I am conflicted. Love my XS but I am seeing (I think) that the MOFX is more computer link-up friendly and has a more robust engine. I do rely on Performance Mode quite a bit. Many of the XS Performance’s sound a little dated to me - I am thinking that the MOFX has the best of the XS and more contemporary patches. I don’t know if the MOFX has as many Voices and Performance’s as the XS.
Would someone please tell me the upside of getting rid of my XS for the MOFX - and the downside! I did add the full 1MB of RAM to my XS.

and finally, would I get all the functionality of the MOFX if I sold my XS and moved into a XF - or are there improvements in the MOFX that even trump the XF.

P. S. I tried the MOXF yesterday. I really, really like it!

The mo series s sound quality is not as good as the motifs. I advice you to listen to a lot of demos on youtube to compare them. You can always buy new sound presets and performances online for your xs.

Bertrand - You sure about being able to buy new Performances for my XS? It has been 2 years since I last looked and I found nothing then....except for a free download that was done by some folks in Japan.
I am a guitar player....not so much a keyboard guy so I have not kept up. In fact I have about a thousand posts on this forum from some years back but I can’t remember my user name or password and Motifator will not let me search for my old account by my email address.
Anyway, do you have a link to where I could buy new voices and performances for my XS?

I searched on the internet but didnt find anything. There are presets you can buy on this website in the shop menu but im not sure if this what you are looking for. If the MOXF can give you a lot of inspiration so maybe you should go for it.
Bertrand

The XS has 2,670 Waveforms in ROM, the MOXF has 3,977.
The XS has 6,633 Arps, the MOXF has 7,981.
The XS has 1,024 Preset Normal Voices and 64 Drum Kits.
The MOXF has 1,152 Preset Normal Voices and 72 Drum Kits.
The XS and MOXF have the same number (384) of User Voice locations.
The XS has 384 Performance locations, the MOXF has 256.
The XS has sampling, the MOXF doesn’t.
The XS sequencer has about 130,000 note capacity, the MOXF 226,000.
The XS doesn’t have step sequencing, the MOXF does.
The XS keyboard has aftertouch, the MOXF doesn’t.
The XS supports MIDI via USB, the MOXF also does audio via USB.
The XS Master Mode can have up to 8 zones, the MOXF can have 4 zones.
The XS display is larger than that of the MOXF, and in color.

The XS has optional volatile SDRAM memory for loading samples.
The MOXF has optional non-volatile flash memory for samples.
Therefore, loading samples to the XS is much faster than to the MOXF, but in the MOXF they’ll remain even when the power is turned off.

Those are some of the differences between the XS and MOXF - there are others.

bertrand18m - 29 October 2013 10:33 PM

The mo series s sound quality is not as good as the motifs. I advice you to listen to a lot of demos on youtube to compare them. [...]

I’d advise not using online video demos as a means of deciding sound quality of a synth. The quality of the demos is quite variable, and can be very misleading. A live demo is the way to make a determination.

What about the overall physical quality, and the keys ?

Do you really use often the preset performances ?

maahou - 30 October 2013 04:54 AM

What about the overall physical quality, and the keys ? [...]

There’s no question that the MOXF is a lot more “plasticky” than the XS (or XF), but whether that would be an issue depends on the type of usage it will get. For some people, the lighter weight of the MOXF is a plus.

Hi Kevin,
Deciding to purchase a new keyboard is a personal decision. specifications are just specifications. We make different models when we can offer a different enough feature set to support a sizable audience.

The people who think they can tell the sound of an Motif XS from the sound of a MOXF are either bragging or lying… They should take a blindfold test - I guarantee they would not be able to tell. Whether or not there is a difference is not even important in this, they are assuming they could tell. if you are a betting person… Get in on that action. The differences might be measurable but to say you could pick it out without seeing it, in a true “listening only” test, I doubt it.

It really is a “Do these shoes fit my feet?” issue, what feature set is right for you can only be decided by you. If you are looking for what we call “a get out of jail free card” then asking folks on a forum like this is exactly what you are doing… You are looking for some one to say Oh, yeah, definitely do this… So that if it doesn’t work out, you can say, but YOU told me to.

Only you know if the feature set of the MOXF appeals to you. There are enough differences in the specs for YOU to make up your OWN mind. How would any of us know what is most important to you?

I can tell you this, they are both great products… If some one told you how many of each product sold, would that help you? If you answer yes, you’d be wrong. That does not even make a difference. Perhaps more people don’t have the money… That is not important. But people do that all the time. Rely on others for decisions that they need to make themselves…

Sorry if I sound like I’m lecturing, just trying to give you some advice.

