Roland Fantom G vs Yamaha Motif XS

I am studying music to become a composer and I already own a Roland FP-3 digital piano with a fantastic keyboard action and a very nice Grand piano sound.
However the sound quality other than the piano is very limited and I need much more sounds of good quality so I can start composing and train myself...

I am thinking about purchasing a workstation and it seems that two products have retained my attention but I wouldn't know how to compare them:

Roland Fantom G and Yamaha Motif XS.


I need to be able to compose in any music style I want, so QUALITY, DIVERSITY, EASE OF USE would be the key words during the decision process.

Along with my Roland FP-3 I use a Powerbook G4 with Logic Express 7

I don't know if I understand all the parameters that need to be taken into account but that is the best I can think of for the moment.

I would very much appreciate if some good heart could share his thoughts on the subject and compensate my lack of experience.

Thank you

They are simply comparable product offerings from the different companies. It really often boils down to personal preference as far as sounds and user interface.

Both systems offer similar full functional workstation capabilities and are wildly complex and "deep" from a feature standpoint.

Personally, I think the Roland user interface is superior to that of the Yamaha, however I also believe the Motif XS has the better sound set. These are simply my preferences.

At the end of the day, spend a lot of time with each one and see which one feels like an extension of your creative process than simply a tool.

I've owned both Roland Fantom's and Yamaha Motif ES, and I'm a Yammy guy all the way now.

Your mileage may vary.

Thanks for replying so fast

Tomorrow I will go try these keyboards and see if a special 'feel' develops itself with either one of them...as you said.

I understand I will have to chose between "ease of use" and "better sound quality", and I start to believe that it might be wiser to ease the creative process with a better user interface considering the troubles I am already experiencing with Logic which works perfectly but in a cryptic way . I think it is better to do the most with a slightly lesser product, than do little with a better but more complex one But I will wait to try them out...

Would you know if it is possible for the Motif XS to control Logic as it is shown on demos with Cubase AI

I'm pretty sure you can control Logic with the XS assuming you have installed the correct "Environment" (in this case, Motif XS).

I'd suggest going to the Motifator forum and search the LOGIC section for any threads about integrating XS with Logic. The link is:

http://www.motifator.com/forums/index.php?Cat=1,2,4

You can check in both the Logic and the XS areas and if you don't find your exact answer, just post a question.

Obviously Cubase AI4 is fully integrated with XS since it was developed with a partnership between Steinberg and Yamaha, so the operation between the XS and AI4 is totally seamless. It's good enough, that if you were to opt into the XS, you may want to change DAW platforms too, but that's often a personal choice.

Good luck.

...I will check this website

Also I will post a note stating which keyboard I chose...


Thank you for your time , I very much appreciate...

I have both the Fantom G and the Motif XS (and the ES). The Fantom is easier to sequence on, but when you learn the Motif, it really doesn't matter. The soundset of the Motif XS is superior, in my opinion, but let your ears be your guide.

You won't go wrong with either of them.

Hey KMK!

Thank you for your input,

Since you own both the keyboards in question:

1) Why did you buy both if they are so similar?

2) I never used any synth or workstation before so I am definitely a beginner. Would you say that the Motif XS 's user interface is accessible enough to someone like me? I have no one to train me or advice me on the matter...

3) What about the Fantom G, is there a chance of getting even better sounds with the future ARX cards?

4) Which one, would you say, is better suited for studio use essentially?


I am afraid that I won't be able to use the Motif XS as I would like to because of the interface but also that I won't be 'turned on ' by as many sounds on the Fantom as I could be on the Motif. So you see my dilemma...

It seems to me that the harder the interface the more knowledge and background you need in order to use the instrument. On the other hand if the interface is easy and intuitive, then you are able to learn as you use the instrument.

Well...I believe I will soon stop annoying you guys and start growing myself some balls!

Thanks !

You already use Logic. I'd suggest you treat the Motif or Fantom as a combination controller keyboard/rack unit and do all the sequencing in Logic. You'll have to learn a bit of new stuff, but as I've argued in another thread, if all you're doing is picking sounds, the Motif won't be too hard to use (nor will any other keyboard). I'd use the Motif to play into Logic, have Logic record the MIDI data and push it back out to the Motif for playback. If this appeals to you, I'd go with the Motif, because it'll sound better out of the box (and without the need for spending more money on expansion cards too).

Thanks Kanthos

I understand what you've just said...but I am curious:

What is the difference between the DAW/Controller Keyboard/Rack combination and DAW/Workstation? What more/less can you do with the DAW/Workstation combination regarding studio use essentially?

'

Hi there, I am not (yet!) an expert in this area, but I'm working on it and know
enough to give you a basic answer to the above question.

The DAW/Workstation combination would consist of your DAW plus a keyboard containing
your sound banks (sometimes referred to as voices).

In the other combination your sound bank is contained within the rack unit, then you
would have a seperate keyboard with which to 'control' it.

The reason this can be handy is that these MIDI controller keyboards are designed
specifically with this purpose in mind, and usually have a greater number of hands-on
controls such as knobs, sliders and buttons with which to manipulate the sounds/effects etc.
So you end up with three seperate units which each have a specific function.

This is absolutely ideal for producing home-studio music, but not so good for performing.

The difference with a workstation is that it is designed to do 'everything'...
so from playing the original idea, to ending up with a finished recording - obviously, in your case,
with the assistance of the DAW - it's pretty much 'self-contained'.

The main difference you will notice is that the actual 'feel' of the keyboard is
more user friendly, from a playing/performance point of view, on the workstation
compared to the controller keyboard - these tend to be very 'plasticy' & flimsy in feel
(although they are getting better).
You would certainly notice the difference in comparison to your FP-3.

If, however, you don't intend to perform live using this set-up you may well be
best off with the rack/controller option.

To illustrate the point I'm (badly I think!) trying to make have a look at the Korg Radias below - the keyboard is basically a seperate unit from the 'rack', which contains all the good stuff!