Setting up a Microphone Motif XF A/D INPUT

Setting up a Microphone Motif XF A/D INPUT

How to setup the A/D INPUT:
A/D is short for Analog-to-Digital. We will use a microphone for our example but you could substitute a guitar, a bass or virtually any kind of input device. These are analog devices and we are going to convert their audio to digital signals inside the Motif XF.

Set the A/D Input
• Press [UTILITY]
• Press [F2] I/O
• Set the MIC/LINE parameter to MIC
• Use the Gain control on the back panel of the Motif XF to raise or lower the input gain.
Microphones are weak signals so it is not unusual at all to have the gain set at maximum.

mic line
Setup for Audio processing
The A/D PART has its own setup parameters

[VOICE] mode:

• Press [UTILITY]
• Press [F4] VOICE AUDIO
• Press [SF1] OUTPUT
• Set the MONO/STEREO parameter to match the jack to which you connected your mic (“L mono”)
• Set OUTPUT SELECT as desired
• Press [STORE] to set this as your preference.
This will apply to all of VOICE mode

[PERFORMANCE] mode:
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [F4] AUDIO IN
• Press [SF1] OUTPUT
• Set the MONO/STEREO parameter to match the jack to which you connected your mic (e.g.: “L mono”)
• Set OUTPUT SELECT as desired
• Press [STORE]

This is programmed on a per PERFORMANCE basis

[SONG]/[PATTERN] > [MIXING] mode:
• Press [MIXING]
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [F4] AUDIO IN
• Press [SF1] OUTPUT
• Set the MONO/STEREO parameter to match the jack to which you connected your mic (e.g.: “L mono”)
• Set OUTPUT SELECT as desired
• Press [STORE]

This is programmed on a per MIXING program basis.

ADin

If you are going to route your A/D INPUT Part to the main Left and Right outputs (L&R), you can use the System Reverb and Chorus Effects, and additionally assign the A/D PART its own (2) INSERTION EFFECTS. If, however, you are going to route the A/D INPUT PART to any of the assignable outputs (“asL&asR”, or any of the various Firewire outputs, “FW1~FW14”) then the signal is isolated from the rest of the system, and will not use the SYSTEM EFFECTS, nor the MASTER FX or the MASTER EQ.

This is because when you route something to an assignable output you do so to isolate it from the rest of the signals – precisely because you want to process it differently from the rest. In such a case, you have the capability of assigning your A/D PART its own setup of INSERTION EFFECTS.
If you want to process the A/D Input you can use the INSERTION EFFECTS, let’s set that up now.

In VOICE mode:
• Press [UTILITY]
• Press [F4] VOICE AUDIO
• Press [SF2] CONNECT

Here you can select any two INSERTION EFFECTS. You have access to all manner of effect types (Reverbs, Delays, Chorus, Flangers, Phasers, etc., etc., etc.).

There are always going to be INSERTION EFFECTS available for the A/D INPUT while you are in VOICE mode.

In PERFORMANCE mode:
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [COMMON EDIT]
• Press [F4] AUDIO IN
• Press [SF2] CONNECT

There are always going to be INSERTION EFFECTS available for the A/D INPUT while you are in PERFORMANCE mode.

In SONG / PATTERN modes:
• Press [MIXING]
• Press [EDIT]
• Press [COMMON EDIT]
• Press [F5] EFFECT
• Press [SF2] INS SWITCH

In SONG MIXING or PATTERN MIXING modes, you can activate the INSERTION EFFECT Switch for a maximum of 8 PARTS.

INS SW

To turn on the Insertion Effect for the A/D input while in a MIXING mode:

Make sure that the INSERT SWITCH is checked for the A/D PART – remember a maximum of 8 PARTS can simultaneously have their INSERTION EFFECTS active, so you may need to turn OFF (uncheck) one of the synth PARTS in order to activate the INSERTION EFFECTS on the A/D PART

• Press [F4] AUDIO IN
• Press [SF2] CONNECT
(screenshot
shown below)

EffectConnect

• Please turn down your main Volume. It is always a good idea when scrolling through effects to prevent ear damage.

Here you have the dual processors, INSERTION A and INSERTION B.

Set the INSERTION A to the “Cmp” category and select the VCM Compressor 376. The VCM Compressor will allow you to maximize your level and add presence and punch vocals.

• Press [SF3] INS_A to edit the selected Insertion Effect parameters.

