Say the FILE you have is a .W7A file which would mean it is an “ALL” data file.
If you select the LOAD TYPE = ALL, then yes the data in the file will replace both internal USER banks and the DRUM USER bank, and the SONGS, PATTERNS, MASTER programs, UTILITY settings, everyth (ALL means All data)

However, if you select LOAD TYPE = VOICE, then you will be able to search within that file’s data for the individual VOICE that you wish to load and then you can also target an internal location in your current memory to load it. And it would leave all the other Voice locations, Songs, Patterns, Master setups, Utiitity mode settings, and everything else unchanged!

Rule: From an ALL file you can select to load individual data. In this case an individual VOICE, but you could load an individual PATTERN, or an indiviudal SONG. The ALL Type setting means replace ALL.

To load a single VOICE from a Motif ES Library:

Press [FILE]
Press [F1] CONFIG
Press [SF1] CURRENT
Select your USB stick
Press [F3] LOAD
Set the File TYPE = “voice”
Move the cursor to highlight the file name

When you press [ENTER] the file will “open” to reveal several lists of VOICES within that file.
Use the [USER1], [USER2] to view the different USER banks contained in your file

Select the VOICE you want to load
Target the internal location to which you want to LOAD it
Press [ENTER] to execcute the load.

The ES will load the VOICE and the samples (if necessary) it needs to play that Voice.

Thank you for your reply! I appreciate the information.

If I load using the All type, will WAVEFORMS already in RAM be lost? I am aware that voices, performances, songs, etc. will be lost, but I am specifically asking about waveforms.

If so, how about if I use the All Voice file type? I remember there was some file type that could load entire banks of sounds while RETAINING waveforms already in RAM. Just trying to figure out what that type was.

Thank you!

If I load using the All type, will WAVEFORMS already in RAM be lost? I am aware that voices, performances, songs, etc. will be lost, but I am specifically asking about waveforms.

Loading an ALL data file replace ALL data... again, "All" means all data, this includes Waveforms.

If so, how about if I use the All Voice file type? I remember there was some file type that could load entire banks of sounds while RETAINING waveforms already in RAM. Just trying to figure out what that type was.

An ALL VOICE file will load and replace the Waveforms and Samples as it also replaces all the User Voices.

Sample memory in the ES was volatile DIMMs when you load an individual Voice, it will load the Waveform it needs and it places it in the next empty slot. This is the way you can *add* new Waveform data to existing data.

To load a single VOICE from a Motif ES Library:
Press [FILE]
Press [F1] CONFIG
Press [SF1] CURRENT
Select your USB stick
Press [F3] LOAD
Set the File TYPE = “voice”
Move the cursor to highlight the file name

When you press [ENTER] the file will “open” to reveal several lists of VOIES within that file.
Use the [USER1], [USER2] to view the different USER banks contained in your file

Select the VOICE you want to load
Target the internal location to which you want to LOAD it
Press [ENTER] to execcute the load.

The ES will load the VOICE and the samples (if necessary) it needs to play that Voice.

Thank you for your reply. That is a great method for loading a single voice.

I found this article, perhaps written by you, telling how to load a single bank of 128 voices on a Motif XS: https://yamahasynth.com/resources/how-to-load-a-bank-of-128-voices/342-how-to-load-a-bank-of-128-voices

Does the approach in the article work on a Motif ES as well?

No, I wrote that article because it was one of the new features of the XS series, the ability to manage what gets loaded in a more efficient ways. The ES (2003-2007) definitely does NOT have this approach. Sorry, the feature was introduced in 2007 in the XS series.

Ah, good to know. Thank you for confirming, Phil!