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We really need to parse these models out. The new Motif ES series, not to mention the rack, are different enough from the original to require separate reviews. That said, I've had both a rack model and the ES6, and while both are fabulous machines, I'm going to a Fantom XR. My reasons are purely idiosyncratic. My gripe on the ES6 is that a $2000 workstation shouldn't require an external drive to store multi setups -- samples, sure, that makes sense, but multi setups?? I'm no engineer, but it's difficult to believe that just lining up patches for multitimbral MIDI sequencing consumes so much resources you have to store it off-board. The $1000 Motif Rack can handle it, so what's getting in the way? Whatever it is, I took the 'board back since multi sequencing is pretty much all I do.
Anyway, although I took the ES back, I know I'm going to miss patch number 1, an amazing acoustic guitar. Just mixing some of it into the background of a piece that's otherwise jammed with synths and noises provides a noticeable dose of realism. And while I'll miss it and probably a host of other non-electronic patches, my preference is always for a wide range of synths & keyboards & drums and in my opinion Roland has the edge on Yamaha in those categories.
If you're more into the acoustic end then a Motif should work very well for you. Some of the updated patches for the ES are not on the Rack, but even so it's one jam-packed little module with very respectable sounds. I was particularly gratified by a B3-resembling patch that let me pretend I was Jon Lord cranking out the final "Smoke on the Water" solo circa 1973 -- most patches attempting to do that are okay thru the low and midrange but completely lose it on the high end; not this time.
So the ES is a great instrument as long as you've got a little extra cash to spend on, well, extras (or things that IMO *should* have been extras but are actually required if you don't want to keep re-entering the same data time and again). Soundwise it's superb, but could use a bit of stretching in the synth/kybd department. Navigation was very intuitive although I think most everyone agrees it would be nice if we could get larger LCDs from synth makers in general.
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