IMAGE UPDATE:

Protection from scratches with my own custom Space theme.

Lighting in the pictures kinda sucked so I tried to brighten them up a little.  The black background is actually darker than in the picture.

Sorry, about picture quality.  It’s not my thing.  But wanted to share my results.

My first vinyl skin project turned out pretty good and wanted to share here on Motifator.  I bought a blank template for the MOTIF XS7 from http://www.StyleFlip.com and requested to have them send me a photoshop image of the template.  You can edit it from the web site but for the level of detail I needed to do it wasn’t possible.  Since they only had the XS7 and not the XF.  But being so similar I thought I’d give it a shot.  The text layer they provide doesn’t work either since some of the labeling for the buttons changed from XS to XF.  Also the layout for the inputs on the back of the keyboard are completely different.  I measured over from buttons on the front to get a general idea of where the labeling on the back should go.

Also to note that the template didn’t fit exactly.  I assumed that the main layout from the XS7 to the XF7 was the same.  Not sure if there was a difference or the vinyl skin had shrunk from being frozen in the mailbox.  Turn’s out that the skin is flexible and will stretch a little but needed to use a hair dryer to warm up sections and make up a 1/2” that it was short on one end.  Along with the button layout holes being a 1/2” short from one end to the other.  It was also 1/2” long on the pitch wheel side so just trimmed it once I was done.  Just a little heat and it would stretch as much as I needed.  Didn’t take much and was careful not to stretch to much of it.  After a 2 hour session I was able to get the skin on the face. 

Pretty fun project, I worked on it for 2 months after receiving the template and learned alot about photoshop in the meantime.  Very pleased with the results.

It looks very busy.  Difficult to tell if every surface area is covered or not.
Interesting

Thank’s for your reply Richie.  I’d have to agree with you a little.  For I have already cut alot out and had changed the whole theme a couple times, for the same reason you mentioned.  As far as this space scene goes, things look alot different when put into concept.  I’m still pretty happy with the overall general appearance.  I really just love to play it more than look at it anyway’s.  I’m by the no mean’s distracted from the look’s when infront of it.  In fact, I wanted it to say”....look, Come Play Me! “ - It feels really tuff and scratch proof too, Like a car dashboard. 

After looking at all these different idea’s for layout style, I think Yamaha did a excellent job with their design.  After a couple months of creating different templates I found that the original design was the most pleasing along with my art for the ‘old amp style’ around the [ Multi Part Control ] dial’s.  After going through all this trouble I didn’t want to just protect it and make it look like another one of Yamaha’s wonderful Masterpieces.  I just had to throw something at it to say I was here.  Thank’s again for posting.  Time to play!

Cool...I made my own about a year ago...mine’s not vinyl though but a very heavy poster paper…

Aw.man..  That is so sweet.  You’ve even got it under the key’s.  Look’s really good. I like it.  I didn’t even know anyone else had tried to modified the aesthetics of there Yamaha. 

There’s a forum thread over on Korg for show us your setup or something like that.  That’s something I think is missing from the Motifator forum.  Nobody’s keyboard was necesarily modified, just a picture of there setup.

I had my camera set to Macro, but still blurry.  Maybe the kids had been playing around with my phone and buggered up the lens.

Thanks!  I absolutely love my custom XF7 and hope you love yours too!  I originally bought a very thin clear plastic sheet and planned to trim it to the exact shape and paint it...but the prototype didn’t turn out so well so I took a different approach.  Created my “space nebula” jpg big enough then had Staples stationary store print it out on a massive sheet of heavy poster paper...then just cut to fit and attach with double sided tape.  There was actually a thread all about this that I was involved in about a year and a half ago...you can find it here:

http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/462805/P0/

Motif On!

Very cool, both units… We had a custom Motif done several years ago… I invite both of you to get some good pictures and we’ll post them on the Yamaha Music Production Facebook page. And I’ll have to find out if we still have that special Motif.

Thanks Bad_Mister!  The pictures I posted are the best close ups I have.  Here’s a single pic that gets most of the XF7.  Is there a different picture you’d like me to take?  Just let me know what you’re looking for and I’ll give it a shot!

Hay Mutiny, I was wanting to ask how you attached the skin.  That’s pretty cool.  I got lost from your link and ended up with a new firmware and new insert FX’s.  Started looking into making my own first samples and attaching them to voice’s.  I’m wanting to splice up some drum loops next.  Not quite sure If it’s easier to play loops from the computer or have them all on the motif?

I’m gonna work on getting a nice picture like you have cropped down.  The lighting is just a tricky thing, I’m not so experienced with.  For one it seams to relect the light alot so it’s hard to get a decent picture.

