Yamaha Motif 6

I am using software version

Presets sound rich and authentic

Editing voices is on the fly! Never used the patch editor in that light.

Couldn't find certain things in the manual, so i resolved to motifator.com- AMAZING HELP! motifator.com is a motif owner's blessing.

i have never been able to switch voices with such ease and comfort on any other keyboard- no, not on a triton. trinity is worse- same as Fantom-x. Thank God for a favorites bank, a life saver!

The keyboard is 64/62 voice polyphonic (Play/sequencer modes). Definitely cuts out with multitrack arrangements, but for normal playing, its ok (128 would be great). playing the Keyboard is like fingering on cloud 9 and a half- no cheap stuff under your finger tips.

Effects are great and professional quality but can be distructive on "Jazz grand" and some of the drum kits. So for those voices, I just switch off the effects section. In sequencer mode, I am yet to be able to make use of insert effects on more than one track (i think its a limitation anyway) thats a letdown. But i realise in a mix, my arrangement always sounds great dry- when organ is not involved that is.

I love the expansion capabilities. Haven't found the need to expand presets wise. But sampling memory expansion is too limited at 64mb. Wish i could place my thumb drive in there.

The sequences is great. I love it for pattern sequencing- its a life saver when playing solo- used it a couple times at shows for accompanying my playing and people were amazed at the flexibility and on the fly, in-sync response. This thing can serious opereate as a drum machine.

I wouldn't give this thing up for any of its weaknesses because it is made up with the sound quality. Did i mention that the quantizing is tight? very impressive and easy to use.

the presets on this keyboard are not as aftertouch based as other keyboards such as the triton and fantom-x. Yamaha does things differently which i appreciate except that the brass/woodwind and synth categories should have taken advantage of aftertouch. I only came across default aftertouch availability on a few sounds so far.

I have noticed that many people dont't know how to take advantage of a motif in terms of authentic emulation so hence they discredit the keyboard. I have owned and used Korg and Roland and not to mention my obsession with both- until i played a motif offcourse...and up to now- everytime i play this thing I am blown away by the richness and authenticity (especially acoustic instruments. Please; do your self a favor hook this thing up stereo and let your heart be more than satisfied. I would only accept the synth-type sounds a subjective situation- I like them though- the motif gives me the extra bite in the synth section that the Roland Fantom-x refuses to give off the bat. The triton is good in that area too (in all fairness). Strings are lush and dynamic- and one can hear actual bowing in sections and spiccato expression is heard at higher velocities. Organs' drawbar/leslie function can be emulated by the knobs/sliders, modulation wheel. I heard this aggressiveness in an organ after i tweaked a knob and i just freaked out. Pianos! nothing beats it but yamaha or Clavia Stage digital pianos. Wow have i mentioned the Rhodes pianos? just look at the world of R&B/Neo Soul, Gospel, Fusion Jazz. Tell me what you see playing the rhodes... thought so. There is no preset steel drum on the motif, and the GM one is a let down (since there is no preset). The brass instruments are great and brass sections can be arranged with the knobs (smaller section, darker section, larger section, etc)- its amazing, strings are tweaked the same. No brass fall is a let down (My Korg had it). Sax is awesome(except soprano) but too much vibrato. That should have been left to the player's aftertouch.

This keyboard will definitely work well for Reggae, Rock, R&B, Gospel, Jazz. Speaking of reggae: an earlier reviewer mentioned using comp piano for reggae- please do the keyboard and yourself a favor. When strumming reggae; get yourslef "WideComp" out of Preset3 bank. This is much better than M1 piano in my opinion; heavy and sharp at the same time.- yes on my previous Korg i used M1 piano for strumming reggae.

Onboard effects are great.

Anything Yamaha and Korg reacts great to my playing

I can definitely depend on this keyboard. Very solid.

I wouldn't think of needing a backup, but If on large gigs, I would, just to say i have backup.

I have never dealt with Yamaha.

