Comparison: Motif ES vs Montage Vs MODX

[@PedroSalesJrAP]

0:00 Full Concert Grand 1:06 80s Layer 2:21 Hard Vintage 3:03 Nu Phasing 3:25 Dream Ballad 4:09 Full Monty 4:35 Super Clavi 1 5:18 Over the Top 6:30 Velo Bass 7:54 Ens Mix 9:03 Velo Falls 10:03 Sweet Flute AF1 10:53 Mini Soft 11:37 Pad & Syn

[@waltscott5]

Really helpful. Thanks for doing this.

[@Diddddu]

You can hear the warmth of the converters on the ES on that Velo Bass.That ES still has some heat coming from it.The ES Triton Extreme Fantom X .A very special time for keyboard workstations.

[@atarifalcon]

That's crazy. Just today I decided to keep my Motif ES6. I was about to buy a MODX 7+. But I couldn't bring myself to part with my Motif ES6. And now I suddenly see your video with the comparisons. This shows me that my decision was the right one and that the Motif ES doesn't sound a bit worse than the newer models. Crazy....

[@waltscott5]

@@atarifalcon No after touch on the MODX 6/7 is a deal breaker for me. I can can get by without it on the 8 since it’s mostly for piano type sounds for me

[@Tanstaafl1976]

@@waltscott5 Yep, and even the newer versions, the MODX6+/7+/8+, lack after touch.

[@JozeatTxb]

Really well done comparison!👌👌. Some of the differences (and also close similarities!) are quite revealing @o4:08 "full monty", and then @06:00 "Over the top" for instance.. Top-class playing as well. Thanks!

[@waltscott5]

Thanks. It was interesting hearing them in the same audio environment like that. Glad it translated to video

[@perttutuomaalamusic]

I sold my Ex8 and bought Es8, what a great synth! The sound is really pure and hits hard! Es8 to me is the BEST!

[@Tanstaafl1976]

I bought my Motif ES6 in 2004 (20 years ago!) and I still can't let it go, despite me playing a Korg Kronos 2 61 since 2017 in a cover band. It sounds warm, rich, and phat.

[@musamkhize100]

The ES is a winner for me.

[@Nicky_1988]

Yeah me too.

[@dariovicenzo8139]

Absolutely. Old stuff, more electronics and iron.

[@daeone1514]

ES is timeless and it hit the hardest. The LF’s in the ES are superior. The mod and Montage is basically the ES at the end of the day. It’s like korg with the new vs the old, which would be the triton. That has more punch than newer korgs. Same with Roland. So many people say that the Roland fantom X hits harder and sound a bit better than the New Fantoms. The ES era of synths was a wonderful time. Back when you can use just the keyboard to make hit records.

[@waltscott5]

Agreed on all points. Just more pleasing to the senses, right? And not to mention the keybeds on the earlier incarnations were so superior to what they release today. When after touch was not an optional upgrade.

[@rayonmyers9222]

All these are like an upgraded motif es.... and the motif es is built like a tank in every aspect..... my personal point of view.

[@waltscott5]

Absolutely. Upgraded in many ways, like really good strings & orchestral in general, but then the construction build feels cheap/flimsy… Rubbery knobs and sliders everywhere. Breath controller is still missing, sequencer is gone. Pretty strange. Almost like a “Motif Lite”.

[@thatmidlifevlogger4463]

@@miljantotowhat About new fantom ?

[@waltscott5]

@@thatmidlifevlogger4463 I wasn’t big into the Roland sound, Minneapolis, Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis, etc, so I wouldn’t be the best one to ask, but I can only imagine how good they must be from what I’ve heard through the years. Personal athletics. Come to think of it, I did have an XP 80 that came in handy for certain things. Mainly the brash Minneapolis-in-the-80s-type sounds I needed for cover bands.

[@sebastian_haro]

Muchas gracias por esta comparativa 🙌

[@cocovi]

In my opinion, maybe the preset effects are better on the ES but that's not to say you can't obtain the same punch on the others by adjusting the effects and EQ

[@cocovi]

I've not played either keyboard. Just my guess

[@waltscott5]

I know you mean though. Brighter, but yet warm still.

[@waltscott5]

As far as dialing in the verb, I will say that I was unable to get a really good motif reverb sound on the montage.

[@cflezama]

Modx performance

[@BassFunMusic]

Super BRO ☺♦♪♪

[@kenzieprice6745]

Great playing. You are great at demoing. This was really insightful. I bet Yamaha kicks themselves every day puting the motif out and other quality gear that people are still perfectly happy with!

[@waltscott5]

Consequences of excellency, I suppose 😄

[@davidtorresgutierrez]

Exclente comparación... El Motif ES es atemporal, sin desmerecer los motores del Montage

[@waltscott5]

Most definitely timeless. We’ll being seeing these Motifs on stages for another 10-15 years.

