I’ve read the manual, spent a day and a half reading other posts on this fine resource, but there’s something that’s just not clicking.

My XS 8 sat for over a year and I’m now finding the time to finally get into it. I use it solely for composition, no live performing. I see there’s a brand new update which I want to accomplish, so I need to save my song work. It’s a single, unfinished work. I don’t want to save the demo songs so I assume I don’t want to save as ALL or ALL SONG. But when I attempt to save as SONG, I don’t get a “SAVE” option on the menu. Then I read on this forum, that I cannot save as SONG. I didn’t miss that the table on pg. 273 doesn’t show SONG as a file type that can be saved, but SONG is a file type that can be loaded. This just didn’t make sense to me.

If I’m working on more than one song at a time, can I not just save one song to my USB device? Doesn’t a save of ALL SONG save all the song data? (i.e.  the data from all songs present on the workstation)

Like I said, something just isn’t clicking (my metronome’s off?) So could someone please clarify this data function for me, and give me a step by step checklist on saving just one song? I’d really appreciate it. I don’t want to compose any more without updating the box, and can’t do that until I can figure out how to save my......masterpiece.

Oh...also, can I update directly from my original v 1.05 to the latest v 1.6?

Thanks again.

Why not create a complete backup of your XS by saving an ALL X0A file.
It’s easy and you’ll know that everything is there (specially if you are going to update the os)!

An All file saves your voices, songs, patterns, settings etc.

Worth knowing about the XS is that it is context sensitive.
http://www.motifator.com/index.php/support/view/motif_xs_file_management

You should be able to update your XS from 1.05 to the latest version in one jump.

The update is available here (with instructions):
http://www.yamahasynth.com/downloads/drivers_software/synthesizers/motif_xs/updater/

/M

Why not create a complete backup of your XS by saving an ALL X0A file.
It’s easy and you’ll know that everything is there (specially if you are going to update the os)!

Thanks for your assistance, Multi76. I’m confident what you suggest above will do the trick.....this time. But I will still be left with the missing synapse in my brain about the SONG or ALL SONG saving.

I have already downloaded the update to my desktop and am just waiting to save my work to USB before accomplishing the update.

You link to a treatise on “loading” which I appreciate, but that’s not where my confusion lies. It’s in the saving. When loading, I’m in no danger of losing my work if it’s not accomplished properly, so I’m not scared of it.

My confusion lies in the saving process and I’m convinced at this point I need a step-by-step checklist on saving a single song. Should you accept this mission, or to anyone else who wishes to try to help me connect my synapses in the correct order, please read my initial post again.

Thanks for your efforts. They are much appreciated.

Relax the synapse. You cannot SAVE a single SONG - well you can but that is only for when you are going to be moving the sequence data to another sequencer (because it will only contain data written to the tracks).

Here is how it works:
You can SAVE everything that is stored in your Motif XS in an ALL data file (.X0A). Let me explain this first:
When you record a SONG to the sequencer you are writing into what is volatile memory. If you were to shut down or move away from this mode or from this SONG, you would be challenged with a message warning you that your data is about to discarded. And are you sure you want to move away from it.

If you are not, you should press NO, which will return you to your work, then PRESS [STORE]
You will see a screen that will offer to STORE your Sequence and Mix to a SONG location
When you do, you have now written that data into non-volatile FLASH ROM (this memory will remain between power cycles). And because you have STORED the data you can now safely know that it will be SAVED when you create a file. (if you do not STORE, it will not get SAVED).

I started by saying, “You can SAVE everything that is stored in your Motif XS in an ALL data file (.X0A).” This means not only stored Songs, but stored Patterns, stored Voices, stored Performances, store Master setups, stored Utility mode settings… all data is saved in an ALL data file.

Storing songs to the sequencer works exactly like when you are editing a VOICE. If you edit a Voice your changes are not permanent, you are actually working in an area called the EDIT BUFFER. If you were to move to a different mode or to another VOICE before you stored the data your edits would be lost. SONG memory works the same exact way. That’s all background.

Now to the next important point to get:  Your options for SAVING the data in your SONG are as follows:
1) SAVE an ALL data file (.X0A)
2) SAVE an ALL SONG file (.X0S)
3) SAVE a SMF file (.MID)

Option 1: SAVE an ALL data file (.X0A)
Saves all stored data: User Voices, Performances, Songs, Patterns, Master program, Utility mode settings, System settings, user arpeggios… everything!!!
When the FILE TYPE = ALL everything (literally all data) gets stored. From an ALL data file you can choose to load back ALL data orsignificantly, you can choose to load an individual VOICE, an individual PERFORMANCE, an individual SONG, and individual PATTERN. You do so by setting the LOAD File TYPE = “voice”, “performance”, “song” or “pattern”, respectively.

So in summary it is: SAVE “ALL”, Load individuals

Option 2: SAVE an ALL SONG file (.X0S)
Saves all stored data in the SONG sequencer (all 64 SONG locations): this includes the MIDI data recorded to the Tracks, the MIXING setup data which includes the Voice selection, the effects, the mix settings, volumes, pan, etc., etc., this also includes any user samples recorded using the Integrated Sampling Sequencer, and any custom Voices you create and store to the MIXING VOICE locations within each SONG.