Ohhh..I found a what seams like a major flaw that I’ve overlooked on my template.  It’s right there in plain sight in three of my pictures.  I Looked at this image for 2 months and only just realized it right infront of my face.  It wouldn’t be fair If I told you what it was but It’s been fixed and just the fact that I mentioned it is enough of a hint.  Since someone should of noticed it, it’s that blatant.  It must be some human condition that makes us so blind to the obvious.  If nobody see’s it then it’s all good.  It will be corrected in the final updated picture.

Hey Mike, I looked at your pics and can’t find the error. Since you said it was obvious I thought you might have misspelled Yamaha or something :-)

I had a hard time getting good pics as well but I finally used a digital camera with a flash and just experimented with several different ambient light sources too.  If you’re trying to get a great shot with a cell phone app you could be in for quite a struggle!  Anyway, what I really like about your approach is it really protects the front panel where mine is really more focused on the look.  Great job!

Damn...It’s too funny.  I didn’t see it either until I played it a couple days and something started to feel really off.

Cool thread you pointed me too.  There’s all kinds of cool ideas in there.  Man, If I had another one to do I’d take the whole body off and paint it.  Then make a skin that would blend in with the new color. 

I’m sure your skin protects it too.

I’ll have to do what you said about taking the picture.  I’m going out of town and won’t be back until wednesday.  Will get that together then.

Also trying to get together with the owner of styleflip to get a template up on the site specifically for the XF.  I should get a response from them Monday when there back in the shop.

Wow, removing and painting the actual body would be quite an undertaking.  My original thoughts were along those lines too but then I began thinking of the ramifications of a poorly done paint job.  And since I’m not equipped to do super high quality painting with a compressor/airbrush/etc I just decided it wasn’t worth the risk.  Then there’s always the issue of custom painting the XF then wanting to sell it in the future to buy the next Yamaha Super Duper Motif.  A custom skin would be tough to unload.  I even passed on my next idea of creating a super thin plastic cover and painting that.  I found it much easier to work with a design on the laptop and perfect it there rather than trying to physically paint what I had in my mind.  If you do decide to actually paint yours, I hope you post the results of that, I’d love to see what you come up with!

A white Motif wouldn’t be a bad idea at all because white reflects sunlight heat back while black attracts heat and makes the machine turn very hot if you’re playing outside, specially on a hot summer day. The new workstation from Yamaha should be available in two or three colors, black, white and silver.

That would be cool to offer the kybd in multiple colors...kind of a nightmare for stores to stock a selection of each color though.  I remember the craziest color synth I ever had was a bright yellow Waldorf Q.  Fun synth but it had this tiny LCD that drove me crazy :-)

I updated the picture...Still could come up with something better.  I agree with your thought’s on painting your motif.  I went through the same questions and concern’s before I found the XS vinyl skin template.  I really don’t plan on changing my motif again.  I’ve learned alot from this project and it has givin me more ideas, along with that forum thread you pointed me too.

I woke up this morning with a white motif xf image in my head.  I wasn’t sure about a white one since I’ve seen the white korg keyboard pick up quite a bit of dirt.  They were all at Guitar Center and a bunch of dirty fingers were all over them I’m sure.  Then I realized that the vinyl skin would’nt pick up dirt as much as a matte paint would.  Plus you could give the paint a clear gloss.  White with black buttons and lettering.  Sure glad I’m not looking at doing another for a while because it might take me forever to figure out if I liked red, yellow, or white. Just taking a picture turns out to be a project in itself.  lol

For anyone else that’s interested, it’s in the works to get a MOTIF XF7 template up on there site.  If there’s interest they might be able to also make a XF6 also.  Never hurts to ask. 

Email Reply from StyleFlip.com - concerning any differences between XS and XF sizes.

Sorry for the delay. If your skin was frozen in the mailbox it is likely that it did shrink in the mailbox, however another factor could be that it was for a different product. Ashley will get back to you about getting this up on the site, but she wants to make sure the template is perfect before doing so.

Hey Mike, your new pictures look fantastic...now I can really get an idea for how cool your design turned out!  Another great thing about our skins is that they’re so much easier to clean than the existing matte finish.  Took me awhile to figure out but I finally read in another thread that the way to clean the matte is with a micro fiber towel.  Bought one from my local auto parts store and it works magic with the matte finish. 

If you’re curious what a white XF would look like I made this for someone in that other thread...and also an orange one which was my original plan...Also, if you like to play with a paint program it’s easy to download one of these images and change the color yourself to try different looks :-)