Coming up: Yamaha Montage standalone VST

[tristan-]

Spoke to Yamaha and they said it will only be given to Montage M Owners for free

With whom, if I may ask so?
I would like also to "speak to Yamaha" on several subjects I have in mind...
Is this an official answer that would include their roadmap for the forseeable future?

[tristan-]

Spoke to Yamaha and they said it will only be given to Montage M Owners for free

Totally understandable.
How would Yamaha ever sell $2000 hardware by releasing couple hundred or even 500 dollar plug-in available to all…

Actually it makes alot of sense.
How Korg goes about opsix, Modwave, Wavestate?
Roland with Zenology including ALL of their model expansions and zen-cores.
Software is a highly profitable market nowadays and as FMX was included recently with Halion it will not seem out of the blue if next year or even 2025 such Montage M software will be licensable to the general public.

[PAK]

Spoke to Yamaha and they said it will only be given to Montage M Owners for free

You thought they'd give it to everyone else for free?

Being usable, minus the hardware, is a strong indicator the plugin has wider ambitions regardless of what they say. The only question is really how long any exclusivity period (if there was to be any.. ) would last.

Whilst some might think "but why would you buy hardware if there's a plugin?!", a plugin doesn't replace the need for quality performance instruments in the physical world. There's also a chunk of users (live performers etc) who would rather avoid general purpose computers for various reasons.

For those users, who are kind of the main group who'd still drop $3.5-4.5k on such instruments in the first place, the plugin potentially acts as an advert for the hardware.

[Atlatnesiti]

Spoke to Yamaha and they said it will only be given to Montage M Owners for free

Totally understandable.
How would Yamaha ever sell $2000 hardware by releasing couple hundred or even 500 dollar plug-in available to all…

Actually it makes alot of sense.
How Korg goes about opsix, Modwave, Wavestate?
Roland with Zenology including ALL of their model expansions and zen-cores.
Software is a highly profitable market nowadays and as FMX was included recently with Halion it will not seem out of the blue if next year or even 2025 such Montage M software will be licensable to the general public.

Let me ask you a simple question…
What would you buy? $200 VST or $2000 dollar equivalent hardware keyboard?

[0degree]

Spoke to Yamaha and they said it will only be given to Montage M Owners for free

Totally understandable.
How would Yamaha ever sell $2000 hardware by releasing couple hundred or even 500 dollar plug-in available to all…

Actually it makes alot of sense.
How Korg goes about opsix, Modwave, Wavestate?
Roland with Zenology including ALL of their model expansions and zen-cores.
Software is a highly profitable market nowadays and as FMX was included recently with Halion it will not seem out of the blue if next year or even 2025 such Montage M software will be licensable to the general public.

Let me ask you a simple question…
What would you buy? $200 VST or $2000 dollar equivalent hardware keyboard?

I'd buy $200 VST if I wanted the plugin and $2000 hardware if I wanted hardware interface which is more hands on. If Korg can do it with Opsix/Modwave etc I can't see why Yamaha can't but whatever - I can spend money somewhere else

[Aloysius]

A game changer

[D-Fusion]

Spoke to Yamaha and they said it will only be given to Montage M Owners for free

You thought they'd give it to everyone else for free?

Being usable, minus the hardware, is a strong indicator the plugin has wider ambitions regardless of what they say. The only question is really how long any exclusivity period (if there was to be any.. ) would last.

Whilst some might think "but why would you buy hardware if there's a plugin?!", a plugin doesn't replace the need for quality performance instruments in the physical world. There's also a chunk of users (live performers etc) who would rather avoid general purpose computers for various reasons.

For those users, who are kind of the main group who'd still drop $3.5-4.5k on such instruments in the first place, the plugin potentially acts as an advert for the hardware.

No. I did not expect to get it for free which i only pointed out because it is free for Montage M Owners.
I was dissapointed that it is Montage M Exclusive plugin only and not something i can buy without the expensive Dongle.

[tristan-]

I was dissapointed that it is Montage M Exclusive plugin only and not something i can buy without the expensive Dongle.

not something you can buy YET without the expensive Dongle.

[PAK]

No. I did not expect to get it for free

I know you didn't.. Twas just a "joke" based on the ambiguity of the wording

I was dissapointed that it is Montage M Exclusive plugin only and not something i can buy without the expensive Dongle.

They've already said it operates completely independent from the hardware. So I reckon your disappointment is slightly premature. I still think it's likely they'll make a paid version available to everyone at some point..

[D-Fusion]

No. I did not expect to get it for free

I know you didn't.. Twas just a "joke" based on the ambiguity of the wording

I was dissapointed that it is Montage M Exclusive plugin only and not something i can buy without the expensive Dongle.

They've already said it operates completely independent from the hardware. So I reckon your disappointment is slightly premature. I still think it's likely they'll make a paid version available to everyone at some point..

Yeah. I Guess i was a tiny bit to short on my wording there
I hope they do give us the option to buy it without the very expensive option but the answer they gave me makes me unsure if we will get it outside of buying a Montage M.

I have the New Roland Fantom as Vst (Zen Pro) + Korg Triton and would love to have a Motif + ANX or a Montage M in my vst folder too.

[tristan-]

the answer they gave does not look promising.

Who exactly at Yamaha gave you this answer please?

[D-Fusion]

the answer they gave does not look promising.

Who exactly at Yamaha gave you this answer please?

It was from Pag Music (Scandinavian Distributor of Yamaha Products).

[Digivolt]

What would you buy? $200 VST or $2000 dollar equivalent hardware keyboard?

If I had the money and space absolutely the hardware, it's a beautiful looking synth although I'd prefer the $5000 88 key with aftertouch

[Teksonik]

Now that doesn't mean Yamaha won't limit the plugin to Montage hardware owners but the blurb does make it sound like an actual softsynth.

Arturia released the Minifreak V to the hardware owners only initially. Could be Yamaha would be doing something similar to give the owners of the hardware the feel of exclusivity.
Since Yamaha is tight with Steinberg this last decade or so, I have a ray of hope they might be able to pull it off.

I hope you're right. Buying the hardware just so you don't need the hardware seems pointless.

If this is actually a "Montage in the box" they've gone to a lot of work to replicate the engines and it would seem a waste to limit that work to those who can afford a $5000 keyboard.

So if this ever does become a VSTi available to the masses I'd be in but I imagine the price and copy protection scheme might knock it off my to-buy list. We'll just have to wait until more information is released.

[EvilDragon]

Copy protection would probably be the same thing Steinberg is using for their stuff...