I hope the length of this post does not turn everyone off (crossing fingers. lol)

Background: I use a Motif ES6 for years now in a cover band.  I use it for mostly layers and splits in Pattern mode where I assign different Voices per Channel/Track and activate it (using the “Mode") as I play. This gives me up to 16 sounds on demand for a song. This is a trick I discovered at a forum/thread ages ago to avoid the cutoff associated with changing voices. I hope it made sense I how I use my keyboard.

However, sometimes, 16 tracks for a complex song or medley is not enough…

1) Mainstage
This made me explore Mainstage (MS) for the Mac. (http://www.apple.com/mainstage/). In a nutshell, I configure everything on MS on my Mac laptop and I use Motif ES6 as a controller. In MS, I can configure splits and layers into “patches” using MS internal sounds and effects as well as some sounds from external sound modules (like the Motif ES6). I can setup the most complex splits and layers and access it by simply selecting a patch I preconfigured before a gig. I am probably oversimplifying MS at this point but I am attempting to be succinct.

2) Lighter Rig
All this mobile (laptop) setup made me think of “traveling light” and retiring my heavy Motif ES6 and moving to what I think is a lighter yet still powerful setup - laptop + audio interface + MX61.

Problem/s:
a) MS is RAM hog and it taxes the CPu a lot for complex setups. I can be smart about setups and be careful with demanding plug-ins but I think, bottomline, my laptop’s age is showing (2007 MacBook Pro). i would like to stick to it though until I get a new one.

b) I am experiencing that in MS, I can send MSB/LSB to each channel to the Motif ES6 (Omni mode) and it will call up the correct voices. MultiTimbral tone module and keyboard controller at the same time! Very cool! MS at this point literally replaced my Motif ES6 Pattern Mode interface WHILE I maintain the Motif ES6 sound.  However, the volume controls on the Motif seems global. Meaning, if i adjust the volume on say one of the channels in my split/layer setup (aka MS “Patch"), other the channels seems to adjust as well.

c) Again, Motif ES6 seems heavy and inconvenient as a keyboard controller and sound module now that I am seeing the potential with MS.

ANY opinion is welcome for any above as well as the following ideas.

I think i can address the problems this way:

a) I can save CPU and RAM by using the Motif ES6 as a multitimbral module as much as possible. Other tips from Apple forums also exist to save resources on laptop.
b) NO IDEA on how to solve this and actually this is my MAIN QUESTION right now. Maybe I need to find a way to make each channel independent outputs from my Motif? Unfortunately, Motif ES6 only has 4 outputs.
c) From watching YouTube videos, I learned that the MX series, is the lightest “Motif” and can be a very powerful multitimbral source as well and is super duper light. I am still worried that I will have the same problem “b)” above though.

Whew! Thanks for getting to this point of the post.

-Zack

I’ve been figuring out a change from my mainstage setup as well.  Currently thats all I use and I’m actually thinking of getting a motif es/xs or moxf6 (lighter).  To me the MX was just to cheap feeling and not enough going on with it.

An option you might consider maybe selling your es for an es rack or xs rack.  With the xs rack you could use the firewire card as an audio interface too.  This way you could just use a nice midi controller. That’s something I’ve thought about.  I would like to ditch the computer myself for awhile anyhow, even though I’ve had good success running mainstage.

What did you end up doing?

This is what I’m doing too.

a) I use Sforzando for sampled sounds and I can write costume files to play my own samples pretty easy. It takes RAM but it’s very light weight on CPU and RAM (depends) and easy to use also it’s FREE and there are lots of free sfz sample libraries online. My macbook is 2009, 8GB ram so not much problem in loading multiple instruments but VSTs are CPU hogs, therefore I prefer to use VSTs only when they instruments are clearly heard. For backing mostly MOX and for solo stuff -> VST and I don’t think even Montage can beat this setup. I take advantage of the sequencer heavily though (although it has lot of short comings but it’s still functional). The arpeggiator on MOX (and MOTIF series generally) is powerful and better than MS. One problem with this approach is the inconsistency in the effects… I ended up with totally different effects and spent some time to get a satisfactory result from MS.

b) I don’t have MOTIF ES, I have MOX.

c) I highly suggest a used in good condition MOX/F in this case. The new MOXF doesn’t worth the money Yamaha asking.

zackqaz1022 - 18 November 2015 08:31 PM

However, the volume controls on the Motif seems global. Meaning, if i adjust the volume on say one of the channels in my split/layer setup (aka MS “Patch"), other the channels seems to adjust as well.

If all the parts in the MS patch are on the same MIDI channel when you send volume changes (CC#7) all the parts receive it and change in volume together.

If your goal is to balance sounds within an MS patch you would have to do that at the device (hard or soft) creating that sound. That would be the Mixing screen of the ES or the volume knob of a softsynth.

thanks, abdol. i will look into that sforzando deal. looks cool and useful.

Metbalfulton, I learned what you said about cc/volume eventually. I was confused with different Motif modes.  I actually tried to hookup an MX61 then a MOXF6 and that is when it occured to me - the MIDI channel!  Also, funny how you suggested a used MOXF6.  I went with that! lol Thanks

Keg, like I said, I eventually went with MOXF6. :-)