Keeping the performing musician as mobile as can be, Yamaha introduced its new MOX8 and MOX6 music production synthesizers. These lightweight keyboards feature MOTIF XS power and quality in a portable body casing.

Both the 88-key MOX8 and the 61-key MOX6 include the latest Yamaha sounds, with 1,217 voices and 355 MB of waveforms taken directly from the MOTIF XS. Expanded Articulation offers realistic replication of acoustic instruments and synth sounds. The new keyboards also offer the same synth engine as the MOTIF XS, with 18 different filter types along with the ability to replicate warm, natural vintage sounds via Virtual Circuit Modeling.

Song creation is made easy with the MOX keyboards, Yamaha says, since each synth has 256 Performance patterns, 6,720 arpeggiator patterns, and a 4-part interactive arpeggio engine taken from the MOTIF XS. A Performance Creator feature allows for easy setup of splits, layers, and drum parts, while the integrated USB audio / MIDI interface eliminates the need for a separate audio I/O for creating music with a PC. Record the MOX directly into a PC and add vocals or guitars through the stereo A/D input channel. Direct Performance recording lets you record directly into the sequencer.

In addition to the built-in 4-input / 2-output USB audio interface, the MOX keyboards accommodate any ASIO based software, and MIDI keyboard controller functionality controls DAW and VST programs. Both keyboards come with a software package that includes the Cubase AI5 48-track DAW program, Yamaha's YC-3B soft synth organ, and Steinberg's Prologue analog modeling synth.

"These are very lightweight, but powerful keyboards," said Athan Billias, Director of Marketing for Yamaha’s Pro Audio and Combo Division. "They offer heavyweight features at a nice price. Pound-for-pound, these are the most powerful, mobile and affordable Yamaha music workstations ever offered."

The MOX8 ($1,999 MSRP) has 88 graded hammer standard keys and weighs 32.6 lbs. The MOX6 ($1,499 MSRP) has 61 semi-weighted keys and weighs 15.4 lbs. Yamaha expects to begin shipping the MOX8 and MOX6 in May, 2011.

For more information, visit yamaha.com.