Some people like the Montage or Modx just because they're newer. But there's a reason the older sounds are emulated on the newer workstations...because you can't beat classics.
Plus, the new keybeds are inferior to the older ones 😊 Oh, especially the toy keybed on modx...yuck! I bought one new and sent it back the same day ! shame shame shame Yamaha.
I still have mine and I wd say ANY of the Motifs are worth keeping as a controller...especially the Motif ES due to its 226k note sequencer ...Up until the latest montage the origonal Motif had that capacity as well (I beleive)...I used to create or retrack a song for church back in the day and MIDI map out the sounds to VSTIs and would control that using more in depth sounds with the Motif ES. I wd say the sounds are outdated today but meticulously mapping that to a VST as a controller...its still worth it. Why would you even need ANY Motif if youre only playing 1 sound at a time and\or not sequencing??
I have the es8, bought it in 06 gave it to my piano teacher as payment, but bought it back. It does so much so well. I love composing multi-track pieces, the English Horn and the Flute are amazing. There is so much you can do with this rig, it's staying with me!
Two devices I absolutely loved (and regret selling) was my Motif ES and RS7000 . Not just the sound, but the ease of use in playing and creating music with these devices. I tried the MODX but it’s very confusing to me, and doesn’t do what a 20yr old keyboard workstation did (I.e. all in one workstation) 🤔
The ES8 will forever be my top 1 favorite board of all time reason why I am currently using as my main board at my church. The ES8 is still relevant even though it’s a timeless vintage board but that board never fails me.
The ES 7 has one of the best keyboard actions ever. Also the ribbon controller and provision for breath controller . Polyphonic aftertouch. Fantastic sound. As used by Dire straits. I use mine to control my studio and MODX. One of the best synths workstations ever made. Built like a tank.
It is really about how good one can be in processing sounds. If people can put creative effects on a Fisher Price or Casio then the same rule applies for all workstation romplers.
At my 8:00am church we still have one and that sound never dies!!! My wife says she like the fullness of that one over my Yamaha cp73 and my Nord electro 6d at my other churches & I ain’t gone lie that keybed is amazing and I like how the piano doesn’t have too much reverb 😢😂😂😂
Yes the Yamaha Motif ES still sounds just as good today as it did back then. Many of the sounds I have in Halion 7's Factory libraries are based on waveforms from a mix of each generation of Motif. The bass sounds in Motif are one example of a realistic sound and also the guitars in Motif still sound OK, I also like all the really cheesy sounds in Motif like it's brass and saxophone sounds.
I was just @ the Berks Jazz Fest back in April and I saw more motif XF8’s XF7’s and XS’s on stage and 2 ES7’s on one show. Yamaha rules! I saw 1 Nord lead but everything else Yamaha motifs, not even a Korg. To me, that says a lot! Can’t wait til’ next year to see if they’ll have the new Montages up there.😌🎹🎶👍🏾
@@AndrewMcKainYup! It does. Didn’t even see a Roland Fantom on stage (and they’re great boards) Yamaha made a winner when they designed the Motif series. It even out did the DX7. I’m keeping my XF8. But damn, do I want the M8X!😌🎹🎶👍🏾
@@etpslick100.....careful here...I got my fantom 8 brand new 5 months ago....I got it for specific project but I'm looking for a motif to practice and abuse....Lol.....I can't find the XF8 anywhere online with good condition
I still have my mo8, and Xs6. Got my mo8 used from a church and its a huge blessing! And got my Xs6 used for a grt used affordable price. Im never letting them go. They sound sweet, and when i run them threw pedals or software plugins to customize my sounds, its bliss. I layer my sounds in my mix with various synths and im creative with my plug-ins and filters and panning. So i feel like im still getting some montage vibes while saving a couple thow wow $$$. Yamaha's are great. CS-80 & Dx-7 are legendary. Sk-30 is another animal. The Motif still holds 2024! Yamaha XF, XS, ES, Mo, or Montage are all good 👍.
Hello. I follow your videos and your works which are excellent. I believe you've gone through a lot of Yamaha's motif series, I'm wondering if there is a difference in the quality of the samples in the ES motif compared to the classic motif, it was often written then that the samples are the same, only that there is a difference in polyphony and additional effects... thank you... Big greetings from Bosnia
If you currently own one or can get a good deal on one, absolutely. If not, I’d skip past them to a Montage being that you get similar sounds plus more. As these units age, capacitors, buttons, and displays will become an issue.
I had one. I would say yes if your using it for live performance. But as far as production, the sounds get over used after a while. But great sound though overall. Drums are killer. I think they had a build In eq and reverb on most.
You are a very good player, so the ES8 still sounds good in your hands. I guess, a XF8 might be a serious and noticeable upgrade, though. I had an XF6 and do have a MODX8 now. While ouput on the XF is far better, sounds and usability on the MODX really shine, once you have understood the new UI. The sequencer isn't that bad either.
Looking at this video because there's a cheap Motif 8 classic on our local classifieds and was wondering if I should get it or keep looking for an ES instead.
note* I do have a Yamaha MO8 in still good working condition too so Im thinking may not be necessary. But if I ever see an ES8 I won't hesitate to get it.
A Motif classic would be great as a midi controller because the keybed is amazing, the problem with it is the polyphony is terrible. The polyphony on the ES is better
@@AndrewMcKain, I’m thinking of purchasing a Yamaha moxf8. Even those these are extremely heavy. Is it possible to get that amazing crisp, and bell like tone in the Yamaha moxf8?