If it were lost or stolen, I would get myself another Motif classic! i would only get the ES additionally; would never feel that i have replaced the keyboard if i get an ES- for many reasons such as the Piano and rhodes voices (I have compared the Classic to ES and noticed the difference for the better in the classic). It is definitely worth much more than i paid.

I have been playing for 15 years.

I love the sounds and user interface, hate the fact of having one insert effect in sequencer mode.

I compared with the Korg triton Studio, Roland Fantom-x, Yamaha Motif ES. I personally didn't connect with the motif ES to make me buy it. I chose the Motif classic over the competition because it is the most al rounded in my opinion, and it sounds best at what i wanted a main keyboard for: Piano, Rhodes- hands down this was the one.

I wish i could save on usb thumb drive.

It does help me make music. The acoustic voices are really inspiring, gives me a taste to play also.

The USB multi in/out to a DAW is awesome- its what i use- no need for midi port.

I'm using the latest version of the OS, we're in 2006 don't think much more is coming out for it in the OS department.

I love the preset sounds I have yet to really sit and audition them all. For Hip Hop it has plenty, I say that.

Editing patches is not very hard and among the included software is the "TWE" which ou cam edit on you computer with.

THIS IS IN CAPS FOR A REASON:
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STOP A SEQUENCE TO CHANGE VOICES, JUST PRESS "MIXING" AND THE "VOICE" SOFTKEY
NO NEED TO SQUINT AT WHAT SOUND PATCH IS BEING DISPLAYED JUST PRESS "CATEGORY SEARCH" AND SELECT WHAT YOU WANT...ALL WHILE STILL PLAYING YOUR SEQUENCE.

On occasion somethings are not clearly laid out and requires more user patience. Having used Yamaha product many times before, this was easy for me.

The initial polyphony is a bit of a squeeze, but when track out to a DAW this problem vanishes because I solo the tracks when recording. Live performer will be less forgiving. However your polyphony does increase with each PLG board.
The onboard effects are decent I do't fiddle with them much I do my effect in my DAW.
The available expansion are great aside from increasing polyphony the sounds a very real and rich.
MIDI is on point 5 PIN DIN STYLE and USB/MIDI, the USB is great for the DAW user like myself, no need for THRU box. Ileave the Motif's USB connect to the PC all the time so it's ready to go.
Not sure what all the huffing and puffing about the sequencer is coming from, it does a wonderful job for me. My only real complaint is the quantizing templates are rather lax. Mixing in the sequence on the fly is a breeze.

The instruments sound great expect for some of the GM sounds could have put something else in those spots.
Rap, RnB, Rock, Jazz should all be a snap on the Motif.

I have no issues but, I keep mine in the Studio it doesn't go out. I would trust it with no backup in site.

Never called them

If it were lost or stolen I'd most likely get the Motif ES because I'd want it back with more power similar yet operation.

The only thing I want changed is being able to drop in and out of record in a groove station fashion and improved quantization templates.

It definitely helps me get the job done as it is right now.

It was strange however at first to discover the volume control slider had no effect when using the optical output.

I use OS 1.7. The presets on this board sounds o.k. I must say that it has it's strengths and it's weaknesses. Editing patches are easy compared to korg tritons. I'v owned a korg trinity and a triton le 61 note before this board and it's my first time using yamaha. I find myself around keyboards and usually don't find myself using much of the mauals. The motif is very user friendly and easy to get around. Not because the display is much smaller than I'm used to. It works fine. I edited few voices a. There was one I edited with four different layers and used the four sliders to control each volume in real time. This was great..... The four knob EQ is wicked. I had my second keyboardist playing the M1 piano tone for a reggae tune. I had to take over after a while and turned to my compressed piano in the motif. O.K, everyone looked. Didn't sound much better so I went to my real time EQ knobs and turned the highs up a bit and then......WOW! For those of you who don't know, all reggae musicians use korgs in live shows just because of this. This was one voice I know sounded better on the motif. Thanks to EQ.....soooooo responsive.....

