The Yamaha MONTAGE/MODX is now a WORKSTATION! OS 3.0 

Jade = Queen👸🏻

Right on Patrick. I was salivating at the thought of a proper Yamaha “workstation” so I could retire my three Korg Oasys’s(one at each of my studios). I thought a modern update from Yamaha like the Montage would be a nice change. I love composing on the Oasys because I feel connected to it and there are no distractions like having to use a mouse etc. I can flip a switch and compose straight away. My very first synth was a DX series Yamaha, and I purchased one of their sequencers to compose with. It was amazing, and because of Yamaha I got into synths. When Korg came out with the O1w/FD, it blew my mind that everything could be elegantly situated in one place with a 16 track sequencer and effects etc. I purchased one and plied with that until almost two decades later the came out with the Oasys which could record audio, the whole thing. DAWs are amazing and I get it, but the trend of folks who want a self contained and well thought out recording platform will continue. Similarly people are going back to vinyl records because the digital experience and loss of the wonderful haptics merely of holding an album in their hands. This happens at many levels, and is no different with synths. I have many hardware synths including two Yamaha CS-80’s, one of which is the first one ever built. Yamaha is capable of doing amazing things, even having brilliantly started the whole darn digital music phenomena. I have a deep loyalty to Yamaha for ushering in the digital music era and for giving everyone around the planet the ability to record and compose etc. It’s time for Yamaha to step it up however. Give me an inspired next generation workstation and I’ll come back to them.

I broke down twice in recent years and now own both a Montage and MODX. What I like is being able to create sounds on the Montage and then port them to the MODX for playing out (it's SO MUCH lighter!).

Thanks for all the info... I have a Montage 7 and about to update it... ☺️

Beat Master! Nice work Jade! I never thought the Montage needed a sequencer but its cool that Yamaha is trying to give people what they want.

Headed in the right direction. They really need a song mode in addition to pattern and I'm sold.

At last, At last, Yamaha adds a sequencer and returns to it's roots, that made it great. It took years and years of everyone complaining, and Yamaha telling it's loyal listeners, they did not think we needed a sequencer for all in one production without a computer. Like they gave us for years since the W7, ex5, and motif series. They wanted us all to buy their cubase software for macs/pc's, and iPad. They missed thousands in sales, because people did not upgrade from the motif, instead they bought a Roland fathom, or Korg Kronos, or kept the motif. Those low sales and tons of complaints for years finally got Yamaha to realize that it's customers know what they need better than Yamaha's marketing department. Thanks Yamaha and about time.

Enjoyed the brief tutorial and the tune. MONTAGE and MODX are the best synths on planet earth, and now even greater as workstations . I am looking forward to turning my MODX into a workstation. These updates go beyond an update. Its like adding a new synth to my new synth.

Happy to finally see someone actually appreciating synthesizer keyboards I freaking love ❤️ you for this unlike these other uncreative , Lazy cheap plastic Fisher - Price toy midi keyboard playing beat makers on RU-vid can’t stand them I just got the Nord 2 wave 🌊 if a keyboard doesn’t have a metal body & feels like a toy I can’t touch it

The song is absolutely beautiful! Better save up for the Montage.I'm sold!

BEAUTIFUL

The Montage has full aftertouch, the MoDX can receive aftertouch from another keyboard, but cannot output it from it's own keys. that alone is worth a few hundred $$. And of course I believe more 1.76GB vs 1 GB memory for sample waveforms, and has double the polyphony for FM sounds 128 vs 64. And is built much more solid, which can be good or bad. And of course you have more buttons for categories and one button access/editing, etc. and I believe better keys. Great preview, thanks!

Wow! Love it - very nice to see someone work through the whole process. Awesome song from a past life haha

Great video. I have the Montage 8 with OS 3.0 update. Amazing sequencer. I only wish we could add voice through microphone through the a/d input into a sequence project. Hope Yamaha adds this functionality. It’s the only function that’s missing to push the workstation to basic DAW functionality.

Best montage video in the internet. Very nice and entertaining and informative and experiential. Thank you.

