Montage is a synth, not a Workstation 😀

The montage does not have a sequencer in the sense that people have been used to in for example the motif rather it has a direct recorder the function of which seems to be to record all takes place in a performance - arps super knob mc etc. There has been a few threads discussing this - however it can be used in a track by track scenario. The following from a previous thread clarifies this:

"The basic question is, whether it is possible to do track on track MIDI recording on Montage and if so, how to do it?

I have been reading the yamaha synth forum and I have to say my respect for Phil became huge seeing him answering all these difficult questions, so I am more than happy to help out on this particular one.

Of course he is right, it is a midi recorder and not a sequencer. This means, one can sketch ideas and have them stored or exported as midi files. One can not fix mistakes made during the recording, unless you export it to a DAW.

However, I found a fun workaround to make this recorder behave like a multitimbral sequencer.

First of all, I programmed several sounds within one Performance: Piano, strings, bass, drums and clavinet.

Then, I switched off all Keyboard Control (the green buttons in the main screen) so they all became separately available using Part Control (the orange buttons on the right).

I opened the midi recorder, and recorded the piano.

Then I put the recorder in Overdub and added the strings, bass, drums etc. until I had a multitrack recording.

Actually pretty simple.

Before all this, I imported a vocal sample wav from Diana Ross's Upside Down and prepared a Performance with only this sample.

So, at the end of my recording session I basically triggered this Diana Ross sample from the keyboard, in time with the recorded music.

All pretty simple but quite effective, and obviously discussion material!"

This relates to a YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLZic7sXIBo

Look at around 14.00

Can't you still go buy one of those hardware sequencers? I like hardware. I hate software.

Brilliant Phil.

I thought I was doing something silly by not being able to record more than one separate midi track.

I'm getting to grips with Cubase, but its useful to be able to throw a few things together without setting up the laptop etc.

Erased by Bernd #2

I didn't say it didn't have a sequencer - the sentence read:

The montage does not have a sequencer in the sense that people have been used to

In the reference manual it refers to the various functional blocks of the instrument - of which the sequencer block is one.

From your excerpt from the brochure it clearly classifies the sequencer as a Performance Recorder so I'm not sure what your point is?

Plus the brochure makes no mention of the editing ability of the recorder other than it is real time replace/overdub/punch in out which suggests that editing cannot be done after the event.

I'm thinking it must be a technical issue. Why would Yamaha not throw in even a simple 16 track sequencer. I don't buy the reasons that people are using. I use Logic Pro but I like to just sit at the board and compose without having to futz with Logic initially. I feel that once Yamaha gets the issue resolved they will have a functional sequencer in an update. Or at least I hope.

Erased by Bernd #2

I am sure YAMAHA will end up releasing upgrades that includes all these topics.

I am ashamed that a sound uses 4 "slots" for instance... and use 4 midi channels...
Why when using Montage with a DAW software can't that sound use just one midi channel. And so on.. until the 16 are used... for instance.

We want to play and write music, not spend time over Forums finding other roads to get around problems we encounter.
I am pretty sure they are writing the software as we move around in this forum

I am ashamed that a sound uses 4 "slots" for instance... and use 4 midi channels...

Set the MIDI I/O mode = Single
Press [UTILITY]
Touch "Settings" > "Advanced"
Set the MIDI I/O mode = Single (and select a MIDI channel 1-16)

The only reason to have a 4 Part Performance transmit on four MIDI channels is if you are playing some of the four and arpeggiators are 'playing' the other Parts. Then, you would want to keep the Multi Part Performance data separate. Make sense.

Erased by Bernd #2