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MOXF Series Music Production Synthesizers
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I play live, sing and play keyboard. I use the MOXF in Song mode, using most of the 1 thru 15 Part/Tracks for backing. My personal protocol, since I'm moving from Song file to Song all night, is to always assign the Voice I'm going to be playing to Part/Track 16. This keeps to a minimum what I have to do moving one Song to the next.
(If you are very familiar with the MOXf, you can skip the next few paragraphs but it helps to explain and maybe someone using another series has wrestled with a similar issue.)
On the MOXF that means that when I change Songs and press MUTE every Part Button that is active in the Song is lit, including Part 16. (If it is not, I make sure to turn it on.) But before I hit play on the sequencer it is necessary for me to select Part 16, so it is the only Voice sounding "live" in real time. To do so, I must press the TRACK button which allows for only ONE of the 16 buttons to be lit. I hit the Part 16 button, it lights (the other 15 are now dark) and I'm ready to hit play and perform the Song.
On the MOXF many of buttons and knobs and controllers are multi-functional and you must carefully and correctly assign them (using OTHER buttons!) in order to control the particular thing you are wanting to select or tweak.
On the left side, you have two rows of 4 knobs for real time tweaking of various things. Under each of the 8 knobs there is a tiered list of three possible sub-functions and you use the corresponding button on the right to scroll through the options. There is a limit to what combination of things you can do at the same time and (except for Tempo) you are affecting only ONE Part -- the Part/Track of the 16 that is selected in the full Mix layout on the work screen, which -- and this is crucial to my issue -- is also the single Part/Track button you see lit up in TRACK mode.
There is a feature whereby when you light up all three tiers next to both rows, the top row of knobs becomes Volume for a Group of Four Parts that you CAN tweak simultaneously -- but you can only do so in groups 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16. And WHICH groupings offered depend on what single Part/Track button of the 16 you have lit up in TRACK mode.
So here's the problem. If there is a track that I'm NOT playing that's simply too loud that night, if it's not on 13, 14, 15 or 16, there is no QUICK way to pull it down in the mix. If I press the actual Part/Track in question, it means that I'm suddenly either playing THAT Voice or I have to drop out of the Song altogether while I find the offending track. If I go into Mix screen, that's even more distracting and then I'm having to squint to even see what I'm doing on the screen.
Is there no solution to this predicament? I guess I could maybe play along in MIX mode, but I actually sometimes use Part 15 for a second Voice I'm going to play, so switching between buttons is quite handy.
Posted : 25/10/2023 8:54 pm
Maybe with something like this:
Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R
Posted : 26/10/2023 2:37 am
Been here, done this, and have an old t-shirt that solved this problem.
Back when the MOXF (Motif XS/XF, etc) were current products, the solution was the iOS (iPad) app “Yamaha Multi Editor Essential”.
When simultaneously attempting to be both musician and sound engineer (in the real world, typically, handled by two separate people) but in a MIDI-based system, your current conundrum will raise its head. Because Volume/Expression are MIDI commands that require you be on that specific Transmit Channel in order to affect any changes on the Part in question. Therefore, playing on one channel while manipulating another channel is problematic.
This free Yamaha app “Multi Editor Essential” allowed you to communicate with your Yamaha Synth (either wirelessly or via USB cable) and control the essential functions of your synth’s Multi setup… thus allowing you to continue playing on Channel 16, while you adjust Volumes, Sends, etc., of Parts 1-15.
The app is a mixer with selectable Channel views: “1-8” and “9-16”
The Sliders can be set to show Volumes, Reverb Sends, or Chorus Sends
The Pan function has a knob icon for each channel
A separate tab selects the Master Effect and Insertion Switches
Another tab selects the Master EQ
Access to the Sequencer Transport Controls are available on all screens.
The controls make use of the touch screen of the iPad (you can use pinch technique to work the 5-band Master EQ).
50 Multi Setups can stored in the App
I don’t know if it is still available in the App Store (since the products it serviced are all discontinued) but it was available (FREE!) for iPad. Hopefully, you downloaded it and just never hooked it up.
This was the solution for your issue… yes, you did need to have an iPad but it worked for Motif XS/XF, MOX/MOXF, Motif-Rack XS, S70XS/S90XS… and as mentioned, it was a free download (back-in-the-day). It even had different graphic overlays for each product group.
Update: I found the following notice
______“Distribution and support of the Multi Editor Essential will be ended on September 15, 2023 (JST).
You may continue to use previously installed app on your iOS device. However, the app may stop working without any notice due to future iOS updates, etc.
Thank you for using the Multi Editor Essential app.”______
It was not available in all markets… but you may still find it out there (depending on where in the world you are located).
Posted : 26/10/2023 3:04 pm
Been here, done this, and have an old t-shirt that solved this problem.
Maybe you should put that quote on a T-shirt and make some money from it!
Posted : 26/10/2023 5:25 pm
The 3 slider MIDI controller allows for setting MIDI channels and CC for each slider so it would work indefinitely. Probably not as practical if you need more than 3 although there are configuration profiles and if those are easy enough to switch then that may be a way to "bank" these sliders.
And there may be other external options out there. This was the first I found.
The other option is to use CTRLR (I think I got that right) which would allow for using custom panels. Only Windows Linux or OSX are supported (not iOS). There are other possible software solutions with modern support although may cost.
Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R
Posted : 26/10/2023 9:05 pm
If you can assign a button or a function button to quickly turn off the volume or mute a certain Part/Track, that would be great. This makes it easy to mute any Part/Track without having to leave TRACK mode. enneagram test
Posted : 25/04/2024 2:57 am
