If you are loading a X7U file it will indeed replace everything that is currently in the user area.

This is the most frustration that I don't like at all, it's so inconvenience for the User to share their file with each other.
Why don't Yamaha make a change to the OS software so that it has an option to choose the location to save each user files independence,
For example : User File> Select Location to Save> Save> OK....So that we can keep an old user files and can have a new user files from our friends

Thanks
Tho

Tho wrote:This is the most frustration that I don't like at all, it's so inconvenience for the User to share their file with each other.

Hi,

so then I guess the good news is that there is a better way for doing that: The user files are in my understanding meant as a backup solution for the whole synth memory. They actually comprise also the settings to some extent - something you do not want to use for sharing.

For exchanging you can create libraries. If the user exports a library someone else can then import the library without overriding anything. There is a limitation on 8 libraries at the same time. But you can cherry pick and import individual sounds from a library and then remove the library again. So in essence you only need to keep one library slot free to be able to do that.

A second approach would be to use the Montage Connect where you can store individual performances and share them and load them individually.

Hello Phil - how very disappointing! But you say 'if I load a .X7U' file every User file on my Montage will disappear. Only I'm not loading an '.X7U' file - it's called an 'X7B' file (ask Chris!) so does that make a difference? Or will it also wipe out everything? Or refuse to load at all?

I too find this frustrating. If I want to load a single Pf from another User, I'll never remember when I last saved everything, and my stuff changes all the time anyway - there isn't enough time in the day to save (currently) 183 Pfs scattered over 7 categories every time I want to load a single new one. Surely the whizzes at Yamaha can come up with a fix for this? Please?

The X7B file is a bulk dump of the edit buffer. Here's a short rundown:

1) X7L (a file used to fill the Libary memory) - Library memory is as close to the preset memory as you can get. You can update library memory - even if this is not technically correct - you can think of library files as being stored in EEPROM. Where the memory is read-only except that it can be erased. So you cannot ever just update one piece of the Library. You have to throw out the entire library and replace it with a new one (or leave it thrown out). Library memory is non-volatile meaning that it stays around after you shut off the power. When you power back on - the library memory is still exactly as you left it when powering off.

2) X7U (a file used to fill the User memory) - User memory is one step below Library memory in terms of how permanent it is. Of course, if you never edit it - it will be as "permanent" as a library. However, even if this is not technicall correct - you can think of it as is stored in more of a flash memory like a USB stick. When a USB stick is "glued" on to a board it is called eMMC (non remove-able). At any rate - user area you can change one item at a time by storing a new user PERFORMANCE or overwriting one user PERFORMANCE. This is when you are NOT using a file to update user area. Meaning you can press "store" and elect to overwrite any user PERFORMANCE or create a new user PERFORMANCE. When it comes to using the user FILES - however, they always contain all the user performances together - so when you load up an X7U file - you're going to lose all your saved user performances. User memory, like library memory, is non-volatile meaning that it stays around after you shut off the power. When you power back on - the user memory is still exactly as you left it when powering off.

3) X7B (a file used to fill the Edit Buffer memory) - The edit buffer is not permanent at all. The edit buffer is what you are changing when you go in and change any parameter after calling up a preset or one of your user performances. Once you make any change (level, pan, add a PART, change the PEG, change - well anything - FM-X or AWM2) your edit buffer is what you are making the changes to. To commit these changes, you have to [STORE] the edit buffer which then saves your edit buffer to USER memory. If you make changes to the edit buffer and power off Montage, whatever you were doing/changing before the power-off is not saved anywhere. The edit buffer is volatile memory meaning it does not survive a power-off / power-on. It's cleared since that's just how it works (different memory type on the hardware level). Even if not technically correct, you can think of the edit buffer like DRAM in your computer. DRAM is just scratchpad memory.

Since the edit buffer does not touch the Library memory or User memory - it's a completely safe way to trade sounds. In order to save the sound - you have to [STORE] the X7B after loading it. Loading it just places it in the edit buffer - which will be lost when you power down. Or even when you change performances - the edit buffer will be lost since it will be updated with the new performance's information.

I'm not sure the manual mentions X7B at all (except perhaps in the new features document) since it is a new invention with later firmware.

To go further with this, X7B comes from a bulk dump request of the edit buffer. This bulk dump is a collection of SysEx commands which set every parameter. When you load the X7B what you are doing is a bulk upload to Montage (Montage itself considers it is downloading the bulk data).

You should have no fear using X7B files to trade sounds. Just remember to [STORE] the sound after you load it up so it occupies a spot in your user memory. Of course [STORE] to user memory does not overwrite anything in user memory unless there is a user memory entry with the same index (name and possibly other items) - in which case you will be prompted if you want to overwrite JUST that one user performance. It works just as if you were pressing [STORE] to store your own edits - your own new performance.

Hope this helps.

If you think of the User Bank... (completely empty when you got your Montage, 0/640)... as your assembly area; you fill it with the data that you want to eventually turn into a Library. Backing up and restoring data is quick and easy.

Ignore the warning message when Loading a .X7U file that your data will be overwritten at your own peril.

When you encounter new data, either in a .X7L (Library) or Motif XS/XF file format (.X0A, .X0V or .X3A, .X3V) you can load it as a Library File, then you can IMPORT single Performances to the USER Bank. (remember USER is where you assemble your new Library data).

The thing that makes this so awesome is you don't have to manage Waveforms and Samples... it's done automatically. So this IS the better way! 🙂

Many thanks Jason and Bad Mister - I see the .X7B concept as a means of swapping files without the possibility of wiping out existing User files, which answers my most pressing question! Just a matter of importing them and then storing them to User files in order to hear them. That in turn begs the question - how do you create X7B files for uploading to the internet?

