Back in 2010, the Motif XF took Yamaha's flagship workstation series to new heights with its Expanded Articulation technology, letting you trigger realistic note-off sounds and articulations on acoustic instruments that felt impossibly lifelike for a digital synth.
At its core is an AWM2 tone generator with 128-note polyphony, stacking up to eight sample-based elements per voice from a library of nearly 4,000 waveforms, including 128 fresh ones over the prior model. The 320x240 color screen pairs with eight hands-on faders, two assignable AF1/AF2 buttons, and a modulation wheel for intuitive control, while Performance mode layers four parts across four keyboard zones with real-time switching between five arpeggio variations from over 7,700 patterns—four running simultaneously with chord intelligence. Effects shine with REV-X reverb, 18 filter types, vocoder via A/D input, and comprehensive routing like insertion, chorus, and master EQ; connectivity includes MIDI DIN in/out/thru, USB, S/PDIF, and foot controls on a hefty 88-note balanced hammer-action keyboard (1439 x 466 x 168 mm, 28.9 kg).
Players have long praised its expansive sound design and sequencer for live gigs and studio work, though some note its weight and learning curve as trade-offs for that pro-level depth.
