Superb Sounding Voices – and Tons of Them!
MOTIF was developed to be the best sounding synth on the market – period. Its astounding 85MB wave ROM (when converted to 16-bit linear format) contains many of the best waveforms from Yamaha's highly acclaimed S80, 9000 Pro and EX Series synthesizers. Plus there's a wealth of new and improved waves, including many of the drums from the RS7000 Music Production Studio, to give you the most complete range of sounds ever available in one keyboard.From incredibly realistic stereo acoustic instruments like pianos, drums, strings and brass to never-before-heard dance sounds and lush ambient textures, the breadth of MOTIF's sonic palette is absolutely stunning. There's even a convenient General MIDI set for playing back Standard MIDI Files. And with room for up to 3 Modular Synthesis Plug-in System expansion boards and advanced integration capabilities (all the voices for the PLG boards are already stored in MOTIF's OS), MOTIF can expand as your needs grow. Category Search Function
MOTIF features an improved Category Search function, giving you quick access to the sounds you want. Simply select a voice category, such as pianos or strings, and you'll be able to browse through all the related voices one by one. A new Favorites category has been added, into which you can store the voices you use most.THE HEART OF MOTIF: The Integrated Sampling Sequencer
At the heart of MOTIF is its Integrated Sampling Sequencer, which seamlessly combines the audio and MIDI recording processes, giving you unprecedented freedom for creating music. The sequencer component of this system features both linear and pattern recording methods, including a standard Song Mode for recording MIDI and audio data in linear fashion from beginning to end (the way analog tape machines worked). With a 111,000 MIDI note capacity and a maximum total sampling memory of 6 minutes and 20 seconds in stereo at 44.1kHz (with two 32MB SIMMs installed), MOTIF can easily handle this linear production approach, which is popular with more traditional kinds of music.In this age of digital production, however, cutting and pasting different sections of music and audio (motifs) together is an integral part of the music making process. MOTIF has 4 unique features that simplify this process to expand your creativity like never before. Pattern Mode
This mode lets you easily create the sections of your song (Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Breaks, etc.) as individual elements without having to decide on a final arrangement. Integrated Sampling Sequencer
MOTIF has two distinct ways of recording audio phrases: Sample with Note and Slice with Sequence. Sample with Note is ideal if you simply want to add audio phrases to your song. In this mode, you can record vocal and guitar phrases directly into your sequence while listening to playback of any MIDI tracks you've already created. After recording the audio, the Integrated Sampling Sequencer will automatically create a sample voice, map it to the keyboard and put a MIDI note in the pattern at the appropriate time. If you would like to play the same audio phrase later in the song, you can simply trigger it with a MIDI note instead of having to sample it again and use up valuable sample RAM. When you make your final arrangement, your phrases will play back in perfect time.Slice with Sequence takes the Integrated Sampling Sequencer concept even further. In this case, when you record audio phrases, MOTIF will analyze the recorded audio, slice it into pieces (based on amplitude peaks and divisions of the beat) and then generate an extremely accurate MIDI sequence to perfectly re-trigger each of the pieces. This is the key to MOTIF's seamless integration of audio and MIDI. Once this process has completed, you can change the tempo of your sequence without changing the pitch of the recorded audio, or use grids to change the clock, gate and velocity values of notes within a sampled drum loop, for example. Simply put, you have all the flexibility of MIDI with the accuracy and realism of audio. Real-time Pattern Chain Record
Once you've recorded all your MIDI and audio parts, the fun really begins. You can arrange your song in real-time using MOTIF's Section, Mute and Song Scene buttons to instantly hear the different possibilities. Even better, you can record these performances as Pattern Chains and then edit them with detailed event editing or convert them to linear song formats like SMF. If you've ever used a groove-oriented box such as the RM1x, you know how this hands-on approach to song creation and remixing can inspire new ideas. Large Sampling Capacity, Wide Compatibility
MOTIF comes standard with 4MB of sampling memory and can be increased up to 64MB using affordable PC SIMMs for a maximum total sampling time of 6 minutes and 20 seconds (stereo, 44.1kHz). In addition to the Integrated Sampling Sequence functions, you can also import samples in AIFF and WAVE format. There are also comprehensive import functions for Akai S1000/S3000 and Yamaha A3000/A4000/A5000 samplers, including the ability to read sample maps and voice parameters. This instantly expands the sound library for MOTIF to hundreds of commercially available sample CD-ROMs.