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MOTIF XS Owner’s Manual
7
Main Features
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Responsive, expressive keyboard (page 12)
The MOTIF XS6 features a 61-key keyboard, while the MOTIF XS7
has 76 keys with the high-quality FSX keyboard and the MOTIF
XS8 has 88 keys with the high-quality BH (Balanced Hammer)
keyboard. All are equipped with a touch response feature (both
initial touch and aftertouch). These allow you to expressively
change the sound in various ways—initial touch by the strength
with which you play the keys, and aftertouch by how strongly you
press the keys when holding them down.
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Wide Variety of Voices and Category Search Function
(page 24)
The MOTIF XS features a huge number and wide range of
dynamic, authentic Voices. Use the Category Search function to
quickly call up the Voices you want, based on their instrument
type.
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Eight Elements for each Voice (page 56)
Each Normal Voice can contain up to eight separate sound
Elements, enabling Voices of great complexity and rich texture.
These Elements can also be controlled in real time—by using the
panel sliders, the [ASSIGNABLE FUNCTION] buttons, or by the
way you play the keyboard. Special “Mega Voices” are also
available, letting you recreate the unique performance sounds of
acoustic instruments.
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Powerful Arpeggio feature with four different types (pages
24 and 62)
Arpeggio automatically plays a variety of sequenced phrases in
response to the keys you play. This function is especially powerful
with Drum Voices—letting you easily call up various rhythm
patterns at the touch of a key, and providing instant inspiration for
song creation and performance. With Normal Voices, Arpeggio
changes harmonically according to the chords you play, helping
you as you compose or perform. Up to four Arpeggios can be
running simultaneously, and of course, in perfect sync. Velocity
control, Accent Phrase and Random SFX features—as well as the
eight panel Knobs—give you even greater expressive, realtime
control over Arpeggio playback.
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Performance consisting of up to four Voices (page 28)
Performance mode lets you use four different Voices together—in
layers or in a keyboard split. Moreover, the MOTIF XS gives you
comprehensive control over the Performance in real time, as you
play—letting quickly select Parts, turn Parts on/off, turn Arpeggio
playback on/off, and more. You can also record your Performance
in this mode directly to the Song or Pattern tracks by pressing the
[REC] button.
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Integrated Sampling Sequencer—seamlessly combines
audio and MIDI recording (pages 39, 161 and 242)
The MOTIF XS provides full Sample recording and editing
features, plus sample memory (with optional DIMM modules).
Wide data compatibility lets you load AIFF and WAV files, as well
as samples and program/voice data from other popular samplers,
such as the Yamaha A-series.
Adding to the flexibility is a powerful Slice feature that
automatically chops up your rhythms and riffs into their individual
beats and notes. This lets you manipulate the component parts of
your sample loops as MIDI data, and gives you the power to easily
change tempo and even the rhythmic feel, without disturbing the
pitch or sound quality.
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Loop Remix (page 175)
This feature divides the data (Audio sample as well as MIDI
sequence data) in a specified track to a variety of note lengths,
and randomly rearranges a portion of the data to create totally new
variations.
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Extensive Effect Processing (page 68)
The MOTIF XS gives you a wide array of signal processing
options, including separate Reverb and Chorus, an overall Master
Effect, including multi-band compression, five-band master EQ,
and a total of eight independent Insertion Effects. The latter
include a huge variety of effects, plus a special Vocoder feature.
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Eight Knobs and Sliders (pages 26, 34, 90 and 136)
Comprehensive real-time control with eight knobs and eight sliders
let you change the Voice in real time, adjust Mixing of the Song/
Pattern, and control DAW software (such as Cubase) on your
computer.
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Pattern mode—for creating a Song (page 208)
Pattern mode functions let you craft different rhythmic sections
and riffs as individual elements—which you can easily and
intuitively combine in real time to create full rhythm tracks. The
Sections you create can be combined together in Pattern Chains,
and these Chains can be conveniently converted to Song data.
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Song Scene and Mixing Voice—for creating a Song (pages
179 and 230)
Song Scene is another powerful tool that lets you take “snapshots”
of the sequencer track settings (such as pan, volume, track mute
and so on). Then, during playback or recording, simply switch
among the Scenes for instant, dynamic changes.
In addition to being able to create User Voices in the Voice mode,
you can create special Mixing Voices for Songs and Patterns,
letting you customize Voices specifically for your Song/Pattern
recordings.
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Master mode—for live performance (page 251)
The Master mode lets you use the MOTIF XS as a master keyboard
controller (with independent Zones), and easily reconfigure the
instrument between Voice/Performance play and Song/Pattern
play in live applications.
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Equipped with a variety of connectors (pages 16, 17 and 18)
A full rear panel of input/output connections provides maximum
interfacing flexibility. These include Assignable Outputs, A/D
Inputs, Digital Output, MIDI, Ethernet, mLAN (standard on the
MOTIF XS8 and optionally available for the MOTIF XS6/7) and two
USB connectors.
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Computer connectivity (page 43)
The comprehensive set of connectors—Ethernet, mLAN and USB
TO HOST—make interfacing with computers and your favorite
software exceptionally easy. In particular, the new Ethernet
connection gives you fast transfer of your MOTIF XS files to and
from a computer on the same network.
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Quick Setup for using a computer (page 270)
This function lets you instantly reconfigure the MOTIF XS for
different computer/sequencer related applications by calling up
specially programmed presets.
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Editor software for the MOTIF XS (page 50)
The instrument is also compatible with the MOTIF XS Editor—a
comprehensive, easy-to-use editing software program that lets
you edit (via USB connection) the Mixing setups and Mixing
Voices to be used for Song/Pattern playback. The MOTIF XS Editor
is free and can be downloaded from the Yamaha website.
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Integration with Cubase (page 49)
The MOTIF XS is specially designed to work seamlessly with
Cubase, Steinberg’s full-featured DAW software—giving you a
comprehensive, all-in-one music production system, in which
hardware and software are fully integrated.