I use Cubase 8.5.2 and MX 61 until I got the Montage.

I have followed your tutorials and Cubase setup, Montage setup, etc. and I just cannot wrap my head around what is going on with the recording process you have implemented. I understand the articles for the most part, but am I missing something? I can only do 1 midi or 1 midi/arp recording at a time. If I try for another track, then whatever voice is selected for the second track, now becomes the voice of the original track. So does each midi track have to be converted to audio before another midi track can be made? It seems the only way that I can record a track, then monitor it, while recording another track with a different instrument, is to either do all my recording in audio, or convert to audio, before doing another track.

I previously used an MX 61, and things seemed pretty straight forward. I could lay down different tracks, midi, audio, instrument, etc, and never had a problem. The one thing I noticed with the Montage though, is that under Midi Device Manager, it doesn't show up. The MX 61 does and you can install the voices. So if the voices cannot be installed in Cubase, does that mean everything has to run through Montage

So please tell me i am missing something.
Thanks, Randy

If you understand the MX, let's use that knowledge and apply it to recording using Montage. It is straight forward because you have 16 Parts, and 16 channels... Let's do that with Montage!

Try the following basic workflow... Once comfortable branch out from what you learned.

Open an Empty Cubase Project.
Create 1 MIDI track with the Channel set to "Any" (typically a track is created and assigned to channel "1", change that "1" to "Any".
"Any" means that Cubase will echo the data back to the Montage on the MIDI channel that it arrives on. So you will not have to concern yourself with channel numbers. In fact, you can record all data to this one track!

Set the MIDI IN = MONTAGE Port 1
Set the MIDI OUT = MONTAGE Port 1

In the Montage, prepare for MIDI REC on DAW...
Press [SHIFT] + [UTILITY] to take the shortcut to the QUICK SETUP screen
Touch "MIDI REC on DAW"
Press [EXIT] to return to your Performance HOME screen

Press [CATEGORY SEARCH]
Touch the item "Init"
Select "Multi/GM"
This will create a 16 Part Multi setup similar to the 16 Parts in the MX. Each Part is on a successively higher MIDI channel, matching the Part number.

Begin to select your sounds for each Part. You can do so by touching the Type/Name box of Part 1 in the screen.
When you touch the name, a pop-in comes in from the left, offering you "SEARCH".
Touch "Search" to view the "Part 1 - Category Search" screen.
Set the BANK = Preset
Set the ATTRIBUTE = Single

This will let you search just Single Part programs that are complete instrument sounds. It is very important to set the "Attribute" to "Single", to avoid going where you aren't quite ready yet. Where your cursor highlight is located determines what type of Search you are doing, by touching the Part Name, first, we are searching to replace that one Part.

You can now change the default "Concert Grand" to the sound you wish to use.
Use the Category and SubCategory to narrow your search.

Repeat for [PART SELECT 2] and so on.
Select several instruments to get started. I recommend you select at least four or five instruments before you start recording just so you don't have to stop and start each time. You can always change your mind later.

After you have several instruments selected for the first several Parts... make sure the Midi Track is active in Cubase.

By selecting "MIDI REC on DAW" we have turned Local Control = Off. You will only hear you Montage if you are in direct communication with an active Cubase MIDI track.

You can setup for the type of record you want to do in Cubase.
Set quantize if you wish to use it
Set your Markers if you wish to CYCLE record.

You can record all of your Parts to this one track. Remember, the channel allows each MIDI channel to be recorded and played back discreetly.
If after recording you later wish to edit your MIDI data you can use the MIDI function called DISSOLVE PARTS to split the data to separate tracks for easy viewing and editing.

If and when you are ready to record a Single Part using an arpeggio, you will need to make a change to the QUICK SETUP. because arpeggio data takes input from the keys, the signal flow for arpeggio data is different... After all we are not recording the keys, as before, we are going to record the output of the Arpeggiator.

Select "Arp Rec on DAW"
Use this Quick Setup for recording and playing back arpeggio data.

Let us know, if you have questions or concerns.

Recording Multi Part programs is a bit different, but if I was putting together a course in this, I would recommend mastering recordings where you are working with Attribute = Single, before attempting to record a Multi Part program.

We have a script file (.XML) that creates the MIDI DEVICE MANAGER list of the programs (thanks to "Tones" Escueta). We are going to post this around the time the Montage Connect utility becomes available - it's probably best to learn to navigate the front panel before leaning on a list.

Got it! I read this, but it didn't register. Your explanation makes it clear. The key is to set the channel to "any". That was where my mistake was!
Looking forward to more videos as they really fill in the blanks.
Thanks, Randy

BM, I've got all the SYNC settings set per the video. When I test the ARP sound and change the Quick Setup to REC ARP TO DAW, everything's good. But when I start to record, the Montage tempo immediately changes, and keeps changing intermittently, sometimes radically. Where am I going wrong??

BM, I've got all the SYNC settings set per the video. When I test the ARP sound and change the Quick Setup to REC ARP TO DAW, everything's good. But when I start to record, the Montage tempo immediately changes, and keeps changing intermittently, sometimes radically. Where am I going wrong??

Well, that should not happen. Let’s begin troubleshooting with a recounting of “all the SYNC settings” to double check something is not missing.

The DAW is the master clock, the synth will need to slave to that clock. If this is correctly set, then the synth will make no decisions about the Tempo, it will dutifully follow the Tempo readout in the DAW.

Things to check for: other clock devices involved in this setup... are there any other devices that have clocks in your setup?