Disclaimer: Filter Analysis done and all opinions given by an absolute Motif fanboy

Originally I raised a question about Motif’s EG Depth Amount in this thread:

http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/480083/

After some very good feedback from 5pinDIN I started some experimentation, and after many many experimental sessions with my Motif Filters, FEG and FEG depth, and sensitivity and the Motif RM and Synth PM, the picture of the interrelationships between the Filter Cutoff, Cutoff Velocity Sensitivity, Filter Resonance Velocity Sensitivity, the EG Depth Velocity Sensitivity, and the EG Time Velocity Sensitivity and the Dynamic Filter are coming into more focus.  What I’m finding is the Motif’s Filter and FEG are incredibly powerful, flexible and dynamic.  After all my trial & error and experimentation, I still have a rhetorical question or two for interested folks on this forum :-)

But first, here is some filter behavior I discovered, perhaps the hard way but I discovered nonetheless.

1. The Filter cutoff and its resonance setting can be dynamically effected by velocity.  Even if the
FEG levels are set to zero. Depending on the velocity sensitivity setting for the filter the initial cutoff value can dynamically change and can be dynamic between elements within the same voice.  Whew…

2. The Hold, Attack, Decay1, Decay2, and Release stages of the FEG each have a + or - value that will interact with the Filters Cutoff value.  The initial cutoff of the filter can dynamically change as a result of velocity sensitivity settings.  In addition to this change, the FEG can cause the Filter’s cutoff to change dynamically over time (relative to the Filter’s current cutoff frequency).  i.e. each of the Envelope stage’s +/- values can interact with the filter’s dynamic cutoff.  For instance if the Filter’s cutoff is 75 its combined with the FEG level, depending on what stage of the FEG is active and what velocity sensitivity settings are in effect.

3.  The EG Depth is an additional place for dynamic (real time) adjustment of the filter’s cutoff.  The EG Depth is also +/- value that interacts with the +/- values of the filter’s envelop.  Once the note on event has happened and before the note off event, the envelope can said to be in one of five stages Hold, Attack, Decay1, Decay2, and Release.  Each stage has an associated +/- Cutoff Value represented by the Level parameter of the envelope. Depending on the EG Depth’s sensitivity setting, the EG Depth’s +/- value interacts with the Level value for which ever stage is active at the moment.

4.  The EG Time Sensitivity’s +/- value interacts with the time value for whichever stage is active at the time.  Meaning the Envelopes Cutoff Level and the duration of each stage can be dynamically impacted by velocity programming.

So the picture that’s appears to becoming more into focus is the Motif’s cutoff frequency is velocity sensitive at several levels:  the Filter level, at the and at the 5 Envelope stages, and at the EG Depth, EG Time Sensitivity levels all dynamically dependent on velocity.  Other things can factor in too such as scale settings.  But those are for another discussion.

In addition to this, Motif has a dynamic filter that can be set as an insert effect and controlled in real time.

So if anyone on this forum could get past my convoluted explanation.  Here is my outstanding (if not rhetorical) question:

Given that the Filter’s original cutoff is set in the Filter Type screen and can be responsive to velocity , and all other references to the that cutoff in either the Filter Envelope, or the EG Depth, are represented as (+)positive or (-) negative values relative to the current filter’s cutoff, but all also (potentially) influenced by velocity sensitivity parameters and we have this filter cutoff dynamism on an element by element basis, with the possibility of the whole thing being fed into INSA, and/or INSB which could be a dynamically realtime controlled filter.  How could the Motif’s filter programming possibly be limited in comparison to programming filters on any Analog Synth?

Lately I’ve been messing around with a friend’s Moog Matriarch very nice instrument.  Very nice filter section, very nice (but basic).  I’m sorry folks after a month or two messing around with it I found the Motif’s 18 Filter Availability and Programming far more extensive and flexible and far more controllable, dynamic and velocity driven than the Moog’s.  And when I add in Motif’s dynamic filter from the insert effects there was just no contest.

Is it that many Motif owners just don’t have the time or inclination to really delve into the filter programming and that’s why they believe Motif is at a disadvantage when it comes to Analog synths and filters, or was Yamaha’s advertising poor, or are analog synth owners just victims of romanticizing about the Analog Synth.  Don’t get me wrong the Moog Matriarch is nice (very nice) I loved the color thing going on too.  BUT TBH I found the Moog’s filter programming very simplistic and in fact limiting in comparison with the Motif!  Granted I spent less than 3 months with the Moog, so I could have just missed all of the good stuff.  But if the Moog’s filters are representative of the larger class of Analog Synths then they don’t even begin to compete with the programming flexibility and dynamic control of filters on a Motif.  Its not even close.

I know your basic analog synth is simpler, and easier to use and easier to program(for some), but that’s where the advantages end.  The Motif is a filter beast, if you have the time and inclination to really learn how to program them and experiment, the possibilities really are endless.