I can buy the Montage8 without a problem but I finally bought the MODX8. I'm very happy with my MODX8..... I can carry it very easy everywhere without help with one hand and with the other hand i can open the door of my car to transport it. It's very light in weight.... (MODX8 : 30 lbs. 7 oz. Montage8 : 63 lbs. 15 oz.) Thanks Yamaha for that advantage !!! In the musical aspect the Montage8 and the MODX8 have minimal differenced ....... both sounds excellent. The MODX can do a well done job. Thanks God for the MODX8 !!! And of course, thanks Yamaha.😀👍
While the Montage definitely has better electronic technical specs, someone in another video pointed out that in trying to compare these side by side, the offset velocity needs to be increased on the MODX or it sounds too thin. You have to either raise it up or hit the keys harder (bad on your fingers) on the MODX to get closer to the same full sound of the Montage. Just increasing the volume output of the MODX isn't enough. I found myself wary of opinions/reviews of anything that include the phrase, "for the price." Do you want a superior sound, or a superior sound for the price? For gigs with a band nobody is going to notice any difference in the sound of these two keyboards. For recording or just personal enjoyment of music, you might find you wish you'd shelled out more money for the best sound. I'm not rich, but if I'm going to buy anything, I found it's better to avoid the "budget" items.
Bardzo dobrze piszesz, też tak samo myślę, dlatego nie żałuję dołożyć więcej pieniędzy jeśli czuję i słyszę , że będę potem żałował. Cżęsto jestem za to krytykowany 😁. Pozdrawiam z Polski, a właściwie aktualnie z Niemiec 😉 👋
volume and treble is lower on the modx, both sound identical in person. just the montage has extra for the studio. better keys and 16 trk into daw vs modx 10. both are amazing and game changers.
I just ordered the modx, you know they are about to release a new model next month called the "MODX AN" or something like that, i used the opportunity to buy the MODX at a low price, theres no aftertouch but it is still great for the opportunity, i really couldnt afford it at full price
Definitely worth considering the MODX but just went to Guitar Center to compare the MODX 8 and the MONTAGE 8. The difference between the keybeds is significant. The Montage keys are silky smooth and have a nicely balanced feel. Very high quality feel. The MODX keys were noticeably inferior. The internal processing is of course scaled back in the MODX but the difference in sound to most will be minor I’m sure. Great to have choices. Price difference demands some sacrifices of course.
When I demod the MODX8, it wasn't the quality of the keys that turned me off right away. Pianos are the main instrument for me, and I found that pianos were unplayable on the MODX8. I found the global velocity and adjusted it, which made the mid to lower keys reasonably playable, but then the higher keys were way to hot and no matter how softly I played them, they were hitting too hard. After checking into it later and re-watching this video, I realized that the GHS keybed triggers velocities differently less and less as you go down the keybed from highest to lowest notes. I'm not sure if it does that in sections or more gradually, but it definitely is not great for pianos. Not if you are trying to play pieces or songs that require medium to high velocities in the mid to lower ranges. For instance, you can't play most of Journey's piano based songs on the MODX8 using defaults without cranking the global velocity curve, but that causes the higher notes to trigger velocities too high. Or the other option would be to do some major reprogramming of pianos in each Performance... When I first saw this video, I thought that he had the volumes set lower on the MODX8 &/or that he was playing it lighter on the MODX8 than he was on the Montage 8. But looking at it now, after having played the MODX8 and having bought the Montage 8, I now see that he is playing them the same on both, and the MODX8 just doesn't trigger the velocities properly and evenly across the keybed. You can tell they are the same volume when he compares hitting the higher notes on both, whereby they are very close to the same volume and velocity, but then as he goes down they keybed it becomes less loud and a lower velocity on the mid to lower notes.
Volume on the Montage sounds like it's louder, obviously. Also if you don't have the super knob in the same position for each, the patches will sound different. Try again and make the volumes equal. Also the touch curve should be set to match on both boards. It looks and sounds like the Montage is set to a lighter touch than the MODX requiring less force to achieve the same dynamics.
Yeah, I just made a comment similar here. It seems that there might not be some equality in this comparison. It definitely seems like the Montage is louder. I wonder if that has to do with the balanced outputs vs the the non-balanced ones on the MODX
That's probably because the sound is actually "thinner" than the Montage. At least that's what heapens with MOTIF vs MOX. The sounds engine are the same but alive they react differently.
Montage sounds fuller. Maybe can hear the difference only side by side comparison or cd recordings. It’s like comparing a 1080p to a 4K. Side by side you would want the 4K but when you take a 1080p home you’re more than satisfied.
