At first glance it seems that the MOX8 gives you everything that the S90 XS does, plus workstation functionality, in a more light-weight package and at a lower price.  Why would anyone choose an S90 SX over an MOX8?

I think that the polyphony, the balanced hammer action and the S6 piano!  I am interested though in the pros and cons as stated by the pros on the website!

DaveSchuler - 15 April 2011 04:52 PM

At first glance it seems that the MOX8 gives you everything that the S90 XS does, plus workstation functionality, in a more light-weight package and at a lower price.  Why would anyone choose an S90 SX over an MOX8?

I think better piano sound and aftertouch, at least. And possibly a better feeling (albeit heavier) keyboard.

At retail the MO X is 1599 and S90XS can be had for $1999 - $2199 at any Guitar Center. Memorial day and Labor day sales they have been $1999. This makes the difference in price a bit closer, but my hunch is that once you see, touch and play them, you’ll understand.

For some the MOX will be enough, and I’m sure Yamaha is happy as long as one of them fits your purse and purpose.

It looks like the S90SX may have numerous advantages over the MOX for live performance. I mentioned aftertouch, but I also see it has the four sliders, the ability to hook up an additional foot pedal, assignable outs… SInce I don’t actually care about sequencer/DAW/workstation features at all, I’m beginning to think what I really want is an S90SX rather than an MOX8. Unfortunately, it’s 50 pounds, so it’s out of the question for me. I guess what I really want is an S90SX with the lighter GHS keyboard!

It’s kind of ironic that the lightweight, more giggable MOX appears to be less live performance friendly than the 50 pound S90XS; yet it is full of more studio-friendly workstation-style features than the S90XS, even though people looking for those features are less likely to be as concerned with weight! I’d love to see a really full-featured lightweight live performance board, with no compromises on the performance side short of those dictated by the very need for light weight (i.e. the quality of the keybed), and would gladly give up all the recording/workstation/DAW features to get it. This is not something specific to Yamaha, other manufacturers do the same thing, taking out not just “workstation” functions but also good “live performance” functions when they come out with lightweight scaled-down versions of their flagships.

I think if you really look at the features of the MOX 8 you will see that it has more live performance ability than you think!  I use the MO8 at church and even though it doesn’t have all that the Motif ES has it has enough for live performances and the smaller footprint makes it easier to take around.  I use the MO8 with three different sound modules often playing all of them in different zones and using the internal sounds.  I also use the sequencer live sometimes.  The only thing I miss is having samples loaded.  With the audio interface you can have your samples in a soft synth and you have everything you need with the MOX 6/8.  I can’t wait to get one for the church!

Nice! What kind of features does it have for live performance?

Gospelpad160 - 17 April 2011 01:08 AM

I think if you really look at the features of the MOX 8 you will see that it has more live performance ability than you think!

I’ve been working with it, and absolutely, it has lots of terrific live performance features. (Even if initially figuring out how to employ them is a bit of a challenge!)

But my point wasn’t that the MOX doesn’t have lots of good performance capability… rather that there are a number of great things specifically for live performance that have been removed compared to pricier models (aftertouch, 4 sliders, another pedal input), while there’s still tons of stuff that is much more rarely used for gigging (i.e. the DAW control functions, sequencer, arpeggiator, drum rhythms, audio input, audio over USB). 

IOW, the MOX is, say, 80% as good as a Motif XS for live performance while also being 80% as good as a Motif XS for studio functionality, which I’m sure was their design goal and will make many people very happy… but instead of substantially compromising both “sides” of it, I wish there were a model that was, oh, 99% as good as a Motif XS for live performance, to be balanced by more compromises on the other side… i.e. 99% and 40%, instead of 80% and 80%, or whatever.

I do understand that the things I want are probably more expensive than the things I don’t, so it might have made the unit more expensive, but I’d be okay with that.

Someone’s quick response might be that the answer is to get an XS, and live with the fact that it also has more than I want on the “other” side. That’s exactly what I would have done except it lacks one of the MOST important features of a good live performance board, low weight.

Still., overall, I remain pretty impressed with the MOX.