Haven’t had my xs all that long and finally got to the point where my memory is full.  Been putting off dealing with backup.  Can I just buy any USB stick from an office store? What is the max size I can use with xs?  And does a stick have enough room to dump all my sequences and sounds? Are there some kinds with compatabilty issues that won’t work with my machine?  Any insights please?

>>> point where my memory is full.
I don’t understand; which memory? DIMM? A USB stick is not an extension memory but a backup device.

>>> Can I just buy any USB stick from an office store?
More or less: YES. I always buy KINGSTON sticks.

>>> What is the max size I can use with xs?
The maximum is bigger than any stick presently sold.
4Gb is popular.

>>> And does a stick have enough room to dump all my sequences and sounds?
An XS can not dump more than 2Gb; so: YES.

>>> Are there some kinds with compatabilty issues
Yes, that’s why I buy 1st class products. Like KINGSTON.

;JOOP!

Thanks sciuriware (or is it JOOP, not sure if that is a name or a salutation) for the answer.  Sorry I wasn’t more specific about memory, meant seq memory/voice/mix.  I did mention backup/seq/etc but will be more specific next time.  Haven’t installed dimms yet!

Since you know you stuff, could you enlighten me on external drives as well?  What drives work best? Can I use a drive that doesn’t actually plug into a power source, but is powered thru USB by the host device?  And most drives that I have purchased for my computer come bundled with a bunch of software that is designed to provide security locks, setup, disc management and monitoring, etc.  Will this stuff cause compatibility issues or is that all eliminated when you format the drive with the XS?

Thanks again for you response!

As USB sticks come in 3 different speeds, I would choose a fast stick above a disk drive (less vulnerable).
There by, you won’t win time by a disk.
The limit for the XS and XF is 64Tb; enough during your life time I guess.

And YES some drives come with “protection” or utility software.
All but U3 software is easily deleted; U3 needs an uninstaller from their site or from one of us.
And, as you don’t need any of it with a Motif .....

About memory: all memories inside the Motifs are fixed to a size
that’s big enough for every day’s use.
DIMM memory is only used for re-sampling, direct recording and to hold extra Samples for extra Voices.
That memory is volatile however: you got to load a backup every time
you power on, although you can automate that process.
AND: that’s the reason there came an XF which can hold everything between sessions.

;JOOP! (that’s what my mother called me)

Hey JOOP
Thanks again for taking time to offer info, but forgive my ignorance.  There are a couple things you said that I don’t understand:

-You won’t win time by a disc.
-The thing about a 64 Tb limit.
-XS and XF have enough memory for a days use.

And I assume you’re suggesting stick over drive use because disc drives have a tendency to go bad over a period of time due to their mechanical nature as opposed to a chip with no moving parts.  Is that correct?

Could you please elaborate?  Thanks

>>> -You won’t win time by a disc.
The speed (USB-2) is limited by the logic inside the Motif.

>>> -The thing about a 64 Tb limit.
That’s the official limit of a FAT32 file system (70 368 744 177 664 bytes).

>>> -XS and XF have enough memory for a days use.
You are not going to sequence more than 64 Songs at a time, do you?

>>> And I assume you’re suggesting stick over drive use because ...
Just take a disk in one hand and a stick in the other; now drop them both on a concrete floor .....

;JOOP!

Thanks ever so much.  You make me laugh out loud.  I just sequenced 64 songs today and threw an external drive against the wall.  It broke in a million pieces.  Hilarious!!!

I went to the dentist and I can not stand any music for 24 hours ....

Aaaaaaaaaaarh!

;JOOP!

I think I need a new dentist.  Went to see him last week.  He put me under to pull a tooth and I woke up with a dollar in my underpants!