So in summary it is: SAVE “ALL SONG”, Load individuals

Option 3: SAVE a SMF file (.MID) Standard MIDI File
Saves the data in the selected SONG that is recorded to the tracks of the sequencer. You can SAVE SONGs individually in this fashion. however be aware that it only saves the MIDI data recorded to the tracks of the sequencer. It does not for example include any Motif XS parameters - those being your MIX (the voices you selected, the volumes you set, the pan position, the effects you selected, the effect send amount you used, etc,. etc, etc. ) those parameters are stored in the Motif XS MIXING engine - not the sequencer.

Yes you could manually put all of that data manually into the track data (but life is short). This SMF is there for when you wish to take the MIDI data you recorded and export it to another sequencer. It does not include your Motif XS parameters.

The way the Motif XS works is as a workstation - and remember it is really three devices (all workstations are);
It is a keyboard controller
It is a synthesizer tone engine
It is a sequencer

The Motif XS file formats include the settings for the Motif XS tone engine (.X0A and .X0S)
The Standard MIDI File includes only the data actually written to the tracks (.MID)

The Motif XS file types (X0A and X0S) include not only the MIDI data on the tracks but the settings for the XS’s tone generator.
The SMF only includes the MIDI messages written to the track.

The Motif XS formats are SAVE ALL, then you have options to load individual or load back all if you desire.

So here is what you should do. You now own the Motif XS. In the years you’ve owned it, you should have listened to the factory demos… If not, do so now. Enjoy them. Then GET RID OF THEM.

Press [SONG]
Press [JOB]
Press [F6] SONG
Select the JOB: CLEAR SONG > press [ENTER]
Dial up SONG 01
Press [ENTER] to clear Demo 1
Dial up SONG 02
Press [ENTER] to clear Demo 2
Dial up SONG 03
Press [ENTER] to clear Demo 3

Now that you have cleared the Factory Demos… the entire sequencer is yours. FOR YOUR MUSIC.

You can do the same thing for DEMO PATTERNs… Listen, enjoy, then clear them out. They are only placed there so you can learn from them and so that there is something in the sequencer when it is in stores - please do not save them in your own FILES - they are simply using up memory.

If you insist on saving an individual song (File TYPE = SMF) - be aware that you will not (necessarily) be saving the Motif XS settings. So if you opt to use either Option 1 or 2 above, it works by saving ALL the data - then from that file you can select to load individuals.

Hope that helps.

Wow! That was so much more than I needed as I had already read several earlier posts. I just had a problem with the SONG/ALL SONG business. Thanks so much, though, because now I can print it all out in one easy to read document.

Again, much appreciated.

I’m going to resurrect this very old thread, since I was just about to ask a related question.  I’ve got an MOX, but presuming the file management syntax and capabilities are similar or the same.

In my MOX I have what I’ve called Current3.  It contains all my Voices, Perfs, Patterns, but NOT all my Songs because (due to synth memory limits) I’ve had to move some of them to separate files. I saved those additional Songs as part of an ALL file called Songs#2 and, just to add some redundancy, an AllSong file named the same. I’m trying to keep things straight in my head, since I’m also tweaking Performances all the time and want (except for those extra Songs) to keep my Current3 up-to-date in every possible way. So, the AllSong file is, I’m thinking, the ticket. I will move only the Songs back and forth.

So now I have a Song on Songs#2 that I’d like to put onto the Current3 roster and work on it.  I do this by going to my ALLSong file mentioned above. I call up Songs#2, point to the file, hit -enter- and it shows me the 3 or 4 Songs there. I highlight the Song (Get Back) I want to Load. I arrow back to the left, select slot #19 on my MOX and hit Execute.  To my relief there appears to be room for one more Song and it loads without incident.

So, when I’m done tweaking and remixing “Get Back” I will, of course, save Current3 as an All file and it will now contain one more Song on it. Great. But I’m also looking ahead to the time when I will deplete the sequencer memory and Get Back (or some other Song) is going to have to be removed.

So at this moment Songs#2 (All Song) and Songs#2 (All) files are without the latest and greatest version of “Get Back”. The most straight-forward thing would be to Save the latest Get Back as an individual file, but I can’t Save just one Song, correct? So, from a management and backing up POV, what’s the next step? Considering also that my sequencer is gonna tell me it’s Full and I’m gonna have to start swapping Songs again. Do I have to basically start all over again with the ALLSONGs labeling and saving every time I work on one Song in order to insure that the Songs#2.X0S is ready to load at anytime without suddenly being reminded that Get Back is the old version? 

The issue of Saving All, load individuals, starts to give me a headache at this point. I’m sure there’s a way to accomplish something close to what I need, but I’m hoping there is some more streamlined way of doing, cuz I just KNOW I’m gonna mess it up. Having 20 different ALL files floating around doesn’t seem like the way to go.....

Can someone set me straight on this? Or tell me how YOU would manage things? I also hark back to my first step where I was crossing my fingers that Get Back would even load into slot #19. If it hadn’t I would have had to clear a Song or two, put in Get Back and then try not to lose track of those Songs that got dismissed. And so forth.

Am I making any sense? Maybe I’m over-stressing this, but I’ve only recently gotten to the point where I need to start getting more serious about files and saving and management and, BM’s explanation not-withstanding, I’m still a bit fuzzy. 

Thanks for any suggestions.  (And, btw, I now have the John Melas Librarian software for MOX. Perhaps that’s the solution, but until I understand things intellectually, I’m hesitant to go that route.)