Korg M3 vs. Yamaha Motif XS

[MikeT156]

Quote by NuSkooltone:

 

"If there's ever an M3 in my future, it'll be used in a couple of years. I just don't feel any value at the price they're asking. They went too lite on the hardware IMO so not to eat too much into the big O's sales. If they had twice the ROM size and took 1GB+ of standard RAM without needing an add-on board to do it I'd be looking at it more seriously. Though the more I read and do the Math, the less interested I become".

 

I don't know what Korg's costs are, but I was a bit surprised that their workstation was announced at a higher MAP price than the new Yamaha Motif XS. They will have to lower the selling price once that hits the street, or the M3 will hit the skids like the Radias did. That went from a MAP of 1999.00 to a more realistic 1199.00 when it didn't sell.

 

It could be that Korg felt that a total of 320MB total for sampled sounds was enough. "Most" players can get by with 256MB for the bulk of sampled sounds they are going to use in addition to what comes on board, provided there isn't a gapping hole with the internal piano sound or other B&B sounds that necessitate having more sample RAM. Korg may have considered using off the shelf RAM, but proprietary boards will always work, even though they cost more $$ to end user. I don't see the M3 competing seriously with the XS until they are in the same price range.

 

Mike T.

[ProfD]

Forumites located in the DC area and interested, the M3 is scheduled to show up at Washington Music Center within the next week or so.

 

They had a unit on loan from Korg for a few days and said it gives the Motif XS some major competition. We'll see.

 

[burningbusch]

Unlike Sweetwater, most other sites are say 5/18/07 availability as GregC posted above.

 

Busch.

[cnegrad]

They had a unit on loan from Korg for a few days and said it gives the Motif XS some major competition. We'll see.

Based solely on the NAMM video demo, I find that hard to believe. But we'll see....

[SilverDragonSoun]

I think I'll be more interested when people actually by each of them and begin to compare the pros and cons of both the M3 and XS. I suspect that won't happen for a few months while people purchase them and get acclimated to them.

[ProfD]

I think I'll be more interested when people actually by each of them and begin to compare the pros and cons of both the M3 and XS. I suspect that won't happen for a few months while people purchase them and get acclimated to them.

 

Sure, the end users will come up with all kinds of pros and cons over time. However, I think both the Korg and Yamaha camps will remain neutral. I doubt there will be very many defectors one way or another.

[Song80s]

I think I'll be more interested when people actually by each of them and begin to compare the pros and cons of both the M3 and XS. I suspect that won't happen for a few months while people purchase them and get acclimated to them.

 

Sure, the end users will come up with all kinds of pros and cons over time. However, I think both the Korg and Yamaha camps will remain neutral. I doubt there will be very many defectors one way or another.

 

Seems you are suggesting that current Korg and Yamaha owners are ' homers '

 

I am a Triton/Extreme owner for over 7 years. I had no problem buying the XS7 on its own merits

 

And I am very interested in the M3. But there hasn't been any well written M3 user

reports or user mp3's. An anecdotal comment here or there doesn't cut it.

 

I agree with Silver Dragon, it will take a month or 2 after the M3 finally hits the stores.

[ProfD]

Seems you are suggesting that current Korg and Yamaha owners are ' homers '

 

Not really. Personally, I cannot imagine what Korg could do to get my business. At the same time, I do know many cats who are firmly entrenched in one camp or another.

 

 

[Song80s]

ok, I am challenging your blanket assumption on the ' camps'

 

I like ' both ' as long as the board(s) catches my imagination

 

Like you, I know there are several folks that are loyal to a fault, similar to being a Red Sox fan or a Yankee fan. I filter what they say since I like the objective side vs the fanaticism.

 

I would like to see how user friendly Karma 2 is. The Korg people are genius level(IMO) at programming and connecting the user with the keyboard. Not much longer to wait.

[ProfD]

ok, I am challenging your blanket assumption on the ' camps'

 

I like ' both ' as long as the board(s) catches my imagination

 

Of course, I can see someone using both. Otherwise, I do not foresee the Motifator forum shutting down as a result of the M3.

 

 

[Song80s]

ok, I am challenging your blanket assumption on the ' camps'

 

I like ' both ' as long as the board(s) catches my imagination

 

Of course, I can see someone using both. Otherwise, I do not foresee the Motifator forum shutting down as a result of the M3.

 

 

Ha-ha. Some of the Mofo-tators are overly sensitive and quick to show it.

I have started a collection of Mofo-isms

 

If the M3 is a hot board, I expect forum mud wrestling.

[SilverDragonSoun]

ok, I am challenging your blanket assumption on the ' camps'

 

I like ' both ' as long as the board(s) catches my imagination

 

Of course, I can see someone using both. Otherwise, I do not foresee the Motifator forum shutting down as a result of the M3.

 

 

 

Ha-ha. Some of the Mofo-tators are overly sensitive and quick to show it.

I have started a collection of Mofo-isms

 

If the M3 is a hot board, I expect forum mud wrestling.

 

 

 

 

Mofo-isms? Now that's there's funny!

[synthdogg]

Well, I finally got to play an XS today (along with an OASYS for the first time...). It seems that, for my purposes, it's just not the right board. Nothing against the XS at all, I think everyone that has bought or ordered one has a millionreasons to be happy and excited about their purchase, and I very much like the sound of the Motif family. My impression of the XS, though, is that Yamaha put a lot of effort into features and sounds that I don't have as much use for. Reading through this thread, it seems like many people are excited about the XS's instrument emulations.. (thanks much for the violin demo...), I tend to lean heavily on Sample libraries and software instruments for these types of sounds, and IMO they sound much more realistic than the ROMplers I've played (Korg OR Yamaha...), so it's not a real selling point for me.

 

I'm still very interested in seeing the M3 when it hits. It's feature set seems to line up much more closely with my needs. I'm a little embarrased to admit I had some fun playing with the KARMA features in the OASYS. I never really liked the Karma keyboard, it just felt like an auto-accompaniment keyboard to me, but a lot of the Karma-based programs on the OASYS were much more subtle and playable. I'll be interested to see how it's implemented on the M3.

 

 

[Song80s]

check out Jack Hotop's M3 video ( 5th panel from the top):

 

http://translate.google.com/translat...Den%26s a%3DN

 

This google video from China does not open using Safari ( on my Mac). I opened the url in Firefox

 

These are not ' official ' Korg videos

 

Suggest you get thru these quickly

[Song80s]

ok, enough grainy, balky Internet videos

 

I ordered the M3-M today

 

when I have a delivery date, I will advise

[DonaldM]

I'm still very interested in seeing the M3 when it hits. It's feature set seems to line up much more closely with my needs.

 

In the end, I think that's what really counts. How any one player responds to the M3 or the XS will be heavily determined by how well one or the other lines up with the player's needs. At this level, it isn't going to be about sound quality (or at least I doubt it), but which features a player really needs for the purpose for which they intend to employ the instrument.

[Song80s]

there are significant differences between XS and the M3

 

I hope they will compliment each other. I am a ' both ' kind of person

[delirium]

yeah, it could be fun having them together, nevertheless for now I stick with XS6.