Yamaha Motif XS8 Synthesizers

 

 

 

When considering the purchase of a keyboard, one of the most important factors is usability. The Yamaha Motif XS8 provides not only usability, but the potential for a professional and technologically integrated keyboard for nearly every application. With presets for nearly every musical style and a free sound editing software that comes with the hardware, you will likely use this keyboard for all of your musical endeavors.

Presets

The Yamaha Motif XS8 comes with eight banks of 128 individual voices. This adds up to over 1,000 different voices for you to use. Although some of the notes were touchy on the Grand Piano setting (sharp releases on long tones), the problem was quickly fixed by simply changing the setting to Rock Grand Piano. This small change did not change the way each note sounded but did change the way in which the piano reacted to touch sensitivity. This is a fantastic feature for those without the room or budget for an upright or grand piano.

 

 

Foot Pedal

The foot pedal designed for the Yamaha Motif XS8 is one of the best on the market. It is as sensitive as the sustain pedals found on real pianos as well as being capable of transferring such sound into the sound editing program. Many lesser quality keyboards include pedals but few allow you to transfer their effects into the audio software. This small feature can save you a great deal of time during the editing process.

Connections

The Yamaha Motif XS8 has an Ethernet connection as well as two USB ports and a remote control device for connectivity. One USB port is specifically designed to run to a computer while the other is designed to run to an external hard drive. These connections allow you to use the editing software as well as back up your created files and performances directly to your computer or external storage device.