Yamaha Montage?

[K-Bee]

https://youtu.be/PgQg151cofo

You have to check it out and decide. I would say it is a matter of arrangement and how to implement the instruments.

Can't believe there's a video doing the exact same comparison!! Thanks!

[phreaque]

That moment when you realize you're not the only geek in the world

[K-Bee]

LMFAO!!

[Stupid American Pig]

What is it about workstations that audition so well in the showroom? I bought a Roland Fantom F8 because I thought the ep sounds were incredible and replaced my rhodes. Only after I got it home and sold my rhodes did I realize what a mistake that was...

[ghettosynth]

What is it about workstations that audition so well in the showroom? I bought a Roland Fantom F8 because I thought the ep sounds were incredible and replaced my rhodes. Only after I got it home and sold my rhodes did I realize what a mistake that was...

I'm really not trying to be funny when I say this, I think that it's just bias. Your brain convinces you that it's a better sound. You actually, and honestly, hear a better sound. Once the thrill of the new purchase is over, you're no longer under your own brain's spell, so to speak.

[Stupid American Pig]

I would agree with that, coupled with the fact that the Roland is "louder", more compressed and better sounding in noisy environments. Psychoacoustics take a while to discern.

[JCJR]

It may be that there is almost no limit to how picky a person can become if he spends a lot of time and attention on something. Am not claiming "supernatural hearing ability". Just that if I get real involved trying to make something "perfect" I keep hearing tiny flaws. The longer I stay at it, the worse the flaws seem.

Sometimes in the past would tweak for hours and give up in frustration. And then listen the next day and it sounds fine, can't even hear what the trouble was.

I had several rhodes over the years. Some were bought and sold early on because of "love-hate relationship" liking some aspects and hating other aspects. Later on I kept a couple long enough to wear out the actions and have to rebuild them and then wear out the action a second time. All my rhodes were heavily tweaked and worked-on until they sounded as good as possible according to my taste. But I was never completely happy with any of them.

So am similarly not completely happy with any synth rhodes I have. Even tried a few rhodes softsynths over the years that to my ear "were not quite right". But because I was never "completely satisfied" with real rhodes, a physical model rhodes plugin which sounds EXACTLY like the real thing would leave me equally "not completely satisfied".

Though it didn't sound exactly like a rhodes, one of the more playable rhodes-type sounds, often very enjoyable to play-- SA rhodes sounds in my Roland Rhodes MK60. The tone and responsiveness is about right and the growl is about right when you pound a note. The stereo analog chorus and the stereo tremolo is "near perfect". Similar sound was in Roland MKS-20 and other earlier Roland EP's.

Fantom ROMs and FA or Integra ROMs contain some SA rhodes wavetables, but perhaps the wavetables are too simplified to get "exactly the same thing". Well, almost certainly the SA synth structure was less complex than the PCM voice structure of more modern Roland romplers. Maybe will further tweak on it sometime. The SA Rhodes wavetables in my JV880 and FA-06 seem very similar to each other. Maybe there is a perfect programming for the wavetables which would avoid the velocity transition feeling too sudden between the low-velocity and high-velocity layers.

The above might be interpreted that I hate rhodes sound, but it isn't so. I really enjoy playing rhodes sound. It is just hard to get a perfect rhodes sound, even from a real rhodes.

[Rappo Clappo]

@JCJR

Well, everything has flaws, you gotta live with that. I experience the same thing; I overfocus on things and am not easy to please, then the next day I wake up and when I open my DAW, it usually surprizes me how good my project sounds in comparison with the day before where I left it.

I try to take breaks, but it's hard to take a break when I am inspired.

[K-Bee]

What is it about workstations that audition so well in the showroom? I bought a Roland Fantom F8 because I thought the ep sounds were incredible and replaced my rhodes. Only after I got it home and sold my rhodes did I realize what a mistake that was...

I'm really not trying to be funny when I say this, I think that it's just bias. Your brain convinces you that it's a better sound. You actually, and honestly, hear a better sound. Once the thrill of the new purchase is over, you're no longer under your own brain's spell, so to speak.

Bias indeed. I experienced the exact opposite when buying the Kurzweil PC3x (which I sold later). I watched numerous videos but never got the a chance to try it out before taking the plunge (pretty much impossible in a very smal country like Denmark. You really have to rely on videos, reviews and general word of mouth). I was amazed it sounded even better when setting it up back home.
Of course, the Kurzweil sounds in that particular board are dated today in many ways, but I somewhat miss an all in one solution who could double as a master controller. I have a Roland A90 at the moment with the piano/rhodes expansion but apart from the keybed, Insanely good Midi options and build, it doesn't quite cut it in 2017. That's why I was looking at the Montage. To me it seems more interesting than the Kronos, having an FM synth engine and all.

