Yamaha Motif 8

Great sound. Editor is OK, but the User Interface programming sort of sucks.

Enough notes 64. Great keyboard action. OK effects. Expansion great with 3 PLG cards. OK sequencer but no match for software synth. BUT digital outputs are one way only. You can't audio sync this beast to a studio. The studio has to sync to it. Sort of stupid.

Great sounds BUT microtonal tuning is crippled with useless presets. Lots of duplication (same tuning on different notes). I could do the same with performance tuning and voice tuning functions. Useless for serious alternate music work.

Build like a tank. Wouldn't take it anywhere.

Forget it. It's Yamaha. (Microtonal tuning update has been on the most wanted wishlist for a year. Software updates have not taken it into account. Nobody's listening.

I bought this for the keyboard action mainly and the PLG150-VL plugin boards (own 3). Was really pissed off cause I can't use alternate tunings. A shame that Yamaha discontinued this feature in its high end line.

It's really a pitty that Yamaha did not include any of the S80's electric "Rhodes" type piano sounds. The Rhodes type electriuc pianos on the Motiff are thin sounding. I decided not to get this keyboard based on that. However, the acoustic piano sounds are better on the motiff. Kurzweil's PC2X still has better pianos. A Motiff piano note decays too quickly after the initial attack.

Appears to be well engineering.

They will call back.

Board came with 1.3 installed. Upgraded to 1.6 although I had no problems with the board before upgrading. This is used in a contemporary church worship environment. I have found the sequencer and ISS to be a bit more confusing than anticipated, but am close to making it workable on a live basis. Great Acoustic Piano presets as well as guitars and bass. Drums also very good. Brass leave a bit to be desired, but I have downloaded some patch variations that show hope.

Fantastic board upgrade from a Roland XP-80. Wish the sequencer was intiutive and easy to use as the XP, but man the key action rocks!

64 Polyphany stinks. I misread the marketing materials and thought that buying one PLG150 piano board expansion would allow me to increase my polyphany. WRONG! You need 2 expansion boards. I haven't had much drop out note problems. But would like more polyphany.

Keyboard action is by far the best I've used.

Effects are easy to use and bypass as needed on the fly.

Wish the sequencer memory could be expanded. Would rather have a firewire connection than SCSI. No missing MIDI capabilities that I long for. This seems to cover my needs.

On board sequencer not as easy to use as XP-80 or Triton, but the ISS makes up for any lacking in this on-board sequencer.

Wish the screen was bigger.

Overall excellent feature set for a workstation. I paid nearly the same amount 5 years ago for my XP-80 and it didn't even have 88 keys or weighted action.

Accoustic pianos - Awesome! The GM Natural Grand is much more to my liking than the PowerGrand. This is truly a subjective area.

EP's - Some excellent, some so-so. S80 seemed to have better preset EP's. However some voice editing has improved this.

Strings - Presets stink - too much unnatural vibrato. Tweeking the voices produced good results. Don't judge it by the presets. They can be much better if you can edit or know someone who can.

Drums /Percussion - Awesome!

Other - good variety. Arp and after touch add so much to all the voices. Still playing with variations a month after getting the board.

Very warm pads!

Would give a 10 if presets were better. I don't like to tweek. They are a 10 now, but that doesn't help you if you don't know how to improve through editing.

Incredibly hard to move around. Very big. I'm still waiting on my custom SKB case with wheels. I'll feel better about moving it regularly then. I transport back and forth from gigs 2 times a week and up a flight of stairs. God help me if I drop this thing!

I'd use it on a gig with out a backup. It has never frozen, acted up or anything bizarre. Stable OS.

Mac OS X support is lacking. Would like to use the direct USB midi connection, but still waiting for Yamaha to get off their duffs and provide some OS X drivers. Most SW included is geared to PC or the old MAC interface.

Haven't had to use CS at Yamaha, but wish the site had more power user guides for this board. www.motifator.com has been a big help, however.

