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| sorout
Total Posts: 13
Joined 02-19-2012 status: Regular |
Hi,
I was wondering why do I need an FW16E Firewire Expansion Board for my Motif XF8, IF I buy a dedicated audio interface with more ins/outs?
Thanks!!! :) |
| Apex
Total Posts: 683
Joined 10-21-2005 status: Guru |
1) 16 simultaneous outs (mono) or 8 (stereo) with one cable.
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| Techman09
Total Posts: 75
Joined 03-17-2008 status: Experienced |
I found that the best thing to do is to tailor your setup towards the Motif XF if you have the FW16e… I use it as my control surface, audio interface, ect… Makes for a clean setup if you are not picky about audio interfaces. I once was picky, so if you are, I could understand.... |
Bad_Mister
 Total Posts: 36620
Joined 07-30-2002 status: Moderator |
Why do I need the FW16E?
A small home studio for a keyboard player could quickly become a bunch of individual boxes and a ganglia of wires connecting them… The FW16E allows you to conveniently take care of getting signals into and back out of your computer. But beyond the convenience, it is the flexibility and quality that are the real bonus.
1) the FW16E turns your Motif XF into an audio and MIDI interface for your computer.
We are talking about getting simple 1/4” guitar jacks into the computer and MIDI for goodness sake (Not standard in the world of computer music). The single FW cable takes care of both MIDI and AUDIO communication back and forth between the XF and your computer. 22 audio channels and the equivalent of 6 MIDI cables. The A/D INPUTS on the back panel allow you to connect virtually any type of input signal (you can connect dynamic microphones directly, you can connect guitars/basses directly, you can connect a mixing console, etc., etc) the signal will then pass through the Yamaha 24-bit, 64-times oversampling A-to-D’s and can be routed on to your favorite DAW (using the downloadable low latency ASIO driver). Signal coming in the A/D INPUT can be processed with Motif XF INSERTION EFFECTS prior to being sent to your DAW via FW. When you route your A/D INPUT to the main (system) outputs, you can additionally use the Motif XF System (Reverb/Chorus) Effects. 2) Simultaneous routing via 16 output buses means the greatest flexibility in multi-track to your DAW. And that is what it is all about. 6 audio returns from the computer are configured as 3 pairs: 1 to your MAIN XF OUTPUTS (where you connect your monitor speakers), the second to internal XF mixer (it can routed to the XF sampler if you wish), the third can be sent to the XF’s Assignable L/R Outputs (a second set of monitor speakers, or in larger setups, you can feed a separate headphone amp when you need multiple headphone mixes) If your goal is just to record a simple stereo mix of your Motif XF sequence - there maybe no need to get an FW16E, (you can record a sequence directly to a connected USB stick for that) but if you are into larger projects where you are going to want to take advantage of adding other instruments and other musicians. If you are going to be taking advantage of individual multi-tracking techniques in your DAW -where you record many individual audio tracks - where you want to have each PART as a separate AUDIO track in your DAW, you want to take separate tracks for each drum, where you are overdubbing vocals, and guitar solos, and etc., etc. The FW16E is a fantastic way of getting audio and MIDI into and back out of your computer. You will not be using those “cute” speakers that come with computers. Your audio will be routed from the computer to the main LEFT/RIGHT outputs of your Motif XF. So you will want to invest in a good pair of studio monitors for this purpose. You will not find any other audio interfaces out there that will give you 16 audio buses from the XF to your computer. What you run through those 16 buses at any time is configurable… could be vocals or guitars, it could be individual drums from your XF drum kit, it could be mono signal, you can pair buses for stereo recording… it’s about flexibility. It would be impossible to give you every possible situation, but having the buses opens doors to things you cannot possibly consider when your interface is limited to just 2 channels (L/R).
3) Quality
Asking is a 16 bus audio interface built-in to the XF more flexible than an external one with 2 or 4 channels, cannot be answered by simply saying it 8 times or 4 times more flexible… it is much more than that… it opens doors that would not exist otherwise. |
meatballfulton
 Total Posts: 3022
Joined 01-25-2005 status: Guru |
No you do not need FW16e if you have another interface. I own a Focsurite Saffire 40 and used it with my ES and then my XF before buying the FW16e. I still use it for it’s mike preamps (see below). If you use an external interface you can record up to 4 analog channels from the XF (L/R main, assignable outs 1 and 2) or SPDIF digital copy of the L/R main channels (if your interface has a SPDIF input).
One cable connection to your computer, the simplest possible setup for recording Signal remains digital for best quality Split the XF outputs to multiple tracks (up to 16) in your DAW Automatic integration with Cubase Can resample digitally from DAW to XF Can use XF as external FX processor for your DAW The disadvantages: Only two tracks of external audio can be recorded simultaneously via the A/D inputs Cannot record a mike and line input at same time because of shared level settings on A/D inputs No phantom power for condenser mikes (need phantom power supply OR mike preamp OR external mixer)
Yes
Yes My take overall Not recording external audio at all FW16e Not using condenser mikes FW16e Recording many channels of external audio simultaneously (full bands, more than 2 mikes, etc.) external interface Recording without XF present external interface No Firewire on computer external interface |
| Bad_Mister
Total Posts: 36620
Joined 07-30-2002 status: Moderator |
There is no limit ("up to 16") to the number of tracks in your DAW that you can create from a single XF project. I’ve said it a thousand times TRACKS are not output via FW, PARTS are output via FW. A PART can be routed out as a MONO signal (uses 1 bus) or a STEREO signal (uses 2 buses, a left and a right). So rarely, if ever does 16 MIDI tracks mean 16 audio tracks. It can mean less it can mean many more. Your mileage will vary. It is a very important point to understand before you get involved.
