New motif xf!!!!

has anyone looked at the new motif xf series?

http://www.yamahasynth.com/products/synthesizers/motif_xf/

anyone else pumped?

I've only just read the specs for it properly. Then I read them again looking for the punchline. Fair enough, the improved expression may be enough to redeem it, but flash sample memory doesn't count as an advance, especially not when it's a proprietary interface instead of something sensible like the PC Card slots on the Fantoms. Come on Yamaha, you can do better than this!

The four layers sounds in performance mode does kinda stink but that's what I have always used so it's no biggie to me, but y is the flash bad?

oh ok, i know this is gonna sound kinda stupid but either way the new xf just looks sweet too. haha

OK sorry, about the flash cards! I just don't think that being able to use flash memory counts as a major feature anymore - I just bought a handful of Compact Flash cards (2GB, about £10 each) which I can put in the back of my Fantom and load up anything - patch and performance banks, recorded songs as well as samples. And then plug the same thing into my laptop for a permanent backup - something the probably won't be possible on the XF. The internal sample memory IS ancient old RAM sticks which I can't be bothered with any more - I just use it as a scratch pad for fiddling.

But yes, it does look very nice indeed - the matt black is great. Looks like it should live on a military base and be invisible to radar...

wow thats gonna be a pretty big deal!

Speaking of being pumped,Bert Smorenburg is avidly pumped in this vid;

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2010/08/10/yamaha-motif-xf-first-video-preview/


I was really pumped by his demo,as it showcased some wonderful sounds of the XF.
This is really the only decent demo out there currently & as for the audio demos on the Motifator.com website,Yamaha has seemingly picked the worst sounds of the XS,as the demos there are horrible!

I was never really a fan of Yamaha workstations in the past,& it wasn't until the XS came out,that the Motif got my attention.
However though,the Motif XS's predecessor,had twice the effects of the XS & being that I already had & still have,the Korg M3,I did not have sufficient reason to splurge on the XS.

For me,the flash RAM is a major feature on the XF,as the Korg's M3 expansion takes just as long to fire up,as it does a computer!

Perhaps I've overlooked it,but I'd really like to know how many insert effects the XF has(I'm sure though,that it will surpass the 5 inserts of the M3).

Probably the most exciting prospect of the XF,is the 3rd party software sounds that will be available,via Sonic Reality & Digital Sound Factory and of course,the enormous overall memory of the XF,would be a major selling point.

Still though,I won't be completely sold on the XF,until I have the opportunity to spend a couple hours with it in a store-as after all,just adding more VST's to my DAW,may be the ticket....but I do love my hardware!


-Elwood

dude thanks for that!

I came across this thread on GearSlutz.com & found the latter half of this thread to be interesting.

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-product-alert/514158-yamaha-motif-xf.html

This of course,will not persuade-nor dissuade me in the direction of the Motif XF,as I really need to demo one for myself,no matter what.

I am actually quite taken with the Motif XF thus far,& unless Korg comes out with a radically innovative workstation in the next 6 months,I think I will be sticking with my serious consideration of the XF.

I've always owned Korg workstations for the last 22 years,so I am really looking forward to trying my hands at a different brand.

I thought about buying the Motif XS-as it's going for $1799 at GuitarCenter,but since it has half of the effects types of the ES,it would be an utter waste,I think.
Any keyboard that takes 2 steps forward,followed by 3 steps back,is not worthwhile....but overall,the upcoming XF offers features that no other workstation has offered up to this point,so the absolute pivotal point for me,will be how all of the patches will sound,once I test the XF for myself.

I am really fascinated by the ability to convert VST's to a Motif format,but I need to know the limitations of this,beyond just the memory constrictions.
This of course,may not be such a critical thing,so long as the XF already has a sufficient set of built-in,usable presets.


-Elwood

Skipp,

I went crazy researching for information on the number of insert effects on the Motif XS & n-o-n-e of the product pages-on any website,list the number of insert effects.
I just discovered w-h-y,however...via this review;

http://www.tweakheadz.com/reviews/review_of_the_motif_xs.htm

According to this review,there are only TWO insert effects.....WTF??

A thought had just occurred to me....perhaps the info lies within the PDF files on Yahama's website(assuming that their manuals are available for download).


-Elwood

Skipp,

Okay....I found a PDF manual on the XS,from Zzounds.com and your correct; there is indeed,8 insert effects.

This for me,will be a welcome change from the 5 insert effects on my Korg.I hope though,that Yamaha has stepped things up a bit & added even more inserts on the XF(I believe that the Kurzweil PC3 series has anywhere from 12 to 16 insert effects).

I had considered Kurzweil,but the size of their display screens are about 15 years behind the times & for that reason alone,I will NEVER buy a Kurzweil.


-Elwood

I think the XF is the way to go ultimately,but since there is the option of buying an Motif XS that is $600 cheaper,it was a tempting prospect.
Of course though,having the capability of having a total of 3GB's of sounds on the XF,makes it worth the selling price(whereas the XS's initial selling price was a bit over-priced for my pallet).

As for the whole effects scenario,my primary concern,has always been in having the optimal amount of insert effects in the sequencer mode.....the automatic implementation of effects from a program mode sounds nice,but it's not on the top of my function list.

As for the Korg M3,I never liked copying effects from the program/combi modes,because it makes it difficult to assign additional effects independently to other tracks,as you end up with unwanted effect(s) on a particular track(s).
That being said,I always apply the effects manually in sequencer mode,one by one,so I have total control over how the effects are assigned.

With the exception of the Korg Oasys,Korg has never gone beyond the usual 5 insert effects...which forces me to record multiple tracks from my M3 independently,onto my Zoom R24 multi-tracker & then import the WAV files to my Presonus DAW...for the purpose of applying whatever effects I see fit.............
....of which is not such a bad thing,because Presonus Studio One Pro,has some of the best effects in the business(apart from the effects in my Reason 4).


-Elwood

Another cool Motif XF vid I found.....