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How Can I Upgrade & Keep my MOTIF Pattern Mode?

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Okay so I've been riding with the MOTIF series pretty hard since around 2004. A lot of my work (and play!) has been as a church musician, particularly in small church environments where there aren't many instrumentalists and I'm either leading worship solo or with a few voices and/or instruments.

I've been loyal to the MOTIF primarily because of its Pattern mode ... I've learned how to create arrangements and assign each section of the arrangement to a Pattern Section. On the MOTIF ES, XS and XF, there are hardware buttons that correspond to each pattern, and it makes it easy for me to sing and lightly play a bit here and there while mostly just using the pattern mode for playback. It gives me the freedom to do shorter or longer arrangements depending on what I need for time or what I happen to be feeling in the moment, but I can still use the MOTIF to craft the sound I'm looking for (usually some combination of gospel, hip-hop and/or pop-rock, with a few EDM flavors here and there). Specifically, I use the sequencer because programming my arrangements beforehand helps me stay more fully present and helps me to be a better performer, because I'm not having to devote extra brain space to playing all the fast, intricate chord progressions and riffs that I want to play. It helps me to be both a singer and instrumentalist; without it, I would probably have to pick one or the other. That's what Pattern mode does for me.

The XF is getting a little long in the tooth and I'm looking for newer, more interesting sounds, which was why I was SUPER pumped about the MONTAGE until I realized that they dropped all of the sequencer capability.

I've since read up on the Genos, but I'm not sure it can do what I'm looking for. Is there currently or are there any plans for a Yamaha board that can do this, or do I just need to do what everyone else is doing and start running Ableton off of my laptop?

I'm guessing that I could probably replicate my current workflow by getting an MODX 6 or 7, and then using Ableton for live playback... but I really LOVED having an all-in-one solution, and I don't like the visual obstruction of having a laptop on a stand next to or in front of my keyboard. I still want to be able to use the keyboard to play here and there, but not be limited to my physical playing.

For the first time in my life I actually have some money to spend on something new, but I'm not sure what to get.

any thoughts?

 
Posted : 04/09/2019 6:41 pm
Jason
Posts: 7896
Illustrious Member
 

Genos, an arranger keyboard, has typically been used as a "one man band" solution. Maybe not exactly as you've used Motif in past - but does provide significant offload as it plays more than you physically play.

If you like pattern mode but want to update your sounds - maybe use pattern mode and an external sound module, or keyboard as an external sound generator, or virtual instrument (you can close your laptop and tuck it away - or use a tablet and also tuck it away). https://www.yamahasynth.com/motifxf-category/sequencing-with-external-modules

Motif has lots of expansion sound libraries out there. Not sure if you've run through all of those (for "updating" your Motif).

 
Posted : 04/09/2019 8:16 pm
Posts: 0
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Yeah, I've checked out the expansions. Not enough of the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

I just got word of the new rebooted Roland Fantom... that might be what I'm looking for, but I'd have to see more to know for sure.

 
Posted : 06/09/2019 9:37 pm
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