The keyboard polyphony is 64. After creating a voice with four layers I noticed some of it were cutting out. Need not say more. Effects are great. I just sold this board and never got to install any of the expansion boards. They sound good from what I heard at motifator.com. There's room for three expansion boards. Not much internal voices. The touch response is poor. Hate the feel of it. Like it was made for a kid to play. Sounds loud with little touch. Never tried to adjust it. Never heard any after touch.

The e-pianos, grand piano, synths and guitars are great. Sax and Brass are not as good as Korg. Trust me. The Sax is poor. This works best for contemporary, jazz and blues. The way guys gon on and on about the motif, trust me it ain all that. That's why i sold it. Going for Kurzweil k2661. The organs are horrible.

Very strong. Pretty heavy too. Would never use it in gigs without my korg for synths and brass sounds.

Have never dealt with customer service.

I just sold it to get the kurzweil k2661. I'v been playing for about 8 years. I now own a korg trinity and the kurzweil k2661. I like the motif for it's pure sounding piano voices. I hate the feel of it though. One of the main reasons why I'm getting the kurzweil is organ sounds. The KB3 mode. Wish the motif had good organs. Wish the motif was smaller and hold in a SKB case but they are too fat.

I'm using the latest version of the OS as of this writing.

I bought my Motif because, unlike the other workstations then available, it was covered in buttons. I thought it was the answer to my quest for an instrument as breezy to write with as my old SQ-1.

Well, it wasn't, but I found where it really shines: in a live rock band. There's a few reasons why Motifs are to be seen in nearly every rock keyboardist's kit, but one of the main ones (I think) is the complete no-nonsense ease of calling up patches.

The sequencer is a could-have-been. I mostly write jazz techno stuff, so I need pattern sequencing. The Motif ALMOST gets you there, but it requires you to stop the sequencer half the time you want to do something, the mix parameters are spread through too many menus, it's too cumbersome to assign sounds to tracks etc. etc. -- it's just not fast enough for me. Plus, there are a lot of things they could have done with all those beautiful buttons that they didn't do.

But this instrument is made to please as many people as possible, and in the sequencer department, I think the strategy didn't pay off. But they hit the balance when it comes to general performance stuff.

I'd like to give it two different ratings really ...

All the features you'd expect from a modern ROMpler workstation: 64 voices, loads of samples, some of which are amazingly large, excellent effects, expandable, sampling built in, etc. There isn't much the Motif can't do, technically, if you remember that it's a ROMpler. Nothing exceptional, but nothing missing.

One major deficiency of this board is the expansion board system. I know how to program an FS1R and I absolutely couldn't get this mess to work right; nearly embarrassed me terribly at a gig once. Works fine if you want to use presets, but if you want to make your own sounds (as I always do), forget it. Best to pretend it's not there.

I've had mine for a couple of years, and I can safely say (now) that the Motif's strength is in acoustic and rock stuff. I think this is the general consensus by now, in fact.

The pianos sound beautiful; one in particular I rely on constantly for rock stuff, and my band would probably beat me if I switched from it. Organs are amazing; the Motif has one of the best rotary simulations I've heard -- not that it sounds exactly like a Leslie, but that it kicks your ass like a Leslie.

The Motif is not, however, very good at synthetic sounds. (Twenty years ago, who would have thought people would be saying that a synthesiser wasn't good at synthetic sounds? :) ) It can do some interesting patches, but somehow the sounds don't grab or inspire me; the filters are strangely weak, and the sample range seems limited. I say "seems" because there really are a lot of samples in there, but I never find myself really even wanting to make patches on this thing. When it comes to emulating analog synths -- don't bother; the Motif quickly turns into a cheap POS. Others may disagree, but for me, something's lacking.

But when it comes to the "meat-and-potatoes" sounds used for jazz and rock, the Motif is the ticket, and those sounds are so good I have to rate this thing highly. As mentioned, my classic rock band would probably kill me if I sold it.

