Yamaha MM8 Keyboard Workstation

The MM8 is the 88-note weighted action version of the MM6. Keyboard length is pretty well the only difference. Both are instruments that promise a little and deliver a lot. You really wouldn't imagine what’s under the hood. This is a real powerhouse.

Overview

This 7 octave, weighted action keyboard takes 'Motif' (Yamaha's world-beating pro synth line) technology-sounds, effects, arpeggio-control and more-and places it in a simple and direct, real-time performance context. You can play over a selection of infectious backing grooves; tweaking sounds, creating new layers, altering balances, playing with arpeggios... all on the fly. Basic recording facilities are also available.

Sounds

If you're familiar with the Motif you'll know that the sounds (based upon Motif sound-generation) are top quality. There are 418 regular voices plus 22 drum kits. Polyphony is 32 voice, which seems small, but actually isn't, thanks to how Yamaha has constructed the sound engine. On the MM8, sounds use one voice of polyphony unlike their equivalent on a Motif where they may be constructed from several 'elements.'

Standouts are the keys–acoustic and electric pianos, which really shine under weighted keyboard action control–plus strong synths, basses, and guitars. Cutoff, Resonance, Attack, and Release knobs give you instant if basic control over any sound, and edits (offsets) can be stored in Performance Memories. You can also combine and split two voices and store these combos in Performance as well. Tons of sonic flexibility here with no brain-ache involved.

Effects

Very impressive for a keyboard at this price point. You have separate reverb and chorus blocks along with 'Variations' (189 types) ranging from delays to flangers to overdrive, to a separate bank of EQ. In other words everything you need to make keyboard parts sound interesting and expensive.

Recording

You’re not going to want to sell your ProTools rig but the MM8 has a brilliant set of recording features for working out ideas, practicing, and developing material you can subsequently dump into your DAW. You can even play beats or songs back direct of USB, which could be handy on live gigs. There are both internal Patterns (drum beats) and arpeggios (grooves or phrases you can apply to a voice that can be used in recordings. Editing is almost non-existent internally but you have up to eight tracks, which is plenty of fleshing out even quite complex songs or arrangements. The MM8 is 16-part multi-timbral, so you can use it simply as a tone generator with your DAW (a light version of Cubase is bundled).

Hardware

This is superbly designed in that all the curves and recesses, controls, screen, ins and outs are all in the right place and perform faultlessly. So, while you wouldn't call this 'built like a tank,' as with most Yamaha keyboards, nothing feels like it’s going to fall off or stop working. Everything just 'works.'

In Use

This is where the MM8 really shines. Even if you're not familiar with modern synths most everything is logically named and functions logically. The only exception to this is the life-saving Exit button-a cure for pretty well any wrong turn-which is not given sufficient importance in the manual.

Day to day, the MM8 just lets you get on with the business of playing, recording, writing, rehearsing... with an extremely low maintenance threshold or learning curve.

If you want to become a power user there are only a few short steps: One is look at the MM6/8 Articles on Motifator.com, and the other is to pick up a copy of Making Beats On The MM6 DVD which explains every feature and application in plan and simple English.