Hello all,

Long time lurker and for my first post, I am going to ask what will probably be a basic question to synth pros, so excuse this if it is easy mode! 

I am mainly a pianist, but over the last couple of years I’ve gotten into synths again.  I travel a lot for work; at home, I have a Motif XF7 that has a built in VOCODER function that I love to goof off with, mainly for ambient synth type music and for my niece and nephew who LOVE the robot voice! :)

At my other work location, I have a Motif ES7 and of course the VOCODER is not built in.  I have searched a lot here and from what I can tell the PLG 100-VH card will not emulate the XF’s VOCODER functionality for my purposes of just doing robotic voices. There are zero youtube videos of the VH card either, so I’m just basing my opinion on it from the Tyros Vocal Harmonizer videos. 

If indeed the VH card won’t do what I want, is there a hardware solution to this?  Is this something that I get around with just a VOCODER effects pedal, like a EH V256 and feed back into my ES7 to output over headphones? 

Appreciate any advice!

tr_motif - 23 July 2017 08:36 AM

Hello all,

Long time lurker and for my first post, I am going to ask what will probably be a basic question to synth pros, so excuse this if it is easy mode!

Welcome to the forum.

 

tr_motif -

I am mainly a pianist, but over the last couple of years I’ve gotten into synths again.  I travel a lot for work; at home, I have a Motif XF7 that has a built in VOCODER function that I love to goof off with, mainly for ambient synth type music and for my niece and nephew who LOVE the robot voice! :)

As you may be aware, the XF (and XS) don’t have a true vocoder, they have what Yamaha refers to as Vocoder Effect.

EDIT: See my post below.

 

tr_motif -

At my other work location, I have a Motif ES7 and of course the VOCODER is not built in.  I have searched a lot here and from what I can tell the PLG 100-VH card will not emulate the XF’s VOCODER functionality for my purposes of just doing robotic voices. There are zero youtube videos of the VH card either, so I’m just basing my opinion on it from the Tyros Vocal Harmonizer videos.

I don’t own an ES or have experience with the PLG100-VH. For what it’s worth, the ES Owner’s Manual, on page 74, says of the Vocal Harmony board “You can also use this synthesizer like a vocoder by connecting and using a microphone while playing the keyboard”. I don’t know whether that means it would be identical to what the XF/XS can do.

See http://faq.yamaha.com/us/en/article/music-production/plugins/plg100-vh/1985/2772/How_is_the_PLG100-VH_installed_in_a_MOTIF_ES_S90_ES_MOTIF_or_S90_and_used_as_a_vocoder

 

tr_motif -

If indeed the VH card won’t do what I want, is there a hardware solution to this?  Is this something that I get around with just a VOCODER effects pedal, like a EH V256 and feed back into my ES7 to output over headphones?

Here’s something you might find relevant:
http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/460176/

Hopefully members who have some experience with the PLG100-VH Vocoder Effect will join in.

Hi 5PinDin,

Thank you for the welcome and detailed reply! Very helpful!

That is the thing, the manuals and specs SEEM to imply the PLG100VH will do what I am looking to do on the ES. 

Here is a video of a XS6 doing what I am looking to do on the ES:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY2sQYaeaKo

If the PLG100VH card can do that type of voice, I’ll seek one out.  I would MUCH prefer to have an internal card than external kit, just for logistics and cabling. 

That is really all I use the Vocoder function for on the XF.

Hi tr_motif,

If you have a DAW and audio interface for your computer, you could look at something like VocalSynth by Izotope, there’s a demo download you can try out, too.

https://www.izotope.com/en/products/create-and-design/vocalsynth/sounds.html

That’s a very fun plugin and offers different sound(s) to the XF vocoder.

Apparently what the XF and XS contain is more than I had realized.
See http://www.motifator.com/index.php/archive/viewthread/403413/

After reading Bad_Mister’s post there, I’d like to take a guess that the PLG100VH sounds a little like a vocoder ONLY when the various options and controls for it are set to their extremities, very much like how people use Antares Auto Tune to get the T-Pain effect, which has become a popular and money spinning misuse of the plugin.

The PLG100VH is designed to provide harmonies and correct pitch on drifting notes, but I expect that if you do crank everything up on it and use it in “Victoria Beckham” mode, the outcome is more likely to be a Robot Vacuum Cleaner as a opposed to something hip sounding like the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica.

I was wondering what used prices are like for the MOX6 vs the PLG100VH in the US, as a way of getting the same vocoder sound back for the OP.

philwoodmusic - 23 July 2017 12:30 PM

After reading Bad_Mister’s post there, I’d like to take a guess that the PLG100VH sounds a little like a vocoder ONLY when the various options and controls for it are set to their extremities, very much like how people use Antares Auto Tune to get the T-Pain effect, which has been become a popular and money spinning misuse of the plugin.

The PLG100VH is designed to provide harmonies and correct pitch on drifting notes, but I expect that if you do crank everything up on it and use it in “Victoria Beckham” mode, the outcome is more likely to be a Robot Vacuum Cleaner as a opposed to something hip sounding like the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica.

I was wondering what used prices are like for the MOX6 vs the PLG100VH in the US, as a way of getting the same vocoder sound back for the OP.

Yeah I saw what BadMister had to say and that definitely puts doubt in my mind too.  I agree with all you and 5pinDIN have to say as well.  I can’t sing very well and harmonizing my voice would just be adding fuel to the fire! haha

You know, when I was looking for a travel synth, I looked at the MOX’s.  They sound great, but the keybed was not to my liking.  That is what sank the Roland FA-06 too for me: the key feel.  I like the feel of the FS and FSX in the Motifs better, probably due to playing piano for so long--I’m just overly concerned with keyfeel!  For reference though, the MOXF6 seems to go used for around $600 here in the states vs. the PLG100VH at around $150. 

As luck would have it, I found the ES7 in a pawn shop in Kentucky with a padded case in mint condition for $550 out the door.  I couldn’t pass that up, even though I was really looking for a 61 key originally.  The ES is still a very nice workstation, even without the vocoder effect.  :)

As for the DAW, I need to get onboard with that.  My XF came with a free key for Cubase if I recall.  So much tech, so little time!

Fair enough.

I was hoping that if you could find a MOX6 for a silly price, which is possible, not a MOXF6 as such, because they are current and hold their value better, you might want to control it with your ES7 via MIDI and play its vocoder with the nicer keys on that. 

That was a thought if the now surely scarce availability of the PLG100VH had driven its price up, but from what you’re saying, it hasn’t.

Yeah it seems the VH never really caught on much.  The other cards seem to command higher prices though for sure.  I appreciate your help, definitely helped me clarify things! 

This is a friendly forum, I think I’ll stick around!