Definitely would buy again if lost of stolen. Definitely worth what I paid. I actually bought one for my church a couple months ago for $2600. I was excited to save $200, tax, and shipping (another $200).
I've been playing for over 15 years. I own an S80 and a Roland XV3080 which are going on Ebay tonight (no need). Use Cubase VST and compose on Sibelius.
Compared to Triton Studio, Roland Fantom. No comparison. Sound and key action along with the ISS function is why I chose this board.
Wish I could install an onboard Hard Drive instead of using and external SCSI.

Don't rely on online reviews without going and checking this board out in person. You can find a great deal online (musicians friend or 8th street music), but CHECK IT OUT IN PERSON!!!!

v. 1.4 software. Ease of use. Heh. How is the editing? It's a bloody hemorrhoid in my a$$. Yes, it's an itching, painful mass of dilated transistors and capacitors and circuitry... though unfortunately you can't swab it with gel and make it stop hurting. How is the manual? Think quantum physics. By far this is the most poorly designed OS in the history of synthesizers - b a r NONE.

Polyphony is 64, like the competition (don't be fooled into thinking a Triton is 128 voices because it is 64 for PCM and 64 for piano.. don't believe the Korg hype). THe Motif's effects are excellent, and very fun to use. Inspiring, funky, wet, snappy, great verbs, etc etc. You can expand the board with PLG boards :fart: Yes, it has a sequencer and it rims. Can't stand it. Loop mode for EACH track? Wtf is that? I'm not even going to go into it because you have to see it to believe it. Don't plan on working efficiently and intuitively. Not gonna happen with this board.

By far and wide the Motif offers the best patches of any workstation in existence. They are SUPERB. Both electronic and acoustic sounds kick AZZ. The free presets from the motifator.com site (look in Motif store under files, etc) are completely off the hook. They will keep me busy for a looooong time. I mean, here we (Mo users that hanf out at motifator.com) were all jazzed about the presets, then Yamaha rolls out another three banks of sounds designed by top designers and my Motif is new all over again. I can't tell you about these presets (meat and potatoes, coffee and dessert - as they are clled, etc) You just have to hear them. F'G AWESOME.

The aftertouch and sensitivity afforded by the REMARKABLE key action on the Mo8 is to die for. Too expressive to even describe. Sold me on the board. You will LOVE playing. It feels beautiful under your fingers. I'mn not being corny. It feels better than any real piano keys I have ever struck.. and I'm a decent player.

Solid so far.. not a single crash (though I sequence on my MPC ONLY so I can't speak for the sequencer. I used it one time and the notes drifted from the click.. I was like, "nope.")

SUPERB. Best in the biz. Check out motifator.com 'nuff said

Best board I've ever owned.. with the worst OS ever designed. You'll have to go to your local store and ask them to demo it.. have them edit some patches, activate some arpeggios.. watch how many button clicks.. notice how buttons for common features are spread out all over hell. I hate that about the board. But the sound and fell sold me... and would sell me all over again...

We found the programming of the Motif simple and intuitive. The manual was clear and provided all the information we required. The presets are quite usable in a studio context. It is very easy to edit, tweak and save patches. The synth comes with a nice little library of editors and tools on CD ROM

The action on both the weighted version (the Motif 8) and the organ style (Motif 6 & 7) are all time favorites. The unweighted keyboards have a nice bounce with very comfortable mod / pitch wheels.

The Motif 8 will gratify piano players. On the other hand, as a synth player, I found the weighted keyboard hard to play... the piano action was too realistic.

The built in DSP is remarkable - phase shifters, reverb and delay all sound superior to any other keyboard we have tested. In fact, I have found it very difficult to go back to favorite Korg and Roland modules. At the same time, it is great being able to turn the effects off with a single button on the front panel.

Most of the instruments are very realistic - the electric pianos and clavinets in particular are standouts. Our Rhodes has been in the basement since we bought the Motif. It has the best "stock" piano sound we have ever heard. In a mix, it is very hard to tell from the Yamaha C7 grand.

For general commercial use, all the sounds are stellar, and some of the patches that sound a little bland when played solo (the hammond organs in particular) shine in a mix.

The orchestral patches are no substitute for a high end sampler with a good library, but they are superior to any other PCM / PM synth we have tried. In fact, they are very good and I am just spoiled.