[@MaikolCerdas-me9nz]

La vieja escuela enseñando a los alumnos jóvenes motif ❤

[@waltscott5]

@@MaikolCerdas-me9nz Passing the torch 👍

[@tristaningram4418]

I remember the original motif had the ability to add the opptional plugin boards. Depending on what you purchased, you could have got the anx 1, dx7, or a modeling engine. Yamaha was ahead of the curb for a while.

[@waltscott5]

Yes. Not to mention the DX7 changing the aesthetics of how we perceive music still today. I had a couple of those expansion cards for my original motif. I didn’t have the FM engine but I had the piano & analog ones. “PLG-150” was the series I think.

[@nikoszisidisgrmstudio]

end the motif es get the same optional plug-in boards...i have VL1 board inside my ES7

[@waltscott5]

@@nikoszisidisgrmstudio I had the grand piano plug-in board and the analog one. I found the the internal piano and synth waves to be fuller, for my uses. I have the VL board that came with a used Motif 6, but I have no idea how to use it.

[@photo_n_art]

ES has slightly warmer sound and more reverb than the other two and that gives the illusion or "slamming harder"

[@Learner4me]

I have an old Yamaha MoX which was the cut down version of the Motif XS. Even till today it kicks ass. The onboard sequencer is priceless, specially the pattern mode. The buttons have become hard, just need to find a good technician to change the tac switches 😊

[@waltscott5]

I had one of those too. They are good as well, IMO.

[@kotsurea]

Nothing has changed since EX. Only prices...

[@waltscott5]

Quite a racket, isn't it? lol. They are great instruments, but just re-skinned EX's for my needs.

[@mh22xv]

Compare the Motif to one of the other two I get. But Montage and MODX are the same thing, just different polyphony and amount of buttons and sliders.

[@waltscott5]

The MODX is a live musician’s dream, but there are significant differences in audio quality between it and the Montage. The analog circuitry and sample rates are much better on the Montage, which accounts for the high price-point. It can be challenging, too, to achieve the same level of velocity control on the cheaper keybeds. I wouldnt use the MODX on a master session, but it’s the central component of my live rig.

[@mh22xv]

@@waltscott5 thank you. Now I learned something. I had the Modx7 and later the montage 6. Didn’t find any difference sound wise. But I guess that’s my ears then. Pianos on both are weak in my opinion. Not enough resolution in the samples. And I’m the first to go tweaking velocity sensitivity and fiddle with the offset and depths of that department. I have the yc73 now. I like it. The keybed though not so much. I’m on the fence for a Montage m7 or 8x. Very curious about the new Gex keybed on the 8x. Sadly where I live they won’t put it on display so I can’t test it. Do you know if it’s lighter to the touch compared to the OG montage 8? According to Blake the pianos “are up there” with the yc when I asked in a comments section. With all those extra elements I guess they’d be able to emulate more dynamics and nuances on the pianos and all other sounds for that matter. Best regards.

[@musikone1780]

@@waltscott5 would you use the MODX 7+ on a master session if it was played via a Roland RD-2000 and it's PHA-50 fully weighted keyboard?

[@biubis-zh3zj]

El mejor workstation jamás construido por yamaha!él yamaha motif es😊sonidos hoy día muy actualizados y sobretodo los supera a los demás modelos en calidad de construcción.usa él teclado fs,mientras los demas usan teclados de pompas de gomas.y las salidas del es tienen más punch😊

[@alessandrolippolis2198]

the montage also has the sounds of the motif inside it is normal that they sound the same, what comparison are you making? The FX and modern sounds of the montage/modx are superior. I've had both the MOTIF ES and XS and they are beautiful synths, but there are many sounds of the montage that are spectacular starting with the pianos, strings and brass more real.

[@waltscott5]

Montage and MODX have great sounds the Motif could never reproduce. But there are many people who find the Motifs to be more pleasant to the ears, which I feel as well. I love all three, but for live playing, the lights on the Montageare too distracting for me.

[@nathanaelvalville9191]

Im getting a MODX this year because its lighter and more practical. But make no mistake, mi ES7 is going nowhere

[@waltscott5]

Exactly. I appreciate the MODX every time I lift it from the case to the stand, practically just using the muscles from one arm. That ES though is a whole other level of near-perfection.

[@kenzieprice6745]

The XS is supposedly a bit of a different sound than the ES? Can you comment on that one?

[@waltscott5]

I never noticed a difference between ES & XS but I’d be curious to know more. My reason for sticking with an ES rather than XS is that I use the breath control port which disappeared beginning with the XS. One thing I do know is that the XF was a disappointment to many motif fans. I was pretty disappointed as well. I didn’t keep it long.

