Yamaha MOTIF XS8 User Manual

The Song mode lets you record, edit and play your own original Songs. The Song Play mode is the main ‘portal’ by which 
you enter the Song mode, and it is here where you select and play a Song. Some of the Song settings—such as the rhythmic 
feel—can also be edited in this mode. To call up the Song Play display and enter the Song mode, simply press the [SONG] 
button.

n From the Track View display in the Song Play mode, you can select the Voice of the Mixing Part corresponding to the current Track by 

pressing the [CATEGORY SEARCH] button. 

This operation calls up the Track View display in the 
Song Play mode. 

Move the cursor to the Song number, then select the 
desired Song by using the data dial, [INC/YES] and 
[DEC/NO] buttons. The name of the selected Song is 
displayed. 

n If you press the [PROGRAM] button so that its lamp lights, 

you can select the desired Song by using the Group [A] – 
[D] buttons and the Number [1] – [6] buttons. Song 
numbers and the corresponding buttons are as follows. 

F] (Play) button to start the selected 

When playback of the selected Song is finished, the 
Song automatically stops. 

Press the [

J] (Stop) button to stop playback of the 

Song. Press the [

F] (Play) again to resume playback 

from that point. 

To start playback of the Song from midway through the 
Song, set the desired location by using the controls below, 
then press the [

F] (Play) button. These operations can be 

also executed during playback.

Keep in mind that starting a Song from somewhere in the 
middle may cause playback problems, such as the wrong 
sound, incorrect pitch or unexpected volume changes. 
This may occur because the MIDI events recorded at the 
start the Song have not been recognized by the tone 
generator section, since playback has started at a different 
point in the Song, with different MIDI events. To prevent this 
from happening, set the Song Event Chase parameter (

4) 

to “PC+PB+Ctrl” or “all” in the Other display (page 271) of 
Sequencer Setup (called up via the [SEQ SETUP] button). 
With this setting, the Song will be played back properly 
even when starting playback from the middle of the Song.

To assign specific measure numbers to locations 1 and 2, 
select the desired measure number then press the [

G]/

[

H] (Rewind/Forward) button while holding the [STORE] 

button. The setting here will be shown at the top of the 
display. 

From this display, you can change the Song playback 
position by following the operations below. 

Button Combinations

Song number

[A]+[1] – [16]

01 – 16

[B]+[1] – [16]

17 – 32

[C]+[1] – [16]

33 – 48

[D]+[1] – [16]

49 – 64

Song number

Song name

LOCATE

1

2

SEQ TRANSPORT

Forward

Press the [

H] (Forward) button. 

Fast forward

Hold the [

H] (Forward) button. 

Rewind

Press the [

G] (Rewind) button. 

Fast Rewind

Hold the [

G] (Rewind) button. 

Move to the top of the Song

Press the [

P] button.

Move to location 1

While holding the [

P] button, press 

the [

G] (Rewind) button. 

Move to location 2

While holding the [

P] button, press 

the [

H] (Forward) button. 

Location 1

Location 2