Jedi,

My site isn't down. Perhaps a lot of people were viewing it at once. Try it again.

I think based on all this wonderful input from everyone plus some emails I've received, it would seem that the choice to go with the 9000pro or the MOTIF is simply a choice of what style of keyboard one is used to working with. They each have the same quality of sounds, just different ones each. Although the 9000 has auto-accompaniment, it appears you can do your own sequencing too plus it has increased polyphony. However I can't use the breath controller with the VA plugin on the 9000. The 9000 has more polyphony, but a less powerful sequencer. The MOTIF has synthesis and arpeggiator features, but lacks realistic "sweet" voices. Does YAMAHA actually believe people want a few things and not the others? Am I just some strange composer type that wants it all in one package?

This whole process really just makes me mad that manufacturers won't make one great big expensive thing that does it all. I would pay $6000 to have both keyboards in one (and having the piano samples from the P80 would be nice too). People pay twice that much for a real piano that makes only one sound AND needs maintenence. I would gladly pay that much for the absolute Rolls Royce of keyboards/workstations with the best sounds ever. So what if it needs to have 900MB for voice memory becuase the sounds will be unbelievably real. So what if it can take a breath controller AND all three types of piano pedals (I'm probably one of a few who actually use all three when playing piano). So what if it weighs five tons--it's going to stay in my home studio. And so what if it is a "production synthesizer" and an "arranger" with arpeggiators AND auto-accompaniment. Is there some electrical disorder that occurs if both things are put in one instrument? I guess I'm just stupid about the technology. Call it what you want: synthesizer, workstation, arranger, organ, Casio VL-Tone, cookie monster piano--just give me everyhting!!!! I'm tired of being forced to buy every type of thing out there just to have everything. I would end up spending more than what it would have cost just to make the Grand Daddy I am looking for. Isn't there some market out there for what I want! Is there anyone out there that makes such a beast? Maybe I need to look outside the mainstream manufacturers like Yamaha, Korg, Roland, etc., and find some other company. Anyone know?

Enough dreaming. I guess I simply have to play with both the MOTIF and the 9000Pro enough to listen to the samples since those are what I have to live with. I can learn how to use one or the other, but if I don't like the sounds, it will be for nothing. Even onboard sequencing means very little to me since I have been obviously using a PSR-500 in conjunction with Cool Edit Pro and never having to worry about polyphony, number of notes, etc. It's all realtime to a click track. If I can do that with a "toy" keyboard, just think of the possibilities once I get my hands on something with realistic, more up-to-date sounds.