Cool video! Thanks for posting this.

I just updated my Montage8 this morning. My husband asked if I could record loops and I wasn't sure. So glad I found this video. I usually write in a DAW, but this has inspired me! Thanks!

Hello and thank you for the short tutorial. Makes the Montage as a complete workstation. Can't wait to download the new o.s. Cheers from switzerland. Roger

I want one in sunburst orange!

loved the sounds you used and your arrangement etc Im not into Asian music or sounds but after hearing this im going to have fun in this style. it was a very happy sweet sound and thanks for the tutorial I cant wait till my MODX turns up.. cheers and thanks again

This is great! Love the white color too. Have the modx6 so have to wait a little while lol. Dawless rules!

Its cool... You can see they took ideas from the sequencer of the xp80... but the ability to play and record... Dude... what was Bad Mister thinking by ok'ing this "sequencer".... I have had everyone yamaha since the ES... lol... still have my xp 80 which a great deal of ethnic sounds on the motif came from the world expansion card 😎

The beat is dope Jade so don't let it stay on the hard drive. I love listening to other cultures music.

When they add virtual Analog and a VST style interface for control through your DAW, Yamaha will have finally realised the potential of the Montage.

Thank you.... I am old now... I used to figure things out so quick... but I am a forgotten style of producer... these days they do not even need my ear, they use computers to give them the proper notes (and it shows 😉😂). Fun beat. thanks for teaching...

About to upload on my montage 7 now. Now i can run my backing tracks without my laptop

SO pleased they listened and added a workstation. A device that was sort of a workstation but not really is now actually a sequencer. All it needs now is a MIDI editor. Interesting hearing you talking about why you bought the Montage over the MODX. Before that I was sort of baffled why on earth anyone would; to my mind, they sort of killed the Montage with the MODX. More than twice the price and... I get a metal chasis? And some slightly higher AWM (or is it FM?) polyphony? And those hardware buttons? That seems very little for such a difference in price. Anyway, they're both amazing devices, so whatever works for the individual! PS you say the Montage has a nicer type of keybed. This is subjective; the Montage has a balanced (every key the same weight) rather than weighted keybed on the MODX. Anyone coming from a piano background, would definitey prefer the latter.

Another difference between the MODX & Montage is that the maximum audio quality from the outputs. The MODX outputs CD qualty sound (16 bit, 44.1 kHz), while the Montage is able to output at 24 bit 192 kHz. The difference is definitely audible, especially when recording in a studio environment, however the difference will be less obvious if you're playing live in a band. So, in addition to the weight issue, the MODX may be all you need if you're mainly jamming & gigging. 🙂

I always thought of my Montage as a synthesizer, now it's a workstation too! I've played with the new LFO and mini filter since the update but I'll have to play with the sequencer some today and see what I think of it.

That’s great! Thank you. Very helpful 😊

Hair on fleek!

Brilliant update and a great tutorial and song Jade, top job 😎

Very nice and God gifted talent 👏🙌👌✨,I owe a yamaha modx 7 just 7 days tough to find out learning , but my oyamaha psr sx 900 so easy amd fantastic 😀 thank you

so montage now has sequencer? hmnnn yummy

Love the song! Sounds absolutely beautiful!

Amazing tutorial. Thank you so much.

Damn I seen a few Montage 6s under 1800 bucks on Reverb. Prices bout to go back up before I had a chance to grab 1 lol

When finished creating a song your export the sounds in wave files and put them into a daw

You would kill on MOXF....with the real sequencer. Yamaha pulled a serious Akai move dumping the Motif workflow. You rule as always :)

I'm loving this. Oh yeah, do you still use your Analog RyTm mk2 ? anyway, thanx !

This keyboard is beautiful.

Just bought the MODX6 last week from Sam Ash in Orlando last week (shout-out to Preston), getting so much value out of this synth already it's fucking insane

I'll be ordering a white Montage 7 later this week and am very excited! :) It is going to look right at home next to my white Baloran The River, and white Modal Electronics 002 synths. I am truly blessed!

