Yamaha has announced the 88-key MOTIF XF8, 76-key MOTIF XF7 and the 61-key MOTIF XF6 Keyboard Workstations.
The Motif XF keyboard workstation offers up to 2GB of Flash memory expansion, a capability that changes the landscape for keyboard workstations. The fully customizable Motif XF gives producers and performers complete control over their sound and is designed to reflect each user's unique approach to music creation.
In addition to its sleek new black color, the feature-packed Motif XF includes 741 MB of internal Wave ROM, the largest internal sound library ever created for a keyboard, including detailed digital recreations of two Yamaha acoustic grand piano sounds, realistic acoustic instruments, vintage synths and hip-hop sounds in demand by today's producers. Sturdy front panel knobs and sliders allow for instant sound-shaping possibilities. The Category Search function makes it easier than ever to navigate the controls and the 1,664 instrument voices and 97 drum kits put more sounds at the player's fingertips than ever before.
Yamaha's Intuitive Direct Performance Recording feature makes it easy to create backing tracks and the integrated digital mixer lets producers create final mixes, which can then be recorded onto a USB device. The new four-part Arpeggiator includes 7,881 Arpeggio types. The 16-track Integrated Sampling Sequencer includes 128 MB of onboard Sample RAM. The Motif XF, which comes bundled with Cubase AI5.1.1 and a VST editor, integrates seamlessly with any Digital Audio Workstation software.
What makes the Motif XF truly special and customizable is the 2 GB of additional content that can be loaded onto optional Flash RAM expansion modules, located in two slots on the XF that accommodate, including the proprietary FL512M (512MB) and FL1024M (1 GB) Yamaha flash option boards. User-generated or downloaded sounds saved onto these modules only need to be loaded once and are always inside the Motif XF until the user replaces them.
Even the keyboard action — FSX on the 61-key Motif XF6 and the 76-key Motif XF7; Balanced Hammer on the 88-key Motif XF8 — is designed for maximum expressiveness. Users can also expand their Motif XF with large format voice libraries from Garritan, Sonic Reality, Easy Sounds and more, available at Motifator.com.
A whole new suite of software editing tools is also available for the Motif XF and XS (also at motifator.com), including waveform editors, arp managers and sample format conversion tools.
Price and Availability
Expected to ship in September 2010:
| MOTIF XF8 | 88 keys, Balanced Hammer Effect Keyboard (Initial Touch/Aftertouch) | (MSRP: $4,039) |
| MOTIF XF7 | 76 keys, FSX Keyboard (Initial Touch/Aftertouch) | (MSRP: $3,539) |
| MOTIF XF6 | 61 keys, FSX Keyboard (Initial Touch/Aftertouch) | (MSRP: $2,999) |
| FL1024M | (MSRP: $349) | |
| FL512M | (MSRP: $199) |
“The Motif XF turns inspiration into instant musical creativity. Building on the Motif's decade-long heritage, the best sounds have gotten better and groundbreaking expansion capabilities with Flash memory set a new standard for keyboard workstations for years to come.”
— Athan Billias, Director of Marketing for Yamaha's Pro Audio and Combo Division
“What's incredible about the Motif XF is that we now have two gigabytes of Flash RAM available; this really allows an unparalleled level of customization. You can truly make this instrument your own; you can truly give it your own personality.”
— Erik Norlander, sound designer at Sonic Reality
