MODX review starting In The Lab

[jerrythek]

Hi friends and forumites. I'm starting a deep dive into the Yamaha MODX synths over here:

 

In The Lab: MPN GearLab Reviews

 

I'd really like to hear from you - what do you want me to cover? What intrigues you about the keyboard? What frustrates you about it (if anything)? What applications would you like to see me cover that I might not think of?

 

Please post your comments in the review thread itself, not here. That way they'll be easy for me to keep track of, and we can all discuss them together in one place. I'll be reaching out to my friends at Yamaha so I can get some expert input when and if it is needed.

 

I'm looking forward to sharing info and learning (more than) a thing or two along with you as we go.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jerry

[MAJUSCULE]

I'm mostly curious about the quality of AP/EP sounds, auxiliary-type sounds like strings and brass, and VA stuff (and how deep it can get, modulators, interactive playing etc). I'm sure these are all already covered in most reviews but I've been trying to avoid the GAS cause this board seems like it has so much bang in so reasonable a buck. I could see myself pairing it with the NS3 for a super versatile rig. Maybe when more cover band work comes back...

[Mighty Motif Max]

I'm mostly curious about the quality of AP/EP sounds, auxiliary-type sounds like strings and brass, and VA stuff (and how deep it can get, modulators, interactive playing etc). I'm sure these are all already covered in most reviews but I've been trying to avoid the GAS cause this board seems like it has so much bang in so reasonable a buck. I could see myself pairing it with the NS3 for a super versatile rig. Maybe when more cover band work comes back...

 

Hey, any chance you can post that over in the review thread?

 

Please post your comments in the review thread itself, not here. That way they'll be easy for me to keep track of, and we can all discuss them together in one place.

[jerrythek]

I'm mostly curious about the quality of AP/EP sounds, auxiliary-type sounds like strings and brass, and VA stuff (and how deep it can get, modulators, interactive playing etc). I'm sure these are all already covered in most reviews but I've been trying to avoid the GAS cause this board seems like it has so much bang in so reasonable a buck. I could see myself pairing it with the NS3 for a super versatile rig. Maybe when more cover band work comes back...

 

Hey, any chance you can post that over in the review thread?

 

Please post your comments in the review thread itself, not here. That way they'll be easy for me to keep track of, and we can all discuss them together in one place.

 

[jerrythek]

The review is growing, I'd love to get a few folks to just peruse it and make sure my images and audio links are working for you.

 

And of course, questions are welcome.

 

Jerry

[Stokely]

I'm mostly curious about the quality of AP/EP sounds, auxiliary-type sounds like strings and brass, and VA stuff (and how deep it can get, modulators, interactive playing etc). I'm sure these are all already covered in most reviews but I've been trying to avoid the GAS cause this board seems like it has so much bang in so reasonable a buck. I could see myself pairing it with the NS3 for a super versatile rig. Maybe when more cover band work comes back...

 

 

That was one of my rig possibilities--I sold an electro 6 with an eye toward getting the NS3 compact. I own a Modx7 so that is quite a versatile combo.

 

I've found that I can "get by" with rock organ on just the Modx7 (I played a couple pre-covid gigs after I sold my Electro)...but that is one area that needs improvement. Not sure how much there can be really. It certainly seemed better than my old Motif in that regard.

 

The other hesitation for me on keeping it would be with VA. It seems quite flexible--but frankly I'm had a bit of a hard time "warming up" (no pun intended) to the analog sounds. These did indeed remind me of my Motif, kind of thin and lacking punch. I used to gig with a Virus and that thing could rip your head off....the Modx can nip you gently on the ear. So I personally would be interested in how people are getting on with the virtual analog sounds. The more digital and FM sounds, which I mainly use for pads, sound outstanding.

 

The ace in the hole for me is the easy integration with an ipad. I could fairly easily bring in some ipad synths, and use the controls on the modx to do at least the major stuff like cutoff etc.

 

I really like the OS though. I found it easy to get around, and I like how it "remembers" where you started from when you start editing.

 

Hardware-wise, my main two negatives are the ultra-light and non-aftertouch keybed, and the wall wart. But I knew these going in. In particular, the keybed makes it VERY hard to play piano without major jumps in intensity, even after adjusting the velocity curves--much more so than the tp9 on my Kurzweil pc361 for instance.

[jerrythek]

I've added some new content to the review, including a major look at all the keyboard instrument family sounds. Enjoy.

[jerrythek]

I've just posted a deep-dive into the synth sounds and motion technology in the review. Enjoy!

[Fleer]

Thanks Jerry. If there"s a MODXF next year, I"m bound to get one.

