It's hard to throw a rock at the forum subjects without hitting your request.

https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/management-midi-channels-with-montage-7
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/how-to-assign-each-part-to-its-own-midi-receive-channel
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/set-the-receive-channel-of-each-part-individually
https://yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/midi-on-the-modx-same-as-montage-or-moxf
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/midi-2
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/v1-20-setting-the-receive-channel-of-each-part-not-possible-by-design/oldest

Between the release and now there have been several more -- just stopped after the first few hits.

The pushback from Yamaha support has been fairly consistent on this one - you can dig up the past responses and judge how far further uphill you'll be able to push this rock.

I've presented this as a competitive disadvantage on the MIDI implementation front vs. Kronos (and other flagships) as you have. Also Karma support was dropped past Motif XF due much in part due to the inability to assign MIDI channels freely to PARTs (including overlapping channels).

Myself I have several options to handle the MIDI routing. DAWs do it in the studio and I have Camelot for live -- if I ever need that. I'm not a fan myself of integrating non-dedicated hardware/software and do not have such a dedicated solution (although those do exist).

Most of the folks holding their breath for this feature have expired. Still, good to have some measure of users who could benefit from assigning MIDI receive channels freely and how that would be used. May help influence something. Squeaky wheel and all that.

Jason, you said:

Most of the folks holding their breath for this feature have expired. Still, good to have some measure of users who could benefit from assigning MIDI receive channels freely and how that would be used. May help influence something. Squeaky wheel and all that.

This is not the point, the fact is that all of those that pretend to have an instrument really compatible with the MIDI standards are tired of the present Yamaha´s arrogant attitude, ignoring and despiseing the historical customers that have sustained the company over years, spending thousends of dollars in the company´s products.

There's no disagreement on what your point is. Just saying that there's a long line of the exact same sentiment. The exact same arguments. Clear and compelling reasons why this missing feature would benefit users and the platform. There's no disagreement here. I'm one of the former folks in that line making these same points.

I haven't always been thrilled with the treatment of suggestions or feedback. That's documented as well. So no disagreements here.

FYI - there's another forum that's the "new" place to suggest changes to current and future products (Ideascale). That may be a better place for suggestions and related feedback.

Thanks Jason

I will hit that forum. I have owned the Motif Classic, ES and XF. I was so excited about the integrated Steinberg Audio Interface, that I didn't research the MIDI Receive issue. Seemed a fairly obvious point to maintain channel receive flexibility that Motifs always had.

As I said, I use Cantabile Performer 3 for live integration which has the flexibility to fool the Montage into receiving several midi channels from one channel on my bottom tier 88 key controller.

I have never, ever heard any pads or textures as rich and exciting as Omnisphere 2.6. I use it to start our shows and it is a huge crowd pleaser. I love fading it in as a kind of "the show is beginning" and hear the crowd start cheering (even at small events). Unfortunately, the Yamaha and Korg giants cannot out perform Omnisphere. Also, as a seasoned hammond player, none of the Korg or Yamaha leslie or hammond sounds give that rich "wooden cabinet" feel. So I integrate Blue 3 and IKmultimedia Leslie through the Montage audio interface. Both Blue3 and Omnisphere are Software instruments that are superior to any hardware synth (yes, even the Nord, which is hard to believe).

Still, I am a happy owner of the Montage for the sake of the high quality sounds and audio interface. The MIDI is just stupid. Touchscreen is not that impressive either. I had to laugh at Yamaha's "History of the development of the Montage" video when the developer said, "We carefully designed the display to match any lighting condition ranging from sunlight to a dark stage." Ummm......no. You didn't. The montage is on my second tier and the display is absolutely terrible, and virtually unseeable in sunlight. I had to resort to mapping live sets to select via the buttons or else.

Thanks Jason. Off to Ideascale!

I foresee a lot of used Montages for sale if the Kronos gets a solid quality integrated audio interface. I am seeing that the incredible multipart sounds in the montage do not jive with DAWs either. DAW can only use Single part instruments per channel nullifying complex multi Piano or Rhodes sounds. This is looking like a Microsoft Windows 8 trajectory. Microsoft kept saying, "It's fine! Just learn it!" Then Windows 10 had to be released as an "okay, okay.....it wasn't fine!" Not good. If the Montage didn't have such a great integrated audio interface, I would have immediately returned it to Sweetwater for a full refund due to inaccurate description of the product (incapable of assigning multipart receive channel).

I can't find the ideascale.

A DAW can use a multi channel instrument - you just cannot use conventional one-track-per-instrument means. You would copy the track "n" times to cover an instrument that uses "n" PARTs and assign the output MIDI channel to the corresponding PART #. Typically there are single-PART versions of instruments. If there are examples where there is only a multi-PART version and is something that last generation (Motif XF) would have been a "voice" - then this would be a reasonable suggestion to add a (usable) single-channel version of this instrument. I cannot recall seeing any specifics where users have found a case where there was not a single-PART version.

False advertising a bit heavy-handed. Marketing bullets and specs rarely, for any manufacturer's keyboard, goes into this level of detail. The association of MIDI channel to "slots". It was a rude awakening - because one has an expectation set by previous generations - but it was advertised that Montage was different from previous generations. A departure where several items were not carried forward. And MIDI channel flexibility was just one of those things in that "Montage is simplified" bucket (unfortunately).

