Most of my sound libraries from the days of Yamaha MOTIF XF still work on the Yamaha MONTAGE, except performances which do not get loaded in any case (I assume this is normal).
When attempting to load the Inspiration in a Flash sound library virtually nothing works. S700 for XS, for example, shows 4 elements, but only one of them produces any sound. All patches have a similar problem, so the entire voice pack is useless.
Any way around this, or is a similar library or port going to be released for Yamaha MONTAGE?
L. Spiro
Hello Shawn - The Lord moveth in mysterious ways ... many multi-part sounds on Montage have parts that don't sound at all except in a particular set of circumstances, involving range, buttons, super-knob, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, so 90% of the time are redundant. You could try auditioning the sound and watch what happens.
Hi Shawn, I actually don't have any Montage yet, but I think the reason why nothing can be heard is that most of the samples included in the XF-based "Inspiration in a Flash" library are using the so-called "LPC" format which seems to be related to "Linear Predictive Coding". The "LPC" format seems to be protected in some way like the "WXC" format is, both previously used in Yamaha-owned libraries exclusively. I can only guess, but it looks like "LPC" is currently not supported yet on the Montage, whereas "WXC"-based samples/waveforms seem to be already implemented after applying the latest firmware update - at least that's what I read in this forum. That was introduced by Yamaha in order to enable Montage owners to load other Yamaha XF libraries like the "CP1 piano" which are based on the "WXC" format. Maybe you try to apply the latest Montage firmware; with some luck "LPC" is already implemented as well - or it will be someday - hopefully.
Edit:
One minor correction to the description above. "LPC" seems to stand for “Loyalties Protection Copyright”. However, that doesn't change the fact that the used data compression method is owned by Yamaha and they are the only ones to decide if Montage will be able to read this format as well.
The previous discussions mention that the issue is being looked into although also coupled with noting that some of the "best of" the Inspiration In A Flash (such as the S700) has already been included in the performance presets of Montage.
Using a popular search engine to search for:
site:yamahasynth.com "inspiration in a flash" montage
Returns:
https://yamahasynth.com/forum/inspiration-in-a-flash
As the first entry. I think it encapsulates the most definitive feedback on the subject although there are other threads with similar discussion.
Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R
The S700 piano has been my main piano for years.. so glad it's included in my Montage. Sounds wonderful!
I’ve always found the S700 to have a non-linear drop-off on the low range. Soft playing is at the mercy of over-sensitivity that can lead to unusual loudness between notes unless you are extremely skilled in getting the right attack pressure. I like the sound, but the curves near the low end have to be adjusted for it to have the same overall dynamic as most other pianos included on Yamaha MOTIF or Yamaha MONTAGE.
I’ve started a YouTube channel for people who want to listen to and compare various digital pianos ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLTcNMjqSXgt8yyQqhr1r1w), and although I have included the S700 for Montage I still need the PowerGrand and Jazz Grand from Inspiration in a Flash.
In addition, I need “Live Dooh” for one of my songs and a few other sounds.
It seems I will have to wait for a system update to get it working.
L. Spiro
Maybe what you're looking for is already there. There are some vocal performances, but if you look further down (deeper) - the data list has a listing of all waveforms. This would be a single element within a PART. I've used some of these myself for "Doh" vocals or specific syllables needed to cover some tunes that have these in the original recordings.
Take a look at the data list (montage_en_dl_v110_b0.pdf) page 67
Namely waveforms 1977-1982: "M Dooh Soft", "F Dooh Soft", "Mix Dooh Soft", "M Dooh Loud", "F Dooh Loud", "Mix Dooh Loud"
Also waveforms 2011, 2012: "F Dooh Soft -12", "F Dooh Loud -12"
Also waveforms 2028-2029: "Dooh Soft Split", "Dooh Loud Split"
I "dug up" this information my searching in the datalist PDF for "dooh"
If you have access to a Motif XF - then you could see how the "Live Dooh" is constructed and replicate yourself. Otherwise, just generating something from the ground-up may be fine using the waveforms. I've never heard the "Live Dooh" so I'm not sure what to point you to in terms of existing performances in Montage that may be related. Other than performance numbers 429-437, 1319-1327 include somewhat related content (speculation).
Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R