10402248

[U&I]

Not that I've found. What exactly is your definition of "real time loop remix?" By my definition (i.e.,I can create loops and remix them in real time, like the way I use Ableton Live), the answer would be yes for eight channels at a time. But I need to know if that's what you mean...

The RS7000 had a Slice & Seq Function (Like Recycle).
It also offered what was known as realtime loop remixing.
In essence these where a bunch of (some 256 I think) templates for recycling midi data for variations on sliced loops, drills, breaks, melodic parts etc etc.
The data would never quite work in an identical manner on any given piece of midi data (so for example two loop remixes of the same template on diiferent slice and seq parts or midi data would yield different results).
The loop remixing templates worked on types ie: breaks/fills/beats/melody/lead/bass etc.
It was always fun to abuse the results none the less on parts they weren't intended for then go into either XOX or STEP Modes and customise the midi data to taste.
You basically hit the loop remix button on a designated sequencer track in the RS7000 and picked a template then auditioned the results.
If you liked it it wouldn't instantly assign a phrase number to that midi pattern generated and it could be called up in any section in any style as a specific phrase in the RS7000.
Because it worked intelligently on the midi data it always remixed in the key of anything you where working on at that moment in time also.
Combined with step/grid and list editing modes of midi data it was an incredibly powerful feature I haven't found anywhere else.
Also the RS7K when in pattern mode allowed you too burn a Timesignature Header too the TG/Phrase of that Style.
Let me explain.
Essential on the RS7000 you Had.
A STYLE
A STYLE comprised of 16 sections A-P
Sections A-P Had sixteen tracks each
Each track contained a Phrase (using Yamaha Speak)
So you had 16 Tracks with 16 Section with 16 Phrases per Section Allowing for 256 independent phrases from 1 measure too 256 measures long in any section in any track in a Given STYLE.
This of course is before we use Pattern Mode and Convert to a Linear Song.
The kicker was that with the TG Phrase header I could have any phrase be any time signature in any section in any track in any style.
So you could have a 4 bar 4/4 kick against 32 bar 15/16 lead line with a 27 bar 7/4 percussion section al over X number of tracks in a single section in that Style ....add infinitum.
Never found a single thing Software wise that competes and if The XS doesn't have these sorts of features I think I'm better off with the RS7000 + MotifES Rack for a better Tonegen System.
I can use Live for audio recording / daw work (in arranger mode) and Reaktor and Reason 3 for pretty much everything else.
Hope that clarifies some.

[Anderton]

I'll be getting to the remixing options when we enter "sampling world," but here's what Stephen Fortner says in his Keyboard review (August issue):

"The Job button brings up typical audio processing functions, including great-sounding time stretching and pitch shifting. The two real stars are the Loop Remix and Slice jobs. Loop Remix turns one drum loop into many by re-arranging or even reversing various hits. Slicing chops up any sample, and maps slices to a series of keys so you can trigger them while recording a sequence. It won't make you throw away your copy of ReCycle, but it's as good as anything I've heard a keyboard do, and perfect for laying one-shot sounds and vocal hits ("Uh-huh...yeah.") on top of a groove. Don't like what you hear? Both processes are undo-able."

[mikesr1963]

[Sirgin]

Hi Anderton,

Thanks again for all the great info on the Motif XS.

I just have one question though:

At the moment, I have money for a XS7, but not for the €500 KRK studiomonitors that I'm thinking of buying...(I'll have that money in 2 months though)

I'm about to order the XS, but I just wanted to know if I can (temporarily) hook up my Spider III (it's a combo, the 75Watt) guitar amp to the Motif.

Because it seems a bit of a waste to me to buy cheap, €100 speakers for only 2 months of use, until I have the money for the studiomonitors...

Hopefully you know this, because I'm not gonna hook it up until I'm sure it's OK to do so.

Thanks in advance!

[Athan Billias]

To U &I -

The architecture of the Motif XS pattern mode is very much the same as the RS7000 with patterns, sections and phrases. You can patch in phrases to sections, the same way as you could on the RS7000.

Real Time Loop Remix is included and has been improved so you can now select if you want the Remix applied every measure, every other measure , only the 4the measure, only the 8th measure , etc.

Also there are now 6000 arpeggios many of which include chord recognition and you can run 4 arps at a time. Great for many kinds of dance music and you have real time control over the arps similar to the play FX on the RS.

There are differences, no grid editing or MIDI delays for example. It's still the XS is worth you checking it out.

Sirgin,

It won't cause any harm to hook your XS up to guitar amp, but it may not sound that great. You can also use headphones sometimes until you can afford decent studio monitors.