However, the feedback does outline that it would be nice to have a more-or-less comprehensive list of features that are differentiating from the last generation product. Both things added and things removed. Then I could have spent less time looking for things that didn't exist. Or perhaps could have offered more information pre-sale for some.

However, the feedback does outline that it would be nice to have a more-or-less comprehensive list of features that are differentiating from the last generation product. Both things added and things removed. Then I could have spent less time looking for things that didn't exist. Or perhaps could have offered more information pre-sale for some.

Very, very true. I guess the "false advertising" statement was simply an expression of frustration. You are correct that the Montage has enough Single Part sounds to facilitate a single channel. Also, recording on all channels and dissolving the part to separate channels after the fact (as demoed by Bad Mista) is a way to avoid the cumbersome task of copying and pasting to other parts/channels associated with a sound. Yes, there are workarounds, and my Cantabile software can handle it. I love my yamaha products. I have not sold any of my other Motifs (maybe I am a hoarder). Montage PSR-like MIDI handling is atrocious. Great sounds, better than the XF in my opinion.

Thanks for your gracious response to my tantrum about false advertising.

I can't find the ideascale.

https://yamahasynth.ideascale.com

... and this idea probably covers what you want:

https://yamahasynth.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Free-allocation-of-midi-channels-in-Montage-Midi-IO-mode-multi/209732-45978

It's pretty popular - approaching the century mark in upvotes.

My guess is that the multi part instruments primarily result from the fact that the AWM2 part of Montage is still based on the 8 element architecture of the Motif XS/XF and that there was no other way to realize modern instruments using a large number of velocity layers (e.g.CFX) within that architecture.

Secondly, I believe that the fixed midi receive channel thing is linked to the fact that there are the multi part instruments. Maybe Yamaha did not find a convenient (or user friendly) way to ensure the multi part instruments are working properly when midi receive channel can be set freely.

Thanks again Jason. Thanks Falk, I wasn't aware that the AWM2 was relted to the number of elements and the complexity of associating multi part programs.

If the MIDI receive can be remediated (somehow) I think the Montage is the baddest keyboard out there. A system with a quality integrated audio interface, better sounding than the Motif XF (I have A/B'd them and my montage sounds better than my XF, CFX sounds fantastic!), superb as a controller, seamless integration with VST player software and DAW's, the acquisition of tempo via the A/D input to accommodate arpeggiation with a live drummer and a lot more (I am still exploring the motion control). (display is a little weak when set as a second tier keyboard). Fingers crossed.

All the excuses from Yamaha of technical complexity and Montage internal architecture. Yet if you use any DAW or hardware MIDI router that simply duplicates or redirects one channel into other(s) and sends to Montage, it works like everyone is asking for. Not convinced it’s a moon landing inside Montage if it’s so easy outside of it. If it truly is, Yamaha has a software architect / team issue they should resolve before their next major endeavor.

It's not hard to build a house on a concrete foundation. But if you build a house on top of dirt - it becomes difficult to retro-fit a foundation even though it's super simple to have one poured from the start. Sometimes you paint yourself into a corner. I can't say either way if the knots are too tangled to untie and re-align. I haven't seen Yamaha come out and make any calls either way. The inference is that the foundation analogy (or a spaghetti bowl) is closer to what's there than a slip-knot ready for reconfiguration.

I do think they have the message loud and clear. Civil nudges to threats and plenty between. Compelling use cases from keyboardists and also "trusted" sources such as previous 3rd party application development partners.

The energy spent on pushback (summary: do it the new way) suggests this isn't in the near-term pipeline (or perhaps not in the pipeline at all) to address. That's the tea leaves. In the absence of a clear message why this won't/can't be changed - I can understand why some would have a satisfaction issue when they look at a relatively large community of similar users who also are not seeing an official response to what they've requested (either "we can't do this because ...", "just hold tight, it's being actively worked", or the actual firmware with the feature).

In the absence of a clear message why this won't/can't be changed - I can understand why some would have a satisfaction issue when they look at a relatively large community of similar users who also are not seeing an official response to what they've requested (either "we can't do this because ...", "just hold tight, it's being actively worked", or the actual firmware with the feature).

Yes, I think I`ve got a satisfaction issue...

I am waiting for more than 3 years now for an official response from Yamaha.

Yamaha, please let us know what the status is.

Yes. Having been a long time Roland customer from the Juno 106 to the D-50, to the JV-80 to the JV 2080, I finally vacated Roland because of the intentional paradigm of the base unit, and then a bunch of expansions needed to get the actual sounds you want (stupid, and expensive). Found the Motif Classic (had everything), then bought the ES, then the XF. Intensely satisfied. Looked forward to getting the Montage, and eventually did on 7/8/19. I have entertained Korg since the introduction of the Radias engine. If Korg coughs up a decent integrated audio interface and Yamaha doesn't change this stupid MIDI channel issue (which they probably won't), I am pretty certain that I will go with Korg (with their integrated C3 and integrated Radias engine). I am nothing but a single grain of customer sand on a beach of Yamaha customers, so whatever. Montage is a beast, otherwise. But the use of MIDI flexibility for live is the bulk of my bread and butter. Not necessarily the studio application of it. I'll limp along for a year. See what happens. I can't really adjust to this need to jimmy rig the Montage with an external device for midi mapping. The whole reason for getting the Montage was to eliminate the need for an external audio interface for quick set up and breakdown, especially for shows with multiple bands.

Montage, a powerful keyboard with a YPG-235-like MIDI interface. Umm......what?!!