Hello!

I know Motif XF has the ability to record in .wav format directly into USB devices, hard drives and/or through Ethernet.

My question is: does Motif XF record up to 16 MIDI track and A/D input signal into .wav format or does it only record the actual sequenced tracks?

Thanks!

The USB direct AUDIO RECORD feature not only records audio from the 16 PARTS of the internal tone engine, and the A/D INPUT PART but any audio returning from your favorite DAW software via FW.

So those working with audio tracks, VSTi, etc., in a DAW can route those from their DAW to the Motif XF via the mixer’s FW input.

This is true of the Motif XS, as well. On your SONG/PATTERN MIXING mode’s mixer, press [F1] to view the PART 1-16 channels for the internal tone engine; press [F2] AUDIO to view the AD INPUT PART and the FW channel. The AD INPUT is, of course, a mono/stereo input allowing you to connect line or mic level signals to the Motif, the mLAN/FW channel is one of the three stereo audio returns from your DAW. So this too can be recorded simultaneously to a USB drive connected to the Motif’s TO DEVICE Port

Now this is cool!

If this is the case and audio is able to be streamed back and fourth with this feature:

Direct-to-USB recording and playback lets you record your final mixes to any connected USB memory device as CD-quality WAV files, or play WAV files created on your computer back on the XF.

Then, this is what I’m looking for and is worth it.....That’s all I’ve been waiting to hear about is live streaming of audio so I can run my click-tracks and live stems live!!!!

Thank you Bad_Mister!

Cool feature!

I noticed that when the audio file is recorded to the USB that the file size is rather large, which then makes it difficult when I want to transfer to my computer and say email to someone. Is there a way to use this feature and keep the file size small? I tried to use this feature but found it worked better by burning to CD and then loading the audio file in the computer via CD- file size was way smaller that way.

Thanks for your help

Jon Hamrick - 02 September 2010 03:32 PM

I noticed that when the audio file is recorded to the USB that the file size is rather large, which then makes it difficult when I want to transfer to my computer and say email to someone. Is there a way to use this feature and keep the file size small? I tried to use this feature but found it worked better by burning to CD and then loading the audio file in the computer via CD- file size was way smaller that way.

Thanks for your help

You simply need something that will convert .wav to mp3. There is no
mp3 conversion utility on the Motif, so you would do it on your computer with software.

Audacity (free) will do it if you also download the LAME mp3 encoder.

Audacity download here:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

LAME encoder download here:

http://lame.sourceforge.net/

Thanks Dave- that utility will surely help- the thing is, when I save the audio file on the USB drive it is really large, like 30-40 mg, but if I record it straight to my CD burner, it’s only a few mg. I didn’t know if maybe I was doing something wrong when recording it on the USB which was making the file size so large.

.WAV Stereo audio files recorded at 16bit/44.1kHz will always be approximately 10MB per minute. This is going to be true whether you are recording them to a USB drive connected to you Motif XS/XF, to your computer hard drive via Ethernet, or to a CD burner directly.

MP3 is a data compressed scheme that reduces the file size significantly. So if your files are smaller on CD it is because you are reducing the file size and not recording @ all CD-quality. By definition, CD-quality is 16-bit/44.1kHz.

Now there are CD players that can use lower data formats, even play MP3 files.

GospelMusicians - 27 August 2010 12:17 AM

If this is the case and audio is able to be streamed back and fourth with this feature:

Direct-to-USB recording and playback lets you record your final mixes to any connected USB memory device as CD-quality WAV files, or play WAV files created on your computer back on the XF.

Then, this is what I’m looking for and is worth it.....That’s all I’ve been waiting to hear about is live streaming of audio so I can run my click-tracks and live stems live!!!!

I currently take advantage of this with Logic with my XS via mLAN. It is amazing… one thing to look out for is to ensure the Logic tracks are not set to Outputs 1 - 2. They do not appear in the USB Recording unless set to either outputs 3-4, or 5-6…

The ability to “cheat” while playing live by using .wav’s is actually about one of the best things my lazy ass has discovered about the S90xs. If you havern’t considered trying it. Give it a go it save’s poly and can fix difficult little bits you can’t be bothered with live. It’s actually awesome how the XF not only records itself but also the audio from the imputs AND the DAW. Makes setting up your .WAV’s much easier.

there is only 128 megs of RAM to use for this recording of audio into your tracks? 

how much time does 128 megs of RAM allow?

No you record to a USB stick or I assume the flash memory.

drpopper1 - 11 September 2010 01:57 AM

No you record to a USB stick or I assume the flash memory.

No… I read in a thread on here the other day that the Flash memory was NOT used as sampling memory.  ONLY for the sounds. 

the 128mb onboard memory is what is used for sampling.

Apex - 11 September 2010 03:38 AM

drpopper1 - 11 September 2010 01:57 AM

No you record to a USB stick or I assume the flash memory.

No… I read in a thread on here the other day that the Flash memory was NOT used as sampling memory.  ONLY for the sounds. 

the 128mb onboard memory is what is used for sampling.

The USB record feature has nothing to do with the sampling. It is a recording of the audio internal to the motif (plus any connected devices)
BTW Flash can be used to store saved samples as well.
Flash is different to the sampling memory it is not used on the initial sample but the samples made can be saved to flash.

drpopper1 - 11 September 2010 04:11 AM

Apex - 11 September 2010 03:38 AM

drpopper1 - 11 September 2010 01:57 AM

No you record to a USB stick or I assume the flash memory.

No… I read in a thread on here the other day that the Flash memory was NOT used as sampling memory.  ONLY for the sounds. 

the 128mb onboard memory is what is used for sampling.

The USB record feature has nothing to do with the sampling. It is a recording of the audio internal to the motif (plus any connected devices)
BTW Flash can be used to store saved samples as well.
Flash is different to the sampling memory it is not used on the initial sample but the samples made can be saved to flash.

The data that is recorded when you use the USB record feature has to be saved somewhere.  That audio that comes into the machine is more or less a sample.  The 128 mb of RAM is used to “temporarily” store this date (just like any other workstation that allows audio to be recorded in (fantom x, fantom g, korg m3)… so essentially the USB record feature is a “sampling” feature (just called something else.... technically speaking)

I know about the Flash memory being able to be used to store saved samples and the fact that the flash memory is not used for the initial sample.  This is even more evidence that this is where the 128 mb of onboard RAM comes into play.  This is the area that the intial sample is stored (until you save it… to flash I guess.)

Maybe someone can chime in here and help us out, before I get to far off a deep end and be completely wrong!!!

BAD_MISTER… YAMAHA…