Getting the XS first makes sense in our mind because there is a lot to learn about it and the studio monitors you can just plug in and go.

[Anderton]

Not to get picky with Athan, but...there are some sounds where the Motif XS sounds great through an amp. Although I wouldn't put the strings and orchestral patches through a guitar amp, the guitar, electric piano, organ, and (if you have a bass cab) synth bass sounds get some real "character" going through an amp. In fact, if you overdrive things a little...heh heh...bottom line is no matter how good a studio setup you have, using a guitar amp with the Motif XS can give some truly cool sounds. Try it!

[Athan Billias]

Yeah, Craig , you're right. In fact , it's a nice usage of the Assignable outputs. You can assign any Part in a Performance or Mix to go out the assignable outputs.

For example, in a live setup, you could create a mix where the backing tracks were going to the PA or your keyboard amp, but some lead guitar sounds went out the assignable outputs to a guitar amp. We 've seen people use these assignable outs to route Motif organ sounds to an external Leslie or rotary speaker, etc.

So you're right in many situations an amp can be an integral part of the sound and even in the studio miking an amp from a workstation can put "life" back into a track.

We get so used to "direct injection" recording and going "all digital", that it's easy to forget how cool using acoustical tricks can sound.

[Sirgin]

Alright, thanks a lot!

My XS7 is already ordered!!!! So excited!!! I'm waiting for it to arrive (I'll have it by the end of august...)

I'll just use my amp the first month or so, and then buy the KRK's.
I would've hated it if I had to invest in a budget monitor solution...which would never be used again after buying decent monitors anyway.

Oh, maybe just one more question, if I may...

Are KRK RP6 (or maybe RP8) a good choice for studio monitors? Or is there something else out there that's better value for the money?

My monitor budget will be €500-600 (I'm from Belgium, which is about the same amount in $ for you guys in the US), no subwoofer yet included. (so just for the left & right speaker)


Again, thanks a lot for answering my guitar amp question!

[Tuba Four]

Craig,

Just a couple of thoughts. First: Great review. I've read and listened to just about everything that's been posted on this board so far about this workstation. I currently have a loaded ES, and am thinking about making the jump to the XS not because I don't love my plugin boards, but because they're difficult to access and tweak even with a computer. Frankly, for a long time, I barely used any ROM voices on my ES because comparable PLG voices were so much more expressive, alive and pristine. FWIW, i get the most use from the AN board, followed by the VL and the DX being a distant third. I play mostly instrumental fusion/rock and use the ES for leads (AN and VL) and pads and the occasional arp. One thing I want to do is expand my live sound so as to include other sounds as well (not the acoustic emulations though). Live, organs, pianos, EP's and clavs come from the Nord Stage.

My thought process is this: I want to consolidate my meager "programming skills" so that I am learning and perfecting one synthesis type, sample playback as opposed to four. I may still keep the plg's and the ES or just the plgs' and put them in a rack. My main concern is that the AN board is just not well represented in the sample forms. I understand I can start with any existing sample and do some amazing stuff with subtractive synthesis, but, I guess since I am not much of a tweaker, it is that much easier to start with a sample that approximates my end result and tweak from there which I have done with some success. But, as you can tell I also have the An1x, but have always felt the AN board in the ES sounds better.

Does this make sense? Am I being irrational? Is GAS blinding me?

Also, the form factor and having the eight sliders and knobs is tempting especially live and maybe in the studio for a control surface if I ever can let go of my mouse.

Anyway, this review has been a great education.

Thanks again, and for all those who have contributed to this thread.

aL

[workstation M.I]

BTW, the Motif XS has a very complete on board sequencer. In fact, there are two. A Pattern sequencer allows you to create 16 sections of music (each up to 256 measures long) that loop and repeat. It's great for many styles of music that are loop based and also good for being able to create sections of a song and then try out different arrangements with the pattern chain feature. Each pattern section has a full 16 Parts to it. Pattern Chains can be converted into Songs. A Song sequencer is more like the traditional linear, tape recording-style of sequencer. You can record either MIDI or Audio (controlled by MIDI in the Integrated Sampling Sequencer). To record audio , you have to have RAM installed in the Motif XS. There is both real time input quantizing, after the fact quantizing and even per track non-destructive play effect quantizing. In fact , there are all the types of editing functions you typically find in software sequencers. So it's more than possible to complete productions completely inside the Motif XS, re-sample them as a stereo .WAV file and then burn that .wav file to a CD. The burning of the CD is the only thing you would need a computer for. But the power of the XS is that you can work any way you want - completely on board the keyboard, entirely on DAW software like Cubase or any combination of the two methods.