Sir Taki fuller or warmer doesn’t mean the same thing as volume. Louder isn’t a quality. Better components results in better quality. I owned a motif xf8 and a moxf6 they are similar but there is a difference.
H88sixty One louder is a quality. The human ear is set up in such a way that if you play the same two sounds back to back and turn one of them up a dB the slightly louder one will always be perceived to sound better. It's why you have to be very careful when making back to back audio comparisons.
Look they both have the same engine!! How ever the after touch could play a role with the sound you could barely hear a difference but there kind of is but same engine if you know what I mean...
Even assuming the sound engines of these two are the same, they obviously sound different due to the huge gap in quality of their D/A converters, i.e. the gap between the high-quality one dedicated for 100-240V power supply and the one downgraded for 12V adapter. This has been also happening between motif XF6 and moXF6.
Guys, the montage is just a tiny bit louder (muzykuikropkacom has not set the gains identical) maybe 1/2db louder, they are both identical sounding otherwise, everyone saying the montage sounds better, they are exactly both the same engines and same D/A convertors etc afaik, he's just set the gain slightly louder by a db or so during the recording, believe it or not even if you use different cables it can have a slight effect also, using EXACT same cables, same gain on whatever mixer he's putting it through etc can make a small difference. It's just the signal chain.
I did volume riding from mixer while listening this, I get an impression that Montage sounds a bit more dynamic. But I think It should, considering the price difference.
Great video. I would like to know if both montage and modx were recorded using the analog outs and with the same soundcard. At minute 1.30 the difference is very audible (shrill sound in the upper register on modx) - sounds like converter aliasing. Throughout the rest of the video the montage is more 3D and balanced.
El montage suena mejor , pero Modx gana en precio, me imagino tambien que el tipo de tecla y componentes hacen que Montage dure mas años , sobre el Modx
One year after purchasing MODX7 : Modx sounds great and offers a lot of features. But the keybed is poor quality. Polyphony is much too small !!!! However it's still a very good option as second keyboard if you already have a good keyboard with lots of polyphony such as Nord Stage or Kurzweil Forte...
Lo único que los hace diferentes en sonido es el conversor análogo/digital en las salidas de audio, en montage tiene mejor calidad y modx menor calidad, nada más, los sonidos son los mismos, ambos excelentes
NOTE by NOTE, the seems sound the same. When You play a music all together, MONTAGE sounds GREAT, full of harmonics and more great range of frequency. Sometimes it seems MODX has a little lower volume but i suppose is not volume , it is POWER: Otherwise there would be NO REASON to spend 4 times more if they sound exacltly the same!!! great test as always
Not sure how critically this was level matched, but based on this video it sounds like the Montage has more weight and body which is especially evident in the lower register. Both sound great though and would be hard to tell the difference if this comparison werent so methodical. Again, it does sound like there could be a volume mismatch and it's not obvious to me if that is the cause of what I'm hearing.
I can match these sounds or better on my iPad. It’s hard to justify the price tag on these keyboards these days. Not to mention there are controllers with a nicer key bed.
is the sound quality of the montage or modx better than the ES line? I have had my ES 8 since around 2006 but I am thinking of upgrading for professional demo/recording purposes and I am wondering if it is worth my time 7 money to get one of these or continue to use my Motif ES8 ... thanks!
I don’t care what anyone says the montage is far superior. I bought a modx8 and I regret it. Lucky I only bought it a couple of days ago I am taking it back. I can’t live with myself knowing I settled for less. This might not make any sense to some ppl but in my mind if you’re prepared to spend 2500 on a keyboard why not spend 5000? Yes it’s double the price but spending 2500 means you’re as serious about the instrument as spending 5000. It’s not like it’s a 250 keyboard
No they defenitely don’t sound the same. Montage sounds richer. Probably because the MODX doesn’t have “PAC” - pure analog circuit output stage, which is an essentail element in the rich sound of the Montage.
I think that is right. They both have the same waveform library but I think the difference is in the quality of the converters and the output circuitry. This is a very reasonable way to bring the price down. Most people will not notice the difference, especially in a live playing environment with all the ambient noise. In the studio the difference will show. Also, if I am not mistaken, the Montage 8 has the Balanced Hammer action while the MODX8 has the Graded Hammer Standard action which may result in some slight differences in the action's response to the player's input, no matter how much he is trying to play each example the same way. I have a Montage 7 and it has the the highest quality synth action I have ever played. (The FS action on my DX5 is wonderful, too, but the FSX action on the Montage 7 just feels so silky smooth; ha. maybe because it's not 30+ years old.....) If I did not already have a Montage, I would very seriously consider a MODX, because you are getting about 90% of a Montage for 50% of the price.
