deleted

Very good idea indeed :)

Yes, I would be interested, it’s a good idea :)

An important point is to determine which is the best way to share files. AFAIK, the MX can only save “.all” files, which contain all the system, performance and voice data. This is certainly not quite convenient nor flexible if you want, for instance, share a single user voice. I also own a MOXF 8 and it allows for saving voice data, performance data, song data, and so on. It’s far from perfect (for instance, you have to export _all_ user voice data, not a single voice or a certain set), but better than being forced to use “all” files.

Other more interesting option is using files in John Melas’ MX editor format. You can load or save single voices if you want, but the problem is that you need to purchase the software, as it is not free.

I don’t have many user edited voices in my MX (I use it mainly on stage as I use my MOXF 8 in the studio), and most of them are simply slight tweakings of preset voices (as when I want to make some changes in the insertion effect settings, as they are tied to the voice data). Anyway, I’ve noticed that the “conversion” feature of Melas’ software, when importing voice data from the MOX/Motif XS, works pretty well, as long as the voices are based in the internal XS (MOX) waveform rom set, as the MX rom set, although more limited, is based on the XS. I’ve got the “Vintage Keys” library (which uses internal XS/MOX waveforms) and the voices translate to the MX quite well. I think that it would be the same regarding other libraries such as Axxe or Pulse (also based on internal XS waveforms), although I don’t have them.

Nothing wrong in sharing material you create yourself but please don’t ‘share’ conversions of other people’s material, especially if that material is copyrighted and is being sold commercially.

Hi everyone

With regard to the above comment, I need to know how many of you out there have original sound content for the MX. please email me. If you dont have it then I will not be pursuing this project as it sounds like it will be a waste of my time. I hope Yamaha realizes that we need more sound packs for the MX.

I sincerely doubt that there would be any legal issues when sharing voices derived from conversions from libraries made for other synths. A “conversion” is a transformation process, because the parameters and the rom waveforms of the MX are (at least) slightly different from the Motif, so you wouldn’t be sharing any copyritghted material. On the other hand, when you purchase a library you get a set of voices (and/or performances, arpeggios, etc.) than you can freely modify/tweak and share if you want. The waveform set is copyrighted by Yamaha, which owns also the patents of the synth technology, but you can use them both freely to make your own voices and share them if you like.

Also, the “conversion” process is an automatic procedure executed by a computer program that usually does not lead to the best results, as after that it’s advisable to tweak some parameters (at least I do) to obtain better results. As long as there is some “creative” activity, the resulting product can be considered an original one.

Well, I’m not a lawyer but IMHO this is how I see it. As I long as I’ve legitimally purchased a sound library, I feel free to use it according to my needs, including the possibility of transforming or adapting voices to use them in my MX. I’d like to see some commercial libraries for the MX, but unluckily this is not the case yet, AFAIK.

Based on the number of views there is a sizeable audience for MX files.

shad0wfax - 08 June 2016 12:53 PM

IAs long as there is some “creative” activity, the resulting product can be considered an original one.

You are completely wrong.

By your own logic, if I steal your car and have it re-sprayed, it counts as mine and not yours.

No it doesn’t.

Thankyou MapleCarbine, that’s exactly right. Of course one is OK with tweaking and using material you’ve purchased but there’s a giant leap between doing that and passing on someone else’s material to other people, tweaked or otherwise.

Possibly the creators of existing material may want to do their own conversions, and hopefully this initiative may also encourage others to produce new material, commercial or otherwise.

Given the fact that there are new fish a-frying it’s probably unlikely that Yamaha themselves will fund the creation of new content but if there’s sufficient interest one or two commercial developers might oblige. Nothing wrong with users creating and trading for free, if that’s the only option so good luck with the initiative.

I deleted the post so you are arguing about something off topic

MapleCarbine - 08 June 2016 08:00 PM

shad0wfax - 08 June 2016 12:53 PM

IAs long as there is some “creative” activity, the resulting product can be considered an original one.

You are completely wrong.

By your own logic, if I steal your car and have it re-sprayed, it counts as mine and not yours.

No it doesn’t.

Sorry, but it’s your analogy of the car what is totally wrong.

First, although I’m not an expert in law, I know for sure that intellectual property is different from the property of physical objects, and it’s regulated in all legal systems by different rules. The modification of a copyrighted work is known as a “derivative work” and it’s allowed in most cases as long as certain conditions are met, such as giving credit to the original author(s).

Second, who talks about “stealing”? If I legally purchase something from someone (let’s say, a car), I can modify or give/sell it to whoever I want and the previous owner has no claim over it. The creators of a sound library based on Yamaha’s copyrighted material (waveforms) are using copyrighted material from someone else (Yamaha) and this does not impede the possibililty of sharing or even selling their creations. Those people do not “steal” anything from Yamaha, and their activity (even their commercial activity) is totally legitimate, although all the means have been provided by Yamaha and any user could obtain exactly the same results by her own means.

Moreover, I’ve never been talking about taking some sounds created by someone else and share them “as is”, but instead about convert and adapt them (which in many cases it involves several tweakings). It’s like buying a car and use its pieces to build another car which is somewhat simmilar, and then give it away to someone else who has not the possibility to use the original car (remember, those libraries are not available for the MX!). This even can not frustrate the commercial expectations of the creators of the original libraries, as they have not made the effort to make them available for the MX owners.

Anyway, if you arenot interested, it’s your problem. I’ll keep on trying to get the most from my MX, by legal means, of course.