Hi Guys,

I was just wondering if the A/D input on the Motif XF works with mics that require phantom power.

If you own a phantom power supply.

I’ve been looking for a cheap dynamic headset (preferably with 1/4” outs) if anyone knows of any ($45-$120)

I’m not a good enough singer to need a great mic but I’m not a loud enough singer to not need any amplification at all..

F

try to use a tc helicon voice live 2.  yes i know its a little pricey, but if you want to really enjoy what you can do with your motif and sing the best you can, you will love it.  I dont sell or work for tc helicon.  I use it as well for live performances and its great.

I guess my question is, does the Motif XF provide phantom power for mic’s that require it? Being new to workstations where you can connect mic’s to, I need to know all the bells and whistles (hee hee)! I saw the reply up above “If you own a phantom power supply”, but I don’t know what that means. Does that mean, I’d have to go out and buy a separate Phantom Power Supply? I’d like to imagine the XF having it’s own Phantom Power, being that it IS a workstation, and allows for mic hook-ups.

If so, I already have an mbox (mini) that has Phantom Power, would the XF read the mic from there?

I guess my question is, does the Motif XF provide phantom power for mic’s that require it? I saw the reply up above “If you own a phantom power supply”, but I don’t know what that means.

Translation: No! You will need to obtain a phantom power supply or already own some type of device that contains it.

I’d like to imagine the XF having it’s own Phantom Power, being that it IS a workstation, and allows for mic hook-ups.

lol, good luck with that… :)

I already have an mbox (mini) that has Phantom Power, would the XF read the mic from there?

There is no ability, that I know of, to connect an MBox to any workstation. Workstations do not contain the capability of communicating with the MBox- they cannot load the drivers, software, etc…

Since you have Pro Tools, you could record the vocal there and bring into the XF as a wave file… But then again, I have Pro Tools and an XS and have never even dreamed of recording my vocals within the keyboard…

Oops, sorry Motif8mine, I didn’t clarify my purpose in connecting the mic to the XF/ or even the XS. As far as lead vocals, and other vocal Harmony, I’m definitely going through an Mbox and Pro Tools to get the best vocal production. What I really wanted to be able to do was simply use the XF’s built-in Vocoder for some nice Robotic voices, and old school Roger & Zapp feel. So far, I’ve only seen Bert Smorenberg use the built-in Vocoder of both workstations, and like what I saw. Was that a direct connection that I saw in his presentation videos? If so, could it have been just a regular, low power mic (that doesn’t require Phantom?)

Sorry about the confusion. Like I said, I’m a newb at this whole thing, and really looking forward to getting the XF7, which is coming out in a couple of weeks over where I’m at. And I’m doing my homework.

The Vocoder is not really going to benefit from a fine quality microphone. Most folks think that the Vocoder is an effect that is put on the microphone. It is not. It is an effect that is applied to a synthesizer sound, the microphone is used to modify the synthesizer sound.

So a simple dynamic microphone plugged directly into the A/D INPUT of the XS/XF will suffice. Instead of the A/D Input signal being routed to the normal L/R output, you reroute it into the synthesizer VOICE architecture - the Voices dual insertion effect is used to create the Vocoder. It takes the non-pitched formants of the human voice and applies them the synth sound (which provides whatever pitch you hear). So as you play notes/chords on the keyboard the speech patterns of your voices are encoded to the synth sound.

The signal from the microphone goes through a battery of filters that takes out all pitched components - you are left with what would sound like a human whispering (just the noise components). The pitch, whatever pitch there is, will come from the synthesizer.

The more ‘noise’ components in the synth sound - the more intelligible the resulting vocoded sound… the human voice is encoded onto the synth sound.

This is very different than applying an effect to a microphone. You are literally shaping the synth sound with your speech.

Best results are gotten with a decent dynamic microphone plugged directly to the A/D input of the keyboard. By the way the Roger Troutman/Zapp vocal thing was not a vocoder (although, again, many people mistakening call it that when they don’t know). That device was called a “Talkbox”.
The Vocoder does the robot-voice. Just FYI.

By the way the Roger Troutman/Zapp vocal thing was not a vocoder (although, again, many people mistakening call it that when they don’t know). That device was called a “Talkbox”.

Like here for instance…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HftQgBZ-Ou8

... or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVzmIzaKXD0
Queen - “Delilah”, look at 2:16

Thanks BM and D-Ko!!!!! XF, and then a Talk-box it is!