Motif XF6

[dwayne00]

Hello musicians, I've been reading up on the comparison of the MODX6 vs the Motif XF6. For the most part I've been seeing more people mention the MODX would be better to purchase. I have a chance to purchase the Motif XF6 and I'm told it's the 2017 model. I really like the idea of the Motif having a sampler. I like the idea of being able to sample and upload my own kits as well. I was told the MODX lets you do the same. The only thing is it does not have a sampler. Would it be smarter to just go with the newer one and just use a DAW for sampling when needed?

 

[b3maniac]

Welcome to the forums. To many of us, the idea of making our own samples can be intriguing. In reality, there is a lot time and energy involved learning and achieving proficiency. In my opinion, it is easier/better to create/edit with sampling software than with a hardware synth. If you intend to use those samples in performance, you will still need a synth capable of loading/playing the sample. **(That means the software system has to create the sample in the correct format for your synth, and your synth must have the sample upload capability and dedicated storage memory to hold the sample data.) The Motif XF will need to have a 512MB or 1024 MB flash memory card installed in order to store/play "user" samples. (The 512 MB cards don't hold enough , and the 1024 MB cards are hard to find in the US. The last time I checked, the 1024 MB cards could be bought in Japan for around $400 per card.) I read that the MODX comes with 1GB of sample RAM and some users were already complaining of the difficulty in managing their samples with such a small amount of memory. Yamaha does not have a particularly user friendly interface, and most users have found that after-market software is the best way to deal with sample management. (Google "John Melas Waveform Editor" for the XF , or MODX). I recommend that you check out Motivator.com as there is a ton of reading about samples that will interest you if you are serious. I own 6 Yamaha synths and they all sound great, however in my opinion Yamaha makes their user interfaces for martians. If I have to buy someone else's software to manage my Yamaha data, then something seems fundamentally wrong. On the flip side, I own the MOXF8 and MOXF6 (both with 1024 flash memory) and I do use some aftermarket samples that won't change very often. I encourage you to research and read so you understand more about the gear you are looking at. Both are great sounding keyboards , with their merits and limitations. Don aka B3maniac

 

[dwayne00]

Welcome to the forums. To many of us, the idea of making our own samples can be intriguing. In reality, there is a lot time and energy involved learning and achieving proficiency. In my opinion, it is easier/better to create/edit with sampling software than with a hardware synth. If you intend to use those samples in performance, you will still need a synth capable of loading/playing the sample. **(That means the software system has to create the sample in the correct format for your synth, and your synth must have the sample upload capability and dedicated storage memory to hold the sample data.) The Motif XF will need to have a 512MB or 1024 MB flash memory card installed in order to store/play "user" samples. (The 512 MB cards don't hold enough , and the 1024 MB cards are hard to find in the US. The last time I checked, the 1024 MB cards could be bought in Japan for around $400 per card.) I read that the MODX comes with 1GB of sample RAM and some users were already complaining of the difficulty in managing their samples with such a small amount of memory. Yamaha does not have a particularly user friendly interface, and most users have found that after-market software is the best way to deal with sample management. (Google "John Melas Waveform Editor" for the XF , or MODX). I recommend that you check out Motivator.com as there is a ton of reading about samples that will interest you if you are serious. I own 6 Yamaha synths and they all sound great, however in my opinion Yamaha makes their user interfaces for martians. If I have to buy someone else's software to manage my Yamaha data, then something seems fundamentally wrong. On the flip side, I own the MOXF8 and MOXF6 (both with 1024 flash memory) and I do use some aftermarket samples that won't change very often. I encourage you to research and read so you understand more about the gear you are looking at. Both are great sounding keyboards , with their merits and limitations. Don aka B3maniac

Thank you for your reply. Great info. I'm a bit worried now especially about the memory mb cards. Yeah that's not a lot at all. But seeing the MOXD comes with 1gig is good but like you said it's not a lot either. I'll definitely research the recommendations given. I definitely want to make sure I purchase what best fits. I will mostly use the unit for in studio production anyway so I won't travel with it at all. Thanks again