Example: On a recent project my first pass from XF to Cubase included just the DRUMs. In the Motif XF my drum track is just a single track of MIDI data but it generated the following 9 audio tracks:
1 MIDI track here equals 9 Audio Tracks (and I did it in a single pass). 6 mono tracks and 3 stereo tracks. And I still have the L/R and FW13/14 available.
On the next pass I work with the rest of the PARTS:
So my 11 tracks of MIDI just turned into 18 tracks and I still haven’t mentioned the VOCALS and Backing Vocals
This is not true - practically speaking only ONE track of audio can be recorded via the A/D INPUT… that one track can be MONO or it can be STEREO but only ONE - don’t see this as a disadvantage as ONE is always simultaneous!
Multi-tracking - if you record using multi-track technique (as pioneered by the late/great Les Paul) where one track is typically recorded at a time, “simultaneous” is of less concern. I would never recommend FW16E to someone looking to SAVE TIME - the number of options that it opens rarely means you save time.... yes, sure you can do the drums all in one pass as opposed to doing it in 9 separate passes, as you would HAVE TO with an external (non FW16E audio interface) but because I have 16 buses, I find I spend more time thinking and being creative and coming up with more production ideas - so at the end of the day I’m happier with my project - but if I look at the clock and try and establish did I SAVE TIME - well yeah from one point of view, but then again I might not even have considered doing the separate DRUMS if all I had was an external interface where I had to do it ONE at a TIME, nine times - most likely I would have passed on the idea. If you see my point. The “door” gets opened to more possibilities - and that means you might want to actually use them! If it’s more important to feel good about your project versus being done quicker… you cannot beat the FW16E with a stick (or an external interface). When I need to record other musicians on a project I often use an external mixer _ if that mixer is going to enhance the recording of that musician. For example, if I find a singer whose voice would be enhanced by a phantom powered microphone, I get a mixer that would do that job for me. Most of Yamaha mixers are now audio interfaces (but some are not) either way I can connect the mixer easily enough to the A/D INPUT of the XF (convenient) and route it as necessary. Devices to provide phantom power come from inexpensive ‘til you run out of money :-) Typically I’m *overdubbing* just that musician, so *simultaneous* is of much less concern… they are the only signal I’m routing. If you are talking about recording separate musicians (as many as 16) to 16 audio tracks then you are talking getting something like the 01V96i - This updated version of the workhorse 01V line adds a 16 bus, USB audio interface @ 96kHz (for “live” documentation of gigs - this is heaven on earth). The FW16E gives the Motif XS/XF unprecedented routing options within your 16 PARTS (we are sure that is what was meant to be conveyed) plus it allows you to route an external INPUT to a track of your DAW. That external INPUT can be a mono or stereo source, as simple as a dynamic mic, guitar, bass or as complex as an analog mixer containing the one musician or the entire band! How you make use of it is up to you. |
JBlongz
 Total Posts: 34
Joined 05-20-2011 status: Regular |
Studio Computer + FW16E = a very productive Motif XF.
else
|
Leojazz0
 Total Posts: 9
Joined 01-11-2012 status: Newcomer |
Hi! does it work the same on the motif xs? Thanks! |
5pinDIN
 Total Posts: 11891
Joined 09-16-2010 status: Legend |
The FW16E is compatible with the Motif XS. |
| Leojazz0
Total Posts: 9
Joined 01-11-2012 status: Newcomer |
Thanks 5pinDIN!!! I’m Ready to Buy this Card “Audio Interface” :) |
| murrug
Total Posts: 1
Joined 11-18-2019 status: Newcomer |
Example: On a recent project my first pass from XF to Cubase included just the DRUMs. In the Motif XF my drum track is just a single track of MIDI data but it generated the following 9 audio tracks:
1 MIDI track here equals 9 Audio Tracks (and I did it in a single pass). 6 mono tracks and 3 stereo tracks. And I still have the L/R and FW13/14 available. Please, can you explain me how to do that? How to transfert the different drum parts in just one single pass? Thanks! |
| 5pinDIN
Total Posts: 11891
Joined 09-16-2010 status: Legend |
It’s possible that there hasn’t been a reply because it might not be obvious that the above is just a partial quote from Bad_Mister’s post.
Â
Since I don’t use Cubase myself, I was hoping that someone else would reply to your post. However, perhaps you’ll find this support article helpful:
If another member can be more helpful, please post. |
🎹Lex
 Total Posts: 81
Joined 05-20-2009 status: Experienced |
I don’t have my Motif on hand so I’m working from the manual and VST Editor for reference, but hopefully this will be accurate enough. Splitting a drum kit’s output can be done in combination with any software that supports ASIO, not only Cubase. Assuming you are working in Song or Pattern mode, on the Motif XF enter the Part Edit screen for the drum kit. Then, on the Output settings screen, set the Output Select to “drum”:
Press the [MIXING] button
Now, the output channel for each drum key will be set on a key-by-key (element-by-element) basis. To change the output for a given key, enter the Voice Edit screen for the drum kit and change its output there:
Press the [MIXING] button
The relevant pages in the manual are 153 (About “drum†setting) and 129 (Key Edit parameters). |
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