The piano sounds of the yamaha are always the same, there is no innovation, if you listen in P.A. the PSR has the same sound as the S90, MOTIF, MOD etc. etc etc
This is not true. The PSR and tyros have the same piano sound as the old Yamaha P series (p120 as an example). Genos, Montage, CLP, CVP, P and CP series have newer piano sounds. Some of them have virtual acoustic modeling built in. The difference in sound is quite noticeable.
I've an mox8 and it has a horrible interface. If you want to get stuff out of it you need menu-diving and no guarantee if it will work. So im totaly not convinced if an modx-8 or montage would be a good replacement. The keybed of my mox8 doesn't feel solid after some years of use. Beside that...that superknob would maybe drive me a bit crazy.
Totally agree mate. Moving the Mod & PB wheels up isn't ideal but saves space. Less sliders and access to features quickly can be immense for some of us.
they sound 100% the same - they just have slightly different velocity-curves (depends on the used keybed/keyboard) which can make huge differences even to parts and their fx in "one" performance. I got the same differences when I play the MODX8 1. with its own keys and 2. with the Alesis Q61 as Midi-Keyboard.
Great Job .... We have both in our studios. Regarding recording the Montage is much fuller and dynamics are wider. (Spectral analysis backs that up) The 192 sample rate clearly makes a difference on the Montage We can’t live without after touch and the keybed is considerably better on the Montage. If someone is comparing these instruments you Must be in the same room with them. It really is obvious when playing them that the Montage sounds better. That is not to say that the MODX isn’t head and shoulders above anything else in its price category. It really sounds fantastic. The lighter weight and considerably lower price tag make the MODX a must have instrument.
Late to the party, but no matter. Thanks for the video, I've been considering the MODX for a while. Listening to the audio without actually seeing what keyboard is being played, they mostly sounded identical, certainly the quality of the tone, with possibly one slightly louder than the other - which could be explained by response curve and a number of factors. If it was a little bass light, and I couldn't really detect that, then a bit of EQ would sort that out. Clearly, in terms of polyphony and facilities, the Montage wins, but sonically the difference - on my studio speakers - is negligible.
Modx is around 80% the same as the Montage so they are going to sound the same. Depending on how nerdy your want to get there are some articles on the differences at the circuit board level but there isn't much different.
Question - My MODX-8 has a disadvantage: When playing the piano I can`t play as careful as on my former (more expensive) instruments. You have to give a certain weight to the keys for the touch to be registered. So me and my daughter have experienced that not all the notes we are playing is heard. Thats quite annoying, the dynamic is severely reduced. Its there anything I can do (e.g. with the touch curve) to eliminate this problem? And does the Montage have the same issue? My previous Motif didn't`t....
It sounds as if the montage is richer and louder but I can tell there's a slight difference in volume, the MODX is not as loud. If you put the MODX volume up a bit more it will sound the same as the montage. On that note, can you layer and split simultaneously on the MODX?
Si se escucha más robusto el montage, pero no hay mucha diferencia en si. Creo que el Modx es basicamente el montage sin todas las specs de workstation
@Uriel Polis Luego de otro análisis en otro video y con muy buenos auriculares, los 2 usan los mismos instrumentos, sólo que los del Montage están incorporados con mejor Frecuencia de muestreo, por eso se lo nota un tanto más robusto y acústico, y el MODX un tanto más sintético, pero ésto hilando muy fino y siendo bastante estrictos, en realidad el MODX es un excelente teclado, y ambos son unas terribles bestias, y te lo dice un Korg guy.
The real differences are: Montage - more slides, knobs & buttons; greater polyphony; metal casing (= a LOT heavier than MODX); higher quality keybed. MODX - half the slider and knobs (4 on MODX vs 8 on Montage), about 1/3 the various buttons; plastic casing (cheaper but lighter); good keybed, but not as pro level as Montage. As you said, not exactly worth the $2000 extra for most people, but professional touring musicians would choose the Montage over the MODX.
Yea that $4000 price tag isn't chump change. I cant wait to demo the MODX 8 now that is so affordable to the people who just dont want to part with that much cash
On this video the montage samples are more complete full clear dynamic. I wonder if the keyboards are hooked up to the same speaker inputs. Because this difference would be noticeable in an amplified performance setting. I play the montage in performance but was looking to get the modx for a home studio keyboard. Might just stick with the montage
The average drunk wont be able to tell the difference at the gig but, playability is what matters to players and the flimsy feeling plastic on the MODX vs the superior keybed and chassis on the Montage is apparent. Nobody ever does a video on that.
