Yamaha MOTIF XS6, MOTIF XS7, MOTIF XS8

Basic Structure Basic Operation Connections

Basic Section

Basic Structure

MOTIF XS Owner’s Manual

Scene track

This track lets you record Scene change settings, such as

the status of track mute and solo. These can be set in the

Song Play display (page 178) and recalled during Song

playback. During Song playback, the track mute and solo

settings change automatically according to the settings

you’ve recorded to the Scene track. You can record this

track with using Realtime recording (page 186) and edit

the recorded data in the Song Edit mode (page 192).

Tempo track

This track lets you record Tempo change settings. During

Song playback, the Tempo changes automatically

according to the settings you’ve recorded to this track. You

can record this track with using Realtime recording

(page 186) and edit the recorded data in the Song Edit

mode (page 192).

This function allows Songs to be “chained” together for

automatic sequential playback. For instructions on using

this, see page 185.

Sequencer Block in the Pattern mode

In the MOTIF XS, the term “Pattern” refers to a relatively

short musical or rhythmic phrase—1 to 256 measures—

which is used for looped playback. Therefore, once Pattern

playback starts, it continues until you press the [J] (Stop)

button.

Patterns are more than just a single phrase—they include

16 variations called “Sections.” These Sections can be

changed during playback and used as rhythmic/backing

variations for the various parts of a Song. For example, you

could use one Section for the verse, another for the chorus,

and a third for the bridge. The Pattern related settings such

as tempo and Mixing do not change even when the Section

is switched, keeping the overall playback consistent in feel

and rhythm through the changes.

For instructions on selecting a Pattern and Section, see

page 208.

Pattern Chain allows you to string several different Sections

(within a single Pattern) together to make a single,

complete Song. You can have the MOTIF XS automatically

change Sections by creating a Pattern Chain beforehand,

recording Pattern playback with Section changes from the

Pattern Chain display. You can also use this feature when

creating Songs based on a certain Pattern, since the

created Pattern Chain can be converted into a Song in the

Pattern Chain Edit (page 215). One Pattern Chain can be

created for each Pattern.

This is the basic MIDI sequence data in a track—and the

smallest unit—used in creating a Pattern. “Phrase” is a

short musical/rhythmic passage for a single instrument,

such as a rhythm pattern for the rhythm part, a bass line for

the bass part, or a chord backing for the guitar part. This

synthesizer features memory space for 256 of your own

original User Phrases.

nThe MOTIF XS provides no Preset Phrases.

A Pattern consists of 16 separate tracks, a Scene track,

and a Tempo track (just as in a Song). See page 59.

A Pattern consists of 16 tracks to which the Phrase can be

assigned. MIDI data cannot be directly recorded to each

track in the Pattern mode. Recording is done to an empty

user phrase. The newly created phrase is automatically

assigned to the recording track.

Song Chain

What is a Pattern?

Section

Song 01 Song 22 Song 15

Pattern Chain

Phrase

Pattern Track Structure

Pattern Tracks and Phrases

Section A Section B Section C

Track 1

Track 2

Track 16

Phrase 001

Phrase 002

Phrase 003

Phrase 001

Phrase 002

Phrase 003

MIDI data