Hi guys, you will notice I am definitely new here.

I work right now with mac and Logic, using Mainstage for live performances. I am gaining a lot of interest in motif but here is my dilema. My friends say I will loose a lot of great things by buying the rack instead of the keyboard…

secuencer and vococoder I won’t miss much, but tools for live performance I really need so please tell me if by buying the rack I will be ok with a great midi controller (I could sell what I have now and by a great one that will fit the XS rack) or for live performance do I really need the keyboard because of all the things I can do with the hardware control that I couldn’t do with the rack.

And to add more to the formula, what could be better a used but in great conditions Motif ES Keyboard or a New Motif XS rack.

I hope you understand my issue…

thank you

Re: How much do I miss buying the XS rack?

For use with the computer, the Rack XS is probably a perfect tool. The software editor is very thorough and allows you full control with a mouse. It is also a really great sound to dollar value when you consider what decent software will cost you. Besides, I think the new Motif XS family sounds unbelievably good.

Live use for me is another animal all together. This is my first Rack type product, and after one weekend with it, I was ready to take it back to the store. Not enough control for live use (I use an ES6 and P90 as controllers) After some more time with it, I began to see that you cannot approach a rack product like you would the full keyboard version. It takes more planning and off-line set up prior to an event, but I have found that I can make it work pretty well for what I need. And of course, this is the key point: what you need.

I was able to modify my keyboard stand to place the rack between the upper and lower, so it works really great in conjunction with the ES’s Master Mode for calling up different voices, etc.

If you are looking to buy the rack and a new controller, I think I would consider going with the keyboard version. All the computer use features remain, plus you get the sequencer and the added real time control features in a single device. You may find the Pattern sequencer to have application in a live setting - it’s a great tool once you get the hang of it.

I was very happy with my set up before the rack, now I am really thrilled with my set up. For me, the Motif XS EP’s alone are worth the money. They are that good.

You can’t go wrong with a good used ES either. Very powerful and great sounding as well.

My two cents.

Bob