• Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 28

Topic: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

Does anyone have a XS Rack that they use with their FF400?

I am not clear from the XS Rack Owner's Manual pg. 17 , how i should be setting it up with the rest of my gear.
XS Rack Owner's Manual

Right now I have my Korg TS  MIDI In and Out connected to my RME FF400 MIDI Out and In which then connects
to my PC via the IEEE1394 firewire.

There is a NOTE in the OM on this page that states,
"When using an external keyboard to play the MOTIF-RACK XS sounds while connecting the MOTIF-RACK XS to a computer, you’ll need to use the MIDI Thru function of the DAW software on the computer to re-transmit received MIDI data to the MOTIF-RACK XS (Port 1)." 

I will make this change in Cubase. but after installing the necessary USB Driver and XS RACK SW onto my PC, can I simply connect the XS RACK to my PC via a USB cable?

Is the fact that my PC is connected to my FF400 via firewere mean that I will also be able to hear the audio from both my Korg and the XS Rack through my headphones and/or monitors, which are directly hooked up to the FF400?

thx,
ciao, Dan

2 Reply by DannyDep (edited by DannyDep 2011-06-30 21:40:23)

  • Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

Can anyone confirm that this would be a correct setup for my FF400 please?
http://www.dandepolito.com/images/Midi_ … up2011.jpg
thx.

  • Jamil
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  • Registered: 2008-06-20
  • Posts: 59

Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

I have a MOTIF-RACK XS too, but I use it with my FF800.  It would be connected and used the same way for the FF400. Your diagram looks like it should work without issue.  As long as you have Yamaha's USB drivers installed.

I don't use the USB connection for this synth.  Instead, I use MIDI cables.  My F800 only takes the audio input from this synth and all my others.

  • Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

Hi Jamil,
Thanks for the reply.
Do you use it in conjunction with a DAW?
If so, may I ask if there is any reason why you do not use the USB connection?
thx.

  • Jamil
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  • Registered: 2008-06-20
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Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

Hi Danny.

Yes -- I use it with Sonar.  As for why I don't use its USB connection, it's because I have several midi ports available on the rack mount midi interface I use.  The only time I have ever used it with a USB connection was to update the firmware.  Yamaha requires it to be connected via USB in this case.

  • Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

Would this be a better MIDI setup, so that i could also use the XS-Rack (as well as my Korg keyboard) without having to turn the PC on?
Studio MIDI-Firewire connections
I am going to test it out.
But thought if you guys have a better idea where I can use a setup where I have to do as little as possible to change it in order to use it with and without my DAW, 
I'm all ears.
thx. :-)

  • Jamil
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Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

I have no experience with MIDI patchbays, so I can't comment on that setup.

When I used to have a single MIDI input and output, two synths and one controller, I had to chain them and use a MIDI merge box.  Perhaps the patchbay does something like this?  Not sure.

  • Jamil
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  • Registered: 2008-06-20
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Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

Actually, what is the purpose of the patchbay?

Why can't you simply connect the MIDI out from your Korg to the MIDI in of your MOTIF, MIDI out from the MOTIF to the MIDI in of your FF400, MIDI out from your FF400 to the MIDI in of your Korg?  You just have to make sure the Korg and the MOTIF are using different channels.

  • Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

That makes sense.
But I'm confused about how I get the XS-Rack editor SW to work.
Would I still have to connect the Yamaha to my PC via the USB connection?
I was reading somewhere that if you wanted to use the Firewire IEEE1394, you would
need to buy Yamaha's own mLan. 

New Studio MIDI setup

Thx.

  • Jamil
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  • Registered: 2008-06-20
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Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

With a MIDI connection to the MOTIF, you will not need the USB cable at all.  You just need to configure the Korg and MOTIF to use different MIDI channels.

As for the firewire upgrade for the MOTIF, I have no idea what benefit you'd get from that.  I recall reading that it does interfere with the FF400 if you connect them to the same firewire controller.

  • Jamil
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  • Registered: 2008-06-20
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Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

I totally missed your point about the MOTIF-RACk XS editor in your post when I responded. Sorry, Danny.

Yes -- the editor works with a USB connection and not standard MIDI.

  • Registered: 2007-11-18
  • Posts: 28

Re: New Motif XS Rack setup in my current system with my FF400 - Cubase 5

OK,  Just got some help from Steinberg support and set up the following MIDI/Audio connections for my setup.
As follows:
MIDI-Audio_Setup
But i have another issue which I will put in a separate Topic about getting quite a bit different dB levels from my Korg TS workstation and the Motif XS-Rack.