The operation doc (p.371) shows: 'Settings: Off (Auto Power Off disabled), 5min, 10min, 15min, 30min, 60min, 120min'

Either the doc is wrong or that is a bug. Use the 'Contact Us' link at the bottom right of this page and report it directly to Yamaha Support.

Also should there be 5 Rhythm Patterns pre installed on a new unit ?

Rhythm Patterns are the Drum Kits. The Drum Kit Assign List of the Data List doc lists 20 of them starting on p.28.

something else I have noticed. In any performance for volume weather the common button is on or the individual volume for a certain instrument. I have to highlight it and turn the main knob above enter and exit. Is this normal ?

  Thanks for the replies

when I press rhythm pattern button the first 5 are performances. Not drum patterns. 6 and on is for "new pattern". new M7 unit out of the box.

If you have an edit not saved then the keyboard is also not supposed to auto power off.  So, there may be other conditions at play.  May.

It powers off @ 10 or 15 minute setting but not above. I do not think I have any edits. Thanks for the reply.

Are you pressing [SHIFT][RHYTHM PATTERN]?

when I press rhythm pattern button the first 5 are performances. Not drum patterns. 6 and on is for "new pattern". new M7 unit out of the box.

See p.17 of the quick guide. If you don't use [SHIFT] the 'SONG/PATTERN' button brings up the pattern menu for song patterns. When you use [SHIFT] the same button acts as a 'RHYTHM PATTERN' button and brings up the rhythm pattern search screen.

Which one are you using?

The M models should power off regardless of any edits. Can't speak to the classic version.

If you have an edit not saved then the keyboard is also not supposed to auto power off.  So, there may be other conditions at play.  May.

OP said they are using an M7 model so power off should work but any edit changes will be lost if they haven't been STOREd.

P.6 of the quick guide: Saving data
• Edited Performance
Edited Performance is lost when you turn off the power
to the product without storing it. This also occurs when
the power is turned off by the Auto Power Off function
(page 31).

Can you provide a specific example of what you mean?

something else I have noticed. In any performance for volume weather the common button is on or the individual volume for a certain instrument. I have to highlight it and turn the main knob above enter and exit. Is this normal ?

We don't understand what you are wanting to do or what the statement above means. Use a preset and tell us: 1) what you want to do, 2) what settings/knobs/etc you are using to try to do it, 3) what results you get and 4) what results you want.

That way we will have enough info to try to reproduce what you report.

Well, if you look at Montage Classic's owner's manual you'll see the same warning that auto poweroff will lose I saved data.  That doc is in direct conflict with BM's assertion that this doesn't happen:

https://yamahasynth.com/community/montage-series-synthesizers/montage-shuts-off-automatically/#post-108191

.. . So "may" remains since I would think that a similar conflict exists now until we get some official update to the contrary.  Of course you could also see for yourself by setting auto power off to the minimum setting and editing a Performance to see what happens.  And if nothing happens then recall a Performance with no editing or knob turning (because some knob turning is seen as an edit given some knob positions are saved).  And if the unit turns off without edits then that, at least, settles that.

Can you provide a specific example of what you mean?

something else I have noticed. In any performance for volume weather the common button is on or the individual volume for a certain instrument. I have to highlight it and turn the main knob above enter and exit. Is this normal ?

We don't understand what you are wanting to do or what the statement above means. Use a preset and tell us: 1) what you want to do, 2) what settings/knobs/etc you are using to try to do it, 3) what results you get and 4) what results you want.

That way we will have enough info to try to reproduce what you report.

Factory Live sets, Best of MODX 1 2 etc .. and some that I have put in User live sets for favorites. The volume sliders do not always work and seem to be random when M7 is booted up. Volume can be changed just not with the sliders. I am trying to determine if maybe there is a bug I have 2 days to return the unit or maybe exchange for another.  Thank you.

If you provide a 'specific' example we will try to reproduce it. 

Select one of the 'Factory Live Sets' since they should be the same as on a Montage M model.

The key thing about synths, Yamaha synths in particular, is that they only do what they are programmed to do.

Knobs and buttons can be programmed to do other things and parts can have 'expression' disabled which will disable the sliders from controlling buttons.

With a specific example we have a good chance of finding out what is causing the behaviour you are having.

Try this example and see if this is what you are experiencing.

1. Move slider 1 to 0 - all the way down

2. load the Init Normal (AWM2) performance

3. Move slider 1 from all the way down to about half way up.

4. Did slider one change the volume?

The correct answer is NO!

