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Cubase: MOTIF XF Song Import

Written by Bad Mister on May 16, 2018. Posted in Apps, 2010s.

Motif XF SONG Import For this you must have installed the Yamaha “Motif XF Extension” to your Cubase program. This can be obtained at the Official Yamaha Download Site

Select your country Type in the Model Number: Motif XF When the SEARCH RESULTS are shown, confirm your Motif XF You want to download the SOFTWARE for your computer type and OS: Motif XF Extension

This adds functionality to Cubase that will allow you to IMPORT a Motif XF Song directly into a Cubase Project from a Motif XF ALL data file (.X3A). This is the most efficient way to move Song data from your XF to Cubase. It is a simple two-step procedure. First, your musical performance data (sequence) and then your mix data into a Cubase Project – where it will all be recombined and stored together in a Cubase (.CPR) Project file. This is very useful when you have started a project in your Motif XF and want to now continue work in the Cubase environment.

Since the Motif XF Editor VST runs inside of Cubase, it will be taking care of your Mixing and Voice data (everything you used will be accounted for) – so when you open this Cubase Project (.CPR) not only your MIDI and audio track data will be restored but every Voice, Mix Voice, and setting of your Motif XF will be restored, as well. This is part of the Studio Connections initiative whose goal is: true integration of hardware and software.

Save your Motif XF data to a USB drive as an ALL data file TYPE (.X3A). This ALL data file will contain all the information you need to move the data into your Cubase Project.

Step 1: Move in the MIDI track and Audio data
Step 2: Open the Mix data in the Motif XF Editor.

Cubase has been “taught” to open and import the SONG track data from a Motif XF ALL data file. Of course, the Motif XF Editor can ‘open’ the ALL data file and import the Mix and the Voices.

Here is how it works:

Step 1:

All you need to do is place your USB drive with your ALL data file into your computer. (Alternatively, if you are storing directly to your computer via Ethernet, you only need to access the .X3A file on your computer)

_ Open Cubase
_ Under FILE in Cubase select IMPORT > Motif XF Song

If it does not appear – Make sure you have downloaded and installed the Motif XF Extentions

_ Navigate to your Motif XF ALL data file (.X3A), highlight the file and click OPEN

_ Select a target Directory on your computer for this new Cubase Project. This should be somewhere on your computer (do not make a directory on your USB stick). You are being asked where do you want to create the new Project.

_ Click OK

_A dialog box will open revealing your “IMPORT OPTIONS”

_ Select the SONG by title (click on the small chevron in the corner of the title window to see the full list of Song’s contained in your ALL data file.

_ Click the “Select All Tracks” option to import all tracks.

_ Click OK. This will import each track to a separate track in Cubase.

MIDI Tracks will be imported to Cubase MIDI Tracks. And any audio you have recorded to the Integrated Sampling Sequencer will be properly positioned on an Audio Track in Cubase.

Start the “Motif XF Editor VST”. Make sure the Motif XF Editor VST is communicating (ONLINE) with the Motif XF. (If you are new to the Editor please see separate article on their setup and use).

STEP 2:
This second step is not really necessary because since you originally did the SONG in the Motif XF, your MIX and Voices are already in its memory. However, when transferring data to Cubase it simply makes sense to store all of the data in the Cubase Project file. This is so next year when you remember you did this song, and you open the Cubase Project everything (every sound, every setting) will be recalled automatically!

Next you will want to import the MIX data and place it in the Motif XF Editor. In a similar operation you can use the Motif XS Editor to import the MIX data from the ALL data file… Just as Cubase deals with the MIDI data in the tracks, the Motif XS Editor will deal with the sounds and Mix data.

_ On the XF Editor’s menu bar go to FILE > OPEN…
_ Set the “Files of Type” option (or “ENABLE” in Mac-speak) so that you are looking for Motif XF ALL data file type (.X3A)

_ Navigate to and highlight the same .X3A file and click OPEN

A “SONG SELECT” dialog box will appear and allow you to see the songs contained in the ALL data file. Use the small triangular chevron to view a list of all song titles.
_ Select the SONG by title and click OK.

The Editor will open the file and find the requested data. This will take a few seconds… as it imports all the USER sounds, and the current Mix, including any MIX VOICES you have done (so all your possible edits have been imported as well).

Then the Editor’s AUTO SYNC window will appear and you can select to send the CURRENT MIX and the VOICE data (if necessary) from the COMPUTER => the Motif XF.

This will allow you to load the Mix and Voice data – every setting you made with the Motif XF. It is total recall.

Click START and the Mix and Voice data will be sent to the Motif XF. Now you have restored all your work created in the XF and opened it in Cubase.

POWER USER: Ethernet

Written by Bad Mister on May 16, 2018. Posted in 2010s.

