I know, this is covered in the manual… I’ve read it.  I’ve bought the expanded memory, I’ve put the sfx on my usb device and XS recognizes it and sees the directory, will even play the wav file.  HOWEVER… I cannot seem to get to the place where I can STORE it to a Voice or Drum USER bank setting.  In fact I can’t get to the place where the option to LOAD or STORE even is offered in regards to this wav file.

So, what am I missing?

(Still trying not to be frustrated… or frustratING for that matter.)

You load audio into sample RAM as a Waveform. You then edit a User Voice to use that waveform in one or more elements of the voice.

I know, this is covered in the manual… I’ve read it.  I’ve bought the expanded memory, I’ve put the sfx on my usb device and XS recognizes it and sees the directory, will even play the wav file.  HOWEVER… I cannot seem to get to the place where I can STORE it to a Voice or Drum USER bank setting.  In fact I can’t get to the place where the option to LOAD or STORE even is offered in regards to this wav file.

We are not sure what this phrase means “...I’ve put the sfx on my usb device...” What is ‘the sfx’ normally that stands for “sound effects” what is that exactly?

Are you saying the .wav file you are attempting to LOAD / STORE is a sound effect… at least that is how we read it.

If so, a .Wav is technically a Windows audio file format - it can be read by the Motif XS but in order for you to LOAD it you need to enhance/address it with Motif XS parameters. These parameters will give that audio data a way it can be used by the Motif XS. The .wav file does not have a KEY. The Motif XS addresses all audio data via MIDI Note-On events… this is the definition of a sample playback device. In order to play the .wav the Motif XS assigns the audio a MIDI Note range. It also can apply a scale of pitches that will adjust the tuning as you play across the range of notes you assign. Typically it defaults to what we refer to as the Equal Temperament tuning scale. But you could fix the pitch or apply one of a dozen or more tuning schemes.

The Motif XS parameters also include a playback mode: ‘one shot’ (plays once for each key press), ‘loop’ (plays a designated region of the audio over and over), ‘reverse’ (plays the sample from the back to front). Also a Velocity response Curve - whether it get louder the faster a key is depressed or not…

XS parameters also include a designated start and end point; can include one of 18 different filters, it can apply an amplitude envelope that controls how loudness changes over time, it can apply a filter envelope that controls how timbe changes over time, it can apply a pitch envelope that controls how tuning changes over time, etc., etc, etc. There are hundreds of parameters that the Motif XS applies to your .wav file… turning it into something you can use to make music.

Or you can opt to just have the audio clip play as is - but you still must apply some basic Motif XS parameters (a KEY, VELOCITY, and some other default conditions you must accept). But in either case the Motif XS must apply some of its own proprietary parameters to the .wav for you to use it in a musical composition.

You must therefore place it in a “VOICE”. In Yamaha-speak, a VOICE is the playable entity. Each VOICE has Elements - as few as 1 and as many as 8 Elements per VOICE. An Element is a multi-sample - as few as 1 and as many as 128 samples mapped horizontally and/or vertically on the keyboard. Horizontal is across regions of notes, while Vertical is stacked on a single key with different velocity ranges.

A multi-sample can be used to reproduce a musical instrument across several octaves of keys and can contain as many as 128 (.wav) samples… thes multi-samples are WAVEFORMS in Yamaha-speak.

You must place your .wav sample into either a USER VOICE, a DRUM USER Voice, or in the sequencer’s USER SAMPLE VOICE.

This can be done by either loading the wave while in VOICE mode, loading the wave while in a User DRUM kit, or loading the wave while in a SONG/PATTERN (the Motif XS will automatically create a USER SAMPLE VOICE to house that sample).

So this is part of what we call context sensitivity. The mode you are in when you create or load the .wav will make a difference about your options of where you can place it.

Once you create (by sampling the data yourself) or you load .wav (by going to FILE, selecting WAV as the TYPE, and targeting an internal location) the Motif XS will apply its own parameters… you must later save in a Motif XS file format - these are the parameters that the Motif XS uses to turn your piece of Windows file format audio into something you can use in your music.

You may want to go through the tutorial on Sampling found in the SUPPORT area - it is basic and will take you through the process:  Sampling tutorial

Also if I’m correct and you .wav is a sound effect, you may want to look into loading it into a a DRUM KIT - Drum kits make a very excellent place to house sound effect samples that typically need only 1 KEY to house the data. Each KEY in a Drum Kit is autonomous to a greater degree and there are 73 instruments possible in a Kit (C0~C6)

You may find the tutorial on Drum Kit Loops of interest, as it deals with using a Drum Kit to house audio clips and how you can use it to manage their playback.

If you get stuck, post back here. Hope that helps