Yamaha MOTIF ES8 88-Key Music Synthesizer

128 notes of polyphony. New filter algorithms. Massive DSP power.

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With the new Yamaha MOTIF XS, inspiration is just a key press away. High-quality sounds to inspire you, intelligent arpeggiators to fuel your creativity, recording features to capture every idea, built-in sampling to create full audio/MIDI arrangements, rhythmic Patterns to compose with, studio-style mixing controls and versatile effect processing to master your final productions. Learn More...

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Yamaha MOTIF ES8 88-Key Music Synthesizer reviews

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236 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 9 out of 10

 

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* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10 zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

"The ES 8 is probably the last music workstation I will ever buy!!! How do you top this?"

Feature:
Unbelievable!! After months of working with the board I still find features that I never even knew existed within the unit. How did the engineers think of all of this stuff? Excellent MIDI implementation, audio to die for. Sequencers, patters, entire songs, peformance and master modes. Just a brilliantly designed unit. Yes you have to add an expansion board for digital but hey - not everyone uses digital so I understand Yamaha's reason for doing this.

Quality:
Outstanding. The ES 8 can take a modest beating and perform night after night. No problems with any aspect of the unit so far.

Value:
How you can get so much out of a $2,300.00 board is beyond me? Totally worth the money - I will get a decade of use out of this board, minimum. It is that good.

Desirability:
This is a beautiful board that will keep you inspired for years. Just the nature of the guitar arpeggios gives you access to patterns and textures not previously available at a calibur such as this.

Sound:
This is a awesome sounding, feature rich board. It is the best keyboard I have ever purchased in 20 years of owning pianos and synths. Full, encompassing accoustic instruments, beautiful pads - literally everything you could ever want. Nothing sounds thin or flat coming out of this board. Everything that I do sounds good out of the ES 8.

Support:
On-line support and community is very large and active.

Overall:
Once again I will use this board for a decade - minimum - and it may very well be the last main workstation I buy. I just don't know how you can do better than this. This is an amazing time to be a musician - where the common working Joe (like me) - has access to such sonic power, packaged together nothing short of brilliantly.

Submitted: 6/10/2004

Style of Music: Jazz, Chamber, Fusion


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

"Solid sounds and performance, steeper learning curve"

Feature:
The ES8 has a mind-boggling array of features and you may have to dig through many menus to get access to all of them. Having said that, you can probably create almost any sound you need. And if you can't, then just sample it into DIMM memory. :)

Quality:
Solid feel. I absolutely love the response of the weighted keys as well.

Value:
Expensive but so far I think considering the sound quality, wealth of features, and construction it is worth it.

Desirability:
Aside from the mini screen and the bazillion controls, it's a very nice item to have in your studio.

Sound:
In comparison with most of the keyboards out there (including the Korg Triton Extreme and Roland Fantom X8) the Yamaha Motif ES8 has by far the best piano sound. It is expressive and rich whether you're playing the Full Grand or the Aggressive attack piano---these really sold me on the keyboard. The acoustic guitars and drums are also worth mentioning. The guitars come across crisp. And there are enough drum kits to span just about all the genres you can think of. Some of the pitfalls you'll find: the organs are so-so, the electric guitars are weak, and you can apparently only layer up to 4 instruments at a time in Performance mode. If you're looking for electric guitars, synths, and dance-type tools, you might strongly consider the Triton Extreme, however. Out of the box the combi presets (especially for electronic and house music) rock.

Support:
n/a. Haven't attempted support yet.

Overall:
I expect to keep this keyboard for quite a while to come. While it doesn't have all the dance sounds and tools I'd like, it is great for live performance or for covering a very wide range of musical styles.

Submitted: 11/26/2004

Style of Music: Pop, Jazz, Dance, Electronica


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About This Product!
Description
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The all new MOTIF "Expanded System" Music Production Synthesizers - completely redesigned from the inside out to be the most powerful MOTIFs yet.

