Need some help,
Just picked up two sound packs from keyfax ‘Virtual Grand Piano VR60” and “Vintage Keys”. Great sounds I must say.
However, in the past, I was always able to extract from a sound pack the individual voices I needed and then add them to my Master sounds.
But these two packs only open as a whole. Is there anything I can do to fix this? Some editing software possibly?

Thanks, David Ponze

Hi David,

What file format did you get your new voices in? If they are in .W7V (Voice) or .W7A (All) files, the Motif ES will happily load single voices directly from them, simply by setting Type = Voice at the Load screen and browsing through each set.

Make sure that your Motif ES is in Voice mode when loading these files, as only files relevant to the mode are shown and able to load.

Also remember that the All/Voice files come in pairs (e.g. filename.w7v + filename.w8v). Although only the .w7v file will be visible in the Motif ES Load menu, the .w8v file must also be present in the same folder on your USB stick/SmartMedia card. Please check on your computer that both are in fact there.

If this somehow doesn’t work for you, you will be able to copy/paste or import individual voices between libraries using Yamaha’s own Voice Editor for the Motif ES, which is free. Use this editor to bulk dump your instrument’s current voices to the computer via MIDI, and save it as a .W7E (Editor) library file. Then load your new set of voices on the Motif ES, bulk it too to the computer and save a library file. Open the first file again, and copy individual voices to this library from your second file. Save the resulting library and copy it to your USB/SmartMedia (the Motif ES should be able to load this format), or bulk the contents back to the Motif ES.

There are other software options as well, such as motif.factory or John Melas’ tools, that are able to do the same sort of thing.

- H -

Henry,

I hope I can ask for your assistance one more time.
The files I received for the Motif ES are .W7A .W8A .W7G .W8G .W7E and .W8E, I have opened and looked at single voices many times, but this packet will open in voice mode but will not show the modified user voices. It only shows the list of native voices. Only the W7A is recognized for the Motif to open and yes both files W7A and W9A are within the same directory. I tried in all file modes.

This has never happened to me before. I have loaded and saved individual voices many times from voice packs just using the Motif and a thumb drive.

Not sure how to proceed or if it’s even possible with the two Voice packets I bought. I tried emailing Keyfax and I got no response.
I am having difficulties getting the studio manager to synchronize.
I am not totally midi ignorant, but maybe somewhat.
I followed the midi configuration in the instructions… Not sure what channel everything should be. I tried different configs but will not sync.

The other software providers are non-responsive to my emails.
I’ll gladly purchase a product if I know it’s going to solve my situation.

Thanks for the information you have given me thus far
David

Sure, no problem!

The file formats are the correct ones for the Motif ES. The .W7G/.W8G files are User Arpeggio data.

It only shows the list of native voices.

Do you mean the voices that were stored in the User banks from the factory? If yes, how about the User Performances; Are they the factory defaults too? I suggest checking that you haven’t overwritten the file with factory data. Also, are you able to open and inspect the .W7E file in Voice Editor?

With regards to the software, I’d recommend that you keep trying with Voice Editor/Studio Manager. After all, if you can’t get it to communicate with your Motif ES, there’s the risk that you’d be just as stuck with the alternative editors as well. Once it works, however, you could consider those options. If your Motif ES responds to MIDI coming from the computer (song playback from a software sequencer, etc.) and vice-versa, the connection is OK, and you most likely just have to get your Voice Editor/Studio Manager MIDI settings right.

In Studio Manager’s MIDI setup, activate the MIDI input and output ports that correspond to your Motif ES (if you use the Motif ES’s USB-MIDI interface, only its first input and output is needed for now). If you haven’t already, add the Motif ES Voice Editor to the Studio Manager workspace. Once you open Voice Editor, select the same MIDI input/output ports in its setup and leave the other settings as they were (MIDI Ch: 1, Device No: 1, Dump Interval: 20ms, Export to Host: Library data). Click the Receive Bulk button on the toolbar, and see if voice data can be transmitted.

