I hope the XF can replace my ASR-10, so far no keyboard has come close. I like the color scheme and all, but has Yammy really addressed sampling and not that silly rompler stuff but Real Deal Sampling? (i.e. Pete Rock, Marley Marl, Dilla style of sampling)

Thanks

kday: “Roland’s Fantom X & G specifically seems to do sample editing pretty well and I heard assigning multi-samples across the board have gotten much easier then before.”

That’s not really true.  Having use Fantom-X and Fantom-G long time, the sampling section is the weakest among the workstations.  Yes, it draws pretty waveforms, but the process is cumbersome and sample editing and looping is very time consuming.  Fantom-G is even worse than Fantom-X.  You still need software to do any good sampling, and the only available is YASE, which itself is clicky, clicky… not much automated stuff in there.

Does the John Melas Waveform Editor work in conjunction with the Motif? Like as you make edits on the software does it instantly show up on the Motif? Or is the editor used as a standalone where you dump the sample back in to the Motif after you’re done? 

Currently I chop my samples in recycle and dump them into this old vst Phatmatik Pro(has forward reverse playback) for playback.  But if I need to make a few more chops I usually have to open Recycle up and start the tedious process again.  I’m REALLY trying to avoid that with the Motif.  I really don’t think me, TraneOfThought, and Jahrome are asking too much.  Basically it comes down to the fundamental way people in Hip Hop sample.  Finding one loop in a song is cool.  But most people like me, Kanye, Just Blaze, Dilla, Timbaland will find different parts of samples and make beats out of them.  The key is to make that process as streamlined as possible.  I think it’s just a disconnect between the makers of current hardware synths and the end users.  No offense Yamaha..I think eventually you guys will get it right but I’m hoping to make a big enough fuss about this so we can get it changed soon:)

Needlz I don’t think me or JahRome are asking too much, if we’re going to spend 2000 plus on a “sampling workstation” Dayum right it needs to sample and sample well.  It’s too much of a hassle to goto an MPC to sample and then use my computer to chop up loops then use the Motif, I’ll forget what I was doing.  Even on the MPC the sampling ain’t all that great either (no offense) but in all seriousness I would like to see a more streamlined approach to sampling on the motif.  (You had ten years and other keyboards that sample Yamaha do your homework No excuses)!

shakil - 05 August 2010 10:12 AM

kday: “Roland’s Fantom X & G specifically seems to do sample editing pretty well and I heard assigning multi-samples across the board have gotten much easier then before.”

That’s not really true.  Having use Fantom-X and Fantom-G long time, the sampling section is the weakest among the workstations.  Yes, it draws pretty waveforms, but the process is cumbersome and sample editing and looping is very time consuming.  Fantom-G is even worse than Fantom-X.  You still need software to do any good sampling, and the only available is YASE, which itself is clicky, clicky… not much automated stuff in there.

The older Motif ES keyboards have the weakest sampling engine by far in the as ease of use department. Don’t know how exactly the XS have changed from the ES procedure.

The MPC is the easiest on the market. But users don’t wish to have to buy an MPC or even use the MPC for keyboard preset loops. So that’s why we plead with synth manufactures to make the sampling procedures easy to use since it’s included on the keyboard.

Sampling on the ES models was hell. It was so tedious and complicated that even the experts here had to write a two page article or refer you to the book to explain the procedure.LOL

Sampling Question to Yamaha

1. Can the XF load 24bit wave files or not? Would the files have to be converted to 16bit first before the XF can load them?

2. Can a sample be assigned to the key after it’s been sampled or does it has to be done first?

Because on dedicated samplers this procedure is done after the sample has been recorded and makes assigning simple and easy. Having to dial in the key location first is sorta time consuming and can be tedious.

3. When assigning the key on the keyboard, can a user press a key to select where they want to assign the sampled sound or does assigning to the key have to be dialed in manually by the keypad first like it was on the ES model? 

A wonderful idea if it’s not already implemented in OS is to allow users to sample a sound first, and then be given the option to press the key where they want the sample assigned to. Like it is on dedicated samplers like MPC and ASR 10. This would make it far more easier to create multisamples then the current method. I’m still speaking from an ES user point of view.

Have XS or XF upgraded any of those multisample assignment aspects?

I own a Fantom G.  I agree that it’s GUI is pretty, but the sampling capabilities is far less than any of the latest model MPCs.  You can only chop a sample into a max of 16 regions and can only audition the slices from the pads.  Since I have the 61 key model, is it too much to ask if I can slice a sample up to 61 regions and preview the slices from the keys instead of the pads?  You can do this with an MPC 5000 but I am looking for a keyboard sampler that is as powerful.

