MOTIF synth power and DAW software control in an affordable, compact workstation.

The MO8 delivers Yamaha's powerful MOTIF synth engine functions and sounds in a compact, affordable workstation. Plus, it doubles as a powerful computer recording partner, giving you sounds and controls to use with your DAW software. It has 88 hammer-action, touch-sensitive keys, 64-note polyphony, 256 user presets, 256 performance presets, 5-band master EQ, a backlit graphic LCD, plus USB and S/PDIF outs for digital connectivity.

MO sounds from acoustic to analog
The heart of the MO series is the same massive 175MB 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 the MO isn't just for acoustic emulations. The four-oscillator voices feature multiband 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, and 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 you find yourself in lots of different situations: live gigs, song writing collaborations, studio sessions, and computer music environments loaded with DAWs and soft synths. 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 realtime 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 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.

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 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 Quick Setups utility also lets you transfer from the internal sequencer to your computer with a single button press.

Jam on!
The MO8 is light in weight and extremely portable so it's great for live performance situations. It also features a Balanced Hammer action keyboard like that found on the MOTIF ES8. Hands-on knobs and sliders provide realtime controls alongside a full compliment of pedal control inputs. The MO series also features full multizone 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 www.yamahasynth.com. 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 the Recall function will reconfigure your MO to exactly the settings that were last used in the project.

With Studio Connections Audio Integration capabilities, 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. This allows you the convenience of freezing a track on a hardware synths and 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.

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 DAWs Audio mixer, applying VST effects and even using unique VST functions such as "mix down" and "freeze". Finally youve got a seamless environment where both hardware synthesizers and software synthesizers can be completely integrated together.

Yamaha MO8 88-Key Music Production Synthesizer Workstation with DAW Control Features:

• 88 key, balanced hammer-action, touch-sensitive board
• DAW Remote Control supporting Mackie and Logic protocols
• Studio Connections compatible
• USB port
• Tone Generator AWM2
• 64-note polyphony
• 16 internal multitimbral parts
• 175MB wave memory
• 1,859 waveforms
• 512 voices
• 64 drum kits
• 128 GM voices
• 1 GM drum kit
• User: 128 x 2 banks + 32 drum kits
• User performances: 256 (up to 4 parts)
• 18 filter types
• 20 reverbs
• 49 chorus effects
• 116 insert effects x 3 blocks
• 8 mastering effects
• 5-band master EQ
• 3-band stereo EQ
• Note capacity: 226,000
• Note resolution: 480 ppq (parts per quarter note)
• Realtime recording
• 5 scenes per song
• Pitch bend wheel
• Modulation wheel
• 4 assignable control sliders
• 4 assignable knobs
• Data dial performances
• Dedicated front panel switch and store display pages
• Stereo coaxial digital output
• MIDI I/O

Because the MO is a complete self contained system—including a keyboard, tone generator and sequencer. Order today!

Yamaha MO8 88-Key Music Production Synthesizer Workstation with DAW Control Specifications:

• All drivers and available editors for Yamaha synths can be downloaded from www.yamahasynth.com.

Yamaha MO8 88-Key Music Production Synthesizer Workstation with DAW Control

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Average of 12 User Ratings

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Customer Reviews

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Only one thing missing...

Posted by Joshua Lyon from Baton Rouge on Mar 9, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Active Musician

Reviewer's Play Style: Soft Rock

I love my Yamaha MO8... In fact, it has too many features for me. I only use about 1/38th of what this workstation can do. The built in recording interface is a breeze to use... The only complaint I have is that you can't switch between voices without the previous voice cutting off. This is because of the way the voices are "banked". I talked with Yamaha and they said that this model was unable to perform that way because it was designed as a studio keyboard. But other than that... I LOVE THIS KEYBOARD!

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Yamaha

Posted by Piano_lady from Nassau, Bahamas on Dec 7, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist, Church Musician

Reviewer's Play Style: Gospel

I got this board 2 wks ago and I have to say I am extremely pleased. I love the feel of the keys and the tones are awesome. I have a hard time deciding what tones to use. It's a little overwhelming (being my first board and all and the manual is a tad confusing) but with time I'm sure I'll master it. I love coming home to my MO8! No regrets...yet.

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Features

Value

Almost perfect,

Posted by Arlyn at the piano :) from Bay City Mi. on Sep 10, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Full time musucian, live and recording

Reviewer's Play Style: Oldies Rock, Countty

I own a MO8, Ive had it for about two uears now, maybe a little less than that. It has been the best work horse for me yet. I also own the motif ES. The sounds are almost the same, the ES has a little bit better sound but is way heavier, for the money and the transportability the MO* is a better buy in my opinion. I'd like to try out the s90 ES next :)

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Very good

Posted by Musiquito from Bronx, NY on Nov 2, 2007

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: From Bach to Rag to Depeche mode

I've had my MO8 x 6m now, so far it has proven itself to be a good investment. Piano sounds...you have to hear it! the keys have a great feeling. it has overall great sounds. However dealing with the "yamaha state of mind" for programing this babe(because it's a hot one), if you have not had a yamaha keyboard before (like my self) can be a little time consuming, since the manual is not extremely clear(@ least to me). I feel that with this keyboard most of your creations can be achieved in a simply intuitive way after you get the feeling of yamaha. Great piece of equipment. Enjoy!

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Excellent Keyboard

Posted by Tabernacle Girl from DOTHAN, AL on Oct 1, 2007

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Active Musician

Reviewer's Play Style: Gospel

I just purchased the MO8 about 2 weeks ago... at first, I was intimidated by it but slowly, I've been reading through the manual and I have learned quite a bit. The sounds from this board are amazing! I have been a church musician for 20 years and since we have begun to travel more and more, I decided to invest in a keyboard instead of having to deal with out-of-date instruments that many churches still have. Before purchasing the MO8, I weighed my options with Rolands and Korgs - Yamaha was tops- hands down. Thus far, I am very pleased except some of the complexity of the manual - other than that, the MO8 is an awesome board at a very awesome price.

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Yamaha MO8 88-Key Music Production Synthesizer Workstation with DAW Control

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