The Motifs are built like tanks. They are one of the sturdiest, dependable synths ever built. The Motif 8 is very heavy, but you know that by now. If you have ever moved a Yamaha CS-80, Hammond Organ, CP-70 or even a Fender Rhodes, you won't complain.

Yamaha's very net friendly approach to service and upgrades should be commended.

Since investing in our original Motif 8, we have now added a pair of Motif 6.

Still have 1st version of SW. Presets are excellent, although Rhodes sounds are not quite the quality of the S80. Have not used the patch editor, or the manual.

62 note polyphony, not sure about upgrade via Yamaha cards. Some say adding the piano card gives you 128 notes, Yamaha lit seems to say adding (2) piano cards gives you 128 notes. Excellecnt action, effects. Sequencer works well, no complaints there.

Excellent piano, organs, electric piano, pads, strings, brass, drums. Not bad guitars, I think Roland has um beat on the classical and steel string guitars. Yamaha has the best electric guitars. Works wll for any type of music. Excellent onboard effects. Reacts pretty well to playing. I like the S80 electric piano reaction better.

No problems so far. Would really like to use it gigging but its just too heavy.

Never called on the Motif; however they were very helpful on the O3D.

Would buy it again, no question. Had a S80, sold it to get the Motif 8. Have a Roland A-70EX Midi'd to Proteus 2000 w/ Holy Grail Piano and Definitive B3 ROM, and Yamaha FS1R for DX sounds. I love the Motif for the action and so many excellect sounds. It is the only keyboard anyone needs. I wish the electric piano sounds were identical to the S80.

There is a steep learning curve to use the advanced functions on this keyboard, but it is relatively easy to start using the Motif to do basic sequencing. There are many different "modes" on the keyboard, and buttons change function depending on what mode you are in. This takes some getting used to.

The manual definitely leaves something to be desired, but great help can be found at motifator.com.

Polyphony is 62 notes. Supposedly, polyphony is enhanced by the new OS upgrade. There is a multi-part plug-in board to enhance polyphony. Also, the piano plug-in board enhances polyphony to 126 notes for the piano sounds. By the way, the Roland Fantom workstation also has 62 notes of polyphony.

The effects are amazing. There are many different chorus and reverb effects which make your sequences sound amazing. You can also apply effects to a line input, so you can sing into a microphone and apply a chorus effect to your vocal.

The Motif has unprecedented expandability. You store to SmartMedia cards, you can install two SIMM cards to be able to sample over 6 minutes of audio. There is an optical out so you can record onto a DAT recorder. There is a USB connection for MIDI.

I haven't even begun to access the advanced functions of the sequencer but it is very powerful. The whole song/pattern/part/section lingo is a little confusing to me.

Sounds are amazing. I love the drums and electric keyboards. On the VL-150 plug-in board, there are some amazing saxophones with the breath built right in.

On the acoustic bass sounds, there are effects like bass "tricks"...there are some great electric guitar sounds. There is also a Latin percussion kit with Brazilian surdo, tamborim, agogo.

This thing is so heavy (62 pounds) that I am never going to lug it anywhere. Seems reliable!

Motifator rocks.

I love this machine. Although there is a steep learning curve for some functions and the setup isn't entirely intuitive, it really is an amazing machine and you can make amazing music on it.

ver 1.4
I'd like to go against the trend and say that so far, I haven't found the Mo difficult at all. Okay, so Yammy calls them voices when others call them patches, but who cares what they are called? The knobs and sliders are great for quick edits. Sequencing is about as easy as it can be without a computer, so easy in fact that I had a whole stack of fully sequenced tracks the day after I got the thing.
The only fair comment I have seen about it's apparent lack of user-friendliness is that there is a fair amount of button pushing because there are few dedicated buttons, but the display is very helpful and shows you exactly what you need to see on each page.
The manual has been criticised but I think it's actually okay (ever had the misfortune of reading a Roland manual? At least Yammy put all the info you need in their manuals).
One thing worth mentioning: if ease of use includes ease of carrying, the Mo 8 would score 0. This is a big Mo.

