Yamaha Motif XS6 61-Key Music Production Synthesizer Workstation (Used)

A legendary 61-key Yamaha workstation built for serious composers and performers — Motif tone, 6000+ arpeggios, full sampling and sequencing, and the expressive FSX synth action that defined a generation of keyboards.

A Smart Fit For You

The Motif XS6 was Yamaha's flagship music-production workstation, and it's still a serious instrument for anyone who wants a complete writing and performance studio under their hands. The 61-key FSX synth-action keyboard is fast and expressive for organ swells, lead lines, and modern keyboard textures, the Motif sound engine delivers the famously authoritative acoustic and electric voices that put this series on countless records, and the deep arpeggiator with around 6000 phrases (up to four playing in sync) makes idea generation genuinely fast. Add a full 16-track sequencer that combines audio and MIDI, sampling capability with optional RAM expansion, comprehensive editing controls, and a complete computer-integration suite for studio work, and you've got a workstation that earned its reputation. Buying one used is one of the smarter moves a working keyboard player can make — pro-grade sounds and workflow at a fraction of the new flagship price.

Key Highlights

• 61-key FSX synth-action keyboard with initial and aftertouch response
• 128-note polyphony for rich, complex multi-layered patches
• 16-part multi-timbral capability for full arrangements on a single instrument
• 355 MB of wave data with 2,670 waveforms (16-bit linear equivalent)
• 1,024 preset Normal Voices, 64 preset Drum Voices, plus extensive user storage
• Expanded Articulation system for natural legato, staccato, and key release sounds
• Mega Voices add realism to sequencer tracks and arpeggios
• Approximately 6,000 preset arpeggios with up to four playing simultaneously
• Dual Category Search for fast voice navigation by instrument and type
• Integrated sampling sequencer combining audio and MIDI recording
• Slice feature for time-manipulation of audio without affecting pitch
• 16-track sequencer for full song and pattern production
• Extensive onboard effects including reverb, delay, EQ, and more
• Comprehensive I/O including assignable outputs, A/D inputs, and S/PDIF digital out
• USB to Host and Ethernet connectivity for computer and network integration
• Optional IEEE 1394 (FireWire) expansion board support
• Connections for four pedals (two sustain, two footswitch) for hands-free control
• Studio Manager software integration for DAW-based workflows

Why You'll Love It

Great Fit For

• Composers and arrangers building full productions on a single keyboard
• Working keyboard players who need a deep, gig-ready sound library
• Worship keyboardists running complex patches and split layers
• Producers wanting hands-on workstation hardware alongside their DAW
• Songwriters who use arpeggios to spark ideas and lock in grooves
• Players upgrading from earlier Motif, ES, or other workstation models
• Anyone hunting for legendary Yamaha tone at a used-market price

Sound and Feel

The Motif XS engine is built on Yamaha's reputation for natural acoustic emulation and articulate synthesis — the pianos sit well in a mix, the electric pianos and clavs feel alive under the hand, the organs respond beautifully to leslie effects, and the synth and pad voices have the depth and movement that made this series a staple of pop, R&B, gospel, and modern worship records. The FSX keyboard is quick and expressive without being too light, and the eight-element voice architecture means every patch can be a tiny ecosystem of layered, velocity-switched, and aftertouch-controlled sounds. The arpeggiator is a creative tool unto itself: load up four arpeggio phrases on a single voice, hit one note, and you've got a full groove playing in sync.

Specifications