VST Editor vs Studio Manager Editor (for Motif XS and Motif Rack XS)

There are now two Motif XS Editors (and two Motif-Rack XS Editors), how do you determine which one you should be using?

There are now two variations of the Motif XS and Motif-Rack XS Editors:

1) The STUDIO MANAGER version Editors: Motif XS Editor version 1.3.0 / Motif-Rack XS Editor version 1.3.0
2) The VST3 version Motif XS Editor VST version 1.5.0 / Motif-Rack XS Editor VST version 1.5.0

What’s the difference?

If you are using the IEEE1394/mLAN firewire connection to your computer to record audio and MIDI, you may wish to move to the Motif XS Editor VST version 1.5.0. This works within the Cubase series DAW versions 4.5 (or later) as a VST3 Plug-in.

That means you can address your Motif XS hardware via the same interface that you would a computer-based VST INSTRUMENT. You therefore do not need the STUDIO MANAGER host application because you will launch the Motif XS EDITOR VST from the VST INSTRUMENT Rack. This allows those using the IEEE1394/mLAN connector to easily transfer audio via 8 stereo buses to Cubase, and VST effects to your Motif XS parts and allows automation via typical VST protocol.

You’d use the Studio Manager version of the Motif XS editor if you have multiple Yamaha products with Studio Manager editors and want to save your entire Yamaha studio setup as part of your Cubase project file .

So to review if you want to use the VST editor, you don’t need Studio Manager because you can’t use the Motif XS VST editor inside Studio Manager.  If you want to use Studio Manager editor because you have multiple Yamaha products with Studio Manager support , then you don’t need the VST editor.

These editors serve different purposes and you have to choose which editor is best for your system and particular way of working.

Here are links to the Motif XS Editor VST: Getting Started Guides:
PART ONE: A Getting Started Guide
PART TWO: A Getting Started Guide

Here are links to the Motif XS (Studio Manager) Editor Guides:
Macintosh/Cubase/USB
Windows/Cubase/USB