I once made the mistake of letting a very enthusiastic rock pianist bang on my Motif for one song, and when he was done one of the black keys was broken. Seems he was used to a stiffer action. Fortunately it was quite easy to fix.

Other than the slightly flimsy keyboard, the Motif 6 is tank-like, made of mostly metal, and has the weight to show it. Software is completely solid; this thing is built for gig-level reliability. It's survived a lot with me, is none the worse for wear, and other than the expansion board problem, has never embarrassed me at a gig.

Yamaha's OK. They did sell me the replacement key at an extremely reasonable price, and sent it promptly. They've stopped issuing OS updates but that's de rigeur. Never had to deal with them beyond that.

The Motif didn't serve the purpose I bought it for, but it did serve a purpose I didn't buy it for: when I got roped into a classic rock gig I suddenly found I had THE can't-do-without keyboard in that world. I see a lot of other guys playing lesser instruments, and thanks to my Motif, my sounds are better than theirs. I use a Nord Modular when I need analog synth stuff, and between the two there's not a lot I can't handle on stage.

Don't buy this thing as an SQ-1 / ESQ-1 -style sequencer workstation: buy it as a gigging instrument with some handy extras. Well worth it.

Using v1.7. Presets are great! Organs are a little week but can be tweeked. I don't use the manual I go to motifator.com and I have the video tutorial.

Poly is 64 I think. I like the lightweight action. Lot's of effects. I have put in the max RAM in it. I haven't used the sequencer yet. I use this keyboard mostly for gigs.

Acoustic instruments sound very real. The flute sound is good except for excessive virbrato. I use this keyboard for rock, country, and R&B. I am a freelance player.

Have had it for a year and a half with no problems. (Knock on wood).
I always have back up boards. I use 5 keyboards on stage.

Haven't used customer support yet.

If it were lost or stolen I would pick up the ES version. I've been playing for 20+ years. I also own KORGS X3 and KARMA, YAMAHAS DX21, SY22, TX81Z, PSR410, DGX-505, Ensoniq ESQ1, and Alesis QS6.

I am using the the outboard Yamaha AW16G. I normally use Digital Performer when in the studio but for home, this set-up is perfect & easy.

I love the presets. Certain pianos tend to have a tingy sound at the end but for what it's worth, I'm satisfied.

I have not had the opportunity just yet to have to edit patches. Because I have to play in churches, the preset sounds tend to suffice.

The manual works for me only because of my extensive background with Roland products. I've have the MV 30 sequencer, the 1680, other Roland keyboards (i.e. D10...) If you can handle the manuals on these products and figure the rudiments, handling the Motif manual is a piece of cake. The trick is KNOW THE QUESTION YOU ARE ASKING YOURSELF, THEN LOOK FOR THE ANSWER AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET IT FROM THE MANUAL. I guarantee it, the answer is there.

The action is hot. Being a Keyboard Player, that clicky type of feel you tend to experience of lesser boards is not here. I've owned 2 Motif 6's as well as the 8. No problem with the polyphony. I never lose voices. It all depends on you recording capabilities. Besides, I maxed my 8 out to 64 megs which is about the only drawback.

The effects are okay. I tend to record everything dry anyway.

I am just beginning to get into the expansion capabilities. As I stated, I maxed my board out to 64 megs which I wish Yamaha had expanded as they did with the ES version. Hey, and why the EDO memory? Who uses EDO? And, the memory you think is correct may not be the correct memory. Go to a reputable dealer for memory in case you have to bring it back.

I don't use the MIDI too much.

I personally have absolutely no problem with the sequencer. I do wish it was easier to loop a track then having to go to Pattern Mode to do this. Oh well, you can't have everything. If you can count, then you can sequence. Just remember, when you record (let's say 4 measures), sequence, quantize, REMEMBER it's 4 measures. That means All of measure 1 to ALL of measure 4. (i.e. 001,00,000 to 004,04,479).
If you don't do it this way, you'll never complete whats needed with All of your information. I wouldn't say this was easy, you just have to take your time calculating what information you want measured whether it be quantizing, sequencing, adding other tracks...