Connect the Motif XS/XF to your Macintosh computer with an Ethernet cable
Disable WiFi on the computer (important) you cannot have both active simultaneously. If you are constantly getting the “Can’t access host!” message this could be one of the causes. You can do so by going to SYSTEM PREFERENCES > NETWORK > turn WiFi = Off

The computer should report that Ethernet is connected… Verify that you are seeing Ethernet as active. Those using a Thunderbolt –to-Ethernet adapter will see that listed. Verify that is green (go).

On the Motif XS/XF:

Press [UTILITY]
Press [F1] GENERAL
Press [SF3] NETWORK

Host Name:
Your Motif has a default Host Name (NetBIOS) there is no reason to change this but if you notice that the name changes from time to time, this is likely due to having loaded an ALL data file created by someone other than yourself on a different Motif. Remember to always load ALL data files that you did not create on your Motif XS/XF using the “ALL WITHOUT SYSTEM” option. All of your NETWORK settings are a part of YOUR system. To avoid having these change use the “without system” option. If you wish you can immediately re-Save the file – this will write YOUR system setting into that file. FYI: Your Motif’s original Host Name is restored when you execute a FACTORY SET. Or you load a file that was originally created on your XS/XF

DHCP Client = ON
This allows for automatic setting of the IP Address and other Address settings.

File Server = ON
This allows your computer to access data from USB drives connected to your Motif. You will be able to drag and drop files directly from your computer on to any USB drive connected to the Motif. This will be available by setting a PASSWORD. This PASSWORD will be necessary anytime you attempt to access the Motif from your computer. You will be challenged to set a Password for this purpose before you can turn Filer Server ON.

ADDRESS
DHCP is ON; all these settings will be made automatically.

SMB
No need to make changes here in most cases. You will be using SMB protocol to communicate.

File Server Account:
If you have multiple Motifs you may want to give each a unique account name. If you leave this blank you can log on to the Motif from the computer as “nobody” (without the quotation marks).

Mount User Name:
This is the name of your account on your computer. By storing your account name here you will not have to type it in each time you want to communicate with the computer from your Motif… You will only need the Password, if any, to access your computer.

Motif XF special instructions:
In the upper right corner of the NETWORK screen make sure the INTERFACE Device = Ethernet (this is only for XF owners as they have an option for WIRELESS)

Press [ENTER] to make Network settings. It will take a few seconds to do so.
Press [STORE] to save your preferences to Flash ROM.

On your Macintosh computer:

Go to SYSTEM PREFERENCES > SHARING

Here you will see the Computer Name. You will need to type this computer name into the Motif when you attempt to initially “mount” the computer from the Motif FILE menu (more on this a bit later)

Check the FILE SHARING option.
With Windows Sharing ON, click OPTIONs to see the drop down screen
Select SMB (called “Samba”) Server Management Block, and place a check next to your account.
Click DONE

You must create and share specific Folders on your computer. If you do not already have a folder or folders in mind, create one or more. Click the “+” (add) icon under the SHARED FOLDERS window and select the Folders you wish to have access to from the Motif. And in the second column decide who should have access to these folders. You can set the LOCK in the lower left corner to prevent these settings from getting changed.

Back on the Motif XS/XF:

Press [FILE]
Press [F2] MOUNT

The Motif will gather information about your Network….

HOST:

Type in the official Computer name. Press [SF5] CHAR (character)
Press [ENTER]

USER NAME – This will automatically be populated by the MOUNT USER NAME you indicated in an earlier step

PASSWORD – This is the password you use to log on to your computer. If you don’t use one, then you will not need one here

Press [ENTER]

The “shared” folders on your Macintosh will appear.

Highlight the one you wish to access and press ENTER.

A folder icon will appear to the left of the folder name indicating that this is a folder you can now access.

Press [F1] FILE
Move the cursor up to the top to highlight DEVICE
Press [SF6] LIST

This will allow you to see all of the currently connected devices and folders… If you have a hub connected to your Motif, all the USB drives will be listed, and if you have mounted multiple Folders on your computer they too will be listed.

Select the folder, press [ENTER] to enter that folder.

In Use
When you want to access the Motif XS/XF from your computer it will show up as one of the devices listed in your Network. You will see the Motif’s HOST NAME. You can CONNECT AS… User Name = whatever you entered as the FILE SERVER ACCOUNT… If you did not enter one type “nobody”.
The Password is the password you created for your Motif XS/XF.

Two folders will appear. The one labeled MEDIA will contain the USB drives that are currently physically connected to the XS/XF. Again, if you are using a hub, multiple devices will appear. The other folder THEME is for your different Screen templates.

The Ethernet connect between the XS/XF and the computer will allow you to access the computer via the FILE function on the Motif. Once mounted (as described above) you can read and write files, as necessary. Please remember, the XS/XF will only be able to access folders that you have “shared” and you will only be able to view Folders, and those Files useful to the current Mode of your instrument. In other words, if you are looking for a particular ALL SONG file (.X0A, .X3A) you must enter FILE mode from the SONG mode.