Now the Motif allows you to chop samples into as many slices as you need (the max number escapes me right now).  But once a sample is initially chopped, it would be more intuitive if the new samples were immediately playable from the keys.  We should be able to edit the start/end points of each sample on the fly.  Then once we have the sample chopped to perfection, then when can Execute the Chopping function and automap the samples to a sample voice.  Simple concept that would greatly improve workflow.

1. Can the XF load 24bit wave files or not? Would the files have to be converted to 16bit first before the XF can load them?

No. Sampler is a 16-bit sampler.

2. Can a sample be assigned to the key after it’s been sampled or does it has to be done first?

Because on dedicated samplers this procedure is done after the sample has been recorded and makes assigning simple and easy. Having to dial in the key location first is sorta time consuming and can be tedious.

Not sure how this is tedious but note assignment like in the XS can be automated. When creating a series of samples you need to simply use the RECORD NEXT function - found on the SAMPLE RECORD > Sample Source screen

3. When assigning the key on the keyboard, can a user press a key to select where they want to assign the sampled sound or does assigning to the key have to be dialed in manually by the keypad first like it was on the ES model?

Sorry but even on the classic Motif, the ES and the XS and of course, on the XF, key assignment can be assigned by pressing a key. Seems you may have missed this and other sampling feature/functions.

Additional menus in Sampling Edit/Sampling Main display 
With this new version, “[F3] Normalize,” “[F4] Slice,” and “[F5] 
Remix” have been added to the Sampling Edit display and 
Sampling Main display respectively, allowing you to more easily call up these displays.

Are there any improvements to these three sample editing functions?  Of course, I am specifically interested in [F4] Slice.

Loading multiple WAV/AIFF files and auto assigning each of them to the keys 
With this new version, you can load WAV or AIFF files in a singlefolder at the same time. The loaded files will be assigned to the 
keys in alphabetical order from the specified key. This allows you to easily create your own custom Waveforms..

This is handy since I will probably have to continue using software for chopping samples.

Are there any other new sample and sample editing features that potential buyers (especially us samplist) should know about?

Crossfade looping would be nice, speaking editing, why does yamaha insist that or feel that they can’t make a decent sampler, not everybody is using a computer or mpc for sampling just put the features on the board and make it so it’s not 11 dozen steps to sample.  Please!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty Please with flash on top

Anybody making a hardware sampler now? It is funny you say not everyone is using a computer or MPC - really? what are they using? Sorry, couldn’t resist…

Bad_Mister - 13 August 2010 10:49 AM

Anybody making a hardware sampler now? It is funny you say not everyone is using a computer or MPC - really? what are they using? Sorry, coultn’t resist…

Maybe a TV. Hahaha. I hope a computer with software.

2. Can a sample be assigned to the key after it’s been sampled or does it has to be done first?

Because on dedicated samplers this procedure is done after the sample has been recorded and makes assigning simple and easy. Having to dial in the key location first is sorta time consuming and can be tedious.

Not sure how this is tedious but note assignment like in the XS can be automated. When creating a series of samples you need to simply use the RECORD NEXT function - found on the SAMPLE RECORD > Sample Source screen

When using RECORD NEXT function can samples be assigned by pressing the keyboard key for each sample immediately after sampling the sound, or users have to wait until after exiting the “RECORD NEXT process is finished completely b4 assigning the keybanks, key ranges for each individual sample?

3. When assigning the key on the keyboard, can a user press a key to select where they want to assign the sampled sound or does assigning to the key have to be dialed in manually by the keypad first like it was on the ES model?

Sorry but even on the classic Motif, the ES and the XS and of course, on the XF, key assignment can be assigned by pressing a key. Seems you may have missed this and other sampling feature/functions.

Sorry Bad Mister but on my ES6 this didn’t work.

I couldn’t assign the sampled sounds pressing a key. It had to be dialed in. Regardless where I pressed the key the sound was assigned in to the numerically dialed in key location.

Sorry Bad Mister but on my ES6 this didn’t work.

I couldn’t assign the sampled sounds pressing a key. It had to be dialed in. Regardless where I pressed the key the sound was assigned in to the numerically dialed in key location

On all of the Motif-series, when you highlight a parameter that is dealing with the KEYBOARD usually you will see an indiciation in the screen allowing you to hold a button and touch a key to enter that key’s value.

This is context sensitive so you must have the cursor on a parameter where this applies. Certainly when targeting a sample this applies. On the Motif ES series the [INFORMATION] button is re-tasked as “KBD” short of keyboard data entry

I’m sure your ES6 does work like this… Let us know.

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

Touche’ Mister, but it would be nice I was reading up on the Korg M3 series and they have the Real Deal sampling.  Just think Motif Sounds and Sequencer with a Banging Sampler, sh*t I’d take off work to first in line to cop it No Joke.  Oh well I can always dream we’ll see what happens in September when the xf comes out.