Νεα Yamaha synths: MOXF6 & MOXF8

[Waterfall-K]

Δεν θελει να κανει transpose, θελει  "δύο όργανα αλλά να παίζουν και τα δύο σε ψηλές οκτάβες". Για Split μιλησε.

[Μανώλης Χναράκης]

Δεν θελει να κανει transpose

Θέλει, απ'οτι κατάλαβα.

 

Έχει κάνει ήδη split και έχει αναθέσει π.χ. δύο διαφορετικά όργανα σε δύο διαφορετικές περιοχές του κλαβιέ.

Αυτό που θέλει είναι π.χ. το όργανο που έχει αναθέσει στην χαμηλή περιοχή του κλαβιέ να ηχεί μία ή δύο οκτάβες ψηλότερα.

Ανέβασέ του την οθόνη από την οποία ορίζεις τα octaves/transpose των parts του performance.

[Waterfall-K]

Οκ. 8)

 

 

Πατας Edit και μετα Tone/Tune και απο κει καθοριζεις τα Note Shift και Detune του καθε ηχου/part.

[Μανώλης Χναράκης]

Είσαι έτοιμος regist.

 

Merci Waterfall-K :)

[Waterfall-K]

Νο problemo...

[regist]

Σας ευχαριστώ και τους δύο για τη βοήθειά σας!  8)

[Waterfall-K]

Πες μας και πως το βλεπεις το MOXF, το εχεις καιρο?

[Μανώλης Χναράκης]

Σας ευχαριστώ και τους δύο για τη βοήθειά σας!  8)

Τον Waterfall-K, ουσιαστικά αυτός βοήθησε. Με δύο εικόνες είπε αρκετά.

[regist]

@waterfall-K το έχω μόλις δύο ημέρες!

 

Οι πρώτες μου εντυπώσεις, με δεδομένο ότι δεν έχω ιδιαίτερη εμπειρία στα synths μιας και μέχρι στιγμής ασχολούμουν (σπουδαστικά και όχι μόνο) με το πιάνο, είναι πολύ καλές.

Μιλώντας για πρώτες εντυπώσεις εννοώ αυτά που μπορεί να δει κάποιος σε ένα διάστημα λίγων ωρών (τόσο έχω κατεφέρει να το τσεκάρω):

- τα presets είναι πολύ καλής ποιότητας

- πολύ εύχρηστο πάνελ που κάνει το voice edit και το performance υπόθεση ενός λεπτού :P

- καλό κλαβιέ με εξαιτερική απόκριση

 

Επιφυλάσσομαι για μια συνολικότερη αποτύπωση των εντυπώσεών μου όταν καταφέρω να ασχοληθώ λίγο παραπάνω με το όργανο. Πάντως με κέρδισε!  8)

[Waterfall-K]

Νεο review απο το AudioFanzine.

 

 

PART 1/2

Changing of the Guard

Incorporating most of the sound engine of the Motif XF, the MOXF aims to redefine the standard of mid-range workstations. A sound change? The workstation market was pretty quiet for some time, but it seems to have taken off again these last couple of years. After the Korg Kross set a new entry-level standard in early 2013, the Yamaha MOXF series made its entrance into the mid-range segment at the end of 2013, while the Roland FA series was presented at the beginning of 2014 during the NAMM show. And don't forget Kurzweil, the "outsider," with the PC3K and PC3Le series, which we expect to be updated soon.

 

Workstations concentrate functions, from samples to synthesis, things that move, effects, controls, even audio in certain cases. The main questions to ask oneself now, beyond sound, have to do with usability: Can I easily find my way among the thousands of programs? Can I rapidly create the bank I need? Can I take it on stage with a good level of reliability? Do I have enough direct controls to do a live performance without messing up in front of thousands of fans? In short, the everyday life of musicians who like all-in-one devices.

 

 

MOX outside

At first look, the MOXF has everything a MOX does: Same light weight (7.1kg), same construction in plastic that bends without breaking, same granular finish, same well-anchored controls on the front panel with a good response. The layout is identical: To the left, the audio section (volume and input gain controls with LEDs for monitoring of internal/external signals), real-time controls (two rows of four assignable detented encoders, two assignable modulation buttons, two octave-transposition buttons, two semitone-transposition buttons), an effects section, an arpeggios control, and transport controls (for internal sequences or an external DAW).

 

At the center, a backlit monochrome LCD (240x64 dots) overhangs two rows of six buttons: One for the menu pages and another one for the sub-pages, which allows you to find your way around relatively easily. To browse, you have four arrows and a big encoder plus increment/decrement buttons. On the right are the buttons to select the playing mode (Voice, Performance, Master, Song, Pattern, Mixing) and manage files, as well as other functions (Job, Utility and Quick Setup to quickly create multitimbral configurations). The availability of direct-access functions to create Splits, Layers and Drum Kits is a good usability feature.

 

Finally, you have three rows of eight buttons to select the countless programs or to activate/deactivate sound layers or arpeggios, with scrolling of libraries, program lists and selection by category/subcategory. The MOXF definitely earns a point in terms of usability, considering the abundance of features available. The 61-key keyboard of the MOXF6 we tested was pretty average, even if superior to that of the MO/MM: It was semi-weighted and velocity sensitive only. There is also an 88 weighted-key model (but no 73/76 key models).

