nothing */
+	source->mark_streaming_midi_write_started (source_lock, Sustained);
 
 	for (Evoral::Sequence<TimeType>::const_iterator i = begin(TimeType(), true); i != end(); ++i) {
 		if (i->time() >= begin_time && i->time() < end_time) {
@@ -1343,7 +1336,6 @@ MidiModel::write_section_to (boost::shared_ptr<MidiSource>     source,
 	}
 	mst.resolve_notes (*source, source_lock, end_time);
 
-	set_percussive(old_percussive);
 	source->mark_streaming_write_completed(source_lock);
 
 	set_edited(false);
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_region.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_region.cc
index ed5c976e31..4495d55e39 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_region.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_region.cc
@@ -242,7 +242,6 @@ MidiRegion::_read_at (const SourceList&              /*srcs*/,
 
 	Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm(src->mutex());
 
-	src->set_note_mode(lm, mode);
 
 #if 0
 	cerr << "MR " << name () << " read @ " << pos << " + " << to_read
@@ -306,7 +305,6 @@ MidiRegion::render_range (Evoral::EventSink<samplepos_t>& dst,
 
 	Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm(src->mutex());
 
-	src->set_note_mode(lm, mode);
 
 #if 0
 	cerr << "MR " << name () << " render "
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_source.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_source.cc
index 3fc9f395e2..6d83e41f2d 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_source.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_source.cc
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ void
 MidiSource::mark_streaming_midi_write_started (const Lock& lock, NoteMode mode)
 {
 	if (_model) {
-		_model->set_note_mode (mode);
+		/* XXX do something with note mode?  */
 		_model->start_write ();
 	}
 
@@ -350,8 +350,8 @@ MidiSource::mark_write_starting_now (timepos_t const & position, samplecnt_t cap
 void
 MidiSource::mark_streaming_write_started (const Lock& lock)
 {
-	NoteMode note_mode = _model ? _model->note_mode() : Sustained;
-	mark_streaming_midi_write_started (lock, note_mode);
+	/* as of March 2022 or long before , the note mode argument does nothing */
+	mark_streaming_midi_write_started (lock, Sustained);
 }
 
 void
@@ -466,14 +466,6 @@ MidiSource::session_saved()
 	}
 }
 
-void
-MidiSource::set_note_mode(const Lock& lock, NoteMode mode)
-{
-	if (_model) {
-		_model->set_note_mode(mode);
-	}
-}
-
 void
 MidiSource::drop_model (const Lock& lock)
 {
diff --git a/libs/evoral/Sequence.cc b/libs/evoral/Sequence.cc
index a7e27bd0fa..246cac6408 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/Sequence.cc
+++ b/libs/evoral/Sequence.cc
@@ -480,7 +480,6 @@ Sequence<Time>::Sequence(const TypeMap& type_map)
 	, _writing(false)
 	, _type_map(type_map)
 	, _end_iter(*this, std::numeric_limits<Time>::max(), false, std::set<Evoral::Parameter> ())
-	, _percussive(false)
 	, _lowest_note(127)
 	, _highest_note(0)
 {
@@ -502,7 +501,6 @@ Sequence<Time>::Sequence(const Sequence<Time>& other)
 	, _writing(false)
 	, _type_map(other._type_map)
 	, _end_iter(*this, std::numeric_limits<Time>::max(), false, std::set<Evoral::Parameter> ())
-	, _percussive(other._percussive)
 	, _lowest_note(other._lowest_note)
 	, _highest_note(other._highest_note)
 {
@@ -641,7 +639,6 @@ template<typename Time>
 void
 Sequence<Time>::start_write()
 {
-	DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::Sequence, string_compose ("%1 : start_write (percussive = %2)\n", this, _percussive));
 	WriteLock lock(write_lock());
 	_writing = true;
 	for (int i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
diff --git a/libs/evoral/evoral/Sequence.h b/libs/evoral/evoral/Sequence.h
index 49bc364120..baef3a6b38 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/evoral/Sequence.h
+++ b/libs/evoral/evoral/Sequence.h
@@ -97,9 +97,6 @@ public:
 
 	void clear();
 
-	bool percussive() const     { return _percussive; }
-	void set_percussive(bool p) { _percussive = p; }
-
 	void start_write();
 	bool writing() const { return _writing; }