Bad Mister - did I read that aright? Ignore the dire warnings that I would lose all my User data if I imported a User file (X7U)? So I could download an X7U file to USB and then import it to the Montage and NOT lose my existing data? Have Yamaha changed things in an update to allow this? It's a very good move if so, but is very confusing!

Impressive levels of knowledge here! What a massive resource to have on hand! Thanks,guys!

I don´t think you can create .X7B files directly on the montage. you have to do this with montage connect by saving single performances to your computer.

Again, the X7U replaces the entire user memory with whatever is in the X7U file. It does not "pick and choose" - so you need to backup your user memory unless you're OK with blowing it away by loading an X7U.

If you first go to [UTILITY] then "Contents" -> "Store/Save", switch the content type to "User File" - then this will create a file with all your user performances saved on an .X7U file. Remember that user FILES are all or nothing. They save all your user performances and likewise, if you load a user file, the load process will overwrite your entire user area with whatever is in the user file. This is what the warning is about - so do a backup first if you're going to be dealing with user files and do not want to discard what is in your user memory.

Some instances would be fine to discard your user memory. Say that your user memory has been promoted to a library - so there is a copy of all your user performances in a library file. Then deleting your user memory (wiping it clean and replacing with something in someone else's .X7U file) would be no issue.

Say you have the entire user performance area already backed up. Again, no issue wiping it clean or overwriting.

The "warning" reminder was when you LOAD a user file. To be clear, for user files - loading is taking an .X7U FROM the USB stick and shoving that data TO the Montage's User Performance area. The direction of flow is from USB to the Montage. Montage is doing the loading and the load destination is Montage memory (your user performance memory). Therefore, better have prepared for overwriting the user memory first.

When you STORE/SAVE a user file, the direction is FROM the Montage user performance area and destination is TO the USB stick (saving a copy into the user stick). There may be a warning about saving over the same file name if you name the file the same as an existing file or, when saving, click on an existing filename as the destination. This action will not erase or alter user memory since the flow of data is from the user memory to the USB stick.

Traditionally, an .X7B type file isn't going to carry with it a waveform (sample + parameters). I could be wrong - but I do not think a custom waveform is going to be saved with (meaning inside) an .X7B. For these, I would imagine you would need to distribute the .X7B and .WAV (waveform w/loop points, etc encoded in the .WAV) separately.

Some blurb about custom samples:

Most online sound trading I've seen thus far is just a collection of parameter changes without any custom sampled waveforms (AWM2) so there is no impact or worry about what the sample does or doesn't do for .X7B. However, if the occasion does arise - the steps are fairly easy. Take the user's supplied .WAV file and touch "new waveform" then select the supplied WAV file from the USB stick. Otherwise, the .X7B file (only for ones with user waveforms instead of preset waveforms for AWM2) will point to some "random" index of your internal user waveforms. For instance, I just created an AWM2 based .X7B with a custom waveform and it shows the waveform as User Waveform #7 (41 00 01 / Wave Select / as 01 or user, 41 00 03-04 / Wave Number / as 0007 or #7). So you see only the number of the waveform is saved and not the file - and certainly waveform #7 is not going to be the same on my board vs. yours. When you change the waveform and load a waveform from the USB stick - this will create the proper index (maybe #0 if you have no existing user waveforms yet) and will save the .WAV to slot #0 - updating your Wave Number for this performance to #0.

When it comes to trading performances: every single purely FM-X related performance and any AWM2 performances referencing preset waveforms - .X7B is clearly the way to go. Even for AWM2 performances that have custom waveforms - I believe there are less hoops to jump through manually loading the waveform than using a user or library file. Using an .X7B - you choose if you want to save it to non-volatile memory (your user performance area) or not - just power off and it goes away never having touched anything you have previously worked on/stored.

yes, Bad Mister said the .X7B format is strictly midi. no wav data will be saved.

Hello people, finally got back to 'work' armed with the invaluable information provided by your goodselves. I had downloaded a number of 'X7B' files to a USB, and, safe in the knowledge that such files will not over-write 'X7U' files already in the 'User' areas, I went to 'Utility' then 'Contents', having selected 'User Files' in the 'Bank' window. The files in question were all held in a folder on the USB, named 'X7B User files', and sure enough, there it was. Tapped the box and then 'Load' and the indicator light on the USB blinked several times, showing activity. Great! 'Exit' and searched for the files. Nowhere to be found, not in any User area of any category. Remembering they had to be saved to become 'User' files, I did the whole thing again, ending by pressing 'Store' after 'Load' and the blinking light bit. Once again, nothing. They simply aren't there. So as usual I've done something wrong - can anyone tell me what it is, please? At least all my 'User' files are still there ...

The .X7B file type is used by the computer utility program called "Montage Connect" - it is the only way to read the data in a .X7B file.

Ah! Thanks Bad Mister - that is a pain. I don't use a DAW (I don't write music nor compose songs), so can I use 'Connect'?. My computer is not connected to the Montage either, and I suppose it will have to be to use Connect? (USB to Host?). I often wish I had a better grasp of all this electronic stuff, sorry ...

Or you could use .X7B the hard way and use a hex editor to find the first 0xF0 ... 0xF7 pair (first SysEx) - remove all data before the first SysEx. Find the last 0xF0 ... 0xF7 pair (last SysEx) and remove all data after the last SysEx. The new file can be renamed to a .syx file which Midi-OX or other MIDI utilities can handle outside of using Montage Connect.

Doing this would not be preferred as you start to walk "outside of the lines" - but is a perfectly valid use of utilities available. The risks here would be user error and undefined/unexpected results - also data validation. Montage Connect may check and verify .X7B while using 3rd party utilities may not - which may expose you to problems you would not otherwise encounter using the Yamaha suggested set of tools (Montage Connect).