With the new Yamaha MOTIF XS8, inspiration is just a key press away. The new Motif XS8 synthesizer workstation features 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.
With a feature set like this, the Yamaha MOTIF XS8 will soon be your favorite 'go-to' Yamaha keyboard - whether you're composing at home, recording in the studio, or playing live. It's got absolutely everything you need to make professional quality music. Yamaha Motif XS8 - close your eyes, play the gorgeous sounds and rhythms and feel the inspiration.
The Yamaha MOTIF XS8 work station has a massive 355 MB of high-quality waveforms and samples on board. A single Voice can have up to eight separate sound elements, enabling composite sounds of remarkable complexity and nuance. Among the standout Voices on the XS8 is a resonant, meticulously recorded concert grand piano sound that is practically worth the price of admission by itself. New acoustic piano, electric piano and orchestral samples - not to mention the richly textured and distinctly electronic synthesizer waves - give you the sonic tools to fully realize virtually any style of music and any instrumentation.
Expanded Articulation (XA)
Another new feature of the Yamaha XS series is the Expanded Articulation (XA) tone generation system. Using the eight available Elements, XA allows you to more effectively recreate realistic sound and natural performance techniques - such as legato, staccato and key release sounds - often used on acoustic instruments but unavailable or difficult to realize on electronic keyboards. It also lets you assign Elements to on/off panel switches, and change sounds within a Voice in real time - for example, playing a classical guitar voice and switch between playing normally and playing high harmonics. XA also offers other unique modes for random and alternate sound changes as you play.
Mega Voices
A wide selection of special Mega Voices provide even more expressive nuance, when used with sequencer tracks or the special Mega Voice Arpeggios. Mega Voices are not meant to be played from the keyboard because of their complex velocity layers, but have special expressive sounds that are designed to be triggered by recorded data - for example, letting you create an acoustic guitar track with authentic sounding muted playing, slides and bell-like harmonics. Other Voice-related features include a uniquely natural "half damper" effect for acoustic piano sounds. This gives you nuanced control over the sustained sound when pressing the damper pedal, depending on how far down you press the pedal.
Digital Effects
The Yamaha MOTIF XS8 also has a full complement of effects; both insert (Insertion) and send (System), and includes a special set of VCM (Virtual Circuitry Modeling) effects that authentically model the elements in analog circuitry, realistically recreating the uniquely warm characteristics of vintage processing gear. Speaking of "vintage," the instrument also includes a sophisticated Vocoder effect that produces classic robotic synthesizer sounds, molded by your speaking or singing voice through a connected microphone.
Arpeggiator
One of the most powerful features of this Yamaha synth is the Arpeggiator. It lets you trigger over 6,000 different Arpeggio phrases, and you can have four different Arpeggios, playing four different instrument parts, running simultaneously-in perfect sync! The music making possibilities are virtually endless.
Sampling
The Integrated Sampling Sequencer on the Motif XS8 workstation synth seamlessly combines audio and MIDI recording. Simply install the optional DIMM modules (up to 1 GB) and record the audio directly to tracks on the MOTIF XS. Record your vocals or acoustic guitar (with a microphone), electric guitar or bass, or even short rhythm loops from a sample CD. There's also a Slice feature that automatically chops up your rhythms and riffs into their individual beats and notes, letting you manipulate the component parts of your sample loops as MIDI data - giving you the power to easily change tempo and rhythmic feel, without disturbing the pitch or sound quality.
Easy To Use
Despite all the advanced technology and features packed into the MOTIF XS8 synthesizer, it is exceptionally intuitive and easy to use. It gives you a large, full-dot color LCD that lets you see multiple parameters at a glance, and has clear, high-resolution graphics with virtual sliders, knobs and more. The panel of the MOTIF XS8 provides an amazing level of control and flexibility. Eight knobs and eight sliders let you instantly tweak a variety of parameters and effects as you play. The eight knobs are especially versatile, letting you use the knobs to independently control eight different parameters (out of 24 selectable), or use them to control a certain effect setting (reverb, chorus or pan) for up to eight different parts (in a song, for example). The knobs can also be used to change the rhythmic feel and other settings of Arpeggios and Patterns while they play back. Two Assignable Function buttons give you added control over the sound of the new Expanded Articulation (XA) Voices, letting you change sound s within a Voice in real time.
Yamaha Motif XS8 - the latest Yamaha keyboard to carrying on the legacy of the Yamaha DX synthesizer.
- Yamaha Motif XS8 Profile:
- 88-key balanced hammer effect keyboard with initial touch and aftertouch
- AWM2 tone generation with expanded articulation
- 128 note polyphony
- New UI with large color LCD and 8 knobs and sliders
- Expanded Articulation Synth engine with 355MB of WAVE ROM
- Studio-style mixing environment with Virtual Circuitry Modeling effects
- 4 intelligent arpeggiators with instant Performance Recording
- Integrated Sampling Sequencer with 1GB of optional memory
- Total Computer Integration and Cubase AI software included
- See "Extended Information" tab above for complete information
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