S90/ XS rack combo, or used S90ES.

[DanS]

Just an idea I'm kicking around.

S80 & Motif XS rack, or S90ES.

I already have an S80, and was thinking of adding the XS rack to compliment it, or there is a mint used ES for sale around here, but then it's longer & heavier.

I know the S70/90XS' are around the corner, but I think they're going to be too pricey at this point.

 

Any tots?

[Tonysounds]

Do you really gain anything (I mean personally, not in general) that you would use with the XS? If not, I'd go with the S90es.

Take advantage of 'end of the line' pricing (pushing the "I know you need to get this out of your stock/off your floor to make room for the XS" angle).

 

I don't know what the weight of the S80 is, but the S90es is a breath of fresh air after my Motif 8, and A90.

[DanS]

Is there not a significant improvement in sounds/quality between the ES & XS?

I've never actually heard the ES.

[zyzik]

Is there not a significant improvement is sounds/quality between the ES & XS?

 

yes it is, mostly because new effects on XS. I'd go with XS rack without thinking or sell S90 and buy S90XS not ES. I had S90ES and switched to XS wit not regrets. Only piano is outstanding on S90ES and you get that piano on XS too.

 

 

[Aidan]

Only piano is outstanding on S90ES and you get that piano on XS too.

 

Just so everyone contemplating buying the S70/90XS is aware, this new instrument does NOT come with the large piano sample that was in the S90ES. That was a sampled S700. The "XS" version replaces that with a new sample of an S6 grand. Of course, you also get the XS "Full Concert Grand" from the Motif XS series as well - that is a CIIIFS sample. But it definitely does NOT come with the S90ES sample, if that is an issue for anyone.

 

Dan, I think you'd still notice an audible improvement by grabbing an S90ES, if there are any still around. No-one seems to have any left over here.

[ProfD]

A Motif XS rack will compliment the S80 and/or provide a familiar soundset in the event you decide not to carry the KB.

[DanS]

 

Dan, I think you'd still notice an audible improvement by grabbing an S90ES, if there are any still around. No-one seems to have any left over here.

 

It's in a music store here for $1700 used but mint, pricey. He'd have to be in a bargaining mood.

[Tonysounds]

You should be able to get him down.

[zyzik]

Just so everyone contemplating buying the S70/90XS is aware, this new instrument does NOT come with the large piano sample that was in the S90ES. That was a sampled S700.

 

it is not true because The S90XS got 138MB of piano samples plus you can load on XS models S700 piano sound from the USB stick what I do and yamaha is giving this for free. S90ES had only ~50MB of piano.

 

[Tonysounds]

Just so everyone contemplating buying the S70/90XS is aware, this new instrument does NOT come with the large piano sample that was in the S90ES. That was a sampled S700.

 

it is not true because The S90XS got 138MB of piano samples plus you can load on XS models S700 piano sound from the USB stick what I do and yamaha is giving this for free. S90ES had only ~50MB of piano.

 

Yikes...grammar?

[MikeT156]

by DanS"

 

It's in a music store here for $1700 used but mint, pricey. He'd have to be in a bargaining mood.

 

That's way too much at this point. My Yamaha dealer told me he sold NEW S90ES KBs for about $1800 over a year ago. I think they could be had for less than $1700 brand new in the box, substantially less. Any dealer that has a couple of them sitting in stock should be willing to make a deal.

 

 

Mike T.

[Aidan]

Zyzik, one of the main differences between the S and Motif series is that the S series cannot download samples - you're stuck with what you give you. I'm aware that you CAN download the S700 sample for the Motif XS, providing you install RAM.

 

On the S90 forum, Yamaha moderator "Bad Mister" has categorically stated that the S90XS will NOT include the main piano sample from the S90ES, replacing it instead with the S6 grand.

[SpaceNorman]

I'm not versed in the specifics of what samples are present in which unit like many others seem to be. However for me - the question you've posed is whether you're better off adding a second synth engine and playing with two at your disposal - or upgrading your existing. Here's my two cents ...

 

If you're happy with piano sound you get from your S90 - I'd seriously consider the XS rack unit. I use a CP300 (love the piano sound and the feel!) - and control a Motif ES rack unit with it. Having 2 quality synth engines working together gets me what I feel are pretty rich layered sounds. Some of my best "bread and butter" patches are piano on the CP300 with a second voice (organ, strings, brass, pads, etc.) from the ES Rack unit with the volume of ES rack unit voice controlled by the expression pedal.

