KVR Audio

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 7:38 pm

It's time for me to post something as well

Yamaha has taken the wraps off the Montage, its new flagship synth. In contrast to its recent Reface keyboards, which were relatively affordable and offered one type of tone generation each, this is very much an all-rounder, and a serious studio/stage instrument that comes in 61-, 76 and 88-note flavours.

At the heart of the Montage is the Motion Synthesis Engine, which combines Yamaha's AWM2 waveform-based subtractive synthesis engine with a new "modern version of synthesis" known as FM-X. This offers eight Operators, 32 algorithms and seven Spectral Forms.

Other features include Spectral Skirt and Spectral Resonance - which are said to enable widening of the harmonic curve and the shifting of harmonic peaks - plus filters, EQ, an additional Common LFO and effects.

You'll probably be familiar with the AWM2 technology, but in the Montage it delivers 128 notes of stereo polyphony, with the synth having ten times the waveform capacity of the existing Motif XF (in fact, it looks like Montage is the direct successor to Motif). This can be used at the same time as the FM-X engine - the engines can be played in up to 16 keyboard zones and also layered.

Montage also promises a new method of manipulating sounds known as Motion Control. The Super Knob can control multiple parameters simultaneously, Motion Sequences enable you to sync parameter tweaks to tempo, and there's also an envelope follower.

As you'd expect, the Montage comes packed with presets, including a high-quality grand piano and synth sounds from Yamaha's DX and TX synths. It also offers direct connection to a computer over USB - audio channels for all 16 parts are sent to your DAW, as is MIDI data - and it can even be hooked up to an iOS device.

All three Montage models feature a 7-inch touchscreen; the smaller two keyboards have semi-weighted synth action keyboards, while the 88-note model has a hammer action. Availability will be in May, with pricing still to be confirmed.

8 FM operators + spectrum widening = the best FM synth in existence

fmr · Post by **fmr** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 7:55 pm

Seems like a kind of resurrection of the SY-99

(with something like the FS1R instead of the AFM engine)

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 8:35 pm

I like the Montage 6 outline the best, no space is left empty of buttons, knobs, and faders

masterhiggins · Post by **masterhiggins** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 8:38 pm

I'm being lazy in searching but any word on price?

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 8:39 pm

The Montage 6 (61 keys) is gonna cost €2821

dayjob · Post by **dayjob** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 12:04 am

ugh.. get rid of all the workstation bits and just give me the FM hotness in a little synth/desktop module covered with knobs.

i don't want/need AWM2 or whatever else is in it.

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:05 am

dayjob wrote:ugh.. get rid of all the workstation bits and just give me the FM hotness in a little synth/desktop module covered with knobs.

Same thoughts. Synths don't need to have all the features in existence, including cofee making and dishwashing. But I'll hold on to hands-on video.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:36 pm

DJ Warmonger wrote: Same thoughts. Synths don't need to have all the features in existence, including cofee making and dishwashing. But I'll hold on to hands-on video.

No, but they have to have the 7 features YOU think are essential. By the time 15 people are polled the list stands at 97 features. Then they ask another 20 professionals and the "essentials" list grows.

The entire point of "flagship" is kitchen sink.

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:55 pm

Okay, this video doesn't show the two things I mentioned, but it does show a whole lot more that actually make sense:

The entire point of "flagship" is kitchen sink.

I think we both meant it doesn't need to be a "flagship" product that proper FM synth with controllable operators.
The guy in the video also mentions it's unlikley to control FM synth live.

bronxsound · Post by **bronxsound** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:49 pm

Looks tasty but the pricing is a massive let down. Honestly for this money i would get Integra and virus to cover all It is capable of (more Or less). I actually like the fact yamaha made an effort to make something kronos like. Sadly as mentioned above the pricing is irrelevant for an average enthusiast.

dayjob · Post by **dayjob** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:39 am

SJ_Digriz wrote:
DJ Warmonger wrote: Same thoughts. Synths don't need to have all the features in existence, including cofee making and dishwashing. But I'll hold on to hands-on video.
No, but they have to have the 7 features YOU think are essential. By the time 15 people are polled the list stands at 97 features. Then they ask another 20 professionals and the "essentials" list grows.

The entire point of "flagship" is kitchen sink.

i'm not arguing against a flagship synth.. sure go for it.. somewhere a player needs all that shit on stage to accompany a pop singer or play in the church band (which is a _huge_ part of music gear business) or whatever a working musician/producer needs to do.

i'm just saying.. "hey, there's a huge market out there for people who don't need 90% of that crap but want a killer deep FM synth with a bunch of knobs.. how about honoring the heritage of FM and gimme what I want"

because yamaha, i don't need a rompler in 2016.. and here's $800 that has your name right the f**k on it.

VitaminD · Post by **VitaminD** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:46 am

Yamaha keyboard bodies are always so bloated. I don't get it. It wastes space.

Front to back, they could have easily shed 2 inches off... perhaps even 3 to 4.

Making it so bloated makes the footprint take more space, thus limiting the desks these will sit on front and center.

They've been doing this at least since SY77 days... but in those days, not as many people surrounded their studio around a PC and I think the size was inflated to make them look more important (esp in the music store). Market desires change, Yamaha does not..

dayjob · Post by **dayjob** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:49 am

VitaminD wrote:Yamaha keyboard bodies are always so bloated. I don't get it. It wastes space.

Front to back, they could have easily shed 2 inches off... perhaps even 3 to 4.

Making it so bloated makes the footprint take more space, thus limiting the desks these will sit on front and center.

They've been doing this at least since SY77 days... but in those days, not as many people surrounded their studio around a PC and I think the size was inflated to make them look more important (esp in the music store). Market desires change, Yamaha does not..

i think they're out of touch.. but i imagine everything is a battle with the number of engineers and marketing dept and then the executives and the bottom line of making it fit w/in a price range..

but it seems less would be more in some cases.

VitaminD · Post by **VitaminD** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:56 am

actually I've answered my own question.. at least with the SY77.. it was so massive because of the size of the circuit boards back then.

There is no way that is an issue today. We have PCs the size of thumbdrives more powerful than that synth. Yet the bloat continues. haha

dumbledog · Post by **dumbledog** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:59 am

Numanoid wrote:I like the Montage 6 outline the best, no space is left empty of buttons, knobs, and faders

But where is the beer gonna go?!?

Yamaha Montage (NAMM 2016)