[@otonielmontejoarias1083]

Puedes explicar ,que es el puerto de control de la respiración

[@waltscott5]

@@otonielmontejoarias1083 The breath controller goes back to at least the DX7. It’s like a wind controller in the sense that the keyboard will only make sound while you are blowing into it. You can use it to make horn solos sound more realistic in phrasing, or you can use it like you would an expression pedal to bring strings or other layers in, or control filters & LFOs, etc.

[@nikoszisidisgrmstudio]

i have both...is almost the same sounds but some is with more elements (8 on XS and 4 on the ES..) thinking the pianos on XS with some extra key noise and sustain pedal noise when releasing the pedal.

[@waltscott5]

@@nikoszisidisgrmstudio I think so as well. I’ve never missed having less elements, but I wonder if layering 2 or 3 voices that each have the max amount of elements active would make anything feel bogged down.

[@hmoore76]

I'm keeping my ES!

[@waltscott5]

Yes. My takeaway also.

[@micheleren1534]

Motif ES Top!

[@alan.smitheee]

6:05

[@waltscott5]

Playing these guitar sounds lets you see why guitar players have so much fun.

[@MegaDieter27]

All of them are amazing ❤ 😂 Yamaha is Yamaha.. that's all 😅

[@mr.ros-gamerbr1511]

Montage!

[@vvvvvvv3882]

Motif es рулит!!!!! Непобедим

[@waltscott5]

Agreed, unless the lightshow is important to you. :)

[@ngonnguaudionnaofficial6136]

ES TOP 1

[@luisromeromo]

I have a MoXF6 (11 years rocking) and i was about to buy a MoDX but i guess i’ll keep it another 10 years 😎🫡

[@waltscott5]

A great one, too. Likewise, as long as I have a working Motif I'm good.

[@Lokki555]

Motif Es se los come a los otros 2 👂🏻💪🏻❤

[@waltscott5]

Hard to improve on a classic flagship. They were flagships (and sold so many) for a reason. 😉

[@jaimevillegas1533]

Increíblemente mejor definición el papa Yamaha motif Es sin duda

[@waltscott5]

Something more appealing about the ES sound. Older circuitry I suppose.

[@umaluznafibraoptica3338]

Nada supera o motif es

[@waltscott5]

If it does, I doubt it would be anytime soon.

[@itsaboutthefeeling]

Es has more emotions

[@waltscott5]

I think so too. A large part of it, for me, has to do with how nice it feels under the fingers. I feel a very natural connection with it. That keybed feels like it was designed specifically for that body and vice versa, even though it wasn’t. Yamaha and Korg were masters of that craft. That same keybed was used in all the high-end Yamaha & Korg equipment going back to the DX7 and Korg M1. It was discontinued somewhere around the XF. Best synth action ever made in my opinion.

[@Königsberg39]

мечтаю, что бы кто-нибудь сделал сравнение Montage Vs Genos.Звуки суперартикуляции.Например саксофона.

[@waltscott5]

Yes...I'd be curious to here that

[@followyourpassion8378]

That would be very interesting. I think there is a lot of overlap between these two. You certainly can use Montage like an arranger, building your intro, fill, a-d variation with pattern scenes. The sounding should be different though.

[@Oscarin-xq1kh]

Они одинаковые, поскольку движок монтажа и геноса один и тот же AWM2

[@followyourpassion8378]

SA (arranger) and XA (workstation) voices work differently. SA distributes details like fret or breath noises automatically (algorithmically) and very organically. With XA voices you have to do this on your own.

[@fauribe]

Motif ES + PLG150DX + PLG150AN = Montage M

[@al-fredd9351]

Más velositi y un poco más ecualizado el modx y suena igual, ya que el modx por defecto y fabrica viene configurado a si bien opaco y oscuro pero conserva la calidad.

[@waltscott5]

Exactly. The weight of the keys and velocity curve of the MODX lends a lot to that,too.

[@al-fredd9351]

@@waltscott5 a si hermano por defecto y el defecto es ese que varias personas se quejaron de lo mal que sonaba jajja pero bueno a tiempo yo me di cuenta, por suerte 💪

[@marcusholder495]

Thank you for the video I just bought a Yamaha motif es 8 ,from guitar center, and I'm very excited 😊

[@valdemarismael4254]

MODX

[@domotikalab3001]

😂 what’s the difference ?

[@waltscott5]

Not $3000 worth :)

[@AynsleyGreen]

Who on earth is still using these samples that are old enough to rent a car?

[@waltscott5]

Lots of us :) They still pop up on albums here & there. Backline companies always have them (along with the new synths too, of course), since everyone knows how to get around on them.

[@danielschneider2440]

ES é mais punch

[@waltscott5]

I wasn't going to be the first to say it ;)

[@SamoDrajf]

Haha Es best