Yamaha MO8 Music Production Synthesizer Workstation, 88-Key

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The Yamaha MO8 Music Production Synthesizer: Contemporary styles and voices, plus phrase-based tools for composition and performance.

Yamaha, the world's largest musical instrument manufacturer and the leader in synthesizer technology, proudly introduces the MO8 Music Production Synthesizer. Targeted to semi-professional musicians and home/project studio owners as well as songwriters and performers, the MO8 provides a full set of authentic sounds and comprehensive music-making features-including an emphasis on contemporary styles and voices. Highly portable and compact, the MO8 also serves as an ideal keyboard for live performance situations.

Features of the Yamaha MO8 Music Production Synthesizer:

From Acoustic to Analog - the MO has it all!

The heart of the MO series is the same massive 175 MB wave ROM and synth engine found in the flagship MOTIF ES. Complete with expressive, multi-velocity acoustic pianos and EPs, MegaVoice guitars and basses that capture all the subtle nuance of the real thing and a vast selection of string, brass and other acoustic sounds, the MO is ready for any type of music production. A huge selection of different drum kits instantly inspires new beats and grooves. Whether you need realistic rhythm tracks or orchestral backgrounds, the MO has all the sounds you need in one place. But don't be fooled, the MO is not just for acoustic emulations. The 4-oscillator Voices feature multi band filters and snappy envelopes so there's also a complete selection of analog and digital synth sounds from funky basses, silky leads to atmospheric pads. Realtime controls and an advanced modulation matrix, let you easily shape those sounds to fit your production needs.

The MO also includes advanced effects processing including Reverbs, Chorus & Delays, 16 individual Part EQs and powerful dual Insertion effects that can be applied to up to three parts in a Mix or Performance. The Insertion effects feature some of the most creative and unique DSP processing on the planet including lo-fi, digital scratching, slicing, and beat change.

If you're looking for the most expressive acoustics sounds from pianos to drums, the widest selection of the freshest synth basses, leads and pads and the most powerful DSP processing available, you'll find that nothing in its price range has any MO.

The MO Goes with the Flow

As a musician these days you find yourself in lots of different situations; live gigs, song writing collaborations, studio sessions and computer music environments loaded with DAWs and SoftSynths. The MO series was designed to adapt to each of these different applications with their own special demands and provide just the right feature set for each situation. The responsive Voices and real time controls allow you to express subtle emotions in live performance. The Performances are not only live ensembles with splits and layers, but many use the MO's Phrase Factory Arpeggios and are complete grooves to instantly inspire new song ideas. But most important of all, the MO series was designed to be not just a keyboard, but the center of a computer based music production studio. It offers a DAW remote control mode that gives you full hands on remote control of DAW and SoftSynths. The Studio Connections compatibility let you treat the MO as a VST SoftSynth inside Cubase SX 3.1 and Nuendo 3.1. The special Utility Quick Setups let you easily change from one style of working to the next. So no matter how you like to work, the MO series adapts to fit your workflow and lets you be more musically productive.

The Perfect Song Writing Partner

Some people might wonder why you need a built-in sequencer in a workstation keyboard when there are so many powerful computer software programs like Steinberg's Cubase products available today. But the MO's Song and Pattern sequencer was actually designed to be a creative scratch pad to let you quickly and easily get your song writing ideas down. Much of today's music is looped based and having a Pattern sequencer let's you work in sections that can be easily chained together to try different song arrangements. So when working on new song ideas, it's often faster and easier to use the MO's on board sequencer to get your ideas down quickly while inspiration is still fresh.

The new Utility Quick Setups also let you transfer from the internal sequencer to your computer with a single button press. Because the MO is a complete self contained system; including a keyboard, tone generator and sequencer. It's great when you want to be on the move and collaborate with friends.

Jam On!

The MO6 and MO8 are light in weight and extremely portable so they are great for live performance situations. The MO8 features a Balanced Hammer action keyboard like that found on the MOTIF ES8.

