We'll look into getting the info on the particular session in the video. The back story, indeed, would probably be of interest to many.

But don't let that stop you from experimenting right now - even if only with pre-recorded or a simpler Audio In.

Why you want to experiment is to discover exactly *what* makes a good source and the logistics of the routing setup.

Envelope Follower
Basically, anything routed to the A/D Input can used as a Modulation source within the Motion Control Synthesis Engine. When routed to the Envelope Follower you can create a ADSR for a synth sound to follow... It can be assigned to open filters, modulate FM-X Operator Levels, Change effect settings, etc., etc., etc., any of scores of Destinations. The kick drum feeds the A/D input, route to the Envelope Follower, tell the synth sound to react to the pulse (burst of signal) which creates the shape of the result. A pad sound where the filter Cutoff moves when the kick drum hits allows the keys and drums to interact sonically. You have to use your imagination as to what you want to control

Auto Beat Sync
Basically, you make the MIDI SYNC = A/D Input if you are going to experiment with Auto Beat Sync.
Now all internal Montage functions that are tempo driven will look to the A/D Input as the clock Source. To test it connect any handheld audio source...try anything and everything... what you want to get a feel for is what the technology is doing to pickup the tempo. It is not completely just magic, it is actually analyzing the audio coming in, looking for strong pulses that define the tempo. Once you feed it a variety of source material, only then can you have a sense of what will work and what does not. Not everything you select will be a good source... getting a feel for what will and will not work, can only be learned by experimenting.

As the video visually points out, a strongly defined kick snare pattern makes a wonderful source for tempo and it makes a strong pulse as an envelope source.
(I test stuff out on my friends - I can remember showing a good friend of mine the Montage Envelope Follower for the first time... I asked him to choose some audio to interact with the Montage... his selection had nothing whatever to do with what would make a good solid source to create an Envelope... his curious instinct made him choose a piece of music that was something he enjoyed listen to... point being it was the worst for creating an envelope. But it helped him immensely when next a well defined percussion pattern was played... the concept of what an "envelope shape" meant, became clear to him in that moment.

Our basic instinct (curiosity) is try it and see, that you must do... it's how you know not to burn your hand on hot stoves. Just learn to look for what makes a better source to feed in. That's what experimenting should be. Base it loosely on what the device's concept is...of course, create an ADSR shape that can be used as a trigger event for some other thing to happen, or in the case of AutoBeatSync, create a source that has detectable and reasonably consistent tempo.

I like to play along with MP3s. I've been importing them into Cubase as audio tracks, which allows me to slow them down enough to figure out what the musicians are actually doing. It's like getting music lessons from some of my favorite musicians. Besides, I can't play as fast as the pros, but I can play with them just fine once I've slowed them down enough. 😀

Is there a way to route audio from Cubase into the Audio Beat Sync feature of the Montage?

I use Auto Beat Sync a lot with songs(MP3 .Wav).
I find that songs that have a Weak bass Drum. Have to have Some EQ adjustments. So the bass drum is coming through good. I run that to a buss So I do not have to Hear it while. I am Jammin with the song.
(Yes You can mute the A/d in output sound(in the Montage). So What You hear. Is the Normal song/band playback and Your playing only.)

Auto Beat Sync does not like a sound like Hi Hats for beat. So a Hi-Hat count-in will throw it off a little. Until a Good Bass drum is present.
So in Live playing situations. A count in. And How You deal with it. Should be practiced.
In Ear Count-ins are the Best solutions for live Bands. If that is not affordable.
Then Keyboard player Must Come in After Bass drum starts. Or Switch The A/D in 'ON' after the count-in.
It is not perfect. But it is Really Cool. And U can adjust to its needs pretty easily.

That’s great!

How do you have your Montage set up to receive input from the MP3s?

Well in a DAW You send the sound to the mains and to a Buss(Cue). Add any EQ to the Buss Channel.
You FEED the A/D IN from the Buss channel only(Could be the Headphones out).
Make Sure You have a Good Signal in the Montage. Then Mute the A/D output(So you do not hear it).
It is still working. Just the A/D signal to output speakers is muted. U do not want to hear it twice.

In a DAW
I have the Start point of the music set to avoid a Countin. So U may have to FEEL The start sometimes.
I am very used to it by now. And I go through my Jam list Seamlessly.

If I played out. I would have the Countin's on another track(Ableton live Easy)set to Another Buss 4 in ear.

Read How to use Auto Beat Sync. It is very helpful.

I like to play along with MP3s. I've been importing them into Cubase as audio tracks, which allows me to slow them down enough to figure out what the musicians are actually doing. It's like getting music lessons from some of my favorite musicians. Besides, I can't play as fast as the pros, but I can play with them just fine once I've slowed them down enough. 😀

Is there a way to route audio from Cubase into the Audio Beat Sync feature of the Montage?

In order to use the Audio Beat Sync feature you must route the audio to the analog A/D Inputs... this can be done if only wishing to use your computer as a playback device. Anything connected to the MONTAGE A/D Inputs can be the source for temp. Obviously some source material is better for tempo recognition... but as long as you analyze the source material with the knowledge that it looks for strong audio pulses to establish the tempo, you can pretty much predict if it is a good source.

