History
One day, Yamaha decided to make a workstation-type of keyboard. Now, they'd tried this before, with the SY-99 series, and of course it sold it's usual million, but it did not make it's claim in the professional everyday user market.

The new keyboard was called the Motif, and what a wonder it was. It not only has an integrated sound module that sounds fantastic, but it has some incredible sequencing abilities and performance tools that have really raised the bar. They've called the main features the Integrated Sampling Sequencer.

In 2004 Yamaha pumped up the Motif's feature set and put out the Motif ES, which increases the memory capability and some other things. However, the basic programming and sample feature set remained the same.

In 2007 Yamaha upped the ante with the XS series. This sped up sample loading, adds a "Patch Select" feature where you can turn on/off Elements in real time (similar to Keyswitching), and sports a fantastic new interface.

2010 brought the innovative Motif XF, which replaces most the RAM memory (cut down to 128mb) with the potential of 2GB of flash memory, which retains thedata upon turning off the machine. Close on it's heels was the MOXF, a lighter and more limited version but with the same sound engine.

Then Yamaha chnaged everything and brought out the Montage, which added another sound engine (the FM stuff), but also drastically decreased 9and changed) the Motif engine feature. The Montage can load and acess Motif XF files but arranges them in a much different way.

In this document, the term "Motif" refers to all Motif incarnations, since they are all similar.

After you play around with the Motif it grows on you and you really start liking it. It is fully capable in making complex keymaps and references. Easy access to creating them... well, it's not that good. (Most hybrid synth/samplers are that way.) The Motif has USB and an editor, but whaddya know - it doesn't support the sampling/mapping areas. But the Motif sounds great and it is plenty capable.

Synthesis and File Structure
Yamaha uses samples in groups they call "Waveforms." (This is a misuse of the term; ignore it, and think of it as a collection of samples. They call samples "Keybanks"; again, not common terminology). A "Waveform" is a collection of samples that can be placed in any sort of 3-dimensional outlay - each sample has it's own low key and high key, and low velocity and high velocity range. These can overlap as well.

The only catch is that each sample reference (Keybank) always contains its own data. So there is the potential in conversions that samples have to be replicated, thus wasting disk space, memory, and loading time.

Anyway, what you play on a Motif is a "Voice," which can contain up to 4 "Elements" (is the terminology making you dizzy yet?). Each Element can reference a... "Waveform"! Also, an Element can reference an internal sample and well as a user-loaded one, thus making the Motif similar to the Kurzweil in it's hybridness.

The Motif's limit is 64mb, which isn't too bad. The Motif ES and XS expand this with 1gig maximum. The XF allows 2GB of flash memeory but only has 128mb RAM memory (but that hardly matters with 2GB flash). The MOXF can handle 1GB of Flash but has no RAM.

The Motif reads and writes to regular Memory Cards, cranking it up to modernity. The Classic had SCSI, and read Akai S-1000/3000 disks and the proprietary A-Series Programs and Samples too. The ES - and of course all Motif's forward - did away with this.

Translating and Building MODX / Montage / Motif Format
Since the Fusion is a Bank format, you can convert any format into a new Fusion Bank, or you can insert a conversion into an already existing Bank.

Samples are converted into Alesis's proprietary .afs sample format. The incoming structure is arranged into the Program-Multisample-Sample Fusion structure.

Since there are restrictions on Oscillator-level programming and only 4 Oscillators, somtimes multiple Programs must be created to imitate an incoming Program. Programs like this are prefaced with an asterisk (*) and a Mix is created, which can play mutiple Programs at one time.

Parameter Tolerence can be used to reduce the need for multiple Programs; higher tolerance allows the Translator conversion engine to average programming needs and while the final result will not exactly match in the incoming source, it will be less complicated to deal with. 0% Parameter Tolerance means no averaging will take place, 100% tolerence means the first claim to a parameter will apply to all further ones.

Samples can be stereo in the Fusion.

Translating Out of MODX / Montage / Motif Format
The Instrument Unit on the Fusion is a Program. A Mix is a Performance type that can define multiple Programs on different or the same MIDI Channels.

Samples will be converted out of the proprietary .afs format and converted into the destination format.

You can also convert an entire Fusion Bank into a Bank-type destination such as SoundFont, Giga, Motif, etc.

History
Yamaha (the company who makes everything) has at certain times made their stab at making a sampler.

The first sampler Yamaha created was the TX16W. It had a lot of potential, being one of the first stereo-sampling units at an affordable price, but other feature-packed samplers surpassed it in popularity.

The next sampler-fling was with the "Prophet 3000" sampler, which Sequential Circuits released shortly before they were going under. Yamaha renamed it the P3000, tried to market it, but very few were sold.

Nevertheless, at the time, Yamaha didn't have the interest to jump into the rapidly advancing sampler game, as FM, digital pianos, among other things, were their niche.

The recent A3000 was Yamaha's jump back into the game. The great thing about it was the massive architecture, with multiple envelopes and processing. The bad part of it was the SCSI interface was about as slow as a floppy. This greatly accelerated the disinterest in the sampler.

The A4000-5000 Series was Yamahas attempt at improving the A3000. The SCSI Interface is still slow, even with being improved slightly, and the unit is difficult to use, using terms and processes different than the mainsteam.

Even so, the great effects and architecture of the Yamaha still have an appeal to those who get familiar with the interface. Some of the interface details are admittingly innovative, such as the comination turn-push knobs, and the multi-button menus.

Synthesis and File Structure
Pretty simple - a "sample" contains one sample reference and contains all the keyrange, envelope, LFO, etc. settings. These are put into Programs. You can also organize samples into groups for bulk editing. There are two integrated effects processors, which sound great.

The A4000 Series use a proprietary format. However, they can read DOS formatted volumes - it just doesn't save to them. The Yamaha proprietary disk format is similar to DOS, but diferent enough to not be read by a computer. They also come with a great 12 CD library, and all of them are readable in DOS format. The Yamaha's can read a number of other formats, including Akai S-1000/3000, Roland S-7x, and Emu E-3 programs/banks.

Translating and Building A4000/5000 Programs

Since the Fusion is a Bank format, you can convert any format into a new Fusion Bank, or you can insert a conversion into an already existing Bank.

Samples are converted into Alesis's proprietary .afs sample format. The incoming structure is arranged into the Program-Multisample-Sample Fusion structure.

Since there are restrictions on Oscillator-level programming and only 4 Oscillators, somtimes multiple Programs must be created to imitate an incoming Program. Programs like this are prefaced with an asterisk (*) and a Mix is created, which can play mutiple Programs at one time.

Parameter Tolerence can be used to reduce the need for multiple Programs; higher tolerance allows the Translator conversion engine to average programming needs and while the final result will not exactly match in the incoming source, it will be less complicated to deal with. 0% Parameter Tolerance means no averaging will take place, 100% tolerence means the first claim to a parameter will apply to all further ones.

Samples can be stereo in the Fusion.

Translating Out of A4000/5000 Format

The Instrument Unit on the Fusion is a Program. A Mix is a Performance type that can define multiple Programs on different or the same MIDI Channels.

Samples will be converted out of the proprietary .afs format and converted into the destination format.

You can also convert an entire Fusion Bank into a Bank-type destination such as SoundFont, Giga, Motif, etc.