r.westby5 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Hello all! I'm a growing keyboard player in a working band and need some help if you have the time and knowledge. I recently acquired a yamaha MM6 and currently have a Motif 6. I'd like to use the MM6 as a master board so I can sneak some of its sounds onto the motif for live performance. However, I'm a noob when it comes to MIDI stuff and am having a hell of time figuring out how to make this possible. As far as I know, I believe I've gotten both boards ready to communicate, I just don't know what to do next to transmit the sound from the MM6 onto the Motif. I've tried watching videos and reading through other forums to try to figure this out myself and am not finding the information I need. If you have connected these two boards together in this manner, can you please walk me through the process so I can make sure I'm doing this right and make this possible please? Thanks in advance!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveQB Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 You have mixed some terminology in your post which is understandable for a noob so lets try and get clarity on what you are trying to do. 1. Are you trying to play the sounds of the MM6 on the Motif 6? (E.g. The MM6 is acting as a sound generator being controlled by the Motif) 2. How have you connected the two keyboards together? If the answer to 1. Is yes, then you should have a midi cable from the Motif 6 out going into the MM6 in Assuming the transmit channel of the Motif 6 is the same as the receive channel on the MM6 you should hear the MM6 sound when you play a key on the Motif 6 Nord Stage 2EX | Nord Wave | Mainstage 3 K&M Spider Pro | JH Audio JH5 IEMs | Behringer XR18 | Radial Keylargo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Hi and welcome to the forum. I was confused as to what you're trying to do and initially had a similar response to Steve's. If you are truly trying to transfer the voice/performance (patch) data from the MM6 to the Motif6 it can't be done. However my understanding is the Motif 6 has the same base AWM sample set of the MM6 and more so you should be able to find similar programmed voices/patches. But again you can not transfer the voice content of one synth to the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 This may come as a surprise to you, but MIDI actually has very little to do with sound. All MIDI does, is tell one device that which particular key was pressed on another, and how hard. Or which knob was turned, or which pedal was pressed, etc. That's it. It's totally up to the device receiving this info to decide what to do with it. Which means, at best, it can only generate sounds that it already has. Which means you can't "transmit the sound" from one keyboard to another via MIDI. If you are serious about getting results out of the gear you own, you would have to get the basics right. The first part of this tutorial is a nice intro - but you can skip the software part of it for now. Some more excellent resources here and here. Hope this helps, and welcome to the world of MIDI. - Guru This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 All MIDI does, is tell one device that which particular key was pressed on another, and how hard. Or which knob was turned, or which pedal was pressed, etc. That's it. It's totally up to the device receiving this info to decide what to do with it. Which means, at best, it can only generate sounds that it already has. Which means you can't "transmit the sound" from one keyboard to another via MIDI. - Guru Good points AG. Not to further confuse but there is midi System Exclusive data that allows for transmitting/receiving patch data (i.e. all the programmable parameters) among "compatible synths" or a synth and a computer. If you had two Motif6 keyboards for example you could move the patch data from one to the other. But not between a Motif 6 and as MM6 - they are not "compatible". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Indeed, Marky. The OP used the terms 'Master' and 'live performance' which lead me to think he wants to use one to control the other. Now that I notice, I'm wondering why someone would want to control a Motif 6 from a MM6... . As you point out, patch transfer seems the more likely use case. Hoping the OP will clarify whether he wants (A) both keyboards on stage, playing the sounds of one from another, or (B) wants to transfer patches from one to another, so he needs only one on stage. - Guru This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.westby5 Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Thank you everyone! Yes Steve, I am trying to use the MM6 as the sound generator. Reason being Guru, is there are several songs where it is more work to bounce back and forth between the boards live, and I would be able to play all 4 sound parts much easier on one board. The boards do share some identical voices, but the MM6 does have some diferent sounds I don't have on my Motif, and these voices so happen to be the ones best suited for a lot of these songs I need them for. I am so increcibly thankful for your responses everyone. Thank you for confirmation on the cable set up. Glad I at least figured that much out lol. What I'm more stumped on is how to get to the MIDI channels on the Motif so I can hear the MM6 sounds. I feel like I've just rebuilt an engine and need to test drive it, but now can't find the car keys lol. Thanks again Guru for the additional reads, I'm happy to take in all the information I can get. I'm hungry for knowledge and thankful for the meal you served Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.westby5 Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Thank you everyone! Yes Steve, I am trying to use the MM6 as the sound generator. Reason being