Yamaha MOTIF Rack ES Sound Module

1,152 voices. 65 different drum kits. 128-note polyphony.

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Yamaha MOTIF Rack XS Sound Module

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  • Installment Plan:4 payments of $324.75
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    • 14 people rate: 9 out of 10

Inspiration can strike at any time, but there's no need to wait for it. The new MOTIF Rack XS is packed full of inspiring sounds, exciting rhythms and expressive control that spur your creativity to new heights - any time, any place. Learn More...

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customer reviews

Rate and Review This Product:

56 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 8 out of 10

6 People wrote reviews

* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

"This is truly a classic, you won't be dissapointed."

Feature:
Short of being able to sample or do vocoding there's really not much more they could possibly cram into this baby, it truly is a powerhouse.

Quality:
Quality is excellent, just like every Yamaha product I have ever owned in the past. I certainly would have no worries using this for live performance.

Value:
Even at the full list price this unit is still a good deal for the sound alone.

Desirability:
I own it and try as you like you could never snatch it out of my hands if you tried!

Sound:
The sound is nothing short of amazing. I've owned much equipment over the years from many manufacturers, and I used to love the sound of Yamaha's back in the days when they were still using the combination of original AWM and FM synthesis (that shows my age lol). I just never liked their more modern and more sample based AWM2 stuff and went more to Roland in the mid 90's. Then I heard some samples of this unit online on various videos people had made and became intrigued, so I decided, what the heck, for the price I could get it for if nothing else it will make a nice compliment to my other gear. And yes it does, it sounds great along side my Roland(s) and other gear. But this module stands out on its own. It has that crisp yet warm sound that I always loved about Yamaha in the past, it's quite amazing to hear that in a fundamentally sample based unit. I love the sound of this module. I could seriously rave about it all night, but I'll spare you from that! I'll just say if you haven't heard any of the MOTIF sounds I seriously advise you to check them out, they are very refreshing to my ears, and I'm sure they will be to yours too.

Ease of Use:
Like all 1U synth modules it can take a bit of time to familiarize yourself with, lack of space for controls and display on these devices creates a learning curve for any new user. That said, Yamaha have done a good job on the interface and the manual is really good. A few features seem a little more complex than they should be, though some others, like the arpeggiator in particular are very easy to use straight out of the box.

Support:
I've never had to use Yamaha support, but based on my experiences with the companies equipmnt over the years I'm sure if there was a problem it would be excellent so I will give a 10!

Overall:
This compliments my whole setup just beautifully, but also stands out on its own. The sound is worth the money alone, but it's a feature packed unit that I know I will keep and use for many years to come. I won't go so far as to say it's better than my Roland stuff (or any other manufacturer) - but it gives me that Yamaha sound I've missed for a long time, and this will be used prominently in my music from now on. I would buy this again in a heartbeat.

Submitted: 9/15/2008

Style of Music: Many, from classical to alternative to techno

* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

"Yamaha has a winner here and I will be busy with this one for a long time!"

Feature:
There are so many features that it would take five years to utilize them all and with expansion options it only gets more complex and the polyphony also expands with the expansion modules, it is like getting a new sound module when you expand this and the possibilities of the sounds are almost limitless! Guitar sounds are the best of any sound module out there except maybe samplers which can emulate the real thing. I find the learning curve on this is high but very usable out of box without the manual but you will want to study the manual for doing unbelievable sound editing and setting up performances and effects on this thing are all limitless! I think this is by far the most far in future usable sound module ever made thus so far and until they come up with something astronomically better, but I can't imagine needing more features than this and with the future sound expansion options the sky appears to be the limit with this excellent gear.

Quality:
The screen looks ok and the turn jog dial is sturdy but stiff and hard to turn at times, the jog turn dial should have been larger and a outer rubber grip and made easier to turn. The buttons on the front panel seem a little cheap when pushing them, the other buttons move a little when you push just one button, I hope they hold up? What is nice is they are large enough and fairly easy to push and they are lit up when you push them, that is a nice feature. Very basic generic civil look to this module and it is functional. Nothing really stands out and catches your eye.

Value:
I would say the value of this sound module is fantastic not only because of its price and sound capabilities compared to its no competition but also future sound upgrading and features make this a great product to own/use now and atleast ten years into the future easy!!!