Features can be found at Yammy's site. The features I bought it for are the built in sampler and the pattern mode, which means now that when the singer in my band wants to sing a few extra choruses, he can do what he likes! Other features worth mentioning are Master mode, which essentially stores a 'snapshot' of the Mo, giving quicker access to functions you frequently use for different applications. This is great for a live situation, eg, you are playing two songs, one sequenced, the other not. One 'master' takes you straight to the right song in song mode, the other takes you straight to the right sound in performance mode.
The synthesis system (AWM2) is fairly comprehensive, though there is only one LFO per voice element (Roland synths usually have two).
The effects are lacking in number compared to a Triton, but are of high quality, besides, how many effects do you need at once? The sounds are good without them anyway.
The keyboard action feels good, not too heavy, not flimsy. It's certainly a step up from some of the terrible actions on other digital pianos that I've tried.
Features lacking:
Polyphony! 62 voices can quickly run out.
Proper voice editing in sequencer mode.
Built in co-axial S/PDIF: there is built in optical, though co-ax can be added.
Smartmedia cards. There is a slot for a Smartmedia card, but as the sequencer and sampler memory is volatile, Yammy should have included a Smartmedia card along with the Mo.
Vocoder effect. This has to be added seperately (with the Vocal Harmony board).
A velocity curve for the keyboard that turns it effectively into Graded Hammer Action (lighter at the top, heavier at the bottom).
16 REAL knobs and sliders instead of 4 real and 16 virtual.
Wheels. Not pitch or modulation wheels. Wheels to transport the thing!

The standout sounds for me are the Rhodes EP's and the drumkits. The snares especially are very realistic (I had a drummer playing them from his electronic kit for hours). The piano is very broad and rich. Organs are nice and crunchy. Great range of synth sounds and effects.
One big problem with the solo string sounds is that they were sampled with vibrato, meaning that you can't get rid of it once it's there, and it ends up sounding LESS natural, as it just gets faster higher up the keyboard. The flute has the same problem, great tone, too much vibrato.
The sound quality is not as brittle and harsh as some have suggested, and there are plenty of warm pad sounds that can be coaxed out of the Mo.

I have so far done one gig with it, and am going to use it for future gigs. I haven't had any problems with the unit crashing. The only issue with gigging is how damn heavy it is.

I've dealt with Yamaha Australia before, and they were pretty helpful. I don't know if I'll get any support this time as I bought the keyboard from Belgium!
The Motifator.com website is a great example of a product support website, very helpful and informative.

For the price, it adds a huge amount of 'studio' to any studio, it's a flexible performance instrument and it's genuinely fun to play. My only 'problem' with it so far is how heavy it is!
I have or have used: a Yamaha DX7s, DX100, CX5m, Roland RD-700, JV-50, JV-80, JV-1010, JV-1080, Korg Trinity, 05R/W, Ensoniq Mirage, ASR-10.

I'm pretty new to this synth, but I find the basic features of the synth fairly easy to use. There is some button pushing but by no means do you have to push any button more than 3-4 times. It's just that some of the button sequences are kind of tricky to remember, and there are so many things this synth can do. It's definitly more complicated than any synth I've used before. The manual isn't really that good, but at least it's available for free electronically. A lot of the features I learned online at the Motif Forum (www.motifator.com). I think without the forum I would be dead in the water and pretty frustrated. So with the forum I rate the ease of use as 8, but without it, a 6. Also check out motifhelp.tripod.com, which has a ton of information.

The one thing that I've found the hardest to use is the pattern mode, but after looking on the web site about what styles, sections, phrases, and parts are, it started to click a lot better. The ease of use of the onboard sequencer could be improved, but it's pretty usable as it is.

The buttons and modes are fairly easy to use once you get used to them, but the learning curve is kind of steep.

The polyphony is only 64, which may be kind of limited, but one of the great features of this synth is that it can do resampling, which means if you have enough memory you can convert entire parts of your song into a sample, saving the polyphony for additional song parts.

Out of the factory it only has 4MB of sample memory, which isn't really enough, but it is upgradable to 64MB. The tricky part about the upgrade is that not all memory will work. Also, it's volatile memory so any samples or sequences must be saved to external storage or they will be lost.