That performance has 1 part and it has 1 element. The part volume on an M8X is set to 100 and the element Level is set to 127. On your M7 it is likely the same.

The slider is at 0 but the element level is at 127. So the slider has to 'hook' the volume level before it will control the volume. When you move the slider from 0 to halfway the slider position is still less than the current volume setting so the slider won't affect things.

5. Move the slider all the way to the top and then start moving it down.

6. When you start down the slider should now be affecting the volume

Post back if that is the sort of thing you are seeing.

Do steps 1 and 2 again and then change the element 1 level from 127 to 64.

Now when you move the slider to halfway up it will 'hook' the volume and be in control.

Because different performances have different numbers of parts with different settings when you load a performance (or use a live set) some, even all, of the sliders can be 'dead' until you move them to match the current part volume setting.

Confusing? Yes. And that is why relying on sliders to modify the volume can be problematic at a gig when you are changing performances. Because when you finish one performance the sliders could be in ANY position. Then when you load the next performance some of those sliders won't be 'hooked' until you move them to match the part setting.

And trying to manually move each of the 8 sliders to the right position to 'hook' them just isn't a reliable way to do things.

That is just one reason why knobs, scenes, and scene changes, are used to control volume (and many other things).

You need to plan ahead what the order of performances (live sets) will be and make sure they are programmed for the volume levels you want for each part.

TMI - Why did they implement it so the slider has to 'hook'? What if the slider was at 100% but the part volume of a new performance was at 0? Would you want that part to suddenly jump to 100% when you load the performance? No.

Sliders have a fixed PHYSICAL position. Full down is 0 and Full up is Max. They will almost NEVER match what a new performance is set to.

Rotary knobs have a LOGICAL position. There is no 'minimum' knob position - you can rotate it counter-clockwise as long as you want. So if you program a knob to control volume and load a performance the knob will automatically assume the value that the volume is set to without you needing to move it at all.

Confusing? Yes.

You will need to experiment to find out what works best for you to control the things you want to control.

Likely not a bug since there are known examples where sliders will not change volume.

First, sliders can be turned off entirely.  If Receive Vol/Exp is turned off then sliders will be disabled.

If sliders are not disabled and nothing else is programmed to offset volume then sliders will work as you expect.

However, counter to perhaps your expectations, sliders are not the only source for impacting volume/levels.  You can set any other controller (after touch, mod wheel, pitch bend, assignable knobs, super knob, ribbon, envelope follower, motion sequence aka lane, etc) as the "source" controller for offsetting the volume.  And say your offset set by another controller offsets the volume by +127 (assuming 127 is the max - readjust to actual max) then even if your slider is in the zero position the other controller will dominate and "peg" the volume at 127 (max).   And probably the intent here is to use the other controller for volume rather than sliders.  Or adjust the other controller (say it's Superknob) so the offset is 0 and then the slider will work normally.

Yamaha would really benefit from a book (PDF) that explains all of the ins and outs of every Performance.  Why the programmers setup what they did from each programmer's perspective with gory detail about the entire setup for each Performance.  This would cover mostly the new Montage (classic) and Montage Performances without having to get too detailed on the carry over from previous gen material (Motif XF and earlier).  No one really wants to write this but even an abridged version with a mix of different Performances without being exhaustive would be good.  Something that covers enough of the surprises that one could study it and gain "literacy" on the keyboard. 

The pedal is another PHYSICAL controller that will manifest the same 'hook' requirement.

That is the way it has ALWAYS worked as this 10 year old reply from Bad Mister explains

https://yamahasynth.com/community/montage-series-synthesizers/superknob-control-by-fc7/#post-8433

The Super Knob position is programmable - this means *where* it is when you recall a Performance is up to whomever programmed that Performance. The pedal being physical (and not motorized) must then travel to 'hook' the stored value. For example, on some Performances the Super Knob starts at 0 (7 o'clock) in which case you will need to rock the pedal fully heel down to 'hook' that value. If the Super Knob is stored at 64 (12 o'clock) you must pass through the halfway point to 'hook' the value. Stored at 127 (5 o'clock) you will need to reach toe down position to 'hook' that value... Naturally turning the knob itself being lighted and continuous-turn it simply begins where it is stored/indicated, but the physical pedal must "pass through" the value to become active. This is completely normal, and by design.

This allows for smooth pickup of the value, rather than "jumping" to the value of the pedal's position.