A stage-played Yamaha Motif XS7 music production synthesizer used by Printz Board — musical director of the Black Eyed Peas — throughout The E.N.D. World Tour (2009-2011). The instrument is documented by name in Keyboard Magazine‘s August 2010 cover story on the band’s touring rig and is visible in the “World of a Music Director” video feature with Printz Board.
Video Documentation
Historical Context
The Black Eyed Peas — comprising will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie — were among the most commercially dominant acts in the world during the 2009-2011 period, driven by The E.N.D. (2009) and The Beginning (2010). Their touring and broadcast appearances during this era included the 2011 Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (December 31, 2009), the 2010 American Music Awards, the 2009 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and numerous major international festival and arena performances. The E.N.D. World Tour ran from 2009 through 2011 and was one of the most technically elaborate production tours of its era.
Printz Board served as musical director, keyboard player, bassist, trumpeter, songwriter, and producer for the band throughout their most commercially dominant period. The Keyboard Magazine August 2010 cover story — headlined “Printz Board Masterminds the Synths of the Biggest Pop Show on Earth” — provides detailed documentation of every instrument in his touring rig, photographed at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
Stage & Performance Use
The Motif XS7 was the instrument that opened every Black Eyed Peas show during The E.N.D. World Tour. In the August 2010 Keyboard Magazine cover story, Printz Board stated of the instrument (referred to as Motif XS in the article, though the physical unit is confirmed as the XS7 model by the instrument’s own branding and back label): “I start the show on the Motif. I use the ‘Trance Melody’ patch on that because it’s fierce in the crowd.”
In the “World of a Music Director” video, Printz Board describes it as part of his most essential rig section and demonstrates it live, playing show-opening material and noting: “This would be my second most needed section of my world.” He is shown playing both the Motif XS7 and the Roland Juno-G simultaneously with one hand on each at the 1m 20s mark, demonstrating the live performance approach.
Specifications
· Manufacturer: Yamaha Corporation
· Model: Motif XS7
· Type: Music production synthesizer
· Keys: 76
· Serial: Original serial number has been physically removed; a touring production identification label reading “KM07” is affixed in the serial number field, consistent with the band’s touring inventory labeling practice seen across multiple instruments in this collection
· Made in Japan
· Keys: 76 (full size, synth action)
· Polyphony: 128 voices
· Year: 2007
Condition
Very Good. Some normal wear consistent with touring use. Tape residue present in some small spaces on the unit. Per Techno Empire at time of original sale, all controls are intact and in great shape; all keys and controls are in perfect working order and the display is bright and fully functional.
Included Items
Power cable; 5 instrument cables; 1 USB cable.
Provenance
Acquired from Techno Empire (North Hollywood, CA) as part of the official Black Eyed Peas Collection launched on Reverb on July 23, 2020. Documented in Keyboard Magazine August 2010 cover story on Printz Board and the E.N.D. World Tour production.
Note: The Keyboard Magazine article refers to the instrument as “Motif XS” or “Motif XS6”; the physical instrument is confirmed as the Motif XS7 by its front panel branding and back label.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit’s principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item’s documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
THIRD PARTY SHIPPING ONLY. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com
» Item: 49 x 17 x 7″ · 37.70 lbs.
