Yamaha Motif Users: Sonar X1 vs Cubase???

I swear- when I composed this post, I had clear paragraphs with line spaces between each. Hope you can read one long run on post.

My problems with DP have to do with their file management system. I have a Presonus firestudio card that works fine. I loaded some of the DP stuff that Cakewalk gave away for free and that's when my trouble started. DP couldn't find most of the stuff. All my other VST synths have better file management than DP. I have (easily) over 1000 sounds in my Sampletank directory. Easy to add more sounds, back-up, etc. IIRC, DP puts the different files that make up a patch in different directories.

Hey Piano39.  I have the Motif XF8, and had the XS8 and ES8 before, all supreme boards!  I've used Sonar sense version 3 I think.. never really had any issues at all (aside from the typical DAW stuff every so often). 
What I did was get a Template on the Motif in MIX mode that I liked.. got the effects set up, and the 16 tracks with set instruments the way I liked them (ch.1, drums, ch2, bass, etc.) and in Sonar I have a template with midi channels 1-16 ready to go when I pull it up.  I do all my sequencing and when I like what I have, I convert it to audio in Sonar.. no problems.

No midi cables, just the 1 USB cable for communication.  Sonar and Cubase are both great programs.. both having much more extensive midi sides then ProTools.  Either program with work great, I just happened to get into Cakewalk early on.  It has everything you need for sure. 

The XF series is quite abit more advanced then the ES or XS was.. faster, better sounds, and better DA-AD converters.. LOVE it.  ; )

Shambler, Just a off topic question. You say you have a Kurzweil now and I was wondering if you think the piano sound is better then the Yamaha? Thanks

Interesting conversation.  I bought a Tyros 2 a few years ago because 1-it had the Motif sample set plus a few other really good sounds and 2-I planned to create custom styles (bass, drum, keys, guitars) as starting points for demos and writing—sort of like song creator sets.

I found creating custom styles so frustrating and tedious that I never created a single one.  I also found that the Tyros 2 works with Sonar, but it was screwy at first.  (You have to know to turn off Local before activating Sonar, you cannot use Local while Sonar is connected, and you may have to reboot the Tyros 2 after Sonar to make it work right under local control.)

Also, and this was the big thing, you cannot call up all the sounds from Sonar that you can from the panel because some sounds are created on the fly using Tyros 2 effects and cannot be called up from a sequencer just by Bank/Patch number.  The workaround: create a song in the Tyros 2 in which you select all the desired sounds from panel buttons.  Then you can import that song into Sonar and it will call up all the correct sounds.   This is a pain: turn off Sonar, create a song in Tyros 2, save song to USB stick, load that into Sonar, edit everything out except the non-note events that call up the sounds and effects.

I still like the T2 but I was really disappointed that it never did what I bought it for.  I love many of the sounds and use them daily, but would have gotten something cheaper if I had known what a pain this would be.

 " What I did was get a Template on the Motif in MIX mode that I liked.. got the effects set up, and the 16 tracks with set instruments the way I liked them (ch.1, drums, ch2, bass, etc.) and in Sonar I have a template with midi channels 1-16 ready to go when I pull it up. I do all my sequencing and when I like what I have, I convert it to audio in Sonar.. no problems. " I also have this set up when I am ready to mix down, etc.