As alternative methods we can suggest the following ... instead of using "musical mode" of Cubase to adjust tempo... we can recommend a seriously killer app (I can't tell you how many vinyl records I ruined as a kid) that allows you access to your entire iTune library, it will analyze the selected song, (like the Chord Tracker app) but this time it breaks the song into relevant musical phrases, which you can adjust and immediately loop ... you can adjust the tempo independent of the pitch. Set new A/B points... it's awesome.

Your iOS device (iPhone/iPad/iPod) connects via USB "To Host" with LUCA (Lightning to USB Adapter)... I just completed a Steely Dan/Donald Fagen soundalike project after breaking it down using this App.

It's called YAMAHA Kittar - Phrase Practice App - US (currently at version 2.0.3.
Kittar is a music app that lets you enjoy music phrase by phrase...

This is one of the most interested in feature that MONTAGE have, and I am sure that everyone who is playing live with your band will be love to see how this set up work with your live band.
So please tell us what were those Performances that they used in this video and how they set it up to sync with live drum..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRlgglsj7i0

Thank you,

This is what we want for live band, I am sure most of you want to play your Montage with your live band and want to know how to set up this.
Yamaha, Please write us an instruction step by step how to setup like in the video so that we can play with our live band, we spent a lot of money for Montage and still can't do much things.

Thanks

@Tho

It's quite simple. See the attached pictures.
Step 1: Press Utility.
Step 2: Select: Settings - Audio I/O
Set A/D input to MIC
Step 3: a) Select: Settings - Midi I/O
Select MIDI Sync (here Internal)
Set to A/D in.

That's it.
Connect any input device to the LEFT/MONO A/D input at the back panel.
E.g. a microphone.

Personally I use a specific drum-microphone and run it through an EQ-high pass filter to get rid of the rumble and then through a compressor for getting an equal beat. But just plug in any mic or mp3-player and it will work.

I too spent a lot of money on my gear, but even more hours to study and practice it.
And I consider the Montage 8 the best (in terms of usefulness) synth currently available.
Sure I still have wishes to optimize it to my needs, but then again, it's not customized but an of-the-shelf machine.

So enjoy!

@Tho

It's quite simple. See the attached pictures.
Step 1: Press Utility.
Step 2: Select: Settings - Audio I/O
Set A/D input to MIC
Step 3: a) Select: Settings - Midi I/O
Select MIDI Sync (here Internal)
Set to A/D in.

That's it.
Connect any input device to the LEFT/MONO A/D input at the back panel.
E.g. a microphone.

Personally I use a specific drum-microphone and run it through an EQ-high pass filter to get rid of the rumble and then through a compressor for getting an equal beat. But just plug in any mic or mp3-player and it will work.

I too spent a lot of money on my gear, but even more hours to study and practice it.
And I consider the Montage 8 the best (in terms of usefulness) synth currently available.
Sure I still have wishes to optimize it to my needs, but then again, it's not customized but an of-the-shelf machine.

So enjoy!

Thank you @Jan, It's really helpful !

Thanks for your help !

Auto Beat Sync.Is probably
1 of the Easiest Features of the Montage. Do not Overthink it.
It is very straightforward.

Now If I was Playing live. I would Also probably use a Compressor and EQ high pass(I use the EQ anyway.)

Most setups Are best with the Mic'ed Bass drum signal. But I have seen People use a Snare as feed to A/D in(Not sure I agree with that. Too much varyation in beat?)

As alternative methods we can suggest the following ... instead of using "musical mode" of Cubase to adjust tempo... we can recommend a seriously killer app (I can't tell you how many vinyl records I ruined as a kid) that allows you access to your entire iTune library, it will analyze the selected song, (like the Chord Tracker app) but this time it breaks the song into relevant musical phrases, which you can adjust and immediately loop ... you can adjust the tempo independent of the pitch. Set new A/B points... it's awesome.

That’s pretty cool. Thanks.

It took me a while to see the point of it, but now that I do I really like it. It’s going to be a much quicker way to figure out parts of songs. (I wore out a lot of vinyl myself.)

I’ll still need to use Cubase when I need to use things like EQ to isolate bass lines.

What are the vertical white lines in the Kittar timeline supposed to be telling me?

The vertical white lines I mentioned above appear in the display for editing a phrase.

One other Kittar question: phrases are labeled with letters like A, B, C. The first few phrases in the song I’m working with are labeled A, A, B, C, A, A, B. Why the repeated labels for distinct phrases?

Kittar is not Android or PC based, so I cannot "play" with it. However, use of letters to describe parts of songs is "standard notation". For instance, "Take The A Train" follows the standard "AABA" form. The chords and melody have an "A" section which repeats twice (AA) Cmaj7, %, D7b5, %, D-7, G7, Cmaj7, %... Then there's a middle section which has a different melody and chords (B section, also known as the "bridge" - relation to "B" is coincidental) Fmaj7, %, %, %, D7, %, D-7, G7. Then the chords and melody are again the same as the 1st and 2nd A section above. That completes one cycle of the song's form (AABA).

The "ABC" song form is common - verse, chorus, bridge. And not too surprising to have a song form of verse, verse, chorus, bridge (AABC).

"Autumn Leaves" takes the AABC form. Not falling in the "verse, verse, chorus, bridge labeling exactly. See analysis: http://danhaerle.com/AutumnLeaves.html

When you look at tunes this way and break down the "form" - you get accustomed to this nomenclature.