SUMMER NAMM 2014: Yamaha celebrates 40 years of synths with White Motif XF

SUMMER NAMM 2014: It's been four decades since Yamaha produced its first portable analogue synthesizer - 1974's SY-1 - and to celebrate this milestone, the company has released a white limited edition version of the Motif XF.

While we'll admit that we'd have preferred a whole new synth, the company says that this is just the start of a year's worth of celebrations, so we're hopeful that more products will follow.

The 40th Anniversary Motif XF features the synth's latest version 1.5 operating system, which delivers new reverb algorithms, amplifier simulation and multi FX.

Yamaha is also releasing special Anniversary Boxes for the Motif XF and MX series synths. Each of these contains a USB stick of soundsets, while the Motif XF box also comes with a Flash Memory Expansion Board and a row of discount coupons for products from various third-party developers.

The 40th Anniversary Motif XF will be shipping from mid August and be priced the same as the current black Motif XF. You can find out more on the Yamaha website. The company has also set up a special 40th anniversary page.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.