The heart of the ES is a brand new tone generator chip featuring 128 notes of polyphony, new filter algorithms and massive DSP power (try 16 three band Part EQs, 8 Insert effects, 2 system effects and 2 master effects in Song and Pattern Mode). To compliment all this sonic power, the ES has the largest and most musical wave ROM ever featured in a workstation (175MB in 16-bit linear format). New features like Phrase Factory with 1700 arpeggios, Mega Voice technology and real time loop remix makes it easier than ever to create great tracks. Its advanced Integrated Sampling Sequencer lets you add audio tracks into your songs.

The latest in digital technologies including support for 512 MB of DIMM Sample RAM, USB storage hosting and 2nd generation mLAN computer connectivity guarantee future expandability. Yamaha added bigger & better knobs, sliders and transport controls, even a ribbon controller. In fact, ES might stand for Every Suggestion Yamaha ever heard for improving MOTIF.

Features

True 128-note polyphony

"Keyboard Mega Voices" technology which makes it possible to include all the nuances of an instrument's realtime performance, such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, slides, fret noises, and other elements

"Phrase Factory" for creating sequenced phrases

ISS Sampling

Four rotary controllers and four faders

Ribbon controller

USB Port

SmartMedia slot

Expansion Slot for mLAN Networking or more Audio I/O

Modular Synthesis Plug-in System which lets you simply plug-in appropriate optional expansion boards

Expressive Sampled Sounds with the New "Keyboard Mega Voices"
A significant leap forward from simple single layer samples, "Keyboard Mega Voices" technology makes it possible to include all the nuances of an instrument's realtime performance. Imagine a guitar voice, for example, with hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, slides, fret noises, and other elements of the "real thing" all accessible from the keyboard at the same time. Keyboard Mega Voice technology takes MOTIF ES guitar, bass, and other instrument voices to new expressive heights.

Enhanced Signal Processing Effects System
If you've ever felt limited by the Effect Systems in other keyboards, be prepared for total liberation: system effects include 20 reverb types and 49 chorus/delay types, while each Voice can have two large blocks of 116 insertion effect types. In the song or pattern modes, up to Eight Separate parts can have their voice insertion Effects Simultaneously. There's also independent three-band part EQ Settings for each of the 16 parts in Mix, eight types of mastering effects including multi band compression, and a five-band master EQ to complete your productions right to the final mastering stage. New reverbs, vintage phasers, flangers and wah-wahs ensure that you get the highest quality effects that are available in Yamaha's vast arsenal of DSP algorithms.

Easy Song Making with new ES "Phrase Factory"
Much more than a simple arpeggiator, the MOTIF ES Phrase Factory offers unprecedented versatility for creating sequenced phrases. Use it with the drum kits to produce innovative rhythm patterns, or take advantage of its chord-recognition capabilities to generate pitched phrases using the normal voices. You have 1,787 preset arpeggiator phrases to start with - from standard synth arps to drum loops to natural-sounding acoustic-instrument grooves. The Phrase Factory system works seamlessly with Keyboard Mega Voice technology so you can take advantage of all the expressive Keyboard Mega Voice nuances. You can even assign five different arp phrases to the switches below the display and switch them in real time. Plus the arpeggiator's new chord recognition and performance play parameters let you easily create your own user arps or modify presets to make them your own. Finally if your creative runs dry, Real Time Loop Remix let's you generate literally thousands of instant variations on any phrase either MIDI or audio.

Exceptional Sampling & Extensive Sequencing with ISS
The Integrated Sampling Sequencer in the ES provides the seamless integration of MIDI and audio sample sequencing places the MOTIF ES synthesizers right on the leading edge of music production. Of course you can BPM-sync playback of MIDI and sample loops, and our Time Slice function lets you handle samples with the same freedom as MIDI sequence data without altering pitch or losing audio quality. A maximum sample RAM (DIMM) capacity of 512 MB places the MOTIF ES sampler section in the same league as some of the most advanced stand-alone samplers available. The ES comes with a bundled CD-ROM with over 170 MB of sample voices including the S90 three layer piano, sweet sax and woodwind voices and drum loops. The sequencer section can handle up to 226,000 notes in 16 tracks, and with lots of new features like Rehearsal Rec mode. You are only limited by your imagination.

