Yamah Motif Help!

[smallfri145]

I want to use and record the sounds from my Yamaha Motif ES8 in Pro Tools, but I don't know how. It currently works as a MIDI controller, but I want to use the sounds from it, too.

More info:

-PT 11
-PC
-USB cable between Motif and computer
-ASIO4ALL interface
-I've attached a snapshot of my Midi Studio Setup.

THANK YOU!

[musicman691]

You're going to have to create a path for the audio to get from the Motif to your computer. The path you have now is MIDI only which is just note on/offs and controllers and carries no audio. MIDI is not audio.

You don't give a lot of info on your system but I'm guessing you're on Windows of some flavor. Would help if you give more info. ASIO4ALL is not an interface but the driver software to make an interface work. What audio interface do you have? You need to install any specific drivers that come with it. The run patch cables from the left and right audio outputs of the Motif to line inputs on the interface. Follow the instructions in your PT and interface documentation on how to get things working together. Basically create a stereo aux track in PT with the input being whatever port on your audio interface you're using to get audio from the Motif. I say use an aux track for the input because you can hear the audio without having a track record enabled. Then when you want to render out the MIDI to audio create an audio track that's fed from the output of the aux track.

Now for the MIDI there are options. You can play the Motif and have it trigger the internal sounds and record the MIDI in PT at the same time. Another way is to turn off local control on the Motif and have the MIDI from PT trigger the Motif sounds. To do that you would route the MIDI output from a PT MIDI track to the Motif. How you do it depends on you. Just make sure you have PT and the Motif working on the same MIDI channel.

[smallfri145]

Thanks Jack, this was very helpful!

I'm using Windows 7. I don't have an external audio interface, just the built in HD Audio. I routed the Motif outputs to the Line-In on my computer, and I was able to record the sounds, via the aux track/audio track method you suggested!

I was able to create an instrument track with the Motif as the input-output for the midi part and HD Audio as the input for the aux part, and that seemed to do exactly what I wanted.

Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of some background noise I'm getting from the Motif when I'm playing or recording.

Thanks again!

[albee1952]

Ultimately, you will want to upgrade to a genuine interface. Onboard sound IO are notorious for being much less than "hi-fi". Depending on which Motif you have, the USB port may not do what you think(I own the es8 version and use standard midi cables and a midi interface, and all works dandy).

[SpinningDisk]

Same here. Could never get the USB to work on mine. Would like to get my names of the patches back in PT.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by SpinningDisk

Same here. Could never get the USB to work on mine. Would like to get my names of the patches back in PT.

You need a patchnam file to do that. You might find one online or have to create your own.

[SpinningDisk]

Oh oooo. I would look up what music? Make it myself? Need help with that.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by SpinningDisk

Oh oooo. I would look up what music? Make it myself? Need help with that.

Excuse me but I wrote the wrong phrase/word; you actually need a .midnam file which is a patchname file. For how to do that Google is your friend. Here is one link to ho to do the deed and there might be more: http://archive.digidesign.com/support/tips/xnames.html
You might be able to get some help over on the Cakewalk forums on this.