Emulation, to me, means you reproduce the controls + output response of the emulated device. In a rompler - there's a certain level of control available - but you generally get the sound of the sampled device at one setting. This is generally OK - but not sure what your goal is. Is "emulation" your goal - or is your goal just have some sounds at the ready that are warm and have been lifted from analog sources.

There's a lot of control available - I don't want to "sell" this short. Just want to be sure the request is understood.

In terms of demos - there are lots. Plenty to sift through. Yamaha has seemed to have collected demos+tutorials on a youtube page. Not sure how easy it is to find what you're looking for. Certainly the focus of the demos has been some FM - some non analog voices (strings, etc) - EDM digital things. Maybe analog was covered but I do not recall a bucket full of analog demos. Wasn't looking out for them, though.

John wrote:

I'm in the process of investing in a new keyboard and i am 90% sure that the Yamaha Montage is the keyboard for me. In terms of raw power and versatility and sound quality and innovation, i believe the Montage is (as one reviewer put it) the 'mother of all synths.'

but - having said that - and considering how big an investment this is - i would like to get some friendly advice.

I for one can give a 100% recommendation from my side. I just love the instrument. And it is certainly very possible to have very warm analog sounding sounds. The Easy Sounds "Phat Analog" and "Phat Analog II" have very nice examples, you can listen to the sounds on the Easy Sounds page. As Chris writes, it is no an emulation in the sense that it is emulating the electronics of some specific analog circuits. But it can produce those warm sounds just fine. Similar to for example the Integra 7 which I also have.

"Emulation" is a superset of "modeling". Montage models the DX7 (not quite emulation - some extra things, some missing things) but that's it. Maybe the effects can be seen as modeling as well - there are some great effects available. Rest is samples and sample manipulation. This is where you can get a sampled sound that matches what you're looking for and add it as a purchased library or perhaps, if users "roll their own", you could grab a public domain performance.

The presets may already have what you want.

There's also this "motion sequence" part which has some utility. It's not hard to run into the edges (read: its not without limitations) - but still useful for doing lots of automation.

Chris wrote:

Jason said the stuff about emulation. But I like the sounds in the general ball park. But everytime I play it for my friend he says not quite analog. I ask him and he cannot describe it. I am still a believer I can get it there one day so he cannot tell.

What I would love see is a blind test with your friend. Grab some real analog, some virtual analog (modelled) and some Montage sounds. There are enough sites where you can download waves (or mp3s) from various synths. Play them for your friend in a blind audition and let him guess what is what. I would be surprised if he can guess right in all or even most cases... 🙂

Stefan wrote:

What I would love see is a blind test with your friend. Grab some real analog, some virtual analog (modelled) and some Montage sounds. There are enough sites where you can download waves (or mp3s) from various synths. Play them for your friend in a blind audition and let him guess what is what. I would be surprised if he can guess right in all or even most cases... 🙂

+1

Hi Chris

Congratulations on Phat Analog ll so that's the first part of the jigsaw in your collection! Next, get the rest and the picture will come clearer.

Don't forget we are not trying to get the exactly same sounds as the analog machines but you can get really close when you try and that should be enough because in the mix, with the rest of the instruments you won't know the difference between that and the analog machine. If you want the same sounds then you would go out and buy an analog machine but the Montage has got lots and lots to show you yet so keep digging and you will get there.

Paul

PS Don't give up

Hi Chris
I think the analog style you are looking for are in the sound packs - I think they are from Easy Sounds and they are called "Magical" pads and "Mystic Spheres" and Phat Analog 1 should give you about 80% of the sounds you're looking for - its all a matter of finding them and combining them and then a lot of tweaking. Then you'll have all the basics for that sound you like, "Stranger Things" which I did. https://soundcloud.com/paultp12/some-strange-things-hapend-on-the-way-to-the-doctor

Paul

Hi Chris

Yes those sound packs are not for the Montage but they still work, in a way, you still have to work at it to get the sound you want - the basics are still there in those sound packs but I'm pleased to hear that Easy Sounds are going to revamp them for the Montage.

The sounds in "Some strange things" use some of those sounds out of the XS pack so I couldn't send you the wave files cos they are part of that pack and, to be honest - that's Peter's livelihood so it wouldn't be fair on him, would it?! So we will wait for the revamp and see what's changed.

Paul