Hello all,

I am brand new at this so in advance please forgive me if my question(s) sound stupid.

I’ve read about the Motif XS rack sounds capability and choice and I was wondering whether it can be used when you have a Yamaha S90 ES? Can the S90 ES use the rack’s library of sounds? Can these sound be played directly using the S90 ES keyboard?

Thanks a lot for any help and guidance.

Oliver

Re: Motif XS Rack with S90 ES

Welcome to the forum.

I was wondering whether it can be used when you have a Yamaha S90 ES? Can the S90 ES use the rack’s library of sounds? Can these sound be played directly using the S90 ES keyboard?

Yes, the S90 ES can be used to play the Motif Rack XS - you only need a MIDI cable.
No, the S90 ES cannot use the Rack XS library of sounds. The two units have very different tone engines… the XS is the new generation chip, with new effects, a very different architecture (8 Elements per Voice)

Re: Motif XS Rack with S90 ES

Than you so much for your answer...which I must admit is now puzzling me /forums/images/icons/smile.gif alt= I guess I didn’t ask the right question(s)? I don’t understand the yes and no answer.I can play the Motilf Rack XS but it won’t allow me to play the sounds? I am so confused I am sorry.... if you can please try to explain this to me. Because then why would I want to connect the Motilf Rack XS if I cannot use it? (I mean I am interested and that is why I am asking whether it will bring something to me as a S90 ES owner). Thank you again for your patience!

Oliver

Re: Motif XS Rack with S90 ES

The Motif-Rack XS is a synthesizer module. Basically it is a tone engine without a keyboard. So any MIDI keyboard can be used to play it. The S90 ES, the S90, the DX7 for that matter… any keyboard with a MIDI OUT jack can be used as a MIDI controller to make the Motif-Rack XS sound

So in answer to your question can you use the S90 ES to play the Motif-Rack XS, the answer is YES… Any MIDI keyboard can be used to play it. All you need is a MIDI cable.

Of course, you must connect the audio outputs of the Motif-Rack XS to a quality sound system. Since you own an S90 ES and it has a stereo AD INPUT on the back. So you can connect the audio outputs of the Motif-Rack XS to the AD INPUTS on the S90 ES back panel… it will then share the audio outputs of the S90 ES and play through the same sound system you connect your S90 ES to.

You asked if the S90 ES can use the library of sounds on the Motif Rack XS… I took this to mean that you were asking could you load the Motif Rack XS sounds into your S90 ES… the answer to that is NO. Not sure if that is what you meant to ask ... but the Motif Rack XS has its own sounds separate from the S90 ES…

Since any MIDI keyboard can trigger the Motif-Rack XS it seems pretty plain that anybody could use the Motif-Rack XS - the only question is if you like its sounds.

Why could someone with a S90 ES not play the sounds of the Motif Rack XS - a rack mount synth module can be triggered by any MIDI controller - even drum MIDI controllers, Guitar MIDI controllers… and of course, any MIDI keyboard controller!

Sorry, if I took you literally.

Re: Motif XS Rack with S90 ES

Now I understand!!! I had made my question too complicated (because I thought it would be complicated) when in fact it was easy and logical. I am just starting with MIDI connections so I cannot thank you enough for your answer. This is really a GREAT forum which I am going to recommend to all my friends. Thank you again very much!!!

Oliver