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Devnor · Full Member Joined: 30 Jan 2011 Posts: 222

I have programmed many analog pads & leads in my Motif XF that sound as good as any VA out there. Blind listening with custom patches, I don't think anyone could actually tell the difference. A few years ago Scott Tibbs did a comparison between the Jupiter 80 and Jupiter 8. Had you not been able to see which synth he was playing, I think the attitudes about that youtube demo would be completely different.

People hear with their eyes almost as much as with their ears.

When I read criticisms of the Montage because it doesn't have a "proper VA" I just shake my head. Maybe some people have that need to see a picture of a classic analog synthesizer and that helps them appreciate the sound they are hearing. It's more "realer" to that listener. Maybe the VA sounds they want to create aren't possible on the originals. Then its no longer analog, its just a digital synth sound and the argument is invalid.

I stopped judging synths based on presets a long time ago. At some point, musicians will make it their own. What it comes down to is features and workflow. The possibilities of FM-X, motion control, AWM2 layering and VCM EFX within Montage have yet to be truly revealed.

Very soon, numerous players will march into Guitar Center, demo Montage and race home to let the internet how unimpressed & disappointed they are. But there will be others that buy it, make their sounds and ultimately create their own music with Montage. If we're lucky, we might be privileged to hear some of it.

Kevin Nolan · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 7:26 pm Post subject:

Devnor · Full Member Joined: 30 Jan 2011 Posts: 222

From day 1 Yamaha has been saying there is no sequencer. They call it a "performance recorder". So you hit record, press the keys, turn knobs and move sliders. It records everything. Then you upload the midi file to your DAW for editing. When you play the file from your DAW, it makes the sounds and adjusts the parameters just as you recorded them.

There isn't any good reason for being dead in the water because there is no onboard sequencer. Remember Montage is class compliant so you can sequence on your iphone/ipad via garageband by directly connecting to the USB port or any number of other sequencing apps including Cubase. Or use your computer. Or use your existing synth with sequencer by connecting a midi cable.

There's 50 or so folks upset about this. Everyone else is using their Computer, apple device or workstation such as a Kronos.

Hugo · Platinum Member Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 809

ErnstDabest · Senior Member Joined: 18 May 2014 Posts: 266

jimknopf · Platinum Member Joined: 17 Jan 2011 Posts: 3374

Devnor, a static sampled patch can sound like an analog synth or a VA, no problem. But if you really use the controllers of your analog or VA synth, it definitely has another kind of life to it, than sampled synth sounds have so far.

I myself have sampled some of my analog synth sounds into my Kronos for static use: nothing wrong with sampling synths. It's nice, for example, to be able to play a soft Moog sound as polyphonic pad on the Kronos. BUT: that doesn't mean that sampled synth sounds can completely replace the functionality and moving sonic character of analog or VA synths (though I admit that the possibilities of shaping sampled sounds are rising).

From the Montage demos I heard so far, I was stunned by some very smooth and warm souding, very well programmed FM sounds I really like. It would be hard for me to program or even tweak such FM sounds, though.

But all in all, I was completely underwhelmed by the Montage patches trying to deliver sampled synth sounds for genres like electronica, modern pop and classical synth contexts: as far as the demo patches showcased these. Generally I would prefer using well done VAs in such a synth hands down, anytime, for various reasons indicated above.

But I absoulutely agree that the Montage is a fine synth you can do A LOT of great music with, and some of the people who want it at it's price tag, will certainly do just that: make great music with it. No disagreement at all here. Like Derek and Sander, I also will enjoy the fun of testing one in a store (with my own headphones I know well), as soon as they hit the shelves.
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Devnor · Full Member Joined: 30 Jan 2011 Posts: 222

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SanderXpander · Platinum Member Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 7860

Since I like/need VAs and the Montage doesn't have one, I most certainly will continue to play the excellent MS20 and PolySix models in the Kronos.

I'll still check out the Montage though, always cool to play a new board by a major brand.

GregC · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:40 pm Post subject:

burningbusch · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 2:08 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I played the Montage at NAMM too. Nice board but I heard a lot of samples that came from all the previous generations of Motifs. Some new stuff but a lot of old. The Motif owners I know who played it at NAMM came back unsure if it was worth the upgrade. Time will tell.

The fan issue is an old complaint, rectified completely with the Kronos 2 and made a non-issue for all Kronos owners with OS 3.0.

Busch.
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Bachus · Platinum Member Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 3127

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