Yamaha MM Series Synthesizers (MM6 & MM8 Synth Keyboards)

Yamaha MM6 & Yamaha MM8 are great synthesizer keyboards for musicians who want to buy their first serious music production instrument. It comes in two versions, the MM6 61-key keyboard, and the MM8 for those who need a synth that feels like a piano (88-key Graded Hammer Standard keyboard).

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For Live Performances as Well as Music Creation

The MM Music Synthesizers has real-time control knobs for total control over the various sounds, uses several interesting arpeggiator patterns, has several pro-level MOTIF sounds and includes a wide variety of Voices to help you create various kinds of music. It also includes several Patterns that provide full backing – drums, bass and chords – that come in handy not just during your live performances, but also during song creation.

Instant Recording Setup

The Yamaha MM6 & MM8 synthesizers can be easily connected to a computer with a standard USB cable, through the USB To Host terminal. With every purchase, you also get a free copy of Cubase AI 4 – a sophisticated music production software.

Now you can easily record your performances on the computer, use plug-in synthesizers that come with the software, edit the data, re-arrange it in multiple tracks, and perform final mixdown.

Yamaha MM6 61 Key Synthesizer Keyboard Review

PROS:Lightweight, good entry-level synthesizer
CONS: Limited sounds & features

Who is this for?
The Yamaha MM6 is a lightweight but good-featured performance synthesizer. Good for musicians who want an entry-level performance synthesizer, and don’t want to spend on the more expensive boards yet.

More Benefits
Polyphony of 32 notes and 8 track sequencer is fine for regular playing. If you are going to use a software sequencer then it doesn’t matter really. That’s where you will record anyway.

Even though it has great sounds, there are also many average sounds, which you may not use anyways. I will be happy with 150 high quality voices, and the rest could just be removed.

Many arpeggio patterns are available but there’s not lot of variety. Nothing that is compatible with 3/4 time; very few in 4/4 shuffle!

Despite those limitations, its a good keyboard considering the price. The voices are good (piano and strings especially), with several sounds from the Motif.

Specs

Here are the key features:

• 61 synth style keys
• Initial Touch: Yes, Aftertouch: No
• Pitch Bend: Yes
• Modulation: Yes
• Control Knobs: Knob x 4, Data Dial x 1
• Display — Backlight: Yes, Contrast: Yes
• Polyphony: 32 notes
• Top quality voices
• Pattern and Arpeggiator generators
• Other music creation tools
• No speakers
• Easy to change panel setting
• Sequencer with eight normal tracks and one Pattern track
• Headphones, FOOT CONTROLLER, SUSTAIN, MIDI IN/OUT, OUTPUT L/MONO, R (standard phone jack)
• USB (TO DEVICE), USB (TO HOST)
• Included Accessories: Power Adaptor, Owner’s Manual, Supplied Disk (supplied DAW software)
• Dimensions: 37-3/8″ (W), 4-7/8″ (H), 14-3/4″ (D)
• Weight: 5.0kg (11.0 lbs.)

Overall Ratings for Yamaha MM6 (4/5)(

The Yamaha MM6 synthesizer delivers good musical power and creative control, has several sounds from the MOTIF series instruments, and has wide variety of dynamic, authentic Voices to help you create and perform in virtually any style of music.

Buying Options for Yamaha MM6
1. Yamaha MM6 on zZounds

Yamaha MM8 88 Key Synthesizer Keyboard Review

The Yamaha MM8 88-Key Synthesizer Keyboard is a great synth from a reputed brand that gives you all the power and creative control you need to perform or create music in any music style. Piano players will love the weighted hammer keys.

PROS: Affordable, Great Sounds (many from Motif), Easy-to-Use
CONS: Limited Polyphony, Limited Features for mixing or balancing

Yamaha MM8 Synthesizer provides all the power and creative control you need to perform and even to create. With several Motif series instruments, you get access to variety of dynamic, authentic Voices to help you create and/or perform in any style of music.

Who Is This for?

• This is suitable for anyone looking for a lightweight keyboard, preferably for live playing; though you may find the polyphony limited,
• It has almost everything that you need, especially for live playing, and will serve you well if you already have an instrument such as the MOTIF for your studio.

This comes with various types of rhythms and backing tracks (in case you like an arranger) that you can use for live use or for creating music. However, those patterns don’t come with intros and endings.

The Yamaha MM8 gives you 88 keys with GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) keyboard, and considering that it has weighted keys, it’s comparatively lightweight.

Though synths are ideally suited for genres like dance, hip-hop, rap, etc., the acoustic and the world sounds ensures that you can use this for any kind of music.

You do get organ sounds, but don’t expect drawbars or tone wheel modeling on the MM8 for this price. You need to shell out at least a grand more.

You do get sounds from the Motif minus all the bells and whistles that are available on the MOTIF series.

But then you still get a huge sound collection and the acoustic piano key touch, at a competitive price.

Specs

Here are the key features of Yamaha MM8:

• 88-key graded hammer keyboard (GHS) (Initial touch)
• Polyphony: 32 notes
• Super-high-quality sounds
• Voice: Preset: 418 normal voices + 22 drum kits, GM: 128 normal voices + 1 drum kit
• Performance: 8 banks x 8
• Effect System: Reverb x 25 types, Chorus x 30 types, Variation x 189 types
• Master Equalize: 5 types
• Dynamic music creation tools
• Automatic Pattern and Arpeggiator generators
• Sequencing features include eight normal tracks and one Pattern track
• Controllers: Pitch Bend wheel x 1, Modulation wheel x 1, Knob x 4, Data Dial x 1
• Backlit Display
• Connectors: OUTPUT L/MONO, R (standard phone jack), PHONES (standard stereo phone jack), FOOT CONTROLLER, SUSTAIN, MIDI IN/OUT, USB (TO HOST, TO DEVICE), DC INLET
• Power Supply: AC Adapter (Included)
• Power Consumption: 12W
• Dimensions (WxDxH), Weight: 1340 x 445 x 157 mm
• Weight: 15.6 kg
• Accessories Included: AC Adapter, Owner’s Manual, Supplied Disk (supplied DAW software)

Overall Ratings (4/5)

If you need a killer synth combined with an excellent piano, then the Yamaha MM8 88-key (GHS) synthesizer with real-time control knobs and several arpeggiator patterns is something that you should consider.

Buying Options for Yamaha MM8

1. Buy Yamaha MM8 on zZounds