Montage8 vs Kronos 88 - The Decision

[GregC]

Hey Greg,

This was not an easy decision for me and I sincerely appreciate everyone's input, advise, information in helping me make this decision.



Darryl

Hi Darryl, you couldn't be more thorough with your research

There is 1 more important factor- does the keyboard inspire you ?

And you won't know that until you sit down and spend 20 minutes with either
the Montage or the K2.

For myself, as a song writer, the K has helped inspire my output- over 40 originals on SoundCloud. I will soon upload my 43rd original " Orange Planet".

I am having a blast with my K.

There are a few thousand K or K2 owners that are also inspired, either home studio types or gigging/performing keyboardists. I don't have any doubt about this.

Not saying you should follow the herd. I don't simply follow. for example.

Also consider- if the keyboard does not inspire you, its use will lag, and the enthusiasm will not occur.

Inspiration is an intangible and it drives personal choice.

[vertig0spin]

There is 1 more important factor- does the keyboard inspire you ?

And you won't know that until you sit down and spend 20 minutes with either
the Montage or the K2.

That's an awesome question and it should have been one of my requirements that I listed, but I guess both the Kronos and Montage have already inspired me from just what I've read and the videos I've watched.

I can only speak for the MODX and Montage, as far as being inspired by actually playing them. I had no doubt that playing a Kronos would inspire me and that it would be awesome. However, having first had a chance to try the MODX8 locally, it peaked some interest & inspired me when I tried several of the various sounds, strings, voice strings, etc., but at the same time it was very uninspiring to me and frustrated me a bit trying to play pianos. The GHS keybed is a bad design for triggering piano samples properly. They can still fix it if they introduce 'Velocity Scaling' into their programming features, but I don't think it would be quite as good as the keybeds that are in the Kronos or the Montage.
(Just a note of clarity for anyone considering a MODX6 or 7 ( not the 8 ). The 6 & 7 have regular synth type keybeds, so they are even across the board and do not have the scaling velocity issues that the 8 has. You may need to tweak the Velocity Curve, Offset & especially Depth a bit though, to adjust from the default velocity triggering.)

So, when I did have that opportunity to play the Montage8, I was extremely inspired, closed my eyes and felt/sounded like I was playing an actual Grand piano. I didn't even bother to check other sounds because I had already done that on the MODX and they both have the same default sounds. Time will tell once I get it and start using it, but I feel good about it and I think it will continue to inspire me.

Coming from a world of using a DX7 to trigger VST Instruments on a laptop, either the Kronos or the Montage I think would have inspired me because they both have so much more to offer than what I am currently using. I will of course still use my VST Pianos and other Instrument Plugins when in the studio recording in Protools, as the Synthogy Ivory C7 Grand is my favorite piano I've ever heard & played for my tastes, and the NI Bechstein is a close second, but even they will be much more fun to play since I will be able to trigger them from an awesome quality 88 key weighted keybed that feels more like an actual grand, as opposed to a DX7 61 key synth keybed. But when gigging, I want to leave the VSTs behind and use just the one keyboard...keep it simple! Sometimes it's the little things, and for me, after trying the Montage8, it's hard to be inspired playing the C7 Grand VST from the DX7 now...

[Devnor]

Did you buy it? Congrats?

The best pianos in Montage use multiple parts - up to 4. You can drive 12 more parts with the recorder but the question is do those parts sound good enough? When you play Montage, you aren't browsing parts. A part is very capable on it's own, there are 8 AWM elements or 1 FMX but the beautiful sounds you hear during a demo aren't setup this way. There are combinations of AWM and FMX. You can't really think you can have sixteen huge sounds. This is something you'll soon discover.

Everyone I personally know that gigs a Montage uses a laptop. You're not dragging it around, it simply plugs into Montage. Now an entire universe opens up.

[vertig0spin]

Did you buy it? Congrats?

The best pianos in Montage use multiple parts - up to 4. You can drive 12 more parts with the recorder but the question is do those parts sound good enough? When you play Montage, you aren't browsing parts. A part is very capable on it's own, there are 8 AWM elements or 1 FMX but the beautiful sounds you hear during a demo aren't setup this way. There are combinations of AWM and FMX. You can't really think you can have sixteen huge sounds. This is something you'll soon discover.

No, not yet. But hoping early in the new year.

Yeah, I am very aware of the # of parts used and the polyphony considerations. It was a huge piece of the puzzle that lead me to decide on the Montage over the Kronos.

Everyone I personally know that gigs a Montage uses a laptop. You're not dragging it around, it simply plugs into Montage. Now an entire universe opens up.

I'll use the laptop in the studio for VSTs and recording via ProTools, as well as for editing the Sequencing, creating Sampled Waveforms, etc. But I'm keeping it simple when playing gigs ... just the keyboard only!

[burningbusch]

Yamaha give you for free the Full Cubase VST DAW software...

Small point of clarification, the Montage and MODX come with a license for Cubase AI which is the entry-level version, not standard Cubase.

Busch.

[jimknopf]

My impression from the whole thread is, that the OP and the Montage fit together well.

So everything is fine, isn't it?

[burningbusch]

In comparison, Kronos sales in year 1 and year 2, were very strong , my estimate is a few thousand sold each year.

You've mentioned this 'few' thousand in other posts. Serial numbers indicate it's FAR larger than a few thousand. AFAIK, each model (61, 73, 88) has its own set of consecutive numbers. Stephan Kay states this for both the OASYS and Kronos as each model is a different product internally.

My serial for my second Kronos, a Kronos 2 73 is 203879. Pretty easy to assume the 73 is the least popular model. On the KARMA forum, the last K2-88 posted was 207604. Original Kronos start with 0, the X with 1 and the Kronos 2 with 2.

Busch.

[GregC]

In comparison, Kronos sales in year 1 and year 2, were very strong , my estimate is a few thousand sold each year.

You've mentioned this 'few' thousand in other posts. Serial numbers indicate it's FAR larger than a few thousand. AFAIK, each model (61, 73, 88) has its own set of consecutive numbers. Stephan Kay states this for both the OASYS and Kronos as each model is a different product internally.


Busch.

yes, I estimate on the low side. Thank you for being observant.

Lets see your #'s - unit sales for the K , for each year.

[KK]

No, not yet. But hoping early in the new year.

Yeah, I am very aware of the # of parts used and the polyphony considerations.

Hi there,

I didn't read everything in your topic, but I hope you at least tried (or will try) a Kronos before being convinced you should get a Montage. This to ensure you that you are correct in your choice. Specs come first for many. To me, a great instrument (acoustic or digital) is mostly the physical interaction between the keys and the sounds, and this can only be tested in person.