For storage you have several options. One is to buy a smartcard (up to 128MB), or you can use the onboard SCSI. Don't expect quick file transfers, however. It can take up to 5 minutes to load a file from a smart card. The SCSI speed is faster than some other boards, but is not exactly impressive. If you use a smart card it's always good to have a smartcard reader/writer for your computer. Those cost less than the smart cards typically so it is definitly worth it.

For voices (patches) you get 3 preset banks, 1 General MIDI bank, and 1 user bank. Each bank has 128 voices. Each voice has up to 4 elements (waves), which can be from the ROM or from a sample. Each voice has 2 insert effects and reverb and chorus. The effects are pretty good but I can't tell you much about that because I haven't explored them that much yet.

The arpeggiator is pretty strong. You can build custom arpeggios but the ones that come with it are pretty good.

It has a sequencer with two modes, song, and pattern. In each mode there is the edit mode (which is helpful but not that great), a mix mode (where you specify part volumes, voices, effect sends, and stuff) , a job mode (copy, quantize, delete, and a lot more), and of course the record mode.

The one thing that I find annoying about the sequencer is that sometimes it insists that you stop the playback or recording to get what you want to do done. For example you can't go right into mix mode while you're recording.

There are 4 knobs and 5 volume sliders. The knobs control parameters such as reverb, chorus, attack, decay, filter cutoff and resonance, and a 4 band equalizer.

There are also buttons to control an external sequencer if it is compatible with one of three sequencer types. However I found it kind of hard to use in Cakewalk.

This is definitly a heavyweight synth. You might have problems transporting it unless you have a wagon or van.

The key action is really superb. I would get this synth for the realistic sounds and great key action alone.

The sounds are very full and realistic, as long as you play them within a reasonable range. Some of the sounds are good for the entire keyboard.

There is aftertouch, but I've only heard it used in one patch. It could definitly be used better. The aftertouch itself is kind of insensitive in my opinion.

The key action is so helpful when it comes to expressiveness. Going back to a non weighted keyboard lets you know how spoiled you've become by this instrument. I'm sure there are better keys out there, but you would have to pay a lot more.

The sounds are pretty modern, and there is a good balance between standard instruments and electronic instruments and sound effects. Samples would cover anything else that you needed.

I don't like the user voices that come with the synth mostly (maybe I haven't given them a chance yet??). But the ones that are downloadable from MotifMart are really great, and FREE.

You can use 2 expression pedals and 2 switch pedals (sustain and assignable) which adds even more expression to the works.

I'm not sure what else to add other than it's dreamy.

So far so good. The OS upgrade went without a hitch. I'm mostly a home studio recorder and I don't gig, but if I ever did I wouldn't need a backup. I haven't had it long enough to really gain a valuable opinion, however.

We lost the manual within a week of purchasing it, and I called to see how much a replacement would cost, and they sent it for free! Their motifator website is really comprehensive. The made the manuals available via pdf files for free. So far I don't have any complaints about customer service.

This synth is definitly a dream machine for me. If it were stolen I would mourn the loss and then try to replace it as soon as I could afford it again (if it wasn't covered by insurance).

Practically the only thing it doesn't do is give me playing lessons.

It could use faster data transfer better USB capabilities (you can't transfer files via the USB and it is limited to std MIDI speed only) and more memory expandability, and the sequencer is far from perfect, which is why I won't give it a 10. Still, a good all round synth overall.

I decided to RE-REVIEW this synth because when I wrote my last review of it - which I have requested Harmony Central remove - I was a bit frustrated with the horrible manual and the fact that I simply could not figure out how to get the Motif in Multi Timb. mode. So here's a more objective post. I apologize for jumping the gun.

I'll start by saying I have been producing/composing since the late eighties and have used everything from a DX7 to the Motif8 (SD1, EPS16, ASR10, JV1080, JV2080, Korg M1, K2000, k2500, MPC, SP, Proteus, Phatt, E4xt, S2000, S3000, S5000, A3000, D50 .. you get the idea). I've also used just about every software sequencer and VSTi made - on PC's as well as Mac's. And I still suck. :P IN ANY CASE..

