No. The MONTAGE does not have a Sequencer. It comes with a built-in PERFORMANCE RECORDER... which is similar to Direct Performance Record from the Motif-series. But it is NOT a traditional 16 Track MIDI sequencer

If you want to create 16 Track Sequences as you did on the Motif XF. You can setup to do this but you need to connect to a computer/laptop/tablet and run a DAW software, like Cubase. You are given an Access Code for a free download of Steinberg's Cubase AI. But you can use your favorite DAW, if you wish. Once you have created a 16 Track MIDI Sequence on your computer you can access it and use the PLAY/REC feature to link it with a Performance and play it back.

To setup the MONTAGE to do traditional 16 Part / 16 Track sequencing externally:

From the HOME screen
Press [CATEGORY SEARCH]
Touch "Init" > select "Multi/GM"

This sets up an initialized MIXING setup exactly like XF would be setup in SONG/PATTERN mode, initially. You can then substitute an instrument for each of the 16 Parts. You do so by selecting the individual Part 1-16 and using [SHIFT] + [CATEGORY SEARCH] you can then find your instrument for each Parts. By setting the BANK = PRESET, and the ATTRIBUTE = SINGLE you will find all 1353 Motif XF Voice Programs available as the core of the MONTAGE ROM Library... plus additional MONTAGE Single Part sounds.

You can see video demonstration here on Yamaha Synth on the basics of getting started with a DAW.

The PLAY/REC -PERFORMANCE RECORDER
If you remember "Direct Performance Record" from the Motif XF/XF series, it was designed as a way to "jump start" your musical compositions. Traditional sequencing (talking about the traditional one-track-at-a-time variety) was expanded in these synths so that you could Record INTO the sequencer from Performance mode... using as many as four Parts simultaneously.

Even though the XF Performance was a single channel Transmit and Receive Mode, you were able to control four instruments at once... you could do so in a variety of configurations... splits, layers, combination split layers, etc. An example, would be a Performance like "Free Fall"... made up of four Parts:

Drum Kit - Arpeggio
Bass - Arpeggio
Acoustic Steel Guitar - Arpeggio
Lead Electric Guitar - played Direct

Basically, you data was recorded by the Song or Pattern sequencer... behind the scenes, the XS/XF transmitted each note you played OUT to the sequencer. Those Parts having an Arpeggio assigned had your direct key presses blocked and replaced by the data being generated interactively by the assigned Arp Phrase; only those Parts played direct, go Out to the sequencer direct.

If you were playing two Parts direct and two Parts with Arps, (for example, you decide to walk the bass yourself), the two Parts directly played would look like two identical streams of MIDI data... and even if it sounded as a SPLIT when played live, it would playback as a split because... the XS/XF would convert the Performance Parts to MIXING PARTS, keeping the same NOTE LIMITS, NOTE SHIFTS, and other tone generator settings... such that the Drum Kit would be placed in a Part of the MIXING and it would be assigned the MIDI channel so only the drums will play that data. The Bass the same - it ignores the right hand notes because NOTE LIMITs are copied, the Steel Guitar follows its data... and so on.

So in between completing the Direct Performance Record in PERF mode and switching to SONG or PATTERN, the XS/XF would have copied the data, exported the Parts, matched the Parts with the MIDI channel corresponding to their Part number... thus ensuring the data plays from the right instrument sound.

The MONTAGE PLAY/REC function is similar to this, only it is now eight Parts, with eight potential Arpeggiators available and no switching of Modes is necessary - because MONTAGE is designed to capture whatever you play on the keys and with arpeggios in one QUICK OPERATION. All eight Parts Output the data generated by you pressing the keys, except those assigned to an Arp. If an Arp is assigned your key presses are blocked and the data generated by the Arpeggiator is Output. All Parts generate data on the MIDI Channel corresponding to its PART, 1-8.

