Hi there
I am considering the MO8 due to it’s cheaper price and lighter weight....however I was wondering if the sound quality is the same as the XS ? From what I have read it says that it borrows the same technology etc, however has the cut down price also resulted in lesser quality as far as audio out goes?

I really would never use the advanced features of the XS....so if this sounds as good, it would be perfect.

Does anyone out there own both a MO8 and a Motif XS? Would be interested in comparisons with the s90es as well.

thanks in advance

cheers Tony

I own a Motif XS and a Mo8. Personally I think that the MO8 has cleaner sounds.  The sound are similar. The XS has more sounds and more control however,the MO8 is a great keyboard for the money.

I think samples is the same as XS, but MO has only 4 element/voice, XS can have up to 8 elements..that also means better “sound quality” :-)

MO8 is a subset of the Motif ES synthesizer. It has half the polyphony, half the insert effects and it doesn’t have sampler. It has a different keyboard also, without aftertouch.

All the rest is exactly like the Motif ES model (same ROM samples, effect types, voice architecture...), you can also load the same libraries (without samples of course).

The XS is a different synthesizer, based on the Motif ES but with some additions (8 voice architecture, more than double sample ROM, VCM effects, new keyboard, etc).

Do not confuse capabilities with quality. The XS has more sound capabilities, but some may tell you that the ES has more quality. This is subjective.

From what i have read its the same weighted keyboard as the s90es....which is fine. A huge plus for me is that its much lighter too.

By all reports the sound quality is still going to be excellent.... I assume there is an editor that can allow set up of patches on a computer rather than using the little LCD lcd screen provided?

Yamaha provides a free editor for the MO8, there are actually 2 programs, one for voices and one for multi’s (mixing in sequences). Both run from within a program called “studio manager”. See http://www.yamahasynth.com/download/mo.html. Also look at http://www.studioconnections.org.

I’m pretty happy with my MO8. Main things I wish it had (and would have paid more for) is 4 assignable outs (mainly for recording), and a second footswitch. However, for just playing and most sequencing, I find the MO8 is very usable as is.

I just read a post on another site that was a bit scary as I wait for my MO8 to arrive…

It says that the piano sounds in the s90es are miles ahead of the MO8.....

what I gathered from posts here was that the Motifs and the s90’s all are in the same ball park re sound quality…

here is the post..

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/archive/index.php/t-1506652.html

How true is this?

thanks Tony

it’s very true. The s90 has its own piano ROM and sound much better than any motifs :)

If you’re looking for more about “piano” sound...then MO8 is very limited, “can’t load” samples

XS/ES has sampler option which can have any sounds you want “virtually”.

dcool - 26 March 2009 02:34 PM

it’s very true. The s90 has its own piano ROM and sound much better than any motifs :)

I did consider the s90 however they are just so damn big! Why they need an extra 6 inches at the end just for the mod wheels really astounded me. By the time you have that baby in a roadcase...its a monster!

I have heard the motif xs(module) piano sound and it sounds fine to me - so if the MO8 sounds like that I will be happy enough.

tony8028 - 26 March 2009 05:24 PM

I have heard the motif xs(module) piano sound and it sounds fine to me - so if the MO8 sounds like that I will be happy enough.

Yeah, MO8 has major piano samples as XS. Keep in mind, XS has 8 elements/voice....MO has only 4.

You should go to music store and check out.

I now have the MO8 and am overall happy with it.

Yeah the piano sound isnt anything to die for, but I’d say its on par with the CP33 with the added bonus of a much better feeling keyboard and lots of extra sounds of course.

The elec pianos are excellent though.

The biggest surprise is how lame that “hard cp80” sound is....Yamaha invented the CP70 sound yet they seem to have a very poor recollection on what they actually sounded like!

In the mix, the MO8 piano will sound fine, so for the money - cant complain (other than the awful CP70m sound!).

What puzzles me most of all is that NONE of these synths can get a piano sound as good as a $99 Reason refill !

if I can get the latency down on my Macbook, the MO8 may end up as just a nice midi controller !

cheers

tony8028 - 27 March 2009 08:12 PM

What puzzles me most of all is that NONE of these synths can get a piano sound as good as a $99 Reason refill !

Because in general all synths do not have large amount of hard drive, CPU and RAM.

Makes me wonder about using the MO8 to control a Plugiator....

Well since it’s a workstation (and value version!) it gives you the options to ‘engineer the sound elements’ by combining, editing, etc, so why not challenge yourself to create your favorite piano sound using the existing onboard samples. Plus, it needs to give computing and storage power to the complex sequencer.

If you’re truly looking for an all-in-one workstation combined with a true piano experience, you should get the S90ES or Motif XS.

dorremifasol - 23 March 2009 04:02 PM

MO8 is a subset of the Motif ES synthesizer. It has half the polyphony, half the insert effects and it doesn’t have sampler. It has a different keyboard also, without aftertouch.

All the rest is exactly like the Motif ES model (same ROM samples, effect types, voice architecture...), you can also load the same libraries (without samples of course).

The XS is a different synthesizer, based on the Motif ES but with some additions (8 voice architecture, more than double sample ROM, VCM effects, new keyboard, etc).

Do not confuse capabilities with quality. The XS has more sound capabilities, but some may tell you that the ES has more quality. This is subjective.

dorremifasol makes some good points. The MO8 balanced hammer (initial touch) 88-keys are NOT the same as the MOTIF_XS_88. Also, 64 polyphony not 128. as for the ES, although i never owned one, i can agree that many of the patches & pads in the ES were really nice & “seemingly better” than the XS. I audibly studied the ES waveforms and Tyros 1 and Tyros 2 sounds for over 2 years before purchasing my XS. Ultimately, Tyros has the best sounds, but the XS is “open ended” and what it doesn’t have, you can create from scratch or alter presets to your liking. There’s actually much more to explore than to learn in the XS. Also, buy both the XS and Master Class DVDs where Athan, Phil, and Tony will show you how to get around the XS with ease. Remember, 8_elements and improved Xpanded_Articulation really improves upon sampled sounds. Listen to the piano on the Tyros_3 which has amazing depth, color and clarity! But, Yamaha doesn’t make an balanced hammer 88-key Tyros… what’s up with that?!

;;cheers;;

tony8028 - 27 March 2009 08:12 PM

....Yamaha invented the CP70 sound yet they seem to have a very poor recollection on what they actually sounded like!

cheers

LOL!

In all fairness though, whenever I think of a CP70/80 I hear Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in my head and I think the Yamaha synths pretty well nail that sound. You might try messing around with your EQ.

Bob