The EM Poll

Yamaha Motif XS

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Aikin

           

Synthesizer workstation

BONUS MATERIAL
Web Clips: Hear audio examples played from the Motif XS
Online Exclusive Material: Learn more about the Motif XS's presets and computer connections

FIG. 3: Pattern mode furnishes a graphical grid layout for arranging musical phrases.

The Song of Solo Man

The XS's sequencer can operate in either Song or Pattern mode. Both modes provide 16 tracks for MIDI and audio data. Voices assigned to eight of the MIDI tracks can retain their own insert effects, greatly increasing the sequencer's sonic versatility. Songs and Patterns remain in memory even when you power the instrument down and back up again; no loading is required unless you have audio tracks.

In Song mode, track data is continuous from the beginning of the song to the end. Pattern mode is more versatile, with each Pattern containing 16 independent Sections. You can interact with the Sections onstage, improvising an arrangement to allow a soloist to take as many choruses as desired, for example. Switching from Section to Section is a 1-button operation. Alternatively, the Sections can be joined in a Chain, which will play back seamlessly from start to finish. Chains can include tempo changes and track mute and unmute data.

A Phrase is the data played by a single track within a single Section, and each Pattern includes up to 256 Phrases. The grid layout shown in the LCD in Pattern Play mode makes the setup instantly clear (see Fig. 3). You can name Phrases, but the Motif's method for entering alphanumeric characters is rather laborious.

The editing functions in Songs and Patterns are fairly comprehensive. You'll find options for copying, quantizing, modifying Velocities or controller data, shifting blocks of data forward or backward in time, and so on. All regions can be defined with bar:beat:tick precision. If you need to drill deeper, you can open a MIDI event list. The event list is well implemented, with a view filter, keyboard entry of note numbers and Velocities, and even a numeric keypad. Sequence editing is undeniably easier on a computer, but the XS makes editing easier than you might expect.

You can edit Voices freely within a Song or Pattern and store them as Mix Voices. Voices stored in this way don't overwrite anything in the normal Voice memory, and that's extremely handy. You can edit a Voice to fit a particular song without worrying about whether some other song uses the same Voice. However, for some reason, Drumkit Voices can't be stored as Mix Voices.

Audio Excursions

With optional sample RAM installed, the XS can sample from its external inputs (including mLAN, if your XS has it) or resample your real-time performance. Your songs can include RAM-based audio tracks. You can divide drum-loop samples into eighth-note or 16th-note slices, allowing you to rearrange the loops or change their tempo.

The XS supplies all the expected audio-editing utilities. Sampling is always 16-bit mono or stereo; the XS can't load 24-bit audio files. It supports sampling rates of 44.1, 22.05, and even 11.025 kHz.

All Together Now

The Motif XS is an extremely powerful workstation and a significant step forward in the Motif line. Add some RAM for audio and an external USB hard drive for storage, and you'll have a system capable of producing pro-quality demos and more. The live-performance possibilities are brilliant, and the mLAN computer hookup makes the XS a studio champ.

The XS's only significant drawback is its lack of compatibility with PLG add-on boards. Otherwise, the items on my wish list are trivial. If you're shopping for a does-it-all keyboard, the Motif XS is simply not an instrument you can afford to ignore.

When not writing about music technology, Jim Aikin plays electric cello in a band. You can download his latest text-based computer game, Lydia's Heart, from www.musicwords.net.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

YAMAHA
Motif XS

synthesizer workstation
XS6, $2,199
XS7, $2,799
XS8, $3,199

RATING PRODUCTS FROM 1 TO 5

PROS: Powerful voice design. Huge memory. Capable sequencing. Excellent arpeggiator accompaniment. Great effects. Interactive front panel. Effective computer interfacing.

CONS: Not compatible with Yamaha's PLG expansion boards. Only six routings in voice modulation matrix. No internal hard drive. Audio input is not XLR.

MANUFACTURER

Yamaha
www.yamaha.com

BONUS MATERIAL
Web Clips: Hear audio examples played from the Motif XS
Online Exclusive Material: Learn more about the Motif XS's presets and computer connections