I think most seasoned keyboard addicts will tell you Yamaha products are not known for their ease of use. For some reason, they employ different terms than other manufacturers and most of their products have operating systems that will leave you scratching your head for hours - if not days. Compound this with the fact that they have absolutely no idea how to write a technical manual (apparently an epidemic in the gear industry) and you're in for a LOT of headaches.

I think the above is important to comprehend for both the vets and newcomers. For the vets: if you've been a die hard (eg) Roland user over the years, beware of this OS; it's unlike anything you've ever seen. It's a steep curve. If you're a newcomer: I don't think this is the right board to learn on. Learn the conventions first (i.e. Roland, Korg, etc) and then come back to the Yamaha in a couple years. If you start out on a convulted board like this, you're going to get frustrated REAL quick. So what I would recommend? Try a Korg Triton. It's by far the easiest synth to use on the planet.

All that said, editing patches is a pain on the tiny display. Lots of button clicks and scrolling. PC/Mac editor is a MUST-HAVE if you want to do granular editing to patches/programs (which Yamaha calls "voices" incidentally). The Motif is soft button heaven - or hell, depending on your perspective.

The manual is a J O K E. I had to go the Motif web site and ask questions about BAIC operations on the user forum because I simply could not find any answers by cross referencing terms in the back. I continue to be amazed at how much they left out of the manual. For instance, there is NOT even a SENTENCE in the entire manual the refers SPECIFICALLY to setting up the synth to be used with an external sequencer. Nothing. I don't know about you, but I find that unacceptable. The manual is not worth the paper it is written on.

The Motif's polyphony is a meager 64 voices. I don't know what Yamaha was thinking when they designed it. Almost everything coming out has 128 voices now and even 128 is not enough sometimes. Oh well, Yamaha will invariably lose a lot of sales because of this.

The effects and filters are sufficient for most applications. The reverb is very clean and realistic, and the filters are flexible. The XV5080 and the Triton both offer more effects blocks, as does the disgustingly-priced K2600 series. In terms of expansion and memory, there is a 64MB RAM limitation AND it's of the SIMM variety.. another puzzling move on Yamaha's part considering how cheap and accessible DIMMs are these days. On the flip side, Yamaha took a bold step and tossed the antiquated floppy drive and decided to use SMART MEDIA. Only thing is, SmartMedia is expensive. 64MB card cost me $40. I think they should have went with a Zip drive.. but what do I know..

Let's talk about modes. This is where things get screwy. In MOST synths, there is a program mode, combination mode, multi mode and sequencer mode. Simple. Not so with the Motif. The Motif has the following modes:

Voice (traditionally called "single" or "program") Performance (traditionally single programs using more than one waveform, up to 4 max in the case of the Motif), Master (don't ask), Song and pattern. Let's look at each in more detail:

*****VOICE MODE******
This is Yamaha's word for what most of us know as PROGRAMS, PATCHES, INSTRUMENTS or SINGLES. The term "voice" has HISTORICALLY been another word for a WAVEFORM or a TONE, so to use it to describe a PROGRAM is REALLY bassackwards - let alone uncalled for. Anyhow, there are several banks of "voices" and they cover all of the bases (see below). Problem is, if you're in one bank scrolling through patches, once you get to number 128, you're done. You can't keep scrolling to the next bank. You have to use the "voice finder" to call up another bank. The array of buttons that begin to flash like a Christmas tree when you fumble through the "press button x, hold it down and simultaneously press button "y" procedures is entertaining :sigh: I can't believe I had to open the manual to figure out how to view the next bank from voice 001. Again, no excuse, Yamaha.

****PERFORMANCE MODE*****
Funny thing about this mode is that it's not a "performance" at all; it's simply a program with more than one "voice" - similar to the Korg's "Combi" mode. Here you can add up to four voices to form a monster instrument (and I do mean MONSTER) but watch your polyphony! You've only got 64 voices -- err crap, what should I call them -- to use so easy on that vibrato!!

****MASTER****
No clue. Still can't figure out its purpose. I doubt I'll ever need it. I'm not lugging this 5,000 lb. BEAST to a gig anyways. But don't be fooled, it has NOTHING to do with global settings.