[jerrythek]

I've added my look at Smart Morphing of FM-X sounds in the Lab. Enjoy!

[bill bosco]

midi receive is the big MODX issue with me , would be a break through to get all the parts receiving on one assignable channel

[Stokely]

I might be selling my MODX7 unfortunately....just no live gigs and none in the foreseeable future. I prefer the action on my pc361 for a controller so the Yamaha is just sitting in its bag. Great live board IMO and/or good for someone who likes using a workstation but it's just losing value sitting at home. I've been really impressed with the OS (I also owned a classic Motif to compare with).

[EscapeRocks]

midi receive is the big MODX issue with me , would be a break through to get all the parts receiving on one assignable channel

 

Hey Bill:

 

I thought MIDI Single Mode let you do that. In the Utility menu select MIDI i/o Single, then set the basic receive channel. Then on your controller, set the transmit channel to the same.

 

Or are you talking about something else? I've used the above prior to changing up my rig, and it worked well.

 

Yes, however, I would love to see them update the OS to let us have better MIDI control over the board's parts

[bill bosco]

i don't recall exactly if i tried that exact parameter change , i think may have but i'll give it another shot . the problem was , different parts were receiving on different

channels , as an example , when played through my viscount organ , one stereo side of an EP was on channel one and the other side was on channel two . other sounds

were broken up into zones on different channels , i recall the grand piano being broken up like that . one channel would not play the whole thing . we used to use a MOXF ,

it didn't have these issues , just set it channel two and it was on my lower manual

[jerrythek]

i don't recall exactly if i tried that exact parameter change , i think may have but i'll give it another shot . the problem was , different parts were receiving on different

channels , as an example , when played through my viscount organ , one stereo side of an EP was on channel one and the other side was on channel two . other sounds

were broken up into zones on different channels , i recall the grand piano being broken up like that . one channel would not play the whole thing . we used to use a MOXF ,

it didn't have these issues , just set it channel two and it was on my lower manual

 

Hi Bill:

 

It sounds to me (pun intended) like your unit was left in Multi Mode for some reason. No sound provided on the MODX (that I know of) needs multiple MIDI channels coming in to play properly as long as you're in Single Mode, or Hybrid Mode. Certainly none of the things you mention. That setting is found under Utility, Advanced on the Moe, so its not always easy to find. That's the thing about Yamaha OSs.... Jobs, Functions, Utilities etc. - it can be confusing to the non-initiated.

 

But as I've written before, in Single Mode only the first 8 Parts can be set to play back all at once from a single MIDI channel. Parts 9-16 will always be on the MIDI channel of their Part #, but they won't respond to anything in Single Mode.

 

Quick review:

 

Single: The first 8 Parts will all receive on the same MIDI channel, which is defined in the Utility Mode. Even if they are set to different MIDI channels individually, they are "forced" to listen to the same channel. Parts 9-16 won't respond, period.

Multi: Every Part receives on the MIDI channel of its Part #. This is likely the Mode you were in...

Hybrid: The first 8 Parts can listen on the same MIDI channel, while Parts 9-16 listen/respond on their respective channel #s.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jerry

[jerrythek]

midi receive is the big MODX issue with me , would be a break through to get all the parts receiving on one assignable channel

 

Yes it would.

 

I've answered your specific situation above, and it doesn't require all Parts to receive on the same channel, but no doubt, the MODX (and the Montage) would be that much more versatile if they could behave as true 16-part/zone controllers and receivers on a single MIDI channel when desired.

 

Jerry

[AnotherScott]

I posted my theory about this elsewhere... This is completely conjecture on my part, but my thought was that providing the ability to re-assign parts to whatever MIDI channel you wanted could conceivably significantly complicate the implementation of one of the features introduced in the Montage... multi-part single instruments. Those instruments expect their various components to be assigned on consecutive MIDI channels. If you were able to arbitrarily assign different parts of the same sound to non-consecutive or identical MIDI channels, you might create havoc. I suppose the manual could warn users "Don't do that!" but people don't read manuals, and tech support could end up with tons of inquiries about their "broken" keyboard. (The same reason, I presume, that no keyboard ever remembers a "Local Off" setting between restarts.)

[bill bosco]

yes , that was the fix , don't know how i read the manual the first time around , but , we're firing on all 8 cylinders finally . it's set up to play through the lower manual of

my UHL x3-2 and at home through my P-85 , which is a big plus , many thanks

[jerrythek]

I've posted some final stuff in the review, now I'd like to hear from you on any other aspects that I may not have covered. Don't do it here!!! Post them in the review itself.

 

Happy Holidaze!

 

Jerry