Hi I just downloaded a sound package that says its compatible with the motif es8 but it includes only wav files. How do i load these into my motif so that i can play them as i would voices.

You have to construct your own voices from the .wav files.
Think of the .wav files as “ colors” for your paintbox. You
still have to make the “pictures” from the “colors”.

Sorry to see that you were misled. Yes, Motif ES will load
.wav files, but there is a long way to go to make usable
voices from those. For one thing, you have to determine how
to “map” the .wav samples to your keyboard. I can’t go into
a long tutorial here on how to do this, but there are resources
on this website for information regarding how to load samples and
map them and then use the “keymapped” waveforms in elements to
build voices.

You may want to check into the “Sound Advice” DVD, available at the
motifator store, that explains in great detail how to program
sounds on your ES.

Dave -

Are some wav files compatible with the ES / XS and others are not? 

I have your DVD and tried loading new wav files but I could not get them to produce sound.  I loaded the wav files that were already in the XS and they work fine.

I have determined that I am either doing something wrong in the voice config, or I have discovered that all wav files are not created equal.

Mike
A.K.A 1959

You have a misconception about what .wav files are.

.WAV is an audio format. The onboard “wav files” that you refer to are not .wav files. They are proprietary ROM “waveforms” that are
coded as XS format sound.

Here’s how it works with “user” .wav files, which is what you are
trying to deal with.

1. The format for the .wav file MUST be 16-bit, 44.1khz or 48khz .WAV or AIFF. “.WAV” is a PC format. “.AIFF” is a Mac audio format.
The file must have either “.wav” in the name, or “.aiff” in the name. Example - “DRUM.wav”.

2. Let’s say you load a .wav sample of a piano note to the XS.
It will be loaded with a “center key”. You can determine the center
key. Let’s say it’s “C3”. This means that once it’s loaded, you will
ONLY get sound at C3, and it will just be that one note. So you
don’t have a usable voice at this point.

3. You can press INTEGRATED SAMPLING, then EDIT, select the waveform
you just loaded, and change its parameters so that the KEY RANGE it occupies is “alll the way across the keyboard”, meaning 1-127 (C-0 to G8).Now you will have a waveform that stretches across all keys.

4. Next, you will need to INITIALIZE a voice in Voice Edit, so that
it’s a “clear template”. Then, you will need to choose an element in the voice, and change its waveform to the User Wave you just
edited. Now you will have a piano type voice. But, as you will
discover, it won’t sound right in the lower or upper keys. In the
lower ranges it will be gurgly and dark, and in the high ranges it
will be ticky and chirping. This is because you are using ONE sample stretched across the whole range of the keyboard. This isn’t ideal.

5. What you need to do for the piano is have samples of EACH of the
notes in the piano range, and assign them to the appropriate key
ranges. For example, if you have a sample of the LOWEST C on the piano (C0), you would make its “center key” C0 BEFORE you load it into the XS. Then you would set its range to “C0 to C0” so it occupies only one note. Do this for the remaining 87 notes of the piano.

6. The multiple “samples” for the piano are “mapped” to the notes on the keyboard. They make up what is called a “keymap”. A “waveform” consists of a keymap. You use a waveform in an element.
You build a voice from elements.

This is just a bgrief explanation of what is happening. I know it’s somewhat confusing and very tedious - that’s what the nature of making sounds from .wav files is. THAT is why Yamaha has done
all the work for you. Third-party sound developers like myself have also done all the waveform construction work for you, so all
you have to do is load a new library that uses new samples, and play and enjoy it.

David,

I found that your friendly reply answered my question completely.  The libraries of voices posted at the Motifator store are really a bargin for the amount of work that goes into the library.

The point that I missed but now understand is that a wav file is only capable of firing a single element’s voice from a single key.  I had no idea that there were unique wav files or samples firing from each key!  No wonder this keyboard sounds so good.

Thank you sir,

Mike

Hey yea thanks David that actually helped me alot as well even tho that wasn’t my original question. I was wondering how u can identify the new sound libraries that use new samples, nobody really puts that info in the details.

A-nice - 24 February 2009 12:35 AM

Hey yea thanks David that actually helped me alot as well even tho that wasn’t my original question. I was wondering how u can identify the new sound libraries that use new samples, nobody really puts that info in the details.

At the motifator.com store, go to “Voice Libraries”. Each library
is listed and the chart indicates whether it uses new samples or not. If it uses new samples it will say that it requires sample RAM that is installed by the user (you).

Do any of the free voice banks use new samples they all seem so small?

The free voice banks do not contain new samples. The XSpand Your World downloads, free for the Motif XS, do contain new samples.