Desirability:
Out of all the competition, there is not anything that comes even close to this as far as sound quality and quality of the samples, effects and arpeggios functions and voice polyphony and in terms of future upgradeable sounds, effects and polyphony and not to mention the future capabilities of this sound module is almost limitless! I hope Yamaha still supports this module long into the future and it does not become like on the back burner, because I think they have a real winner here.

Sound:
I love this sound module with my Yamaha P-70 piano controller and with 88 hammer action keys this sound module sounds excellent and clean and very expressive. Recording sequences with this 128 polyphony sounds great and clean even with all 128 notes at once which I haven't exceeding the polyphony yet! The sound output from the headphone jack leaves little to be desired and in my opinion is weak as far as volume and phatness of the sound. However the rear output jacks perform much better and using the digital out is the best quality I have heard from any sound module to date! Recording live with this on stage would be tedious to program but could be done with some effort involved.

Ease of Use:
The arpeggiator is very easy to use and setup the sounds you want, you can edit arp settings for your playing and chord styles and anything can be used as a arp setting any notes and or chord sequence can be recorded and saved into the user preset. Programming and button menus and setting up performances are a little tricky at first and the learning curve is just as high as Roland sound modules but once you learn the structure that Yamaha has it is pretty straight forward. The editor for this on the computer is easier to program than the button face screen on unit but you will still have to study the manual for understanding the voice, midi channel setup and performance, effect settings and arp settings to tweak or set it up for your song. The only gripe is that you have to save vial sysex dump or software save through the computer all your custom setting because Yamaha erase s it all when this unit is turned off. Why can't Yamaha spend a few extra bucks on a memory user settings hold feature?!!! After all, if the power goes off you are screwed!!! Unless you save your settings on your computer??? Come on it is the year 2007 and we still can't get it right???

Support:
It seems the Yamaha website is very supportive of both new and old gear and it is updated often and users are allowed to get the latest updates and manuals etc. And the warranty length and service on Yamaha is good. I have not called yet for support issues?

Overall:
I think other sound modules and keyboards out there do different things very all different musical styles. But this sound module can do it all? There is still a need for samplers and vintage analog synth type controllers and sounds. I will be very busy with this sound module for a very long time. Most people do not get the full functionality or life out of there present or old equipment. So I say to all of you out there, use and learn what you currently own and push the limits of your gear and only then will you see the creative potential of your musical gear in action and what you can personally achieve musically with them!

Submitted: 9/29/2007

Style of Music: Acid Jazz, Electronica and Lounge, Techno, Rock

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About This Product!
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Instant inspiration!

You need lots of sonic choices; from authentic to innovative. That's why there are 1,152 voices and 65 different drum kits in the MOTIF-Rack ES.

With the most advanced synthesis on the market, MOTIF-Rack ES' 128-note polyphony, 16-part mix architecture and 32 multi-libraries ensure you have the all the flexibility you need.

Two system effects, 8 types of mastering effects, a 5-band master EQ, 8 simultaneous insertion effects, and 3-band equalization for each of the 16 parts in a mix let you tailor your sound exactly the way you want.

The 2 Modular Synthesis Plug-in System expansion slots let you expand your system with more voices, effects and polyphony.

128 programmable performances that layer and split up to 4 voices will start your creativity flowing.

A USB port, digital I/O, and Studio Connections Recall-compatible software editors let you easily integrate the MOTIF-Rack ES into your computer music system.

Sonic inspiration from authentic emulation to creative innovation -- The MOTIF-Rack ES delivers a massive collection of studio-quality sounds for a wide variety of musical genres. The 1,152 voices and 65 drum kits are easily accessible via the front panel category search function. From the emulative sounds of acoustic piano and orchestra to the extreme synthesis of cutting-edge hip-hop and electronica, the MOTIF-Rack ES delivers the sonic power you need. Performances that layer and split up to four voices and over 1,700 arpeggios -- from realistic guitar strumming to drum grooves to classic techno riffs -- inspire new musical ideas to get your creativity flowing.

Flexible architecture to meet all your synthesis needs -- Thanks to Yamaha's advanced synthesis technology, the MOTIF-Rack ES tone generator boasts 128-note polyphony and 16 mix parts so it's an ideal multi-timbral sound source. The synth engine offers 18 different filter types and faster, more precise envelope controls. There are even mix voices so you can edit and create your own voices while listening to your songs and store them right along with the song data.