[Stupid American Pig]

It may be that there is almost no limit to how picky a person can become if he spends a lot of time and attention on something. Am not claiming "supernatural hearing ability". Just that if I get real involved trying to make something "perfect" I keep hearing tiny flaws. The longer I stay at it, the worse the flaws seem.

Sometimes in the past would tweak for hours and give up in frustration. And then listen the next day and it sounds fine, can't even hear what the trouble was.

I had several rhodes over the years. Some were bought and sold early on because of "love-hate relationship" liking some aspects and hating other aspects. Later on I kept a couple long enough to wear out the actions and have to rebuild them and then wear out the action a second time. All my rhodes were heavily tweaked and worked-on until they sounded as good as possible according to my taste. But I was never completely happy with any of them.

So am similarly not completely happy with any synth rhodes I have. Even tried a few rhodes softsynths over the years that to my ear "were not quite right". But because I was never "completely satisfied" with real rhodes, a physical model rhodes plugin which sounds EXACTLY like the real thing would leave me equally "not completely satisfied".

Though it didn't sound exactly like a rhodes, one of the more playable rhodes-type sounds, often very enjoyable to play-- SA rhodes sounds in my Roland Rhodes MK60. The tone and responsiveness is about right and the growl is about right when you pound a note. The stereo analog chorus and the stereo tremolo is "near perfect". Similar sound was in Roland MKS-20 and other earlier Roland EP's.

Fantom ROMs and FA or Integra ROMs contain some SA rhodes wavetables, but perhaps the wavetables are too simplified to get "exactly the same thing". Well, almost certainly the SA synth structure was less complex than the PCM voice structure of more modern Roland romplers. Maybe will further tweak on it sometime. The SA Rhodes wavetables in my JV880 and FA-06 seem very similar to each other. Maybe there is a perfect programming for the wavetables which would avoid the velocity transition feeling too sudden between the low-velocity and high-velocity layers.

The above might be interpreted that I hate rhodes sound, but it isn't so. I really enjoy playing rhodes sound. It is just hard to get a perfect rhodes sound, even from a real rhodes.

Yeah I can relate to that. Ive owned 3 rhodes pianos a '76 stage 73, a '72(?) suitcase, and an '81 Stage 88. My favorite was by far the '76 stage, and even though it had some flaws in how evenly it played even after numerous tweaks and new grommets, screws, tuning, etc, there was something about the action and overall tone of that one that just encouraged you to play in a nice swampy vibe, I think its how the action would add subtle clunks at the perfect interval to supplement music played at ~85 BPM. I really didnt like the stage 88, as it almost played like a fake version of a rhodes. It was very even, quiet and "clean" sounding. I did like playing basslines on it, but the upper range was meh. The suitcase I had was pretty nice, but difficult to record in a way that sounded like live playing. I regret selling, and now these things seem to be appreciating to a price that I dont feel like playing. Not to mention they are just big ass eye sores as most are beat to hell on the outside. As for emulators, I can tolerate the Logic Rhodes, but I think the GSI rhodes is by far the most like my '76 stage. Just patiently waiting on a 64 bit mac port...

[JCJR]

Wonder if montage has a system setting to permanently disable that giant flashing light on the huge knob? The flashing light was perhaps accidentally built nearly identical to that IEEE-standard starship console warning light which is usually located near the turn signals-- "Warning: The controls are set for the heart of the sun."

It would be hard to play music while constantly distracted that maybe the controls are set to the heart of the sun.

If there is no global alarm light defeat, perhaps electrical tape or black spray paint would do.

[BBFG#]

Wonder if montage has a system setting to permanently disable that giant flashing light on the huge knob?

It does. You can also change the brightness or completely turn it off. It does however give a nice visual of the positioning between the layers of a program.

Also concerning the electrics... the latest download of Chick Corea's Mark V is exceptional.

[JCJR]

Wonder if montage has a system setting to permanently disable that giant flashing light on the huge knob?

It does. You can also change the brightness or completely turn it off. It does however give a nice visual of the positioning between the layers of a program.

Also concerning the electrics... the latest download of Chick Corea's Mark V is exceptional.

Thanks. Maybe will get a chance to play one some day. Looks enticing.

[K-Bee]

Also concerning the electrics... the latest download of Chick Corea's Mark V is exceptional

IS this a new patch for the Montage? Are they adding patches within updates.
A Chick Corea rhodes patch sounds essential. Oh well, then I need to buy the Montage

[BBFG#]

Also concerning the electrics... the latest download of Chick Corea's Mark V is exceptional

IS this a new patch for the Montage? Are they adding patches within updates.
A Chick Corea rhodes patch sounds essential. Oh well, then I need to buy the Montage

Subjective of course, but well worth the price of downloading IMO.
Free download here:
https://www.yamahamusicsoft.com/synth/c ... =MP12474_B

And for me, the Montage is everything I've come to expect from Yamaha and more.
My favorite feature? Boots in 17 seconds!
Add HALion 6 and it pretty much covers everything for me.