Q1: For a Single Element, No Velocity Limit set (Vel limit = 1-127). If I play very soft vs very hard, does the resultant key velocity trigger different sounds (samples within the key bank) or is it just the same sound, but quieter vs louder?

It depends... let’s take Waveform #1 “CF3 Stretch Sw St” — “CF3” is the Yamaha CFIII Acoustic Grand, “Stretch” means it is ‘stretched tuned’, “Sw” = Velocity switching, “St” = Stereo. Here, it very much does change the sample KeyBank being triggered.

So this Waveform placed in an Element is already a Velocity Switching entity. If you set the “Amplitude” settings so “Level/Vel” is a positive value, (value = +32 is a linear ramp) the faster a key is engaged, the KeyBank (sample) that is triggered can change. You are also provided with the complete Soft strike sample set, the complete Medium strike set, and the complete Hard strike set of acoustic piano samples. So you can create your own velocity switches, but you are also provided a velocity switching factory version in a single Element..

The goal is hide the velocity cross-points, so they should be hard to hear... in the case of a piano. But make no mistake, a piano being a percussion instrument has a different character at different velocities.

In general, different instrument categories behave differently when more “pressure” is applied to them. Percussion instruments can change radically when different energy is applied to making them vibrate. Not only the length of time they sound changes but the harmonic chaos increases and is often very different.

A Snare drum Waveform with the name: “Sd Bld St1-4” is a “Sd” = Snare drum for “Bld” = Ballads, “St” = Stereo and there are “1-4” different samples mapped to velocity. Hitting this Snare drum at different velocities will render very different snare sounds.

A closed hihat: “HH Closed 1-4St” = Hihat closed with 4 different velocities, stereo

In other instrument sounds you may or may not get the additional details, it depends — it is based on what the instrument being emulated does and will it be enhanced by providing samples at different velocities. Velocity is not always a perfect method of emulating some instruments... while it can have a 1:1 relationship when triggering percussion emulations. The faster the key is pressed (velocity) is perfect for percussion instruments.

But not always so much for blown or bowed instruments. For example, brass instruments and horns in general, can have different harmonic content depending on how much air pressure is applied to it. A soft, medium, forte, double forte and triple forte blown notes will result in very different amounts of harmonics and therefore radically different timbres... the velocity control works only when you let go and retrigger the key. But brass and horn players can do this during a held note... they can swell from a mellow to full blast without triggering a new note.

MODX and MONTAGE approach this with the ability to “morph” through the sounding Elements... so with the Super Knob for example, you can “blow” more air through the virtual horn - changing the sounding Element in smooth horn-like fashion.

Please see the following article on Orchestral Brass Swells: LINK — Mastering MONTAGE: Orchestral Brass Swell
Listen to the Audition Phrases of each of the example (the actual .wav files seem to have become unattached to the article... but the Audition Phrase will illustrate the points being made.

What makes the acoustic guitar sounds of the MODX/MONTAGE such fun to play is that velocity does change the behavior beyond just getting louder. You should notice more nuance and a bigger difference in the timbre as you play with different velocities.

Are there sounds that simply get louder? Well yes, but even there, Velocity is programmed to influence parts of the Envelope Generators. At low velocities you’ll notice envelopes tend to be quicker/shorter, and as you increase input, the duration of the sound changes to mimic the natural world. When done properly, the sound feels good to play, when done poorly — you get a feeling that something is not right. Often knowing you can tweak the behavior is key to finding the right sound. (If you don’t know what makes it work, you can conclude it’s not an appropriate sound for your needs; however, when you know that you can change the behavior, you move to a level where you stop thinking you need new sounds, you just pick the program based on its potential! And you make it do what you require.

Timbre change is also the domain of the filter. Why sample playback synths are better at instrument emulation has as much to with the number of Filters as it does with the accurate Wave (sample). Sure the sample sounds like the instrument being recorded, but it’s the Amplitude Envelope behavior combined with the shaping power of all those Filters. Each Element has its own Filter - in an analog synth all sound goes through one sound shaping Filter. When you recall an 18 Element Acoustic Piano, you are working with 18 independent Filters... each with its own FEG, AEG, PEG, etc. higher velocities can not only brighten the sound, they can change the duration of the sound. Low Pass Filters are used to emulate acoustic behavior — this is because it is true in nature: the more energy applied in hammering, striking, plucking, blowing or bowing a musical instrument the more high harmonics you hear... so a Velocity sensitive Filter is a staple in acoustic instrument emulation.

