Howdy...first time posting in years here, appreciate a little help.  I just ordered an XF7 that will arrive in a few days and have been using the XS7 for years. Compatibility between the two is what sold me, as I use all my edited sounds on a weekly performance basis and must retain what I’ve accumulated.

While I have changed all my performances and replaced them with custom performances, I’ve only changed a handful of voices. I put them into User 1 bank I believe. 

Question 1:  Am I correct that before my new keyboard arrives I must move any edited voices from the XS’s user bank 1 to another user bank (because the XF uses bank 1 for it’s new voices)?

Question 2:  Am I correct that any drum voice edits I made need to be moved to slots 9-32 only, so they are not overwritten by the new XF drum voices that seem to reside only in 1-8?

Question 3:  I understand when they say not to overwrite the User 1 bank of the XF because they contain the new voices.  But since I’ll be going back and forth for a while between my XS data transferred to the XF and the original XF data (new voices and all new performances, etc), will the new User bank 1 new voices come back on a factory reset (the only way I can switch back and forth, I presume)?

Question 4:  It says ‘full compatibility’ but the XS and XF arpeggios are now differently numbered to make room for the new arpeggios.  Does the XF account for this and take my XS arpeggio (drum beats, etc) to the proper arpeggio, albeit a different location?

Thanks very much in advance for the help.

Welcome back.

 

obrother - 20 August 2014 11:53 AM

Question 1:  Am I correct that before my new keyboard arrives I must move any edited voices from the XS’s user bank 1 to another user bank (because the XF uses bank 1 for it’s new voices)?

Yes, you could do that if you don’t want to overwrite the XF’s User 1 Voices. You could also just copy Banks from an XS “All” file to other Banks in the XF. If you load an XS “All” file in its entirety, it will overwrite Bank 1 under any circumstance. However, there’s a special factory reset procedure that will restore just Bank 1.

 

obrother -

Question 2:  Am I correct that any drum voice edits I made need to be moved to slots 9-32 only, so they are not overwritten by the new XF drum voices that seem to reside only in 1-8?

The new XF Drum Kits are located in User Drum 1~8. User Drum 9~32 hold copies of the same-numbered Drum Presets. The special factory reset will restore Drum Voices 1~8 in addition to the Bank 1 Voices.

 

obrother -

Question 3:  I understand when they say not to overwrite the User 1 bank of the XF because they contain the new voices.  But since I’ll be going back and forth for a while between my XS data transferred to the XF and the original XF data (new voices and all new performances, etc), will the new User bank 1 new voices come back on a factory reset (the only way I can switch back and forth, I presume)?

Yes, a full factory reset will reload all the User data, including Voice Bank 1. I’d suggest saving an “All” file of the XF before you change anything, so that you can selectively load XF data as needed. Continue to save “All” files as you work. You also might consider getting the John Melas software.

 

obrother -

Question 4:  It says ‘full compatibility’ but the XS and XF arpeggios are now differently numbered to make room for the new arpeggios.  Does the XF account for this and take my XS arpeggio (drum beats, etc) to the proper arpeggio, albeit a different location?

The XF internally converts the Arp (and Waveform) numbering as necessary. If you ever have a need to do so manually, see my translation tables:
http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/460385/
-- and --
http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/460403/

Much appreciated.

I forgot to ask, I know that the effect/master bypass switches will work opposite now.  Sooo...will the lights just reverse themselves and the effect be where they should be when I load my own sounds, or would I have to go back and flip-flop each one to get it as it was on the XS(I would imagine the former).  Thanks again....

obrother - 20 August 2014 02:10 PM

Much appreciated.

I forgot to ask, I know that the effect/master bypass switches will work opposite now.  Sooo...will the lights just reverse themselves and the effect be where they should be when I load my own sounds, or would I have to go back and flip-flop each one to get it as it was on the XS(I would imagine the former).  Thanks again....

You’re welcome.