110,000 Note sequencer. Is that enough if you frequently use CC sweeps and Aftertouch? Those eat lots of sequencer space. Can you assign metronome to assignable output?

Jade, you heard of syntaur? Oct 26 sat is synthomania 2019. I don't know if ur in Texas but roll threw!

Video is great but at 5:50hs tutorials seems to end and a lot of things happens at the same time. I don't if it was the intention or already covered in another video. Also, I really didn't get the difference between keyboard control on or off at all at 4:40. Anyway I think video has plenty of good information. Thanks

Montages is nothing but a suped up sy77 and sy99 which was a great board years ago. Awm and FM synthesis convolutions convergence with a super nob to morph between fm operators and samples with modeled fx. Sy series did the same thing with the three wheels one for pitch and two other mid wheel a totaled of three wheels. And a 20.000 note 16 track sequencer with sampling capabilities. So yamaha went back to the drawing board with montage. They should of call it the new sy77 sy 99. That's it. Im not impress with montage at all seen this technology back in the 80s and 90s. I been a yamaha guy for many years i have yamaha keyboards and synths. But montage its not doing it for me. Now the new Roland fantom i have to say roland you done your home work to bring a brand new work flow with the fantom. A totally new design synth engine. Yamaha knew to even come close to compete they had to put a sequencer in montage and modx, showing me that yamaha missed it and realize they have a real threat and thats the fantom.

Cool awesome video...but in the Modx the current OS is 2.5..with a pattern sequencer included...the title on this post is a bit misleading.

I really like the looks of the white montage.

Nice haircut ;D and massiff tune threre Jadestayla!

Thanks ma for ups on this workstation I’m not a Yamaha fan, but this video may change that...BTW keep up the fantastic work.

JAde Wii they need to come out with another update to allow you to navigate the montage or mocx without stopping your sequencer you may want to go through effects while the music is playing. I know the 1.xv would not let you do that, I don't not know about 3.0v

I am hoping update 4.0 adds real sampling with the 1.76GB of wave memory already built in. aThat was another complaint, as taking away the sequencer and on board sampling, were the two biggest complaints of the montage at launch, and Yamaha said just use a computer. We musicians want in all in one synth like with the motif series, that we had, and the competition has.

That sounds soooo dope!!

Beautiful (music at 6:00) !!!

Idk. It’s hard to part with my Yamaha DX7/DX7S/TX816 Roland MKS-20 Korg 01RW Kawai MP11se

I like your composition. :)

I actually love my Montage and strongly prefer it to my Kronos. But as a "workstation", the Kronos is still in the lead. For example, you can sample into the Kronos, whereas the Montage only accepts pre-recorded samples. And the sequencer on the Kronos allows you to edit tracks. On the Montage, if you miss a note, your only choice is to overdub and try again. Now the Montage sounds better and has a better keybed, so I don't care about this. But, if you do, then a Fantom or Kronos is still a better choice.

Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this! A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Purchased a MODX and now wish I had purchased a Montage, so I purchased a new Roland 6, love the sounds and screen but hate the midi implementation of the Fantom. I may be returning the Fantom, selling the Modx and buying a Montage. All I want to do is play music I hate all this technology.

So basically, the scenes became part A-M like the XS?

I want to learn how to erase something if I mess up. Can you do a tutorial on how to find create name and edit your creations??🙄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Yeah, it is a kind of workstation in a 1980s sense.

Thank you for your video. Love the white -;) Q: In the mix section of the sequencer the settings: rev send, var send and dry send are provided. Have you any idea what each of these are and are used for? Thanks

Awesome

Okay, now I have a question. I recorded in Scene 1 what will be my verse. Now I want to record the chorus on Scene 1. But when I go to record, while in Scene 2, Scene 1's recording is still there and I'm overdubbing it. How do I record a NEW track for Scene 2? I'm missing something in the steps. I've seen other videos, but they are all before the 3.0 update, so they aren't helpful. Thanks!

Can you sequence external hardware? I imagine you would be able to but even if you couldn't it's still dope

I just found you! I never hit the sub-button harder or faster before 😁👍

nice!

