It’s been a while since I’ve posted in these forums!  Hope everyone is doing awesome!  I’m still getting some use out of my Motif Rack XS.

I was curious—is Yamaha any closer to entering the plugin world? 

I’ve primarily used Propellerhead Reason, which doesn’t support VST, nor do I own any VSTs, but I would jump at the chance to have a Motif VST!  Curious that since Yamaha operates Steinberg, why they wouldn’t be flooding the VST market...?

There is are the following Yamaha VSTs:

Motif XS VST
Motif XF VST
Motif-Rack XS VST
S90 XS/S70 XS VST
MOX6/MOX8 VST
Yamaha YC-3B (Tone Wheel organ model)

These must be run in a host that is VST3 compatible. They are available for download from the official Yamaha Download site. The first 5 have a hardware dongle, the YC-3B requires an elicense to run.

http://download.yamaha.com

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

Thanks for the reply Bad Mister! 

I am aware of the VST editors.  I wouldn’t exactly call the hardware in those cases “dongles” as the hardware does the bulk of the work producing the sound (whereas the VST in this case, simply controls it).  Being so large, they would also make very inconvenient “dongles” (even with the Rack versions). 

What I am asking about are strictly, software-based VSTs that produce sound on their own.  The demand is certainly there, just curious if Yamaha plans to enter the market anytime in the future. 

It was actually the VST editors that got me to thinking about this.  How cool would it be to use this VST without having to have my Rack XS produce the sound?  Very cool indeed!  I went with the Rack XS in the past because of convenience.  However, it gets left out of so many tracks because I can’t always have it with me during travel.  Even in it’s SKB case, I don’t trust leaving it to be stowed =\

Yamaha could do usb stick dongles, or, they could offer a control surface per synth (something the size of the CC121—that can fit in a backpack).  I would still be willing to pay the same price as a Rack XS to receive the software and a small, portable dongle midi-controller.  Just some ideas =)

I was unaware of the YC-3B.  Thanks for pointing that out—I will give that a look!

These are VSTs - your definition has them being software only synths within the computer - that is not the only definition of VST, obviously. These are not just Editors (the Editor portion is your software interface to the synth engine) - they allow for the specific signal routing that is VST. VST (or Virtual Studio Technology) allows for the synth engine, the chips responsible for generating the synth sounds, to be external or internal. Frankly, the internal VSTi’s remain very susceptible to theft (and this is a major concern, unfortunately).

Being hardware you can process (with powerful VCM Effects) prior to recording to the computer -meaning you can monitor with effects without being subject to all the latency issues that internal VSTi always fall prey to - there are still many advantages to remaining external (beyond the illegal sharing issue).

How cool would it be to use this VST without having to have my Rack XS produce the sound?

If you want the Motif-Rack XS “sounds” without having to have your Rack XS - then launch HALionOne it comes with Motif sounds (they don’t come with Motif Effects, Motif EQ, etc. But the basic ‘sounds’ are available when you get Cubase. So if that is all you want - go for it. Maybe you have never booted up HALionOne. It might be a good exercise for you to call up the Rhodes sound: Vintage ‘74 for example in your Rack XS and compare it to the Rhodes equivalent in HALionOne - they are the same samples. Then you can have your Rack XS sounds in your computer and you can be “cool” ! :-)

And for people who don’t really think the rest of the Motif-functions are of significance you can have Motif sounds within your DAW!

However, it gets left out of so many tracks because I can’t always have it with me during travel.

Come on really - that’s what you have? I’m sure it feels left out and I sure your music misses it more than your Rack XS misses being on the track, lol (;-)

Use the HALionOne sounds as a substitute until you can get it with you, and then substitute the real thing when you return to your home studio!!! I think that would be your solution!

Yamaha could do usb stick dongles, or, they could offer a control surface per synth (something the size of the CC121—that can fit in a backpack).  I would still be willing to pay the same price as a Rack XS to receive the software and a small, portable dongle midi-controller.  Just some ideas =)

Check out the HALionOne sounds in Cubase - then make your check out to ... You mean we could have charged you for them rather then giving them away… Let me call the office :-) :-) And let them know. I knew we shouldn’t have provided them for free! lol

Just off topic: what percentage of soft synths do you think are being illegally run right now?
What percentage of hardware synths do think are stolen?

Unfortunately it is not a rhetorical question but one that haunts the music industry.

I thought you were talking about the actual advantages that soft synth routing provides (not considering the “backpack” thing):The true softsynth advantage which is the ability to try out your processing before committing it to audio. But with current VSTi (in the box) all your real processing has to happen on playback.
The hardware VST has this PLUS the advantage I mentioned - the ability to use processing EQ, Compression etc. (those you logically use during the recording) during the record process! Latency Free!!!

If you still think that everything these products are doing can be done simply by a soft synth, well, I disagree.

I was unaware of the YC-3B.  Thanks for pointing that out—I will give that a look!

To get the eLicense you have to purchase a Yamaha hardware synth - so on that one I was being coy. On the others, I was being serious!

:-)

Okay I was having some fun with “hardware dongle” but I think if you analyze my use of the phrase you see the concern on the manufacturer side of things. Far, far too many soft synths are used illegally (not saying you would ever do such a thing) but… you have to know this is true. You ‘ll need a controller, a control surface, hardware INPUTS and OUTPUTS, anyway - we just provide all of those in one INTEGRATED package.

last word: You have yet to really have the full Motif-series experience if you have only played the rack. The keyboards are precisely built to respond to the sound set included. When you route signal to a rack you are at the mercy really of whatever controller you are using. I’m just saying the Motif XS versus the Motif-Rack XS - there is a difference. The keyboard is a complete system. The Rack XS is always at the mercy of that external controller you are using - it might be, at best, equal to the experience of playing the full Motif XS keyboard, but it is never better, and most likely is a slight down grade in experience.

Forgive me for having a bit of fun with the topic. (Seriously though - check out the HALionOne - if you are running AI you get a ton of sounds (if you are running a purchased version you a ton more), many derived directly from the Motif-series Wave ROM!!! and they are Free _ no need to live with any guilt ;-)