The sounds are realistic. The sax is nice although if your not familiar with how a sax sounds, leave it alone & look for a sax player.

Dance, jazz, R&B music, gosbel music is good for this board.

The onboard effects are not bad. I record everything dry, anyway.

No static.

The velocity can be set by you. I personally cannot stand aftertouch, so of course I love this board.

Yes. My 8 is heavy so I use the 6 although not enough keys.

Yes, I do it constantly anyway.

I tend to know more or just a much as some of the techs but they are friendly. I sometimes have groups of friends with Motifs come by and ask my questions.

I have upgraded with the PLG100 - VH Card.

I already did buy another 6, my favorite board.

I've been playing for 25 years. I own the AW16G, the Mackie 1604, Roland 500, Motif 6 (brand new, my second), the Behringer Truth B2031A's monitors.

I personally love the action, expecially on the 8.

I had a choice between the new Fantom 8, Triton Studio(which I almost bought), & the Motif 8. I found it easier to understand after many a Roland product.

I wish the screen was larger, maybe a touch screen, and more memory.

My writing skills have grown since acquiring this product.

This board has only strenghthened my credibility.

I have been using Yamha Sequencers since the Rm1x first came out, then moved up to the Rs7000, then switched to the Motif just recently (Didn't need the ES so I bought the regular 6 at Guitar Center for $1200 new.) But, if you are new to the Yamaha way of working a sequencer/synth. let's just put it this way, they have a very odd but logical way of working things. Once you get use to it, you will move around the interface like nothing.

Everyone knows the specs, very good for the price. Just wish they had put a bigger screen on this than they had on the Rs7000. But, I am so use to it, I really don't care. And the sounds.... whoaa, that is up next though.

Amazing. Yamaha sure didn't cut corners wen it came to building the ROM set for the Motif series. Very great sounding samples and since you can add the amazing An1x VA synth engine as well two other boards of your choice, it really just tops off the value to price ratio.

Solid board. It sits in my studio on the double keyboard stand, so really doesn't see much (or any) road time. But, I have seen quite a few live acts use the Motif, and I know if I did shows, this would be the center of my studio as far as sequencing goes.

Never had to use them for the over 7 years of my career and I have owned more than just Yamaha synths. Even when I owned the Yamaha Aw4416 awhile back and everyone complained how plagued they were, I never ran into a problem. So, I guess I got really lucky with my Yamaha experience.

-If it were lost or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else? Is it worth what you paid?

If it were lost or stolen, I would buy this great board again in a heart beat. For the price they are going for new, let alone used, they are worth every penny.

-How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?

I have been composing for over 7 years and my cozy little project studio looks like this: iMac G5 20" with full factory specs, Digidesign 002 Audio Interface/Control Surface, Korg EmX-1, Korg EsX-1, Yamaha Motif6, Alesis Ion, Tannoy Reveals, M-Audio Bx5's (as reference monitors,) and a bunch of software.

-Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?

Oh yeah. I really switched studio setups quite a few times. I have owned all the major Workstations and always found myself back with the Yamaha "sound" and sequencer. I chose this workstation I guess because I started off on Yamaha, I was just really accustomed to their way of working. The step sequencer can't be touched by even some of the best software I use. Just really great to lay down a bare-bones song and finish it on your software sequencer.

-Anything you wish it had?

Of course there is always things you wish a synth had. I would really love to have a big touch screen, but, it isn't too bad to navigate once you learn it. And, for the price, I really can't complain.

-Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way?

It always has since my Rm1x and Rs7k days and on through today with the Motif. When I get a quick idea that I need to lay down before it gets away, I go strait for the Motif then go from there.

