Hello:
 
I'm using sonar 7 producer and just changed to a yamaha motif xf8 workstation.  I can't find an instrument definition  for this keyboard on cakewalk's site or yamaha's site.  Is anyone else using the xf8 with sonar 7 who would be kind enough to share their midi setting?  Sonar recognizes the yamaha in the midi in and out settings, but I'm having trouble recording to sonar, or playing back midi files through the keyboard.
 
Thanks in advance.

Not many people visit this forum any more so even though it is the correct forum for your version, If you don't get a good answer here in a few days, I would try a post in the X series forum where the majority hang out. It's allowed :} 
 
I think the problem is Roland and Yamaha are direct competitors so they do this kinda stuff. 
 
And as a side note, you really don't need to use your Yamaha for sounds, there are many great sounds available as soft synths. Try those first. Try the TTS-1 and other included synths and then look online for lots of low cost of free versions. The site "KVR" has many. 

http://www.motifator.com/index.php/forum/viewthread/452342/#507062

Wow I guess the traffic really fell off when there are 3-week old posts on the main page.  Bummer this was the only forum I read for years until I was forced into upgrading a week or two ago.  Bookmark is still set for here though.  Guessing my XF8 file is too late?
 
Cactus don't want to sound condescending there are tons of great plugins out there but the TTS-1 vs a Yamaha XF8 is not close.  The XF8 is a $3500+ monster of a keyboard you'd be doing yourself a giant disservice NOT using the Yamaha sounds.  Now if you asked me to choose between my XF8 and Omnisphere.... I'd have to take Omnisphere but I'd be grumpy about it (I love hardware).

Sorry I just assumed it was a consumer grade keyboard. Hey, I bought the Yamaha Drums for that very reason. I think they have above average samples.. after all, a set of real Yamaha drums is a pretty awesome kit, they sampled my favorite the Maple custom.  My comment was generally aimed at the fact a lot of newcomers are totally unaware of the powerful world of soft synths. They are not immediately obvious when you first fire up any given DAW. 
Anyway the OP was not interested anyhow. 

Cactus Music
My comment was generally aimed at the fact a lot of newcomers are totally unaware of the powerful world of soft synths.

This is very true.  Just makes me sad because I miss the days when hardware ruled and all the sounds were DX-cheesy.   If you were to compare the TTS and the XF8, the TTS would clearly win not based on sounds but on value.  But the XF8 would win in always being "on" and using zero resources.  I just bought summing mixers to sum 16 of my synths down to a couple of stereo pairs because I didn't use them enough to justify 32 inputs.  Sad.  Anyway I'm just feeling old... regardless the XF8 is Yamaha's current top-of-the-line flagship workstation and has some serious kick-ass (non orch) sounds...

I think the big difference too, is that dedicated instruments seem to use way better effect processors.
I love my Korg 05R/W Every time I fire it up I am impressed with how large and full it sounds, but if you turn off the effects it sounds amazingly like the TTS-1. So take the TTS-1 and patch in some better effects and you start to get some pretty big sounds. If the TTS-1 has one design fault it's the weak effects, You can edit them a wee bit but the reverb is pretty bad. But so far I find it handy for listening to downloaded files and playing my own old Atari made files. I also use the organs and funny enough, the kick drum! The rest I find is on par with MS wavetable.