I am aware that this is one of the most talked about topics on the S90 ES vs XS debate – just thought I would add what I have found as it has transformed my view of the S90/70XS board.

Before buying my S70XS I was aware of all the talk that Yamaha had lost the plot with the S6 sound - but thought “it can’t be that bad” – and, since I was buying a used board, did not have much opportunity to really check it out.

So I went ahead and got it.

First impressions
- The S6 is better than the Roland RD700GX that I had for a brief time.
- But is still really dead sounding – actually a real disappointment – ie as others have found.

However – I knew that it’s a large sample and has 8 elements, so thought there should be potential here

A bit of internet searching found me this site

http://gianlucafarina.xoom.it/virgiliowizard/yamaha-s90xs

…. And the edited pianos in the VoiceUserPiano1 set are simply a revelation.

They absolutely transform the board into what I thought it was going to be in the first place.
Best ones for me – “Natural S90ES Bright” and “Dark S700”

I’ve done a bit of further editing, changing decal length (longer), and playing with Cutoff, Resonance and EQ – but the end result is that I’m now overjoyed.

I did an A-B on my edited pianos vs the factory S6 – the difference is simply stunning just COMPLETELY different and better than the factory S6
(I also checked the that the elements these sounds are using are indeed S6 elements not the stock Motif ones… so the potential really did exist all along)

So – no more any thoughts of “I want an S90ES” – absolutely no need.

Just a puzzle why Yamaha did not make more of the original base material in the first place…

Hi wp54!

Would you care to share your sound?
I’d love a file so I can import your edits into my board!

Kind regards from Sweden

I have to post a correction to my original post (top) that to some extent - but not completely - undermines the point of what I was saying.

That is - I have discovered by looking at the elements used that most of the edited pianos I refer to are actually based on the CF3 (ie stock Motif XS), NOT as I had thought, S6 samples.

The edited pianos ones based on the S6 are - to my ears - improved over the factory S6 but nothing like as good as the CF3 based ones.

So - it does not alter the fact that I am very pleased with the edited pianos - but for me at least it undermines the “flagship/unique” sample of the S90/70XS.

ie it seems whichever way you cut/edit it, the S6 just cannot be made to sound good.

My opinion only - but I know shared by many others.

Although the CF3 based pianos are obviously equally available on the Motif XS, I’d still rather have the S70/90 due to the performance biased nature of the board.

So I’m just as happy with my S70XS - although a shame to know that the large S6 samples it was created around will never be used!