I own a MODX8 and tried both of these side by side in a shop before I bought it. Montage sounds very slightly fatter, not enough to justify the price difference on sound alone.
On the other hand you can attach 4 pedals to the modx, you can assign aftertouch to one of them... Could not find it yet in the available manual but i am confident it should be possible.
Even though it's pricerange, it's 2018. No aftertouch on a workstation is really, really weird. Sure, you can solve it by (expression, not sustain) pedals if it contains a port for it, but you have to use your feet, and you do not have the freedom to single out notes, because pedals works on ALL input, not individual input. How you turn it, a pedal is not close enough to real aftertouch...
If they are EQ'ed the same, on the first 3 notes you played i can clearly notice that the montage sample is more trebled, however, it feels that they are not tuned the same, so this comparison is not realistic...+
They should sound almost exactly the same. MODX FM-X has half polyphony of Montage, much lighter weight, plastic bodyshell vs metal, no aftertouch, fewer connectors, external power supply, fewer physical controls, fewer USB audio channels, cheaper keybeds (although the GHS has always felt really good even compared to GH, BH, and NW-GH in my opinion). I think they are a great bargain, and if I didn’t already have a Montage 8 it would be a tough choice, especially if I was opting for the 61 key model. That being said, yes the Montage is worth the extra money.
I have the Montage8, my own opinion is: You get what you pay for! Earlier when I played the Motif XS8 and Yamaha released the MoxF8 people where saying, hey why dont you buy that one instead......??? Because of alot of reasons, exatly the way you put in in your comment! Plastic feel. really bad weighted keys, very few sounds to chose from etc etc...... but if you dont have enough Money I Think the MODX could be a good start! As you say ,the Montage 8 is defenitely worth the extra money! IMOO :-)
I have a Montage 8 as well. As a studio keyboard, the Montage is probably worth the extra money. But as a stage gigging keyboard that has to be moved around, I'd definitely choose the MODX. It's much lighter and more portable, and the minor compromises aren't important for a live performance. In fact, that's why I still have a MOXF 8 and use that live instead of trying to move the Montage.
geoffk777 I hear ya. Mine is upstairs so I definitely am never in the mood to consider moving it around. I have a Moog Subsequent 37 and downstairs a CP4 Stage both of which are much easier to move around.
If you think about it The Montage 8 it’s easier to clean, Repaint and (etc). But a Yamaha MODX ain’t I played with one dude and his MODX was all scratched up and stuff. It’s cleaner better looking...
Well, you can always buy a bag to move the MODX in, and it won't get scratched up. But the Montage is such a beast to move that you'll need a huge flightcase and it will need a van to transport. And while the Montage seems well-made, I wouldn't throw it around. The bottom is fragile looking particleboard, and the system flexes if it's lifted unevenly.
Hear here the most 'little different',as i am a hobbyist,i don't care that 'little 'and i would buy the modx.For only using at home tha's enough for me and i'm glad that yamaha put the modx here for people like me.
Montage 8 is the clear winner by a mile. The sound differences are even more acute when listening thru studio monitors. Although the sound libraries and AWM2 and FM-X engines are identical for each model, they are processed thru completely different audio interfaces. The MODX is limited to 44.1khz sampling. The Montage can process those same samples up to 96khz. Additionally, the Montage also has 16 stereo channel outputs compared to just 5 stereo for the MODX. There are major qualitative differences in their internal architecture as well, specifically the MODX uses a diminished tone generator resulting in the instrument voicings not sounding as full and robust. The final deal breaker for me is the MODX 8 key bed. It's Yamaha's entry level GHS - graded hammer standard. It's their cheapest key bed and becomes loose and noisy after a short time. Don't take my word for it, just research the Yamaha musician forums and follow the threads for Yamaha key beds. The GHS has a notorious reputation for poor quality. I had an MX88 with GHS action and sold it after just 6 mos. for the same reason. The Montage 8 employs Balanced Hammer action keys which is modeled after the CFX - their best acoustic grand. Overall, it's built like a tank using metal housing and will stand the test of time. The MODX is mostly plastic and won't hold up to the rigors of daily use, especially if you're a road warrior. Save your money and buy a Montage if you can. I did. The sound and build quality are infinitely superior in every way.
I have owned a MODX8 for 2.5 years. I use it in a production studio. The keybed is noisy. The sample rste is lower(44khz as opposed to 192khz on the montage). If you are a traveling pianist the MODX8 might be fine but in a production studio, I think the montage is better. Just about needs.
