Hi all,

I am a beginner with the piano and I am thinking on getting a workstation, does it make sense to get the new XF instead of a XS ?, are the differences worth the price ?, things I can’t get with the XF ?

Thanks.

Hey,

The main differences between the XS and the XF are a bigger waverom (better sounds) and Flash memory. In flash memory you’ll be able to load samples you’ve purchased/created yourself without having them to load every time again (that’s the case with the XS, which uses RAM memory)

Personally, I’d go for a XS8, or even a CP1 or so when you are planning to use only piano/vintage sounds..

ikkejick - 27 August 2010 12:31 AM

Personally, I’d go for a XS8, or even a CP1 or so when you are planning to use only piano/vintage sounds..

I concur, CP5 is an option too since it has recorder.

delirium - 27 August 2010 12:42 AM

ikkejick - 27 August 2010 12:31 AM

Personally, I’d go for a XS8, or even a CP1 or so when you are planning to use only piano/vintage sounds..

I concur, CP5 is an option too since it has recorder.

Absolutely. It just depends how he’s planning to use his instrument.

ikkejick - 27 August 2010 12:31 AM

Hey,

The main differences between the XS and the XF are a bigger waverom (better sounds) and Flash memory.

Better sounds?? This is untrue. BOTH XS and XF have the SAME sound engine. Use the SAME sounds, though the XF carries the XS sounds PLUS more inside it due to more waverom. Any voices for XF are ACTUALLY MADE FOR XS. XF can obviously use them. ANY sound achieved with XF can just as easily be achieved on the XS. You can however, SAVE a BIGGER collection of “better sounds” on the XF without REloading and replacing if you purchase the flash. Otherwise you just have more waverom to work with (MORE sounds and user banks).

You are right. I ment ‘better sounds’ in the way that the XF has more (new) sounds, (which I think are better sampled) than the XS. I know they have the same engine and structure.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b5Ml-U6twU

sounds like the difference is not worth, at least for somebody that won’t need to load a lot of sounds in the stage

If you are going to get into doing complete arrangements of songs and/or like the thought of a lot of different sounds then the XF will be great.  If you are primarily interested in playing a digital piano on stage, then you would be better served by getting an instrument like from the CP series which is made exactly for that purpose.  You will get Yamaha’s absolute best piano sound and action by doing that.  Just think about your end result…

God bless

well in fact, the idea of buying a workstation is because I want to be able to compose things, I want to be able for example to create a good base and then jam over it with a guitar or different voices on the motif.

Maybe my question is regarding the difference between having an XS with RAM or XF with flash, if that difference will really be important for me.

Seems like the number of voices the XS has will be enough, do you really need to load things on it ?, how critical is the use of the new flash thing.

thanks

A point of interest is: can you still buy the XS-memory you need.
I expect that soon many good synthesizers can not be expanded
any more because their expansion cards and memory are no longer
for sale.
For instance: the Classic, S90 and ES can no longer be expanded
by plug-in cards and the DIMM memory is also hard to find.
That alone is an argument to buy a newer synthesizer.

;JOOP!

Why buying such an expensive synth if you’re a beginner. Start with a Mo8! This is really, really great for a starter.

If you really want the best piano sounds: buy a Motif ES (or XS) with a good piano library like Signature piano.

SirJoseph - 27 August 2010 01:18 AM

ikkejick - 27 August 2010 12:31 AM

Hey,

The main differences between the XS and the XF are a bigger waverom (better sounds) and Flash memory.

Better sounds?? This is untrue. BOTH XS and XF have the SAME sound engine. Use the SAME sounds, though the XF carries the XS sounds PLUS more inside it due to more waverom. Any voices for XF are ACTUALLY MADE FOR XS. XF can obviously use them. ANY sound achieved with XF can just as easily be achieved on the XS. You can however, SAVE a BIGGER collection of “better sounds” on the XF without REloading and replacing if you purchase the flash. Otherwise you just have more waverom to work with (MORE sounds and user banks).

While Yamaha almost repacked the old candy in to a new pakage it sould sound better, because it has better D/A converters wich was taken from CP....

bengertje - 27 August 2010 10:16 PM

Why buying such an expensive synth if you’re a beginner. Start with a Mo8! This is really, really great for a starter.

If you really want the best piano sounds: buy a Motif ES (or XS) with a good piano library like Signature piano.

Well it depends what to compare,indit Motif Xf should sound very good but if to compare Motif XF sound engin AWM2 and Kurzweil VAST engin wich has Kurzweil PC3, Yamaha motif XF is realy synth for begginers.
And that is not a jock at all!!!

sciuriware - 27 August 2010 09:36 PM

For instance: the Classic, S90 and ES can no longer be expanded
by plug-in cards and the DIMM memory is also hard to find.
That alone is an argument to buy a newer synthesizer.

;JOOP!

that expansion race is really sick, we never use synth to its limits yet want to expand…

Besides if yamaha ere to stick with newest technology it would chose modern RAM memory not archaic…

chilly - 27 August 2010 10:26 PM

\
Well it depends what to compare,indit Motif Xf should sound very good but if to compare Motif XF sound engin AWM2 and Kurzweil VAST engin wich has Kurzweil PC3, Yamaha motif XF is realy synth for begginers.
And that is not a jock at all!!!

obviously you are a beginner and a joke.

delirium - 27 August 2010 10:49 PM

chilly - 27 August 2010 10:26 PM

\
Well it depends what to compare,indit Motif Xf should sound very good but if to compare Motif XF sound engin AWM2 and Kurzweil VAST engin wich has Kurzweil PC3, Yamaha motif XF is realy synth for begginers.
And that is not a jock at all!!!

obviously you are a beginner and a joke.

no i am not a bigginer any more, I have reterned my motif xs to the store and now i am with kurzweil, while motif xs sounded good, it had basic synth engin , bad effects routing and very bad real time control surface because faders can control only volume and there are only 2 assignebel knobs and etc, but while kurzweil pc3 looks like crupp and editing with that small screen is a nightmare othen then that with kurzweil VAST i am in heaven , i have realy huge possibilitie and it sounds jast spectaculas