More effects give you more control over your music -- The MOTIF-Rack ES has more effects than any other rack module available today. In mix mode, you can use 8 dual insertion effects simultaneously. For instance, you can have a rotary effects on the organ, distortion on the backing guitar, delay plus overdrive on the guitar solo, compressor and EQ on the bass, and a unique reverb on the drums and still have plenty of insertion effects left over. The 2 system effects let you add just the right amount of reverb and chorus/delay to any part via the effect sends and returns. After putting everything together, the 3-band EQ for each part lets you get just the right tonal balance in your mix. Finally the 8 types of master effects (including multi-band compression) and 5 band master EQ give your finished productions the same professional-quality mastered sound as commercially produced CDs.

Studio Connections Recall editors integrate hardware and software -- The MOTIF-Rack ES was designed to integrate seamlessly into the software-based music production environment. Voice editor and multipart editor software let you take full computer control over your MOTIF-Rack ES. You can edit and store voices and mixes using the graphic visual editing on your computer. But even more importantly, these editors are Studio Connection Recall-compatible. That means you can open them directly inside of DAW software like Steinberg's Nuendo and Cubase 3.0. When you save your DAW project all the settings for MOTIF-Rack ES are stored along with your song. When you re-open the project file, you can synchronize your studio and automatically recall all the settings for your entire studio both hardware and software.

Customize your music production system -- The MOTIF-Rack ES supports Yamaha's Modular Synthesis Plug-in System, so you can add up to 2 plug-in boards to the unit and add more voices, more effects, and even polyphony to your system.

Digital interfacing standard -- The MOTIF-Rack ES features all the digital interfacing you need right on board. In many applications, you'll want to come out of the MOTIF-Rack ES in the digital domain and connect directly to other digital gear. Stereo S/PDIF digital outputs (coaxial and optical) allow you to connect to a wide variety of computers and music production products. The USB TO HOST connector gives you multi-port MIDI connectivity to your computer. For those who want to connect via analog, the MOTIF-Rack ES features a total of 6 analog outputs for connecting to external mixers and effect processors.

Technical Info

Tone generator section:
-- Tone generator: AWM2 (complying with the Modular Synthesis Plug-in System)

-- Maximum polyphony: 128 notes + the polyphony of the Plug-in Board (if installed)

-- Wave memory: 175MB (when converted to 16-bit linear format), 1,859 waveforms

Voice:
-- Preset: 768 normal voices + 64 drum kits

-- GM: 128 normal voices + 1 drum kit

-- User: 384 (bank 1 & 3: original, bank 2: pick up from preset)

-- Normal voices + 32 drum kits

Plug-in Voice:
-- Preset for the PLG150-AN/DX/PF/AP/DR/PC: 64 voices

-- Preset for the PLG-150VL: 192 voices

-- User: 64 voices for each plug-in connector

Multi Effect:
-- Multi: User: 128 Multis

-- Reverb: 20 types

-- Chorus: 49 types

-- Insertion 1: 116 types (up to 8 blocks available in the Multi mode)

-- Insertion 2: 116 types (up to 8 blocks available in the Multi mode)

-- Master effect: 8 types

-- Master equalizer: 5 bands (high, high mid, mid, low mid, low)

-- Part equalizer: 3 bands (high, mid, low)

Arpeggio: 1,787 types (MIDI sync, MIDI transmit/receive channel, velocity limit, and note limit can be set.)

Controls:
-- Standby/on switch, volume knob, data dial, cursor buttons,

-- Exit button, page buttons, mule/sel/enter button,

-- Part/element buttons, bank buttons, shift button,

-- Category button, mode buttons

Jack and terminals:
-- Front Panel: phones

-- Rear panel controls: DC in, USB, MIDI in/out/thru, digital output, optical output, assignable output 1-4, output L/mono, R

Other:
-- Top panel: PGL1, PLG2

-- Display: 160- x 64-dot graphic backlit LCD

-- Supplied accessories: power adapter, owner's manual set, CD-ROM

-- Optical/digital output: 17W (maximum; 22W when two Plug-in Boards are installed)

-- Dimensions (W x D x H): 18.9 x 14.66 x 1.7 in. (480 x 372.4 x 44 mm)

-- Weight: 9 lbs (4.1 kg)
Packs the power of the MOTIF workstation (minus the sequencer and sampler) into an affordable 1U powerhouse! Adds coaxial and optical stereo S/PDIF out, and includes 6 analog outs.

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