@@memphissmith8936How much is the keybad of modx8 getting noisy? Do I need to replace it? Is it hard to play because it's loose? I know gh3 keys are better than ghs, but is there a big difference in durability? I'm planning to use it for more than 10 years
Montage is my choice. Nevertheless the comparison between the two engines is very joyful to watch in this video. Even though it shows some of these great instruments capabilities.
I bought the MODX8, because the piano type keyboard was very light, and more affordable. I have an old Yamaha P-150, which is the same as the famous Yamaha P-200 stage piano, the only difference between the two is the speaker grills are different in design, but same features and sounds the same. I love my P-150 (Same as the P-200), but I hate hauling it as it is very heavy. The only thing I do not like about the Montage is that it is very expensive and the there are not enough sliders for the 9 harmonic drawbars. So I plan on using my Roland VR-09 Combo organ for drawbars and the my new Yamaha MODX8 for digital piano and more. I was very impressed on how light weight the Yamaha MODX8 is for an 88 weighted keyboard as I am going to retire my old Yamaha P-150 (Same as the P-200) or maybe sell it.
if you look at the monitors in the back you can se the gains on both keys.. Left is the Montage and Right is the MODX8+ ... clearly you can tell he has the volume higher on the Montage...
Wondering... can you bring different instruments in and out EASLY throughout the song. Example...say two intro instruments fade out to bring in two new instruments for the first verse and so on throughout the entire song. Smooth Transitioning. Thank in advance, John
Yamaha calls this “Seamless Sound Switching” and the MODX keyboards can do this with sounds that have up to 4 parts making the performance setting. BTW, The manual is now available for download!
The outputs are made different. Better output parts. Thats yamahas trick when making boards that sound similar to each other. Cheaper parts however same synthesis. They have always done the with their keyboards. Even when making the keyboard lighter, the power supply on the lighter keyboafd will more likely be a wallwart power supply rather than a three prong plug youd use with a desktop computer. The heavier keybords power supply would be built into the keyboard and woild have a three prong cord. What im saying is the montage has better outputs and cheaper parts and cheap outputs is being used on the modx
how well does the montage work in Cubase Pro 10.5 or whatever? You can add VST tracks for the different sound patches on the montages, and when i reload the project, it knows how to grab all the sounds i used from the montage (as long as the montage is plugged in still and available)? I know i can bounce the audio but i dont like doing that in beginning steps of a project. Thank you for anyone that can answer this
The comparison is not helpful. Those two are same soundwise because they use the same digital core and technology as well the sample bank. so I would rather be interested to see how MODX is different except fewer buttons.
There should be no comparison video Yamaha from the start should had made a flagship keyboard that was totally different from the MODX. Quit being lazy YAMAHA PERIOD!!!. They made them so much alike just to save money. Maybe YAMAHA Should stick to making dirt bikes
@@holygeneration7 great because I’m in that situation to choose between the montage and MODX. Guess I know which one now. Hows thé keybed on the montage ? Is it heavier than on the MODX?
@@holygeneration7 Interesting I have used my MODX6 for roughly for 3 years and I play almost every single day for hours on end, and my keybed has held up fine. I use the keyboard for recording during the week and I play with several bands on the weekends. My keyboard has held up great on all fronts.
@@holygeneration7 The MODX isn't cheap. At well over $1,000 that's not cheap. The MODX does the same exact thing as the Montage just in a less expensive package. I have played the Montage and I still prefer the MODX.
I really want to like the modx who wouldn’t? Cheaper and sounds nearly identical even identical in some cases. But the spongy key bed and that slight dynamic loss has me focusing on what I am not getting. I doubt it really makes a difference I guess I am magnifying the negative On the flip the size and 10lbs weight are big and can’t be ignored perfect if you have a controller or need a desk top board for your DAW
They only got compatibility differences, they both can still do the job. when being use by the right guy. The Pre Amp is better on the Montage, the signal is a little less strong on the MoDX
I've had a MO6 and an MOX6, and while it's nice to have a very lightweight and great sounding keyboard, somehow I always had the feeling that the flagship (MOTIF) keyboards of my bandmates sounded better (cleaner and more defined). One thing that never liked that much is the keybed, so much different than the Tyros2 that I had back then (FSX). So now I'm debating myself between getting a MODX6 or the Montage6 for gigs (I do a lot more of gigs and little studio work). Also my MOX6 didn't stood the test of time as the plastic construction has seen some damage to it. It really served me well, way beyond pay off, and even it would still work after a complete service, I have the feeling and want to take the next step so I don't really know what should I do.
