The only problem with ‘recommending’ anything that has been discontinued for more than decade is what to base the recommendation on. You are working at a disadvantage because to make full use of the PLG150-series Synthesizer boards you really want to get into the Editors. Otherwise you ar just really scratching the surface of what these Synthesizers are all about.

The hardware (PLG150 boards) will be fine twenty plus years after their initial release, but the software that let you take full advantage of the hardware is probably a full time hobby to run on today’s new computer operating systems. (If you can even find them). The Computer industry thrives on obsoleting stuff, they want you to keep buying computers and you only subscribe to the software. After a while it becomes untenable for the hardware company to keep updating the software... because the protocols (hoops your program has to jump through) keep changing. The computer term is “non-compliant” (means at one point you were fine, but because the computer OS has changed the program you wish to run has become ‘non-compliant’).

The PLG150-VL you know; there is the DX (FM Synthesis) and the AN (virtual analog)... these are the synth boards.
Then there are the sample-based boards AP and PF (acoustic piano), DR and PC (drums/perc) — the Editors for these were not near as essential to enjoy them fully... most of what you need to edit can be done with the host product’s parameters.

But the synth boards have extremely programmable engines on those circuit boards. Especially the DX and AN (the VL is so hard to program you don’t really miss much unless you are deep into this kind of thing... if you think FM programming is deep, VL is the Mariana Trench of deepness... but it’s fun attaching a Flute mouthpiece to a violin body to see what you get!)
There are over 900 sounds on the DX board, there are 256 preset sounds on the AN board... just FYI

Yeah..... I guess i just like the idea of putting a DX7 FM synth inside my Motif ES. I probably wouldn't be looking to edit any FM sounds (which is a sin) just want to add some actual FM voices throughout my ES category voices....mainly the classic electric piano, bell and pad combos....If my research is correct there is only 64 factory presets on the board, true? and beyond that would require editing. Only about 20-25 of these 64 factory presets are electric piano voices?

Given, that you guys already sampled a few DX voices and included them as presets in my ES....and assuming I won't be doing any FM editing and considering that I am only looking for the more classic FM sounds.....it probably wouldn't be worth it for me to add it... Am I right about the 64 factory presets?

There are 64 Factory Presets called PLG PRE 1. When you have a PLG150 board installed in a Motif ES, when you power up, you will see briefly it scans the PLG slots. It is at that moment it restores from internal ROM, the 64 PLG PRE programs according to which slot contains the board. If it detects a DX or AN or VL Board it loads the Factory Plugin Preset Voices.

Each of the PLG150 Synth boards has 64 PLG PRE Banks (the VL has three such Banks, one for Breath Control, one for Touch EG, and one for Velocity) but each is a set of 64 PLG PRE sounds. The thing about the PLG PRE Bank Voices is they have been fully integrated into the Motif ES architecture, this means they use the ES routing to Effects, they have ES Controllers assigned to do things.

Each of the synth boards also has a number of raw sounds... these you build into ES sounds. The board has no effects, it has no controllers, it has no keyboard, it has nothing but these raw sounds. (This is why to actually build a sound from scratch, you need an Editor to address the scores of specific parameters to address the specific technology).

The DX board has 912 of the so-called Board Voices... tons of Electric pianos, tons of stuff.
The AN board has 256 so-called Board Voices... Board Voices can be built into Motif ES sounds... instead of using a sampled Element, you use one of Board Voices.

You can use these to build your own PLG USR (User) Voices. A PLG USR Voice is a Board Voice that you have added Motif ES Effects and have assigned ES Controllers to the Board’s Parameters. You can store these to your ES.

But... (yes, there’s more) these PLG150 boards are editable synthesizers - you can actually build sound from scratch ... that is when you need the Editors... To program from scratch. Both the DX and AN have a blank RAM Bank which, I was trying to explain ... is the piece of the puzzle you will likely miss out on. But if you are not a “from scratch” type person... then the 912 DX, and 256 AN Board Voices will be plenty to play around with.

You basically add Controllers and add Effects, and Store, right on the Motif ES, no Editor necessary for that...

Do I understand correctly that the 912 Board Voices are not complete and ready to play until I add the controllers and effects, which can be done on the Motif without any outside editor? By comparison, on my VL board, I am able to just select the BR voices I like best, add them to my favorite list, update my AUTOLOAD file and viola... they are all there ready to play every startup without any editing.... Are there any voices on the DX board that are likewise already connected with everything needed to select and play just like my favortie VL breath controlled voices? Would that be the 64 factory presets? I have the manual, if you do too, could you point me to the page or pages which lists whatever voices are all complete and ready to play without further editing needed?

Do I understand correctly that the 912 Board Voices are not complete and ready to play until I add the controllers and effects, which can be done on the Motif without any outside editor?

That’s what I said, yes.

Are there any voices on the DX board that are likewise already connected with everything needed to select and play just like my favortie VL breath controlled voices?

There are 64. When the PLG150-DX first became available 20 years ago the products that used it were the CS6X, CS6R, and the S80... you’ll probably see them listed as those sounds on the Voice list. It’s been years since I’ve seen or played an ES... so I can’t tell you if the same programs were installed in the Motif in 2001, or in the Motif ES in 2003, but I would guess they are similar... as it was the S80 that grew into the Motif-Series.

Got it..... Thanks Phil.

Hi this is my first post here.
These few conversations about PLG150-an boards for motif es synthesizers, came up in my searches.
Can I ask, would these same topics be also relevant to the S90ES synths as well?
Thanks so much. I know these machines are dated, but a person I have been following has one and I’m learning from him, so...
Dan
?

Yes, the S90 ES was one if the synthesizers compatible in the Modular Synthesis Plugin System — the S90 ES was the sibling equivalent to the Motif ES8 sans the Integrated Sampling Sequencer. All other functions are the same.