Both the MO6 and MO8 feature hand on knobs and sliders for real time controls and a full compliment of pedal control inputs as well. The MO series also features full multi zone MIDI capabilities for controlling external tone generators, SoftSynths and other keyboards in your rig.

With it's high quality built-in DSP effects, the MO sounds great going directly into your band's PA mixer. Light in weight and heavy on features, the MO series is a working musician's dream.

Project Studio - Controlling your DAW with your MO

Today's project studios are centered around the computer and the MO series total integration with computer production systems is what really separates it from the competition. It features both USB "TO HOST" and USB "TO DEVICE" ports. The "TO HOST" port lets you connect multi-port MIDI to your computer with a single USB cable. The "TO DEVICE" port lets you connect USB storage devices like hard disk drives and thumb drives (USB flash memory) directly the MO for saving voices, performances and songs and backing up files to your computer. Digital Audio connectivity is standard with a stereo coaxial digital output for noise free digital recording of your MO to your computer sound card, a DAT or CDR.

The MO series also features a DAW Remote Control Mode that allows full hands on control of popular DAW software including Sonar, Logic, Digital Performer and the full range of Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo products. You can control Volume, Pan, Solo, Mute, Track Arming, Track Select and many other track specific functions. The Transport controls on the MO series can be setup to stop, start and return to zero your DAW projects. You can even edit and control VST/AU plug-ins and see their parameters displayed in the LCD display of the MO. Total control over your DAW and SoftSynths from your hardware synth has never been easier.

Home Studio - Controlling your MO with your DAW software

Perhaps the most exciting part of the MO series is the powerful cross platform software that can be downloaded from Yamaha's website. Full Voice and Multi Part Editors are available that let you edit and store MO setups via your computer. Even more amazing, using the latest versions of Cubase SX or Nuendo, you get all the benefits of full Studio Connections compatibility. No more trying to remember what Voices you used in that project you were working on three months ago. Just launch the project and Studio Connections "Recall" will reconfigure your MO to exactly the settings that were last used in the project.

With Studio Connections "Audio Integration", you can even turn your MO into a Virtual Synth complete with phase accurate latency compensation and add VST effects directly to your MO inside your VST mixer. Imagine the convenience of Freezing a track on a hardware synths and then being able to continue working on your project even when the hardware is not connected.

Total Integration = Total Control

Total control over your DAW and SoftSynths with the MO's DAW Remote Control Mode has never been easier. Total control of your hardware synth from your DAW software with the MO's Studio Connection compatible software has never been easier. Now you can utilize all the power of the total computer integration in the MO series to make more music.

What is Total Recall?

Total Recall is the first phase of the Studio Connections project. The Voice and Multi Part Editors for the MO Series are Total Recall compatible so they work inside the Studio Manager system available in the latest versions of Cubase and Nuendo. Studio Manager can be opened directly from inside your Steinberg software and contains editors for a variety of Yamaha synthesizers, mixer and effects. Saving a project in Cubase and Nuendo saves all your Studio Manager editor settings right along with your project file. Just open your project file again and Studio Manager will restore your MO (and the rest of your MIDI Studio) to the exact same settings as when you last worked on that project.

Totally simple - Total Recall.

What is Audio Integration?

Audio Integration is the next phase of the Studio Connections project. It allows you to setup the MO Series as a VST Instruments via the "External Instrument" function found in Cubase SX 3.1/Nuendo 3.1. Now you can use the MO Series just like a plug-in, routing it to the DAW's Audio mixer, applying VST effects and even using unique VST functions such as "mix down" and "freeze". Finally you've got a seamless environment where both hardware synthesizers and software synthesizers can be completely integrated together.

Totally Cool - Total Integration.

The new MO series brings the sonic palette and music production power of the award winning MOTIF ES to a new generation of players and producers. Equally at home on stage, in the studio or in a computer based home recording system, the MO series is not just a keyboard, but the heart of your music production system. Killer sounds, a complete Song and Pattern based sequencer, powerful on-board effects processing and total computer integration come together to make these the most affordable music production synthesizers in the Yamaha line up.