I told some one the other day… When you can’t understand why anyone would spend more on a product, you have found one that is right for you… They were wondering how the Motif XF would remain relevant now that the MOXF is out. Obviously the differences were not meeting their fancy… But to not understand that others may have different requirements is simply a very narrow view. They are not realizing that not everyone has the same requirements as they do.

It’s Ike saying my little Smart Car gets me everywhere I need to go, why would anyone spend more on a vehicle?  (really! Maybe they have four kids, etc., etc., etc…

Do your own analysis and make your own decision. Write down everything you miss… Then determine just how much…

Hope that helps.
(update)
I see in another post you said:  “I really like the new MOXF but have the XS and can’t justify the cost for a few additional voices/performances.”

See, so the USB audio/MIDI interface, the expansion Flash Board, etc., etc., are of no importance to you ... So there you go, you can decide… :-)

kevinlamb - 29 October 2013 10:45 PM

Bertrand - You sure about being able to buy new Performances for my XS? It has been 2 years since I last looked and I found nothing then....except for a free download that was done by some folks in Japan.
I am a guitar player....not so much a keyboard guy so I have not kept up. In fact I have about a thousand posts on this forum from some years back but I can’t remember my user name or password and Motifator will not let me search for my old account by my email address.
Anyway, do you have a link to where I could buy new voices and performances for my XS?

Perhaps I am missing something here, but the Shop is full of Libraries containing new VOICES and PERFORMANCES for the XS(?)

Thanks, all, for the feedback. No flippant answers here...this is such a big help. 5pinDIN - thanks for writing in such length - that took a lot of time and thought and helps so much. Phil, same goes! I will see you at NAMM again in January and tell you what decision I made!
I have not been to the “Shop” in a long time. If I can get some new Performances I may hold on to the XS a little longer...but I have to say - Yamaha has hit a huge home run with this new machine at this price point. It is simply amazing that Yamaha would put this much power in a users hands for such a low price. If I did not have to buy a Fender Strat I’d just keep the XS and get the MOFX too!

OK. Went to the Shop. I see lots of Voice libraries - but I am totally satisfied with what the XS came with. What I really need is more “Performances.” I know Phil is going to tell me to make my own but that is just not something I have proven to be very good at.
So, does the “Shop” sell any product that is just new Performance configurations? My problem with what is in the XS is that the Rock/Pop stuff sounds dated to me- it is really heavy on “80’s” patches - I really need stuff that is 2010 going forward. I figured someone would take advantage of this need and put something together.

It is hard to find performances but what about patterns like drum loops or synth arps? You can try one of the patterns available in the shop menu of motifator or even download free midifiles on the internet. just type free midi patterns on google, there are a lot of websites. be careful about virus. What you could also do is loading a default performance of the XS and try to modify it, change a few notes, drum kits or sounds.
Good luck!

What I really need is more “Performances.” I know Phil is going to tell me to make my own but that is just not something I have proven to be very good at.

Ha, ha, you know me well… I was gearing up to say just that.

I think what you are running into is, the forest and trees thing. Where in creating a new PERFORMANCE you are so close to it, its hard to get perspective. I have something to try (and why):

Approaching a PERFORMANCE some one else has assembled includes a certain amount of ‘instant’ experimentation on your part. So your music senses are being ‘challenged’, right then, to react and perhaps inspire yourself to play a certain thing. This is the spark that makes interacting with a good Performance, enjoyable. Personal musical “aha-moments”!

Well you have to find that same “challenge” and have the same kind of “aha-moments” in creating your own Performances. Because it is so very component driven when you are assembling your own from scratch (that is, if you start with just choosing one instrument with an arp, and building it up one PART at a time)… try calling up an already made Performance and use it as a starting point; you don’t even have to like what it is doing, (in fact, it works better when you DON’T like what it is doing)… and start to change the ingredients… each step making it less dis-likable.

Taking a different approach can often help. Explore the “ARP OTHER” page and its ARP PLAY FX, experiment until you are comfortable with what each of the parameters does and can contribute (not only do you get to program your own, but you’ll have plenty of “aha-moments” as you step through those parameters).

You bet, creating your own can be educational as well.

Anyway, sorry for being predictable, and hope to see you in January!

OK! I will give it a go. Like I mentioned, I am a guitar player and most of my time has to be spent on that instrument - but I will give it a go. Yes, see you in January!