 

All connections are on the rear panel: On the left, a connector for the included AC adapter and the power switch. On the right, two left/right audio inputs, a headphone output, two left/right audio outputs (everything on 1/4" jacks), three pedal connectors (two sustain/assignable switches and one assignable continuous controller), three MIDI connectors and two USB ports (to Host/to Device for audio, MIDI and backups. Nice!). Right now, if it weren't for the burgundy color on the sides, you'd think it's an MOX, but it's inside where the magic happens.

 

 

Motif XF inside

The MOXF is to the Motif XF what the MOX is to the Motif XS. This time you have 741 MB of sampled waveforms (almost 4000 multi-samples and samples) with 128-voice polyphony, which is remarkable in this price range! Another remarkable point is that the sound quality doesn't seem to have degraded with respect to the Motif XF: The levels and the presence seem similar. It's a pleasure to discover again the musicality of the acoustic sounds, which are very consistent, in general.

 

In terms of acoustic pianos, a generously sampled 7ft Yamaha S6 accompanies the 9ft Yamaha CFIIIS concert piano. The former is more balanced in the mids — you can hear the sample transitions less than on the CIIIS. The array of electric pianos is very convincing, thanks not only to the excellent modeled effects (compressors, preamps, wah wah, chorus, etc.). When it comes to guitars and basses, the MOXF also holds its own quite well, benefiting from modeled effects and articulations that simulate different playing techniques (but certainly don't expect the selection of huge VST libraries!)

 

The organs are not on par with the models some competing products offer. It's about time Yamaha put some more effort into that (for example, integrating their own YC-3B VSTi, which is available for free). The ROM includes nice strings, both as solo instruments and as part of different stereo sections, very musical wind instruments (brasses/wood), offering different articulations, depending on the playing (velocity and the use of two switches are provided for this purpose).

 

The drums sound good, with several dynamic layers integrated into the samples, and include fabulous acoustic, hip-hop, classical, and ethnic kits. The MOXF offers a varied selection of synthesis sounds including nice-sounding basses, polyphonic groups taken from legendary analog units, and nice pads that make use of numerous multi-mode internal filters. Some Performances allow you to check that everything blends perfectly (even if reduced to four channels), thanks to the multiple insertion effects that provide different processing options. In short, the MOXF, just like the Motif XF, is one of the most consistent and musical workstations in terms of sound.

 

 

Eight layers…

The MOXF retakes the MOX synthesis architecture, which was taken from the Motif XF, which, in turn, took it from the Motif XS. So, in short, there's not much new here. There's a program mode called Voice based on sample playback. In normal mode you can stack eight stereo layers and in Drum mode, you can create kits of 73 notes (but without editable layers, which is plain stupid, we can't say it enough). In normal mode, you have eight elements (oscillators) that can have their own key range, velocity window and routing to the effects.

 

An element is made up of a multi-sample, filter and amp. Samples can be played in legato, in cycle, randomly, or with delay, while their pitch can be modulated by key follow and a dedicated envelope with five time-and-level parameters, which in turn is modulated by the velocity (time and level) and key follow (time). The signal is thus injected into the filter, which is multi-mode and resonant. You will find again the 18 algorithms (high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, band rejection) with different slopes (4, 3, 2, and 1 poles) and different colors (analog modeling that smooths the edges, digital modeling with high resonance, hard, soft). There are even combinations in series and in parallel, so there's something for everybody.

 

The velocity can modulate the cut-off frequency and resonance, while the cut-off frequency can also be modulated by the key follow, a dedicated envelope with five time and level parameters (identical to the previous one), and a four-point tracking generator. Then the output of the filters passes through an amp with a dedicated envelope with four time and level parameters, a four-point tracking generator and pan modulation (key follow, random). Other modulations at the element level include an LFO with three basic waveforms that acts on the pitch, the filter and the amp, followed by a simplified EQ (two semi-parametric bands, one parametric band or +6dB /+12dB /+18dB boost). All that for a single element!

 

 

…In the program

At the global level, the program has many other parameters: Categories (main and secondary), volume, pan, pitch, polyphony, pitch bend, portamento, temperament (13 presets), and assignment of the two encoders and buttons. There's also a modulation matrix with six patches, which allows you to relink physical controllers to destinations (more than a hundred, including most synthesis parameters and insert effects), a very sophisticated global LFO, an arpeggiator and two insertion effects (to which we will come back later). What Yamaha workstations lack in terms of synthesis are audio inter-modulation possibilities between the elements of a program.

 

A brief remark on the Drum mode, where you can define, for each of the 73 assignable keys, the PCM sample, the pitch (which can be modulated by the velocity), the triggering mode (exclusive, note off, sustain), the assignment to both insertion effects, the send level to the two master effects, the low-pass cut-off frequency (which can be modulated by the velocity), the resonance, the high-pass cut-off frequency, the volume (which can be modulated by the velocity and an envelope with three time and two level parameters), the pan (fixed, auto-sweep, random), and the EQ (identical to normal mode).

 

Common parameters are very simplified versions of the normal mode. In total, the MOXF includes 1664 programs (including 384 user ones) and 105 Drum kits (including 32 user ones).