The Yamaha Story

Yamaha has been serving the needs of the music community since they manufactured their first reed organs in the late 1800's. Since then, they have expanded their vision to encompass every facet of the music industry. Their holistic approach includes musical instruments, live sound and recording equipment, and music instructional materials.

As one of the few companies to produce both instruments and recording/sound reinforcement products, Yamaha Corporation is in a unique position to improve the overall quality of their line. Their technological advancements in engineering and design can be incorporated into their musical instruments for improved functionality. Similarly, they can ensure their live sound and recording gear is designed to take advantage of the enhanced functionality of their instruments.

High quality standards are apparent in every product Yamaha manufactures. Guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, effects, cables, monitors, digital workstations, mixers, control surfaces, PA speakers, headphones, and more all receive the same attention to detail, for years of trouble-free use.

Technical Details of the Yamaha MO8 Music Production Synthesizer:

Size/Weight

• Width - 53-1/2" (1,357 mm)


• Height - 6-5/8" (167 mm)


• Depth - 15-1/4" (386 mm)


• Weight - 46.3 lbs. (21 kg)

Control Interface

Keyboard

• Number of Keys - 88


• Keyboard Type - Balanced Hammer Effect Keyboard


• Initial Touch - Yes


• Aftertouch - No

Other Controllers

• Pitch Bend - Yes


• Modulation - Yes


• Control Slider - Assignable Control Sliders x 4


• Control Knobs - Assignable Knobs x 4


• Others - Data dial

Display

• Type - graphic backlit LCD


• Size - 240 x 64 dot


• Backlight - Yes


• Contrast - Yes

Voices

• Tone Generation - AWM2


• Multi Timbral Capacity - 16


• Wave ROM Capacity - 175MB (when converted to 16-bit linear format), 1,859 waveforms


• Maximum Polyphony - 64


• Preset Voices - 512 normal voices + 64 drum kits


• GM Voices - 128 normal voices + 1 drum kit


• User Created Voices - 128 x 2 (Bank 1: Original, Bank 2: Picked up from Preset), Normal Voice + 32 drum kits

Effects

• Reverb - 20 types


• Chorus - 49 types


• Insertion - 116 types x 3 blocks


• Master Effect - 8 types


• Master EQ - 5 bands


• Part EQ - 3 bands, stereo

Songs

• Number of Songs for Recording - 64 songs, Mixing voices: 16 per pattern (256 maximum) Mixing templates: 32


• Number of Tracks per Recorded Song - Pattern Mode: 16 phrase tracks Pattern Chain Mode: Pattern track, Tempo track, Scene track Song Mode: 16 sequence tracks (Loop on/off can be set for each track), Tempo track, Scene track


• Preset Phrases - 687


• User Phrases - 256 per pattern


• Preset Arpeggios - 1787 types


• User Arpeggios - 256 types MIDI Sync, MIDI transmit/receive channel, Velocity Limit, and Note Limit can be set.


• Number of Patterns - 64 patterns (x 16 sections), Measures: 256 maximum


• Data Capacity - Approximately 226,000 notes


• Maximum Polyphony - 124


• Note Resolution - 480 ppq (parts per quarter note)


• Tempo - 1-300


• Recording Function - Real time replace, Real time overdub (with the exception of the Pattern Chain), Real time punch (Song only), Step (with the exception of the Pattern Chain)


• Scene Memory - 5 per Song


• Sequence Format - MO6/MO8 Original format (compatible with MOTIF ES) SMF format 0, 1 (Format 1 load only)

Storage and Connectivity

• Headphone Jack - x1


• Foot Control Jack - x1


• Foot Switch Jack - x1


• Digital Output - Yes


• Line Output - OUTPUT L/MONO, R (standard phone jack)


• USB Connection - TO DEVICE, TO HOST

Power Supply

• Power Consumption - 13.5W

Included Accessories

• Power adaptor


• Owner's Manual set

Product Rated 9.5 Out of 10 (27 ratings)

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