The concept is this... rather than recording drums with a metronome (all alone - if I had a nickel for each project that began with a lonely click and a drum kit, ... well I'd have a lot of nickels). The concept was to pick a drum Arp phrase from the then 2300 drum grooves in the XF (there are now some 3200 in MONTAGE), then use the Play FX to get the feel to swing just right... then build up the rest of a rhythm section.... bass, guitar etc... and play along in the context of this "section"

Capture it all, realtime interaction with a rhythm section - document it to the sequencer. Then you can,literally, via a USB connection Drag n Drop your data into your favorite DAW to complete your work.***

Often you might discard some of the data contributed by Arps, some times you'd use it as is... the thing was to generate these musical parts in context of a rhythm section, not against a cold click, click, click... later you migh go back and punch in fill-ins, add ruffs, and cymbal crashes etc.. but the idea was to get MORE inspiration into building your compositions up from nothing.

Certainly it was better than just starting with a click. Now with MONTAGE the concept of the rhythm section has expanded... to the point where, I can be playing an Acoustic Piano and a Pad sound... I can totally manipulate both separately because I'm addressing each with its own set of customized controllers and movement. I might be changing the attack and release of the Pad sound while changing the proximity of the piano(adjusting EQ, Reverb time, and filter settings) with a single controller gesture. That same controller gesture might be fading in the Kick, snare, hi hat pattern... all this can happen simultaneously... from a single controller movement gesture.

It gets to the point where the days of going in and drawing controllers with a mouse (seems so foreign to me now) instead I can go in and edit my synthesizer! The significance of this hits you when you stop fighting what is new about MONTAGE. Where before I was looking at Instrument Tracks separately, because they all were recorded that way... now, I can challenge myself to build my own Synth entity... it might include some traditional things but I find the more you explore the more new ways you find to construct your composition.

Recording the bass line, drums and a keyboard Part or two simultaneously is now a part of my workflow, because I know I want my drums to *impact* what the bass and keyboard Parts are doing. That impact can be through side chain modulation, or simply having percussion Parts impact chords and timbres that I'm playing harmonically.

*** complete your work:
Extra Credit explanation: because Montage has this other side, one in which you can use the Synth architecture to build the "ultimate" sound... one where you are using 11 Elements to build a piano, or 18 Elements to build a string orchestra ... this type of Ultimate Program is not easily contained within the confines of today's MIDI 1.0 spec, as it can require multiple MIDI channels to accomplish the goal of being one instrument. This means traditional editing of MIDI events on a computer can perhaps become a bit tedious... these mega ultimate programs are best utilized as "featured" sounds... recorded as Audio... when I recall my ultimate brass sound, I'm literally playing the equivalent of 6 Motif XFs. Don't get me wrong - if you have a few MIDI Jedi Merit Badges recording Multiple Parts as MIDI can be done, but if you understand the advantages of these big programs, you might want to adjust your workflow.

Now if you think that layering them means placing them all on the same MIDI channel. STOP. That is not what is happening here. And you miss an important part of this discussion.
No, each is on its own glorious MIDI channel, I'm actually transmitting to the six Motif sounds, on six separate channels. Meaning I can address them as individuals in ways I could not, if all they were was layered on a single channel.

Because MONTAGE has 32 bus audio outputs - learn to use audio recording when adding your ultimate sounds. We have tutials that get into workflow concepts, production decisions and the things you'll need to understand to get the most out of what MONTAGE has to offer.

Got my used Montage last week, so I got a trial of Elements 9. I am on ol Sonar and MO6 user and I am just blown away. First I was amazed that you could have a performance write out individual tracks with arps on midi. and then also can get the audio split out on multiple tracks as well..... just amazing. The Tutorials were spot on and required to get this working... but once you do the hardest stuff... the easy stuff should be easy right? Well....

It took me a bit to figure out the workflow of just stacking up of stereo audio, and to get the mixer console working..... I learnt a little about cubase stumbling around,... I just didn't use a template and manually added tracks....doh..... and now I can stack up the rich performances.

So in a few days I figured out how to tame and tweak a few performances.... and my mind is blown how deep this beast is.

I feel playing live is really going to be it's strength... this weekend I am going to go thru Bad Misters... FM 4 part:

Its pretty easy to get some awesome sounding and Performance from scratch now...., and I can get cubase to work via the templates and without.... so I have great first week ..... Ive never played with FM....so after next weekend I might be dangerous.

Thank to you for putting such great content out there...., Im up and running in a few days....., got my scuba gear all lined up...., lets go diving!~!!!

I can't believe how streamlined the setup is... with the mike and or other keys in... and one USB for all of the ins and outs.... its so sweet.