Now you can edit the INSERTION_A effect. Just below the CATEGORY and Effect TYPE you will see that you can select a PRESET. Move the cursor to highlight the “PRESET” parameter.

• Press [SF6] LIST

This will let you select from a list of preset setups for the VCM Compressor 376. Scroll down the list and select the Preset called, “Vocal Comp 117x”. This preset is a good starting point for vocals. If you are routing your A/D INPUT to the Assignable Outputs, you will be bypassing the SYSTEM EFFECTS, the MASTER EFFECTS and the MASTER EQ… so in order to use Motif XF reverberation, you might opt to select a reverb algorithm as the second effect (of course, this is entirely up to you).

Auditioning Voices from Files using the Motif XF Editor

Auditioning Voices from Files using the Motif XF Editor

VOICE Libraries can be imported into the Motif XF EDITOR and you can directly audition Voices without having to overwrite data in your current internal Banks. This is made possible by moving the Voice parameters in ‘bulk’ to the Voice mode Edit Buffer of the instrument. This short article will introduce to the basic concepts of using the Editor in the auditioning process. Download and install the most recent version of the “Yamaha Motif XF Editor Standalone/VST” for your computer type. You must connect to the computer via USB or via FW (as communication with the Editor must take place on a multiple Port MIDI interface connection).

• Go to FILE > SETUP
• Set your setup page so that the “CURRENT” is ON and is pointing in the “PC > to > Motif XF” direction.
• Set “AUTO START” is ON.
• Shut OFF both the “GLOBAL” and “VOICE” for this particular function.

AutoSyncSetting

With this setting when you select a Voice to Edit (described below) and you bring the Editor ONLINE it will be sent to the Motif XF Edit Buffer for auditioning.

• Place the EDITOR in [VOICE] mode. If you are ONLINE when you select VOICE mode the Motif XS also will go to VOICE mode. This is where you want to be in order to audition VOICE libraries.
• Take the EDITOR temporarily OFFLINE by clicking the word “ONLINE” on the status bar
• Go to FILE > IMPORT
• Click on the open folder icon in the IMPORT screen and navigate to your file.
• Open the Voice Library you want to audition. You can open (*.X3E), (*.X3V), (*.X3A) files for the Motif XF. You can additionally open and Import the Voice library data from the following FILE TYPES:
(*.X1E) Motif Rack XS Editor files
(*.W7E) Motif ES Editor files
(*.W9E) Motif Rack ES Editor files
(*.M2E) Motif ES Multi-Part Editor files 
(*.M4E)  MO6/8 Multi-Part Editor files
(*.M3E) Motif Rack ES Multi-Part Editor files
(.X0A) Motif XS All data
(.X0V) Motif XS All Voice
(.X0E) Motif XS Editor files
(.X2A) S90 XS/S70 XS All data
(.X2V) S90 XS/S70 XS All Voice 
(.X2E) S90 XS/S70 XS Editor files

Click the “BANK” option on the IMPORT screen (shown below) so you can view the Voices by BANK (instead of CATEGORY).

VST ImportBank

For example, say the Voices you want to audition are in bank “Normal User 4” of the file you select.
Set the left side (FILE side) of the IMPORT window so that “Normal USER 4” is highlighted.
On the right side (Motif XF Editor) click on the target:

“Normal USER 2”
Click “IMPORT”

With the Editor “OFFLINE”, this action will load the 128 sounds to the Editor so you can access them without loading them to the internal Motif XF.
Return to the main Editor screen.

To select a Voice to audition, click on the space where the currently selected VOICE NAME appears.
The VOICE LIBRARY window will slide into view. Set the right side so you are viewing the Editor’s Voice Library by “BANK”.

Open the “Normal User 2” folder to see a list of the names in the Library you are now going to audition.

AuditionVoice

To audition a selection: Highlight its name and then click ONLINE … (by bringing the editor from OFFLINE and then returning it ONLINE, the “CURRENT” Voice will be bulked to the Edit Buffer).
This will send the currently selected VOICE to the EDIT BUFFER of the XF and allow you to audition it, play it, edit it and store it (if you like). If you leave without storing, it will not have overwriten your internal location.

To STORE the VOICE:
Once the Editor ‘sends’ the data to the Edit Buffer you can close the Voice Library window by clicking OK or click the “X” in the upper left corner of the VOICE LIBRARY area.

Go to EDIT on the menu bar and select STORE VOICE or simply right click and select STORE VOICE.

A list of your current internal USER Banks will open. You can select a location and even rename the Voice, if you wish. When complete, click OK

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