I agree! Samplers” Must” be fed! Lol I love your logic here ! Peace Christo 👽🎶🐕🛸☮️💀😉🙏

Jade: you have a wonderful speaking voice, and I just Love the little ditty that you threw together for this demonstration! As a Motif owner and user, I have to ask: with this new OS: the different scenes would be similar to the different patterns on the Motif? and on my Motif, I can enter "chain edit" where I instruct it to play a certain order of patterns, thus making a song. Can this similarly be done with the new Montage sequencer? Also, on the Motif, I have a wide variety of timings, AND, most importantly, I can add a timing or tempo chain in between sections when constructing a song.....thank you for your answer!

It’s way too much menu diving to sequence a song with their new update. The “workstation” portion is an afterthought. They fell short on the Montage and the MODX with the lack of a standard Motif sequencer..

Yeah , the pentatonic scale always works :)

Nice work, Bravo.

So Yamaha finally caved in and gave the users what they been screaming for since the release. Only took them what .. 4 years ? To learn to listen to your custommers.. Just sad they didn’t do this earlier. This should have been in at the release. Just imagine how many Motif users they lost to other brands by not offering a full fledged sequencer/daw mode in their flagship synth.

Hey good to see you again

The white Montage is hot but you're even hotter JAde!!!

Hi, firstly thanks a lot for this helpful demo. In fact, i need your help. I have a MODX8. When recording some sounds, in the sequencer, using my sustain pedal, and once recorded to hear the performance, thus i can't hear the sustain effect in my sounds. Can you help please? Thanks.

Hii would you compare the montage sequencer as similar to the xs version? Thanks!

Yes. It´s sound beautiful...Very beautiful. And fun. But what an amazing new ton of buttons, new software and new workflows to learn. I stay with Ableton, some digital synths and the midi keyboard.... It´s cheaper and I am already overloaded of things to learn. Maybe in the future.

Hey thanks for the video nicely explain I like it

No. They didn't turn MONTAGE into a workstation. For a workstation it would have to have the possibility to assign any MIDI channel to every part. But they refused to add this feature in the update. So no the MONTAGE is still not a workstation.

Thanks for the demo! I have the Montage 6, but now, where can I get that CS-80 T-shirt??

Nice fresh song.

Hi Jade, do you have anymore trading vids on the Montage?

Beautiful oriental music!

Why the sequencer doesn't export in wave format? Why? Why? Why? Finger crossed for the next update...

Great job! BTW can you edit the sequence after recording? Is there a event list?

the early 90ies called - they want their sounds back

Nice video Jade!can you tell me please,how i can set the different volume of same sound on different scenes?i cant do that.when i make some scenes,and i keep the sound from scene 1 to scene 2,but i need that sound a little bit lower or louder on scene 2,my MODX8 always automatically set the same volume as i was set on scene 1.can you help me please?thank you

.why yamaha montage 8 does not have string resonance an damper resonance ,that very important for piano playing.......? i hope will be able in the next update ...... thank you

Hi Jade, thanks for uploading this, it's appreciated. Here's a question for you. Is there a way to live record the SEQUENCING OF FADE MOVEMENTS, MUTES AND ARRANGING OF SCENES AND PARTS into SONG mode? (I.e. you hit record, the just play your various pre recorded parts in, as an arrangement, which the song mode will remember, and play back for you ) In other words, can you record a live arrangement of all your parts as a song, WITHOUT having to do it using the manual list in 'stop mode' so to speak?

They finally decided to make a sensible thing...

PS, the song was really coming along nicely, even if the panel on these boards is a little too intimidating for me.

Im from serbia,and im playing balkan music,kronos 2,pa4x ,i,m intresting in montage,,but im not sure,cause im playing korg wery long time....im intersting about portamento,legato at awm2 engine....please tell me something about it...thanks you are beautiful...

Is it only a different colour I'm sure its expensive compared to the Black Montage colour.

Very dawless:)

Can yamaha montage be edited, the sequences exported and made on it?

what is the difference with the montage 6, 7 and 8.

How is the sequencer in comparison to that of the motif xf