Can you detail the hardware configuration (how all this equipment is connected together). With MIDI in/out, USB cables, etc. all detailed out. You may have reduced the configuration down to just your PC and Montage using a USB cable - but it's not clear from the post.

Then, from the Montage config - how are you arriving at the issue 1 and issue 2 performances? Start from turning on the Montage and defaulting to the preset "CFX + FM EP" (or whatever your default is) and explain what your configuration ends up as. If you're using a user performance you've saved, it would help to explain how that user performance is setup. Perhaps even using Montage Connect to save off an X7B file and then zipping that and attaching to the message.

The "MultiGM" title and using Imperial Grand raises somewhat of a red flag but I have to infer how you arrive to your final performance and would rather base it off of your actual config.

My assumption at the moment is that you loaded the preset performance "Multi/GM" initialization performance then used the PART category search to add the "Imperial Grand Piano". Note that this is not a valid configuration since the "Imperial Grand Piano" PART is not sufficient to reproduce the Imperial Grand -PERFORMANCE-. The performance "Imperial Grand Piano" has multiple PARTs and it is important to have all the PARTs to reproduce the piano sound - not just one PART. Perhaps you are doing something closer to merging Multi/GM and Imperial Grand Piano (so you have all the PARTs of the Imperial Grand) - the assumption is as such as using just the PART would lead to the results you are experiencing.

Hi Jason,

Thank you for your reply, it appears your assumptions are correct and I have not read up enough before jumping in the deep end feet first 🙂

The Montage is connected to the PC via USB cable and 2 mono jack cables to mixing desk. I have not hooked anything else up at this juncture.

I load up cubase open a new empty project (I did this way as if I intend recording the keys may not get added until a later stage depending on the project I have on hand at the time). Turn on the montage and add the montage connect rack.
On the Montage I select utility/ quick setup/ Midi Rec On Daw/ Store/ Home/ Category search/ init/ MultiGM/ enter/ Select 1 Piano Acoustic/ search/ CFX + FM EP.

Now I had a look at the elements and noticed some of the velocities are not set to 1 so when I play softly no sound is made but there is midi activity. So I changed the patch to the S700 for Montage (highlighted Green) patch and that works perfectly no cut out all velocities work great etc. So after reading your reply this makes perfect sense. So it looks like I need to read up a little more before I start delving in feet first haha.

I am still getting double triggering if I just use say the imperial piano as a performance patch on its own, is this right?

Edit* I have just found that the double triggering stops when I turn on Single mode instead of Multi. This is now starting to make sense to me I think haha.

I don't have my Montage setup to try anything here. Therefore, I'm not clear on exactly what your double-triggering comments are all about. When you play the Imperial Grand Piano with your PC connected to a DAW and Local Monitor is ON - when you mash one key down on the keyboard, since Local Monitor is ON, your Montage will translate your keyboard strike into a piano sound (tone generator). MIDI will send the Note ON/Note OFF information down MIDI to your DAW. There will actually be 3 sets of Note ON/OFF (Channels 1, 2, and 3 -- assuming you're using the preset which has PART 1/PART 2/PART 3). Your DAW will receive these Note ON/Note OFF and may or may not send them back to Montage depending on how you have the DAW configured to deal with incoming MIDI. Furthermore, the DAW itself - if a VSTi (instrument) is loaded - may play its own sounds and send them out whatever output is configured (PC speakers, back to Montage via USB aka digital audio).

You can usually isolate these sorts of things by paying attention to the MIDI input and output configuration of tracks on Cubase. In addition, turning off Local Monitor can be used as a means to make sure you're not getting an "echo" from some other (not Montage) sound source and Montage. You can also use zone control and Int SW = OFF as a means to isolate. If sounds are coming from elsewhere - those likely need to not sound (instead config all audible output to come from Montage) according to what I know about what you're trying to do.

More than anything, it would be worth your understanding how PARTs relate to MIDI and how preset performances are constructed (generally) when dealing with single-PART performances vs. multi-PART performances. Multi-PART performances show up under the "Performance Category Search" as blue and single-PART performances show up as green. Single-PART performances behave according to how you assume they should. You can add them as a PART (PART Category Search) and nothing is lost. They transmit on a single MIDI channel. This likely matches your legacy knowledge of past MIDI instruments you've dealt with.

Multi-PART performances (presets - assume single-instrument ones like piano, guitar, bass, etc) are comprised of multiple PARTs and each PART will transmit on its own MIDI channel (matching the PART #) assuming you have MIDI mode set to multi (not single). In order to preserve this instrument - all PARTs must be present as each PART deals with either a pitch range, a velocity range, or an articulation (such as releasing the keys, legato, etc). If you do not have all the PARTs - then certain velocity ranges or certain note ranges or certain other "nuance" will not sound because the PART(s) for those are missing.

Realizing how these relate to MIDI behavior may help you properly setup your DAW as well.

Jason I have now sorted all the issues out YAY 🙂 and know where I was going wrong 🙂 I had the Montage setup correctly however my issues were all down to how Cubase was set to record. As I have used lots of midi gear typically you select your device and midi channel and assign a patch to said device/ channel. As I have discovered the Montage doesn't work that way, ok as of yet I don't quite fully understand how it does but I have the concept and it's starting to click into place. Setting the midi channel to 'Any' was basically my issue. So I have put the Montage back into Multi mode and just watched 'Bad Misters' great tutorial and found out a few other things about the arpegiator too that I would have been scratching my head over.

Also on a separate note I went out and picked up a new better quality USB cable too.

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out 🙂
Regards,
Al.