[Sven Golly]

Just as a matter of reference, DanS is posting from beautiful Montreal, Canada, where the dollar is not quite on par with the U.S. anymore... so his $1700 is in Canadian dollars, roughly equating to $1567 US (at 12:20pm on 2009-08-10, according to XE.com).

 

Still too expensive, but just wanted to clarify.

[MikeT156]

Looks like Canadian currency slipped lately. I thought only the US Dollar was in the dumper.

 

Montreal IS beautiful, but a bit colder than I'd like.

 

 

Mike T.

[Tonysounds]

I'm not versed in the specifics of what samples are present in which unit like many others seem to be. However for me - the question you've posed is whether you're better off adding a second synth engine and playing with two at your disposal - or upgrading your existing. Here's my two cents ...

 

If you're happy with piano sound you get from your S90 - I'd seriously consider the XS rack unit. I use a CP300 (love the piano sound and the feel!) - and control a Motif ES rack unit with it. Having 2 quality synth engines working together gets me what I feel are pretty rich layered sounds. Some of my best "bread and butter" patches are piano on the CP300 with a second voice (organ, strings, brass, pads, etc.) from the ES Rack unit with the volume of ES rack unit voice controlled by the expression pedal.

 

 

Using this thread of logic, I would be inclined to get anything BUT a Motif module. While the soundest is improved (and improved really depends on how much those improvements mean to you, but the basic soundset and quality of same are very homogenous), if you were to keep your S80, I would get something that doesnt sound like the Yamaha; if you still want a ROMpler to augment the sounds, Id get a FantomXr rack, or if you want more special sounds, a Muse Receptor. I think you would be better served by augmenting that S80 with some totally different sounding textures. While the Fantom has (in theory) the same sounds as the Yamaha, they definitely have a very different quality, and that will serve you well when using them together, especially when putting together brass layers, string layers, etc.

 

Think of it as building a club sandwich using only turkey, turkey, and someturkey; or a banana split using vanilla, vanilla and.umvanilla.

 

Of course, youre asking us what would work better for you, and again, you have to outline what you want and expect out of the rig, and whether those perceived improvements in the XS have any value for you. Im still one of those guys that is very happy with the Motif classic (and Ive had it since they came out).

 

 

[DanS]

Looks like Canadian currency slipped lately. I thought only the US Dollar was in the dumper.

 

Montreal IS beautiful, but a bit colder than I'd like.

 

 

Mike T.

 

We are having one of our worst summers up here in terms of sun & heat.

I was at a buddies cottage last week and one of the mornings was only 10C, in August, for God's sake man!!!!!

(got up to 30C in the afternoon though...)

[DanS]

I'm not versed in the specifics of what samples are present in which unit like many others seem to be. However for me - the question you've posed is whether you're better off adding a second synth engine and playing with two at your disposal - or upgrading your existing. Here's my two cents ...

 

If you're happy with piano sound you get from your S90 - I'd seriously consider the XS rack unit. I use a CP300 (love the piano sound and the feel!) - and control a Motif ES rack unit with it. Having 2 quality synth engines working together gets me what I feel are pretty rich layered sounds. Some of my best "bread and butter" patches are piano on the CP300 with a second voice (organ, strings, brass, pads, etc.) from the ES Rack unit with the volume of ES rack unit voice controlled by the expression pedal.

 

 

Using this thread of logic, I would be inclined to get anything BUT a Motif module. While the soundest is improved (and improved really depends on how much those improvements mean to you, but the basic soundset and quality of same are very homogenous), if you were to keep your S80, I would get something that doesnt sound like the Yamaha; if you still want a ROMpler to augment the sounds, Id get a FantomXr rack, or if you want more special sounds, a Muse Receptor. I think you would be better served by augmenting that S80 with some totally different sounding textures. While the Fantom has (in theory) the same sounds as the Yamaha, they definitely have a very different quality, and that will serve you well when using them together, especially when putting together brass layers, string layers, etc.

 

Think of it as building a club sandwich using only turkey, turkey, and someturkey; or a banana split using vanilla, vanilla and.umvanilla.

 

Of course, youre asking us what would work better for you, and again, you have to outline what you want and expect out of the rig, and whether those perceived improvements in the XS have any value for you. Im still one of those guys that is very happy with the Motif classic (and Ive had it since they came out).

 

 

I like your logic Tony, it saves me money.

I already have a fully loaded Fantom X7 sitting on top of th S80!!

My initial idea was to just use the S80 as a controller for the XS, and then basically have an S90XS for a fraction of the price.