Q2: In the Part Edit General Screen, If I adjust Velocity Depth Higher, I thought I can make it send higher velocity values, without hitting the keys really hard... but that results (exaggerating the point) makes everything louder. And it seems to have a similar result with Velocity offset. How can I increase sensitivity, but keep the main elements the same volume?

Again, it is an article for MONTAGE (that applies to the MODX) it uses the Motif XF Performance “Wind and Strings” to illustrate how you can change how the the sounds behave to Velocity. Here, the keys when played lightly to medium, play as the Woodwind ensemble, not until you play with significant gusto do you bring in the orchestra Strings... this is accomplished by using the Part parameters for Velocity Offset and Velocity Depth

Link: MONTAGifying Motif XF — “Winds and Strings”

You can download the 512 Motif XF Performances for the MODX here: Link — Official Yamaha MODX Download Page

BM, thanks for another excellent explanation, I will check those links out.

You also reminded me about the Level/Vel, and the Amp EG.... I forgot to check those (I've been trying to modify a 3rd Party Part - keep the bits Iike, change the bits I don't).

Cheers.

re: "Waveform #1 “CF3 Stretch Sw St” — “CF3” is the Yamaha CFIII Acoustic Grand, “Stretch” means it is ‘stretched tuned’, “Sw” = Velocity switching, “St” = Stereo. ... “Sd Bld St1-4” is a “Sd” = Snare drum for “Bld” = Ballads, “St” = Stereo and there are “1-4” different samples mapped to velocity"

What do the + and - mean (like EP1 Soft+ and EP1 Soft-)?

There may be others... Might there be any document that defines all this abbreviated nomenclature?

Phase.

https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/names-of-waveforms

Google search:

site:yamahasynth.com montage waveform names plus minus st

Great, thanks! While on one hand I wish getting information didn't sometimes feel like such a scavenger hunt, I have to say, this forum is great. I wouldn't even know where to go to ask such a question on a Korg or a Roland. (Yes, there are user forums for those, but activity is sporadic, and there is virtually no manufacturer presence to provide authoratative information.) One thing I wish Yamaha would improve here, though, is that there is no category for questions about the PSR/Genos arrangers. I don't suppose Yamaha has some other venue for that that I don't know about?

While on one hand I wish getting information didn't sometimes feel like such a scavenger hunt, I have to say, this forum is great. I wouldn't even know where to go to ask such a question on a Korg or a Roland.

I completely agree to that. Coming from a Korg, then Roland to the MODX, I was blown away by the support in this forum. My next upgrade would likely be a Yamaha as well, because neither Korg nor Roland provided this level of support!

To be fair, this is a part of the different brand DNA...

Yamaha KNOW their UI and UX are terrible, and that they can't wrangle their programmers to make an intuitive, discoverable and self informing interface to the power of their instruments.

And they know they have Bad Mister, one the most gifted and articulate writers on ANY form of technology, ever. His sermons are truly next level. It would be best, for humanity, if a royalty model was set up so that he's getting shares in the company for his single handed and overwhelming dedicating to informing users. Even cantankerous incorrigibles, like me.

Korg and Roland and many others feel they're making decent efforts at usability. Whilst better than Yamaha in this department (and that is no claim to fame) they're not nearly as self explanatory as (let's say) Windows 8, which was the worst of Windows many flails.

They could all learn a lot from something like StackOverflow in terms of providing a "how to...", freeing up Bad Mister to spend more time writing insight pieces.

Also... Yamaha... please fund the creations of videos with that FM guru. I forget his name. But he writes well!

However... the MODX/Montage operations, and the sounds they make, don't come out best in a written form. Fund him and Bad Mister to show and sound out what and how, why, when and where.