Hello everyone!

I’m sad to see that motifator.com doesn’t always work properly and many things are outdated (e.g. the demo sound files still want to use forbidden flash playback, broken pages etc.).

Now I read in this topic that sometimes valuable content was shared here on the forum. For this, an organizing section accessible from the main page would be very good, if it is still possible. (Hmmm???) :(

I don’t know what’s up with this, who still goes on Motifator from time to time?

Thanks!

Well

The question is who run’s the site?
Who is the web administrator, or network administrator?
Who is the web master?

Once we identify this person(s), then anybody that wants to help maintain the site should reach out an offer to help.

I’m sure there are a lot of computer folks that now about
server side and client side web programming that wouldn’t mind helping out from time to time.

Is this a lamp site?

Anybody know the web architecture for Motifator?

Php, MySql etc?

Hello,
To All Of Owners Of The Most Inspiring Keyboard That Yamaha® - Have Ever Made!!!

I’ll Be Here For Whom Own This Amazing Piece Of ART!

Thank You,
xsprt

lastmonk - 31 July 2022 08:53 AM

Well

The question is who run’s the site?
Who is the web administrator, or network administrator?
Who is the web master?


Once we identify this person(s), then anybody that wants to help maintain the site should reach out an offer to help.

I’m sure there are a lot of computer folks that now about
server side and client side web programming that wouldn’t mind helping out from time to time.

Is this a lamp site?

Anybody know the web architecture for Motifator?

Php, MySql etc?

I believe it’s Julian Colbeck’s wife(or otherwise close female companion) who’s handling the admin and moderator tasks.
Since Julian is the CEO of Keyfax, I assume that this site is also still owned by him.
https://www.whois.com/whois/motifator.com

A quick Google of Julian revealed that he has now reached a rather respectable age of 70 years and is hanging out with Alan Parsons, so I doubt he has much time over for the few of us that are still popping in here occasionally. ;-)

On whois, you can see that the registration of this domain will expire in less than a year, I wonder if he/they will then renew it?

It’ll be a shame if it’s not renewed, but with so few new users of the Motif family of keyboards and reddit, FB groups etc. being an alternative these days…

The site is PHP driven, you can see that in the URL.

Maybe its time to re-invent Motifator.

This site is literally an international treasure for the Motif family of synthesizers.  IN fact any Yamaha Synth owner that own any derivative of the AWM2 synthesis can benefit from the knowledge that is held within the posts on this site.

1.  This site complements Motif, Mox, knowledge that can be found on Youtube, Reddit, YamahaSynth, etc.  In other words this site contains knowledge, conversations, and insights that is not duplicated anywhere else.

2.  The Motif family is a classic.  As the Analog Synth renaissance winds down and the hardware digital synth renaissance winds up, the Motif and all related digital synths will be rediscovered by a new generation and they will be highly sought after and coveted.  We are already starting to see a resurgence in hardware based music production and digital synths.  I know its hard to believe, but the software DAW as a phenomenon is over.  Yes the software DAW will likely always be a thing, but its no longer the only thing, and its market share is dwindling to things like

MPC One, MPC Keys 61, Maschine+, SP 404 MK II, Model 12,16,24 etc.

Yea, the fascination and preoccupation with software synths is over.  Folks are slowly rediscovering the hardware digital synth and along with that the Motif and its family will be on the most wanted list.

So the real question is what is the value of web site technology in a future where the Motif and its derivatives (including the Montage) are well sought after, and respected?

Motifator.com has more or less served its original purpose.

What new mission and vision could Motifator.com have?

We need a permanent Motif Central.  Other websites may go 404 and their Motif resources with them.  The Yamaha corporation may choose to change direction (again) and no longer maintain the Motif stuff that is currently available.  Youtube could easily change its business model, and put resources behind prohibitive pay walls.  The Motif is a historic and classic synth and it needs a permanent web portal/presence independent of any plans that Yamaha may or may not have for it.