Expressive Surface for Real Time Control
For truly musical expression there's no substitute for realtime hands-on control. The MOTIF ES gives you four rotary controllers and four faders that can be assigned to control filters, volume, effects, envelopes and any of an extensive range of voice parameters. These same controls provide a digital mixer feel when mixing multiple sequenced parts. They can also be used as MIDI controllers to control external MIDI devices. Yamaha has even added a ribbon controller for intimate fingertip voice control. And since you need to be able to find and recall voices as quickly as possible, the MOTIF ES synthesizers feature a Category Search function. The Category Search function includes a Favorite category that can store up to 128 of the voices that you use most frequently for instant recall from any mode.

Elegant System Integration with DAWs
If you use a computer-based sequencer or DAW as part of your music production setup, with press of a button you can turn the MOTIF ES into a full function control surface that supports the same protocols as the new 01X Digital Mixing Studio. Simply connect a USB cable between the instrument's "TO HOST" USB port and your computer's USB port, and you can directly access your sequencer/DAW software's fader, pan, EQ effect send, track mute, transport, and other parameters from the MOTIF ES controllers. You can even open and close windows on your computer directly from your ES.

Efficient Storage via USB Hosting and SmartMedia
In addition to the USB "TO HOST" port mentioned above, the MOTIF ES synthesizers feature a USB "TO DEVICE" port that can be connected to a USB storage device such as hard disks, flash disks, or card memory readers for convenient, safe external storage of your samples, sequences, and other production data. A built-in SmartMedia slot accepts memory cards with capacities up to 128 megabytes for convenient external data storage.

Expansion Slot for mLAN Networking or more Audio I/O
When you want to move up to mLAN networking - Yamaha's high-performance music networking protocol - simply install the optional mLAN16E expansion board (available soon) in your MOTIF ES synthesizer and you're ready to network and share multiple ports of MIDI data and multiple channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio data with other mLAN compatible devices or computers with 1394 Firewire connectors. If your system requires more audio inputs and outputs than come standard with the MOTIF ES, add an optional AIEB2 I/O Expansion Board for an additional six independent analog inputs and outputs as well as coaxial and optical stereo digital inputs and outputs.

Modular Synthesis Plug-in System
Right out of the box the MOTIF ES synthesizers are powerhouses of music production features and sounds. If you want additional capabilities, however, the Modular Synthesis Plug-in System lets you simply plug-in appropriate optional expansion boards. For analog-modeling synthesis there's the PLG150-AN, or for advanced 6-operator FM synthesis there's the PLG150-DX. The incredibly real sound of virtual analog synthesis is available via the PLG150-VL board, the PLG150-DR delivers outstanding AWM-generated drum sounds, choose the PLG150-PC for percussion, or install the PLG150-PF for outstanding piano sound. The MOTIF ES synthesizers have three expansion slots that can accommodate the extra features you need.

Technical Info

Specifications

Keyboards MOTIF ES8: 88 keys Balanced Hammer Effect Keyboard (Initial Touch/Aftertouch)

MOTIF ES7: 76 keys FS Keyboard (Initial Touch/Aftertouch)

MOTIF ES6: 61 keys FS Keyboard (Initial Touch/Aftertouch)

Tone Generator block Tone Generator: AWM2 (complying with the Modular Synthesis Plug-in System)

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

Multi Timbral Capacity: 16 parts (internal) + 3 or more Plug-in Board parts (1 for each Single Plug-in Board; 16 for Multi Plug-in Board), Audio Input parts (A/D, AIEB2, mLAN*) * 4 stereo parts

Wave: 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: 128 x 2 (Bank1: Original, Bank2: Picked up from Preset) Normal Voice + 32 Drum Kits

Plug-in Voice:
- Preset for the PLG150-AN/DX/PF/DR/PC: 64
- Preset for the PLG150-VL: 192
- User: 64 for each Plug-in slot

Performance: User: 128 (up to 4 parts)

