My colleague, an Motif XF owner said, that FLASH ROM expansions are simple backup storage in latest Motif workstations.
He said: “It has an other, real RAM memory too in these keyboard. Motif XFs use this RAM only for sample loading that we play. Practically, this RAM capacity is 128MB only which a multisample set can use simultaneously (not 1 or 2 GB than we think at FLASH!).”
But, we have not any information from the MOXF keyboards, what size of this RAM memory which a MOXF manages.
Does anyone have any information about this? Thank you!

MOXF has no RAM, it cannot sample by itself.

meatballfulton - 17 January 2014 12:26 PM

MOXF has no RAM, it cannot sample by itself.

Okay, but where are loaded the samples from MOXF’s FLASH or it can direct stream playing? I do not understand the conception compared a Motif XF. How does it work?

djuice - 17 January 2014 12:59 PM

Okay, but where are loaded the samples from MOXF’s FLASH or it can direct stream playing? I do not understand the conception compared a Motif XF. How does it work?

The optional modules for the Motif XF and the MOXF use a type of memory called NOR flash. It can be randomly accessed and read very quickly, so that indeed the sample data is streamed directly in real time.

5pinDIN - 17 January 2014 03:31 PM

djuice - 17 January 2014 12:59 PM

Okay, but where are loaded the samples from MOXF’s FLASH or it can direct stream playing? I do not understand the conception compared a Motif XF. How does it work?

The optional modules for the Motif XF and the MOXF use a type of memory called NOR flash. It can be randomly accessed and read very quickly, so that indeed the sample data is streamed directly in real time.

Okay, but then what is the essence of the 128MB RAM memory in XFs?
My friend said, the size of multisample sets max. only 128MB that can use it in own Motif XF at same time. These sample sets stored on 2GB FLASH and load from there into the 128MB RAM.
I do not understand it, what is necessary the RAM in XFs, if even though it could also work with larger file sizes from FLASH directly? Or is it totally works differently in the XF and MOXF keyboards?

djuice - 18 January 2014 07:20 AM

5pinDIN - 17 January 2014 03:31 PM

djuice - 17 January 2014 12:59 PM

Okay, but where are loaded the samples from MOXF’s FLASH or it can direct stream playing? I do not understand the conception compared a Motif XF. How does it work?

The optional modules for the Motif XF and the MOXF use a type of memory called NOR flash. It can be randomly accessed and read very quickly, so that indeed the sample data is streamed directly in real time.

Okay, but then what is the essence of the 128MB RAM memory in XFs?
My friend said, the size of multisample sets max. only 128MB that can use it in own Motif XF at same time. These sample sets stored on 2GB FLASH and load from there into the 128MB RAM.
I do not understand it, what is necessary the RAM in XFs, if even though it could also work with larger file sizes from FLASH directly? Or is it totally works differently in the XF and MOXF keyboards?

Think of it this way.  The Motif XF provides a modest amount of DRAM (128 M) built into the unit in order to store sample and waveform data.  In contrast, the Motif XS required the owner to purchase optional DRAM cards in order to use the sampling features of the synth. So with the XF, you can use sampling features right out of the box. There are limitations: 1) DRAM does not retain its content when you power down, so you must reload your sample data each time you power up (just like on the XS) 2) you are restricted to samples that will fit in 128M.  The beauty of flash is that once you have loaded your data once, it is retained even after powering down, so you don’t have to spend time waiting for the data to load every time you turn on your synth.  Likewise, you can fit a lot more waveforms in 512M to 2G.  To use additional waveforms in the MOXF, you are REQUIRED to have a flash card (512M or 1G) but the data is retained through power off cycles once loaded. There is no sample RAM in the MOXF, it only uses flash memory.

In summary, the Motif XF can play sample waveforms from either DRAM or the optional flash card.  If you don’t have a flash card you can still use the DRAM.  The MOXF requires the optional flash card and does not have any sample DRAM built in.

djuice - 18 January 2014 07:20 AM

...Okay, but then what is the essence of the 128MB RAM memory in XFs?
My friend said, the size of multisample sets max. only 128MB that can use it in own Motif XF at same time. These sample sets stored on 2GB FLASH and load from there into the 128MB RAM.
I do not understand it, what is necessary the RAM in XFs, if even though it could also work with larger file sizes from FLASH directly? Or is it totally works differently in the XF and MOXF keyboards?

The 128MB User RAM is where you can work on data.  The Flash board is where you STORE and access data.

From Bad_Mister in This Thread:

“Samples can only be edited when they are in SDRAM not once they have been moved to the FLASH BOARD.

When you LOAD data to a FLASH BOARD you will see a message in the screen telling you it is “installing data to Flash Expansion Memory Module” once there it is in status known as Read Only… You cannot Edit the samples at that point, you can only access them with Voice parameters. Literally, the data can be read (played back) only.”