A new Motifator.com could:

Engage the Motif family with Midi 2 solutions as they become available, mature, and applicable (To the extent possible)

Serve as a one stop and shop, portal, yellow pages, etc for replacement parts and maintenance referrals

A permanent repository for Motif related videos in the advent that Youtube and Yamaha sources do a houdini.

Host (up and coming ) Motif / Montage Twitch.tv content :-)

Become the official web library and repository of Motif related pdfs, jpgs, pngs, gifs etc.

Become the official web library and repository of Motif related interviews, of musicians, engineers, designers, performers, techies, etc.

Add a few new forums to the existing forums to reflect new trends and technologies., eg IPAD audio bus integration, MPC integration, MPE and MIDI 2 Integration, Using FW Channels to accomplish Dolby ATMOS, Integration, Model 12,16,24, integration, Zoom Integration, Extending Motif’s Digital Mixer, Motif and MOTU midi network etc.

Become a marketplace for (Legitimate Audio NFTs)

Become a Virtual Soundstage hosting live performances, and its own Jamkazam type community collaboration

https://jamkazam.com/

I don’t know what the owner’s plans are for the future of Motifator.com , I only hope they consider the fact that it is an international treasure of sorts and should be preserved and reborn if possible.

The owners could take inventory/survey of the computer skills of the members of Motifator.com and see if something can be worked out to give the site continuity.  I know we have web programmers, system administrators, myqsql, java, php, javascript, node js, j2EE, HTML 5 capable folks in the
Motifator community :-)

last monk,

Your ideas are good; we just need the right personnel...this site was the bomb back in 2001 when it was very busy. We had characters like Jerry, Foleycore, etc. that made it ultra-fun.

Social media like FB, IG seems to have ruined everything. Its time to bring back the good stuff (just like 80’s music revival now).

Why this site never added the Montage as an evolution from the Motif?

It’s weird how the best Yamaha site just fell dead and refused to add the Montage forum here just because Yamaha changed the name of the Motif current successor.

Hello Everyone - and Happy Thanksgiving too!

Apologies for not spotting this thread a long time ago but, as various people have speculated, I, Julian Colbeck, the original creator of this site, have indeed been busy elsewhere and have not had the resources (in any definition of the word) to maintain Motiator.com in tip top condition.

There are or have been technical issues, most of which have been fixed. The main impediment to total updated-ness is simply the age of the site’s platform and operating system which would need a ‘root and branch’ overhaul to come up to current standards. Put simply, the cost of such an overhaul is not economically feasible at the present time. It would require an act of financial selflessness that I’m not able to convince myself nor my actual wife (not the wonderful Rachel who continues to run the orders, enquiries and shipping) of how wise a move that would be.

One day perhaps I’ll find time to write a book on the extraordinary phenomenon that is the Motif and Motifator.com. Yamaha’s role in building the Motif in the first place and encouraging and supporting this fully independent site cannot be overstated. But it was a two-way street. The president of Yamaha Corporation, at a dinner with just the two of us, admitted to me that the success of the Motif - in the top three of synthesizer platforms ever produced - would not have happened without us. And I have to agree! Not only was I hired as consultant on the original design but Yamaha licensed some of the most effective ‘arpeggios’ (MIDI loops) that reside in all Motif models and several subsequent synths to this day, and then there is Motifator itself, which not only effectively ran Motif tech support for over a decade but produced instructional videos and other content that translated Yamaha’s jargon and cryptic operating systems into words and concepts that everyday musicians (like me) could understand.

This site remains fully active (thanks in large part to you folks on the forums), albeit with a few sticking plasters here and there! and hopefully will remain so for many years to come. As funds allow we’ll try to replace some of the bandaids with more solid surgery.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. If curious/interested, you’ll find a lot of excellent products on special in the Motifator shop, which has always been this site’s prime source of income.

Best wishes!