Filter: 18 types

Effect System: Reverb x 20 types, Chorus x 49 types, Insertion (A, B) x 116 types x 8 blocks, Master Effect x 8 types, Master Equalizer (5 bands), Part EQ (3 bands, stereo), Plug-in Insertion (available when the PLG100-VH has been installed to slot 1)

Expandability: 3 Slots for Modular Synthesis Plug-in Boards

Sampling block Samples:
- Up to 1,024 Waveforms (Multi Samples)
- Up to 128 Key Banks per Waveform
- Up to 4,096 Key Banks

Sampling Source: Analog input L/R, Stereo output (Resampling), Digital/Optical (available when the AIEB2 has been
installed), mLAN (available when the mLAN16E has been installed)

Sampling Frequencies: 44.1kHz, 22.05kHz, 11.025kHz, 5.5125kHz (Stereo/Mono)
- Digital Sampling Frequency (when the AIEB2 has been installed): 48kHz, 44.1kHz, 32kHz

Can be input, with converted to the Sampling Frequency of the MOTIF ES.
- Sampling Frequency via the mLAN (when the mLAN16E has been installed): 44.1kHz (fixed)

Sampling Memory: Optionally installed, expandable to 512MB (256MB DIMM x 2 slots)

Sampling Time:
- 44.1kHz: 6 min. 20 sec.
- 22.05kHz: 12 min. 40 sec.
- 11.025kHz: 25 min. 20 sec.
- 5.0125kHz: 55 min. 40 sec.

Mono/Stereo Sample Formats:
- Original format
- WAV
- AIFF
- A3000/4000/5000/SU700 format (loadable only)
- AKAI S1000/S3000 format (loadable only)

Sequencer block Note Capacity: Approx. 226,000 notes

Note Resolution: 480 ppq (parts per quarter note)

Maximum Polyphony: 124 notes

Tracks:
- Pattern Mode: 16 phrase tracks
- Pattern Chain Mode: Pattern track, Tempo track, Scene track
- Song Mode: 16 sequence tracks (Loop on/off can be set for each track), Tempo track, Scene track

Patterns:
- 64 patterns (x 16 sections)
- Measures: 256 maximum

Phrases Preset Phrases: 687 phrases

User Phrases: 256 per pattern

Songs: 64 songs

Arpeggio:
- Preset x 1,787 types
- User x 256 types

MIDI Sync, MIDI transmit/receive channel, Velocity Limit, and Note Limit can be set.

Sequence Format: Original format, SMF format 0, 1 (Format 1 load only)

Others Master: User: 128

4 Zones (Master keyboard settings), Assignable Knob/Slider settings, Program Change Table

Sequence Software compatible with the Remote Control function:
- For Windows(R): SQ01 V2, Cubase SX, SONAR 2.0, Multi Part Editor for MOTIF-RACK, Multi Part Editor for MOTIF ES
- For Macintosh(R): Logic 5.5, Digital Performer 3.1

Controllers: Pitch Bend wheel, Modulation wheel, Ribbon Controller, Assignable Control Sliders (4), Assignable Knobs (4), Data dial

Display: 240 x 64 dot graphic backlit LCD

External Memory: SmartMedia (3.3V)

Up to 128MB can be used.

Connectors: Output L/MONO, R (1/4 in.), Assignable Output L, R (1/4 in.), AD Input L, R (1/4 in.), 1/4 in. headphone jack, Foot Controller 1/ 2, Foot Switch x 2 (Sustain, Assignable), Breath, MIDI In/Out/Thru, USB (To Host, To Device), AC Inlet

Power Consumption: 38W

Dimensions (W x D x H):
- MOTIF ES8: approx 57.5 x 18.4 x 6.6 in. (1,458 x 465 x 167.4 mm)
- MOTIF ES7: approx 49.5 x 15.6 x 6.6 in. (1,255 x 394 x 136.4 mm)
- MOTIF ES6: approx 41.3 x 15.6 x 6.6 in. (1,048 x 394 x 136.4 mm)

Weight:
62.26 lbs. (28.3kg)
42.25 lbs. (19.2kg)
36.3 lbs. (16.5kg)

Accessories: AC Power cord, CD-ROM x 3, Owner's Manual, Data List, Installation Guide
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