Guru, is there are several songs where it is more work to bounce back and forth between the boards live, and I would be able to play all 4 sound parts much easier on one board. The boards do share some identical voices, but the MM6 does have some diferent sounds I don't have on my Motif, and these voices so happen to be the ones best suited for a lot of these songs I need them for. I am so increcibly thankful for your responses everyone. Thank you for confirmation on the cable set up. Glad I at least figured that much out lol. What I'm more stumped on is how to get to the MIDI channels on the Motif so I can hear the MM6 sounds. I feel like I've just rebuilt an engine and need to test drive it, but now can't find the car keys lol. Thanks again Guru for the additional reads, I'm happy to take in all the information I can get. I'm hungry for knowledge and thankful for the meal you served Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.westby5 Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Thank you everyone! Yes Steve, I am trying to use the MM6 as the sound generator. Reason being Guru, is there are several songs where it is more work to bounce back and forth between the boards live, and I would be able to play all 4 sound parts much easier on one board. The boards do share some identical voices, but the MM6 does have some diferent sounds I don't have on my Motif, and these voices so happen to be the ones best suited for a lot of these songs I need them for. I am so increcibly thankful for your responses everyone. Thank you for confirmation on the cable set up. Glad I at least figured that much out lol. What I'm more stumped on is how to get to the MIDI channels on the Motif so I can hear the MM6 sounds. I feel like I've just rebuilt an engine and need to test drive it, but now can't find the car keys lol. Thanks again Guru for the additional reads, I'm happy to take in all the information I can get. I'm hungry for knowledge and thankful for the meal you served Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.westby5 Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Good Lord I'm even a forum noob, no clue how I replied 3 times lol sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveQB Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 I will need to bow out as I have never owned a Motif of MM6 so not sure of its architecture. Until someone with more knowledgable comes on though I can say that I have done this with other keyboards and I imagine it is similar in Yamaha world: - 1. I would use the keyboard split functions in the motif - i imagine it has a "perform" - what Roland calls it or "setup" - kurzweil or "combi" - korg mode 2. In the "performance" mode you will need to setup splits/layers to address the internal sounds you want and a split/layer for the sounds from the MM6. If you want 4 sounds then use 4 slots. 3. For those slots addressing the MM6 you will need to set the midi transmit channel on the Motif as the same as the midi receive channel on the MM6. If you want to use two MM6 sounds then that will also need to be in "performance" mode. Technically the MM6 could receive on the same channel as you are using the Motif to manage the splits but its better to setup two separate midi channels on the MM6 as this will give flexibility around filtering other midi messages (e.g. you might want sustain - CC#64 to be enabled for one sound but not for the other). The above should allow you to address the internal sounds on one part of the keyboard and external sounds on another. If you want to layer (e.g. play more than one sound on the same physical note) its the same process but just set the split points to suit. This is how it works on all the keyboards I have used before. Apologies if Yamaha do it differently but someone will be along to point that out! Nord Stage 2EX | Nord Wave | Mainstage 3 K&M Spider Pro | JH Audio JH5 IEMs | Behringer XR18 | Radial Keylargo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 What I'm more stumped on is how to get to the MIDI channels on the Motif so I can hear the MM6 sounds. Hi again. Download the Motif Owner's Manual or perhaps your Motif came with a hard copy? Either way starting on page 95 gives a pretty good explanation of Master Mode and the 4 zones that can be edited to control internal sounds or external devices. Starting on Page 270/271 gives you step by step instructions. Start there and we'll be happy to help with any specific questions. If you're not sure what you're doing just don't save anything and you won't get yourself into any trouble. Experimenting is good way to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 ... Start there and we'll be happy to help with any specific questions. If you're not sure what you're doing just don't save anything and you won't get yourself into any trouble. Experimenting is good way to learn. Excellent advice, to which I'll add this: Your learning will become much faster, and much more fun when you use a MIDI Monitor. This is an app that runs on a smartphone/tablet/computer, and displays whatever MIDI message your 'master' keyboard is sending. It's a handy tool to have around for troubleshooting. When things don't work, like in your case, it will immediately tell you where the problem lies - in the source or the destination. To use it, I would recommend monitoring the standard MIDI output rather than the USB out of 'master' keyboard. You would need a MIDI interface cable (e.g. Roland UM-One). A few questions. If I understand correctly, you want to play only the keys on the Motif, but hear sounds from both the Motif and the MM6, correct? If so, have you connected the MIDI Out port on the Motif to the MIDI In port on the MM6? - Guru This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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