Note: The most recent versions of Voice Editor/Studio Manager require that your Motif ES is updated to the final v1.08 firmware. Power on the Motif ES while holding down the [REC] and [STORE] buttons to display the current version.

Note: If you are connecting your computer to the Motif ES via USB (recommended), remember to select USB as your Motif ES’s MIDI In/Out (Utility mode -> [F5] MIDI -> [SF4] Other). It is also a good idea to check that you have the latest USB-MIDI driver installed.

- H -

Henry,

I have had a little success with John Melas Total Library.
It performed a total receive all. Populated fields.
Maybe after doing Auto configuration of midi.

It is just in demo mode at this point. I have not been able to communicate with them?

I tried manual transfer of the settings into Yamaha studio manager with no prevail.
Midi in/out = Yamaha Motif ES 1 device I’d 1 20 sec time-out
I trued doing bulk data dump but it just timed out.
I have uninstalled old usb driver and loaded the latest usb midi driver from Yamaha. Also un/install Studio Manager 2.
I am able for the first time able to Synchronize To Hardware but not from Hardware in Yamaha Studio Manager. I am getting closer to my original goal. Just not quite there yet.

Thanks for your help!
David

That’s progress, I guess, but I must confess I’m a bit puzzled at the moment. Does John Melas’ editors send data to the Motif ES successfully as well?

I trued doing bulk data dump but it just timed out.

In which direction? Did you initiate the process in Voice Editor?

A timeout in Studio Manager/Voice Editor usually indicates that there is a setting mismatch between your instrument and the software. For one, check that your Motif ES’s MIDI Device Number ([UTILITY] -> [F5] MIDI -> [SF1] CH -> DeviceNo) matches the Voice Editor setting.

There could be other factors in play too, though. I would assume that RcvBulk is already “On” (Utility mode -> [F5] MIDI -> [SF2] SWITCH), since John’s editor was able to receive data and SM synchronization worked in the other direction, but check it too. If it says “Protect” instead, Voice Editor/Studio Manager will be prevented from communicating bidirectionally.

- H -

Henry,

I have not tried sending data to the Motif from Melas editors. It is in demo mode and I did not have anything meaningful to send.
I am also a bit concerned that the board and software on the Motif ES could get corrupted during all of my experimentation.

“I tried doing bulk data dump but it just timed out”

I performed a dump in the Yamaha Voice Editor from Motif to PC

I will check your suggestions.
Thanks David

I am also a bit concerned that the board and software on the Motif ES could get corrupted during all of my experimentation.

The lifespan of electronic components is one thing, but the Motif ES operating system isn’t without bugs (even the 1.08 version), so a factory reset every now and then won’t hurt.

- H -

Henry,

All is well that ends well.

I am doing total downloads and uploads of modified voices/performances.
I did end getting the Melas suit and it is sweet. I am loving it. If everything goes south at least I’ve enjoyed the moment. And I backed it up. It is doing exactly what I wanted… all these years,man

I am not exactly sure what fixed my communication problems but I do believe it was one or both of the following.
1 I didn’t realize I needed to exit Utility mod.
2 At some point I say what the hay, and selected auxiliary ports.
Many usb driver and software loads in-between so I am not to sure. BUT IT WORKS!

Thanks for all your support. David

Auxiliary ports should not have been selected

Very happy to hear that you succeeded, David!
Out of curiousity: What are the auxiliary ports that you are referring to?

- H -

Henry,

The Aux ports are within the MIDI setup within the Librarian PC software I am using.

Question
Is it possible to reorder the Performances within the displayed selections on the Motif ES?
They change from the Performance Transmit All within Librarian but don’t completely stay in order.
What determines a Performance display order?

Thanks
David

I would assume that the Performance and Voice banks are listed by their Program number in your editor by default, in the same order that your Motif ES displays them when in Voice/Performance mode. It might be possible to sort them differently in the editor, so check that.

Changing the order (bank/program number) is a simple drag-and-drop operation in the editor, but remember to transmit the reordered bank(s) back to the instrument, or the two won’t correspond.

- H -