I would recommend this even for beginners. Once you get past the learning curve, you will see how much this teaches you about producing. As for more advanced producers, this synth will fill some gaps of a studio. I knew I needed a more live twist to my compositions, and the Motif has been a great tool to fill that gap. Highly recommended.

I am using version 1.7 and I truly like this synth. I got to audition it whe nI wen to Tokyo and it was the first this I purchased when I came back to the states. Presets are great and it is LOADED WITH SOUNDS!

Effects are great and the expansion cards are great! I'l admit that the unit is not for the meek and light hearted. YOU HAVE TO READ TO GET THE MOST FROM THE MACHINE! I liked it so much that I purchased all the expansion cards. Resample feature, best around and with a dedicated site for support, www.motifator.com, you cant go wrong. Kudos to Keyfax!

All of the instruments sound line the read deal! Hey, I'm a percussionist and it's hard for me to tell the difference at times! The unit works well for all tymes of music but as I stated above, YOU HAVE TO WANT TO READ TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE UNIT! IT"S WORTH IT TO DO SO! I typically spend at a minimum several hours reading mi literature!

Very dependable unit and I would gig with is w/out a backup. You don't need it because it's loaded with all you need. Again, the expansion cards are great, customer support on motifator.com is excellented. I'm definitely motifated about my Motif!

Since I've had my unit, I havent had any problems. I had a few questions relative to the expansion cards, but found all my answers on motifator.com. Also, the training CD's for this unit are the best on the market! Professionally produced and arranged. I'll never sell them on ebay! Heck, my 6yr daughter loves this unit also!

If it were lost or stolen, I would travel back to Japan if need be to get this unit. It's the best sysnt and Yamaha did an excellent job on it. Just look at the artist that use it live, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Usher, etc. They all have hit records, which I sure would not have been the case w/out this unit being in their collection.

Using version 1.7
Presets are outstanding. Loved them.
Using the software that comes with the keyboard, this is very easy.
Manual sucks! But then you have motifator.com for that part....

The ARPs are specifically good. Amazing stuff. Everything else is good too. The sequencer is OUTSTANDING! I have used that feature to death and the quantization and other features just make this the easiest to use keyboard sequencer. Used the sequencer to do this.

http://forums.keyfax.com/user-files/137589-C2.mp3

Great sounds and awesome quality. I love the piano and string sounds. Guitars are nice and so are the bass sounds. I most like the synth sounds and the trancy sounds though...Absolutely fabulous...check this piece out that was done on the motif ->

http://forums.keyfax.com/user-files/137589-C2.mp3

Yep I can depend on it. I have been performing on this baby and composing on it for a while. I have complete confidence in her..

I dealt with Riksmusic.com and the first keyboard that came had a crack on the body. They replaced the entire keyboard for free and gave me a new one. Great to work with and I have done a lot of business with them consequently. Highly recommended.

Great Keyboard for compositions and for live performance. I compared it with the triton and the fantom and found this to be the most versatile for my needs. I compose and I also perform live and this.suited both those needs very well and was the best value for money. Read this review and you will know why it is so good.....

http://www.musical-keyboard-guide.com/yamaha-motif.html

Using version 1.7
Presets are awsome, added the vintage keys to it with even more awsome synth sounds.
Haven't done much tweeking yet, sounds are great out of the box.
Haven't used the manual, I go to Motifator Forum and am going to buy the DVD.

63 Poly. Synth action.
Expansion via scsi, midi for softsynths, smart card.
Has a sequencer but haven't used it yet.

Pianos, EPs, Synths, Strings are great. A little weak on Organs and Brass.

So far very dependable, have had it for 4 months.

Never dealt with YAMAHA except to get T-Shirts.

If it were lost or stolen would probably get the ES.
Been playing for years, My stage set up is the MO6, Korg X3, and Alesis QS.6 on a three tier stand.
Love the sounds out of the box. Nothing to hate about it so far, but have a feeling the sequencer will be a bitch.
I chose this over the Triton because I felt the sounds were better.
I wish I had a 88 Key dedicated digital piano.