Whether knowing the origin of the name would be at all useful, is as you suggest, debatable... Because, at the end of the day, you select the appropriate sound by listening to it in the context of your music.

If you had been around in 1984 you would have remembered the synth performance of the year that year was by a guitar player (one Eddie Van Halen) on his album coincidentally named "1984" so the Voice named "After 1984" was designed to be an Oberheim OB8 sound used on the iconic song, "Jump!" ... Back then there were these oil based 12-inch disks (vinyl) that had a single groove that spiraled inward toward the center... Songs were listed in a specific order. Song 1 was "1984", the song after "1984" was "Jump!". Get it?

If you know it, you go, "Oh, yeah! right!" If you don't, you go, "Right, so what!" 🙂 it's like an "inside joke", for those who know by being there...

Auditioning Voices is more a personal taste thing. And while your request is not unusual, only those present in the room with the programming team would know many of the stories. And while it seems like it is important to know it is a CFIIIS Concert Grand is less important than knowing it was built to cut through guitars. Words like Bright, Brite, Aggressive, etc used on a piano are universal adjectives for this purpose... If you actually need them... Listening should tell you everything you need!

I truly believe, that at this level of instrument, there are only appropriate and inappropriate Voices for what you are attempting to do. I hear users all the time say silly things like "The so-and-so piano Voice is terrible", when actually what they mean is it is inappropriate for what they currently have in their musical head, it does not actually mean it is terrible, in fact, in another context it might be ideal. Don't know why musicians deal in such absolutes when they talk - and immediately contradict themselves minutes later.

But bottom line it is you and how you approach playing that Voice that is more important than the programmer's sense of humor or concept for the sound, you may totally disagree. Some of the names are hidden "Easter Eggs", those who get it, smile, if you don't get it, don't worry. Choose a Voice by your own taste based on what you want to accomplish. Just because a programmer designed the Voice to cut through guitars doesn't mean you have to or should use it for that purpose. You'd have to play it, to know. What if you decide to use it for a solo classical piece.... Or would the description sour your selection for this purpose? See my meaning?

Thanks for that reply, Phil.

I do completely agree with your assertion regarding appropriate and inappropriate voices, and the 'whatever sounds right for the arrangement' approach has served me well.

While I was only 8 in 1984, and my first introduction to Eddie Van Halen came in the form of a home-recorded cassette being played at high volume through a Walkman by 'Darth Vader' directly into the ears of George McFly, I appreciate the anecdote of how the Motif voice was named - it brought a smile to my face, so if the Motif voice programmers wanted to get together and periodically tell tales of other voices, they would find a reader here - not so much for the purposes of auditioning, for which there is obviously no substitute for actually playing the sounds, but more for a combination of enjoyment and quick reference.

We recently had a 40th Anniversay event where a lot of the programmers and "inside folks" got together and exchanged stories. And for that purpose there is some interest - if only for the smiles it brings. Many of the Voice names are purposefully double entendre meant to skirt the line between funny and too clever. Some are removed, or at least changed, by the censors of good taste.