Ken wrote:

Does anybody know how what cable I need to connect the Moif ES6 to laptop by Mlan?

The mLAN16e was an optional expansion board that could be added to the Motif ES and turned it into an audio and MIDI interface for your computer. You connected the mLAN16e directly to your computer with a single FireWire cable. Giving you 16 audio bus outputs from the ES. The main Stereo L/R plus fourteen assignable outputs via FW. The fourteen assignables were available as mono buses or configurable in odd/even stereo pairs, as necessary.

The mLAN16e was discontinued along with the ES series back in 2007.
mLAN got a major overhaul with the release of the XS as it transitioned from a networking protocol into a peer-to-peer system (computer OS changes mandated this). The mLANe2 was introduced (not compatible with the previous).

Do I have to use an audio interface for connecting or can I go straight into the laptop from ES6?

The mLAN16e was an audio interface that installed in the back of your ES; you then connected a FW cable between the ES and computer. The mLAN16e system ran with a special driver - last supported by Windows 98 through Windows XP, and on the Mac side up through OS 9.2.x

You would be hard pressed to get a system up and running now using today's computers and that old hardware. We recommend you either get a 'time machine' or you'll need incredible hacking skills to run the driver on today's computers.

Just FYI: you may still find mLAN16e2 units, these will *not* work for Motif ES, the mLAN16e2 bridged the gap between old mLAN and the newer FW system. It could be used in the XS and XF series and reflected the evolution of both Windows and Macintosh operating systems to better Midi and audio handling. The mLAN16e2 was ultimately replaced by the FW16E, which no longer can do true mLAN networking, but works with a special Yamaha Steinberg FW peer-to-peer driver. The new Yamaha Steinberg FW Driver works to make the mLANE2 work with today's Windows 7 through Windows 10; and Macintosh through the current 10.11.x. The FW16E only works with newer driver system.

If you get one of the very last Motif XF (before March 31, 2016) it comes Fully Loaded including the FW16E ... Please check that the promotion is happening in your part of the world.