From http://www.motifator.com/index.php/support/view/motif_xf_whats_new

”Effect On/Off
The EFFECT BYPASS switches of the MOTIF XS were replaced by EFFECT ON/OFF switches on the MOTIF XF, which function in reverse. If the LEDs light up red, the effects are on. By this all EFFECT switches work in the same way, for the MASTER EFFECT switch already worked like this on the XS.”

By the way, I edited my first post to clarify and add some details, so rereading it might provide additional insight for your earlier questions.

Thanks again, re-read as suggested and got you on all.  Still not sure I’m clear on the effect bypass response, however.  I knew that it works in reverse from XS, what I’m not clear on is what state those buttons will be in, specifically for my edited performances, when I load the ‘all’ file from my XS.  That is, will the keyboard default those buttons to the opposite from my XS performances - in keeping with hearing the sound as I had it on the XS, or will I have to go in manually and switch each one per each performance.  I’m surmising that my question is much ado about nothing and it’s likely the former, once again.  But it’s useful info just to be sure how much time I may need to allow for any peculiarities when I receive the keyboard this Saturday just hours before a performance.

On a related(?) note (do let me know if it’s preferred I ask this in a new topic):  As mentioned originally, my only concern at this point is essentially ‘The Dr.’s credo’...in that the XF upgrades do not throw any of my current edited performances off kilter sound-wise.  Example, I read as much as I could about the upgraded d/a a/d converters, some say it’s noticeable, some say not.  But can I rest assured that regardless of whether or not the difference is pereceptible to a keen ear, there is no issue as far as the new converters changing my XS sounds negatively (too bright, sensitive, whatever).  I’m curious as to whether, say, turning a filter knob or mod wheel in real-time, might have a different affect on my XF sound than it would’ve on the XS.  Where are the converters in the chain, do they affect what comes out of all outputs?  Thanks very much again...you might soon be sorry you welcomed me back.

obrother - 20 August 2014 07:22 PM

Thanks again, re-read as suggested and got you on all.  Still not sure I’m clear on the effect bypass response, however.  I knew that it works in reverse from XS, what I’m not clear on is what state those buttons will be in, specifically for my edited performances, when I load the ‘all’ file from my XS.  That is, will the keyboard default those buttons to the opposite from my XS performances - in keeping with hearing the sound as I had it on the XS, or will I have to go in manually and switch each one per each performance.  I’m surmising that my question is much ado about nothing and it’s likely the former, once again.  But it’s useful info just to be sure how much time I may need to allow for any peculiarities when I receive the keyboard this Saturday just hours before a performance.

OK, I think I can clarify this. The state of the INSERTION and SYSTEM EFFECT switches is not stored, so there’s nothing to change. The only thing you’ll need to get used to is that the buttons will be lit on the XF when those effects are active, unlike on the XS. The state of the MASTER EFFECT is stored with a Performance, but since that’s true for both the XS and XF, and there’s been no reversal of the operation, again there’s nothing to do.

 

obrother -

On a related(?) note (do let me know if it’s preferred I ask this in a new topic):  As mentioned originally, my only concern at this point is essentially ‘The Dr.’s credo’...in that the XF upgrades do not throw any of my current edited performances off kilter sound-wise.  Example, I read as much as I could about the upgraded d/a a/d converters, some say it’s noticeable, some say not.  But can I rest assured that regardless of whether or not the difference is pereceptible to a keen ear, there is no issue as far as the new converters changing my XS sounds negatively (too bright, sensitive, whatever).  I’m curious as to whether, say, turning a filter knob or mod wheel in real-time, might have a different affect on my XF sound than it would’ve on the XS.  Where are the converters in the chain, do they affect what comes out of all outputs?

The D/A converters are at the end of the digital chain, immediately preceding the analog output stage(s). In my opinion, the difference in the XF versus XS DACs affects the output subtly. I don’t think you’ll feel there’s a negative impact or the need to tweak things, but YEMV (your ears might vary)  :-) .

 

obrother -

Thanks very much again...you might soon be sorry you welcomed me back.

You’re very welcome… and it takes a lot for me to become “sorry”.