Yamaha Motif 8 Owners Manual

81MOTIF  Quick Start GuidePlaying Voices
Quick Start Guide
Using the Categor y Search function
Reference (page 126)
The MOTIF features a powerful Category Search function that gives you quick access to the sounds you want, 
irrespective of their bank locations.  Simply select a voice category, such as A. PIANO or SYN LEAD, and you can 
browse through all related voices one by one — and audition each of them, too.  Plus, you can use the special 
Favorites category to store the voices you use most.  
PLG...

82MOTIF  Quick Start Guide
Playing Voices 
Quick Start Guide
Keyboard Octave (MOTIF6/MOTIF7)
Sometimes when playing a voice, you may wish to play in a lower or higher pitch range.  For example, you may want 
to shift the pitch down lower to get extra bass notes, or shift up to get higher notes for leads and solos.  The Octave 
Up/Down controls let you do this quickly and easily.
Each time you press the [OCTAVE UP] button on the panel, the overall pitch of the voice goes up by one octave.  
Likewise, each...

83MOTIF  Quick Start GuideEditing Voices
Quick Start Guide
Editing Voices
The Voice Play mode not only lets you play voices, it lets you perform a variety of basic, yet powerful editing operations on 
them as well.  For example, you can change the EG settings to give the voice a softer or harder attack, or change the release 
to make it sustain.  You can also adjust similar settings for the filter, and change the tone of the voice.  Moreover, a special 
set of Control knobs on the panel let you tweak the...

84MOTIF  Quick Start Guide
Editing Voices 
Quick Start Guide
Voice editing with the Control knobs
Reference (page 132)
These knobs let you change various aspects of the Voice’s sound in real time — while you play. Turn a knob to the 
right to increase the value, and left to decrease it. If you want to keep the edits you make, you can store them to a new 
voice (page 86).
nEach voice of the MOTIF has been programmed with a default or standard parameter value. Using these knobs offsets the default 
or...

85MOTIF  Quick Start GuideEditing Voices
Quick Start Guide
About each assigned function 
                                                   
AT TA C KRELEASE CUTOFF
RESONANCE
KN 1 KN 2 KN 3 KN 4
Filter and EG2
Attack
time
Key onRelease
time
Key off
AT TA C K
Determines the attack time of the sound.  For example, you can 
adjust a strings voice so that the sound gradually swells in 
volume by setting a slow attack time — simply turn the 
[ATTACK] knob to the right.  For a more percussive attack, turn 
the...

86MOTIF  Quick Start Guide
Storing edited Voices 
Quick Start Guide
Storing edited Voices
Reference  (page 160)
Once you’ve edited a voice, you can store it to the internal memory (SRAM). Up to 128 Normal Voices and up to 16 
Drum Voices can be stored. 
nFor details about memory structure, see page 63. 
When you execute this, the settings for the destination memory will be overwritten. Important data should always be backed up 
to computer, a separate Memory Card or some other storage device. (See page...

87MOTIF  Quick Start GuideStoring edited Voices
Quick Start Guide
About Plug-in Voices
Basic Structure (page 34)
Plug-in Boards give you an enormous amount of additional sonic flexibility and power. When installed, they work 
seamlessly and transparently within the system of the MOTIF — meaning that you can use their sounds and 
functions just as if they were built right into the MOTIF at the factory. Up to three Plug-in boards can be installed to 
the MOTIF. If the Plug-in Board has been correctly...

88MOTIF  Quick Start Guide
Playing Performances 
Quick Start Guide
Playing Performances
Basic Structure (page 42) · Reference (page 162)
In the Performance mode, you can select and play individual User performances. 
In a performance, you can mix several different voices together in a layer, or split them across the keyboard, or even 
set up a combination layer/split. Each Performance can contain up to four different Parts.
nFor details about the performances and their memory (bank) structure, see page...

89MOTIF  Quick Start GuideEditing Performances (Layer/Split)
Quick Start Guide
Editing Performances (Layer/Split)
Basic Structure (page 45) · Reference (page 170)
Performances can be made up of a maximum of four parts (voices), selected from the internal tone generator Parts 1 - 4 
and Plug-in board Parts 1 - 3.
You can create a performance by layering several voices together, and by assigning different voices to separate ranges 
of the keyboard.  You can then store up to 128 of your original, edited...

90MOTIF  Quick Start Guide
Storing the edited Performance 
Quick Start Guide
Storing the edited Performance
Reference (page 176)
Once you’ve edited a performance, you can store it to the internal memory (SRAM). Up to 128 performances can be stored. 
nFor details about memory structure, see page 63. 
When you execute this, the settings for the destination memory will be overwritten. Important data should always be backed up 
to computer, a separate Memory Card or some other storage device. (See page 97.)...