Athan,

What about us "orchestral soundtrack" people?
Back in the day,I used to sequence on the Alesis MMT-8 and the big thing for me was the the pattern sequencing,being able to work on 4 measures at a time and then being able to string all the patterns together in a song.Does the XS support this type of workflow or is there something even faster or easier in this day and age?

I was all set to get a MO until I stumbled across this thread and now I am willing to go the extra $$ distance to get an XS- I mean,acoustic sounds WOW!! I can hardly wait!

[Athan Billias]

"The big thing for me was the the pattern sequencing,being able to work on 4 measures at a time and then being able to string all the patterns together in a song.Does the XS support this type of workflow or is there something even faster or easier in this day and age?"

Yes, the XS does support this workflow very well.

In Pattern mode you can create 16 sections. Each Section can be up to 256 measure long. Then you can record a Pattern Chain. You simple go to Pattern Chain, press record and then use the buttons on the front panel to record section changes. You can also record mutes into this Pattern chain.

New on the XS is that you can change the sections in a Pattern Chain not just on measure boundaries , but in up to 16th note resolution for hip hop/dance stutter step effects.

This Pattern Chain can be easily converted in to a Song after you decide on the arrangement you'd like and add other tracks in llinear song mode

You can also go the other way. You can take a Song and chop it up into Sections to try different arrangements of Section using the Pattern Chain features.

There are even advanced song looping functions so when you are song mode you can select a loop start and end point for each track to for example work on a particular section of a song.

So the beauty of the XS is that you can work anyway you want - linear song or pattern and go back and forth between the two ways of working freely.

[Sirgin]

Hey Athan, got my XS7 It sounds awesome on my KRK RP8's

So far I've explored the voices & performances and I'm really impressed. Some of those performances (when played good) could go straight into an album.

At the moment I'm exploring the Pattern stuff...but I'm finding some things hard to find (even with the manual, haha)

I'm mainly producing hiphop/R&B type of stuff, so you know that that type of music basically repeats the same 4 (or 8) measures over and over with an additional drumpattern here and there and a lead sound for the chorus part.

Now, what if I make my loop for a verse (with for example: drums, bass, piano & strings) in section A. (on the screen this translates to 4 yellow blocks under each other)

Let's say I want to make my chorus loop in section B of the same pattern and I basically just want to add a voice (to the verse part).

How do I copy the entire content of "section A" over to "section B"? (without the Motif putting it all in the same voice, lol)
So that all I have left to do is go to the 5th track, select the lead sound I want & record it.
Because I'm only able to copy each yellow block at a time.


And the pattern chain function you talk about. Is it something like:
1x section C (for intro)
10x section A (first verse)
4x section B (chorus)
10x section A (second verse)
...and so on...


Because if I have to copy those blocks over and over again to make a whole song in pattern mode, that would be crazy...


Anyway, I'm in love with the machine, I only need to sort these couple things out so I can really get started making songs.

[Sirgin]

Alright, I figured out the pattern --> pattern chain --> song structure out.

Now I have 2 songs inside my Motif XS.

I want them on my PC as WAV files with which I can then do basically whatever I want....make MP3s out of them, put those on my iPod, whatever.

What procedure am I supposed to follow to save these on USB.

Btw, I understand how the save system on the XS works, I just have no clue what to do with the ".X0S"-file (or whatever it was) of a mere 165kB i ended up with when putting the USB-stick in my PC. (I did the "all songs" save function)

Do I need like some sort of magical program to transform them to .WAV-files or can the Motif save my songs as .WAV's???

[Athan Billias]

"How do I copy the entire content of "section A" over to "section B"? "

In Pattern Mode, there Jobs which are macro functions. One of these is Pattern copy and you can copy Sections. To get there just press Job and F6 Pattern.

"Do I need like some sort of magical program to transform them to .WAV-files or can the Motif save my songs as .WAV's??? "

No, but you do need sample RAM. Then you can resample the entire Pattern Chain to RAM as a .wav file and save it a USB stick, transfer it to your computer and use i tunes to turn it into an MP3.

Another cool thing about the Motif XS is the ability to resample ( sample itself). This means you can have a 16 track sequencer including audio sample tracks and MIDI and resample it to a stereo .wav file. It's the equivalent of audio mixdown on a computer DAW like Cubase.

[Anderton]

Hey everyone - I'm back in action for Pro Reviews after having been out of town almost all of August, and then catching up once I got home. In the process, I've learned the Achilles Heel of the pro review concept: If it doesn't fit on a laptop, I can't do much when I'm not at home base! Anyway, I'm planning on continuing with the sequencer, then getting into Cubase AI4. I'll be posting on this over the weekend. Thanks for your patience - but it's all Yamaha's fault for making something so deep