You can record 128 Songs, using MIDI to play in each Part. The A/D input can function as an envelope generator or capture samples. Additionally, there is plenty I haven't explored – such as the built-in interface with decent latency and good conversion. It is less of synth and more of an instrument – like the Minimoog but with an almost modular programming control before performing. All mechanics feel and function smoothly. Physically, the board feels solid, from key bed to buttons. A bigger touchscreen would be nice for me (I have large fingers), but I found myself getting more pointed with the touching – and like much about the Montage, the more I worked with the touchscreen, the more the entire ecosystem made sense. But it is all logically organized, and you get to choose the most ergonomic method of control for your workflow. Of course, many of the things you can do with the buttons or knobs you'll find here as well (like a DAW, there are different ways to accomplish the same task). You can also burrow down to the Sample level for each Part, or Element for the FM. The screen is crisp, as is the touch sensitivity, making it easy to choose Parts for Performances – or which Oscillator for the Part, or set internal routing (format a thumb drive to load the latest OS update to, etc.). The large Data Wheel is also here, along with curser and various other function buttons.Ī 7-inch touchscreen display in the middle of the board is where much of the pre-programming and housekeeping functionality takes place. The right side of the board contains a host of buttons, which are used for Part mutes and switches for the Arps and Motion Sequencer (preprogramed sequences that offer yet another layer of control for parameters). Up to 16 of these Parts make a Performance, and you can switch through variation Scenes to further change things up. Each Part can be an entire "voice" (or patch) – like an organ, bass, bassoon, entire drum kit, or General MIDI synth for example. Faders can also control the volume of each of the 16 Parts in a Performance and are switchable in two banks. And they can be used to control just about any parameter – like the volume of the 8 Elements of the FM synth. These faders look cool and sound even better. Below the knobs are eight faders, which also light up the relative position of their parameters. Additionally, these knobs can follow the positioning of the tempo-pulsing Super Knob, which means you can not only conduct a light show on the "mini-knobs" but sweep through the eight different assigned parameters (and more), all of which can be set for a minimum and maximum control depth. The left top of the synth contains eight endless rotary knobs, which mark the assigned parameter level on the external circular light ring – and follows the change of position, of course. This synth just begs to have knobs twisted, faders pulled, buttons pushed and assigned, etc. Though FM synthesis may be a difficult to get your programming head around, it can be great for making percussive sound (dreams and nightmares from the 1980s are full of DX-7 clavs and plucked sounds), ringing bells like living downstairs at Notre Dame, or long evolving soundscapes that have escaped from a feedback zoo (still one of my favorites).īut the Montage is much more than just another pretty synth with stacked stats: it's made for live performance. ![]() If you don't understand the basics of FM, there are presets to help you get up to speed. The FM synth uses another 128 stereo oscillators, available in 88 different algorithms arranged in up to eight operator configurations. Although you can probably find a 6 GB triangle sample library for your computer, Yamaha has been refining their AMW2 library for a long time, and the acoustic instruments sound fantastic when soloed and are eminently usable in a multitimbral composition. ![]() The Montage has a lot more "there" there, however, that's anchored by a superior AMW2 playback engine, firing 128 stereo polyphonic "voices" while using almost 6 GB of the onboard samples for playback – including drums. It is a descendent of last century's Yamaha SY77 synth, which also employed an AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) engine for sample-based playback with a separate, Frequency Modulation (FM) engine for, well, FM synthesis. ![]() This is a happy thought, since the Montage is a fantastic synth. Now, I can't promise your Montage will still be touring in 40 years, but it's possible. I still use those Yamaha NS-500s and matching amp in my home studio. About 40 years ago I purchased monitors for a home studio before such things were common.
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