***SEQUENCER MODE****
This covers both patterns and songs. Gone are the days of looping beats in SONG mode (like you can do in every other sequencer in existence). If you're loop oriented, you'll be working in PATTERN mode. Why? Apparently Yamaha thinks that's how we all work. Looping in SONG mode IS possible, but high unorthodox in that TRACKS loop, not the song. Don't ask, I don't even want to discuss it because it's pointless. I haven't had much luck with the sequencer. Click track keeps losing sync with my beats. Yes, you read that correctly. After about 8 bars it starts drifting.. and drifting until it is no longer bearable. I will say this, editing track params and events is anything but efficient. You have to hit an dedit button, followed by the "job" button. Yamaha calls these BASIC sequencer tasks "jobs." I'll say they're jobs!!! I gave up on it. Then again, has there EVER been a good sequencer on a workstation???? I think the ASR10 had the only decent sequencer on board...

As Dr. Dre once said, "Now we've come to the payoff." You can say that again. This is where the Motif SMASHES the competition in nearly every category. My first impression was mildy impressed. In practice (playing riffs, etc) I was highly impressed. Now, as I have actually put a the instruments to work, I am - in some cases - staggered. The drums are - bar none - the best drums on the market. Period. If only the percussion lived up to the quality of the drums (the triangles, maracas, twings and twangs congas , etc etc are very synthetic. Yammy dropped the ball here). The standup bass sucks as do the other electric basses - with the exception of the slap bass with FX - which is INCREDIBLE. The pianos are above average, bot not the best out there. You can still do better with HALion and a copy of Bolder Pianos (http://www.boldersounds.com) The strings are kind of LUSH for my taste. I would like to have more resonance than all the dreamy swimming pads and flowing ensembles. The synth leads are varied, some kick azz, others need work. There are some extraordinary flutes, saxes and even trumpets. I love the brass on this board. Acoustic guitars are so-so. I like the strats and the electric stuff (check out the "voice" called VOODOO!!). The XV5080's acoutsic guitars are awesome but the strats STINK. The Triton has poor guitars all the way around.

Yes, sounds are very subjective. But here's the true test: next time you shop for a keyboard, have the salesperson turn off all the effects in the boards you are comparing. Listen to the patches; you will find most are very thin and uninspiring (Triton comes to mind). Not so with the Motif... its sounds are KILLER, even dry. Yes it has a few shortcomings but Yamaha is adding sounds to it every month (yes, you read that correctly; they are augmenting the sound librbay free of charge). Overall, IMO, this is the best OVERALL soundset in any synth on the market - bar none. In addition, the sound engine is HOT like an Akai (to give you an idea of how hot, I can not have the master and channel knobs on my Mackie at twelve o'clock unless I want to shake the windows out of their frames. This baby COOKS. On top of that, the sound is CLEAN, CLEAN clean and HUGE. LOVE the WIDTH of the sound. The basses are SUPER-DUPER subsonic. Be careful with them around children. Might cause someone to go deaf. No lie. By the way, the electric pianos are simply BRILLIANT. The Rhodes and Wurlies are OFF THE HOOK. The organs pale in comparison to NI's B4.

Don't know yet. Time will tell. I won't use it on a gig.. I'm not lugging this dog around. Would you?

Best in the business. If you don't believe me, go to http://www.motifator.com and visit the forums. Have a look around. Yamaha is investing an exorbitant amount of energy and resources into this synth.

Overall I really like it. It's not perfect, but I've yet to find a board that is. Have you found one? The reason I can't give it a 10 is because the manual is horrible and the OS is a steep learning curve. If you took the Triton's OS and combined it with the Motif's sounds, you'd have a dreamboat of a workstation.

Oh, I almost forgot: Another thing I REALLY like is this LOAD ALL feature. With this, you take a snapshot of every setting, every voice, sample, etc in the OS, store it to SCSI device or SmartMedia and when you pwer on, bing, EVERYTHING gets loaded AS it was when you powered off .. all your samples.. everything. HOW COOL IS THAT???????? You can save as many of these snapshots as you want.

In any case, the sounds are what sold me. I am constantly inspired everytime I sit down with the Motif. I can't think of many boards I can say that about. In fact, I can't think of any outside of the old Rhodes keys and analog synths.