Looks like they didn't update either the Data List or Supplementary Manual PDFs.

The 3.51 firmware update didn't erase any of the content on my Montage. You should probably still do a backup first, just to make sure.

Looks like they didn't update either the Data List or Supplementary Manual PDFs.

Looks like just big fixes. So no changes to the data, no changes to the manual (except that some of the things that didn't always work as described now do!).

The 3.51 firmware update didn't erase any of the content on my Montage.

In the Readme it is written that you should Initialize all after the update:

5. Power on the MONTAGE.

6. Execute the Initialize All function ([UTILITY] > [Settings] > [System]).

This completes the update process.

Initializing allows for some of the factory content to get populated such as preset patterns. If you do not care about this kind of stuff - you can just leave it as-is. If you're going to restore from a backup then I'm not sure initializing is altogether necessary - although it doesn't hurt to erase everything then write over everything with a backup.

Always backup any data you care about before an update regardless if someone else says their keyboard survived without data loss after an update. It's just good habit. Also, keep in mind that there are other details that may make a difference. Depending on the firmware version you upgrade from may make a different if the process has an impact on user data. The type of user data you use may also make a difference. Just backup every chance you can -- and right before a firmware update is as good as an excuse as any to do backups.

Correct and a good habit. We all like to think we remember exactly what we last loaded into our instruments. Creating a Backup before, and then restoring a Backup after a firmware update eliminates the possibility of any data loss.

The “Initialize All Data” routine can be inserted prior to you restoring your data. This just ensures all buffers are cleared and like any system, it clears things completely...

There are going to be updates that do pooch your data. Since each new update includes all previous changes to the firmware, your mileage can differ depending on the firmware in your instrument when you update. There are far, far too many MONTAGE/MODXs out there with firmware 1.10 still in there. I’m not, sure what happens if you are updating from that far back.

Yikes, imagine all the changes that must occur to that unit, versus updating from 3.50.1 to 3.51.x
So to avoid a situation where you have a have a different set of Updater instructions for the Rip van Winkle’s (some one who has slept through all the firmware updates) and those of you who stay reasonably up-to-date... as Jason, says, it’s simply a good habit to always - backup/update/initialize-restore.

Please tell me this isnt the update that we were waiting for....

Please tell me this isnt the update that we were waiting for....

I still hope for a firmware ver.4 that will insert something new and that takes advantage of the second SWP70 tone generator. As is well known, Montage has two; Modx has only one and the only real difference is in the polyphony of the FMX (128 vs. 64). In short, one of the two SWP70s is practically unused.:D

Please tell me this isnt the update that we were waiting for....

It's probably the one you've been waiting for if you've been bitten by one of the bugs it fixed. 😉 But it's only a "point something" update, which pretty much always means something just to fix issues. Anything with new features would have a bigger numerical increment in the version number.

I still hope for a firmware ver.4 that will insert something new and that takes advantage of the second SWP70 tone generator. As is well known, Montage has two; Modx has only one and the only real difference is in the polyphony of the FMX (128 vs. 64). In short, one of the two SWP70s is practically unused.:D

There's also a difference in the total number of available effects, and that seamless transitions work with sounds of up to 8 Parts instead of only 4. Montage also supports more channels of audio in and out over USB, and higher sampling frequencies.

Regardless of what the features are, firmware releases demonstrate active development on the product.

I still hope for a firmware ver.4 that will insert something new and that takes advantage of the second SWP70 tone generator. As is well known, Montage has two; Modx has only one and the only real difference is in the polyphony of the FMX (128 vs. 64). In short, one of the two SWP70s is practically unused.:D

There's also a difference in the total number of available effects, and that seamless transitions work with sounds of up to 8 Parts instead of only 4. Montage also supports more channels of audio in and out over USB, and higher sampling frequencies.

Audio in and out over USB is managed by the SSP2 chip which is present in both: the difference between Modx and Montage is in the quality of the converters and their sampling frequencies.
The presence of a double SWP70 in the montage compared to the MODX guarantees too high a calculation and processing power compared to only 64 more FMX voices, 4 more effects (12 vs. 16) and seamless transitions.
A single SWP70 is able to manage 192 (128 + 64) polyphony voices with the OSC-filter-AMP-MODulation chain: in the FMX the AWM oscillator is replaced by the FM; the rest remains virtually identical.
The second SWP70 (Slave) of the Montage certainly does not perform the AWM2 synthesis as it is not connected to the 4GB of flash: of the 192 polyphony channels it has occupied only 128 (I am assuming that the FMX is all made by him). There are at least 64 synth voices left that Yamaha could use to do other things (even just a 16-voice VA or organ engine).
If he wanted to, I think Yamaha would have the possibility to add more, taking advantage of the unused computational power.

The second SWP70 (Slave) of the Montage certainly does not perform the AWM2 synthesis as it is not connected to the 4GB of flash: of the 192 polyphony channels it has occupied only 128 (I am assuming that the FMX is all made by him). There are at least 64 synth voices left that Yamaha could use to do other things (even just a 16-voice VA or organ engine).

The ability to do VA (or a clonewheel engine) does not necessarily have any relation to having "leftover" potential polyphony or the associated processing power. Here's an article with some good perspective:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/musing-about-montage-va/

Backing up what Phil said (pun intended), it's always worthwhile making a back-up. It isn't so much lost data, as lost time. I have waaaay too much time invested in my Performances, samples, etc. to re-produce them. Save your time, save your data.

The "Save your stuff" part of the installation instructions is their for people who don't pick up every update. People like me. :p If a user picks up a major revision in such a scenario, their internal data may (will) get wiped. Be paranoid! 🙂

The box labelled SRC16 in the Montage is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which is key to the higher sampling rates in Montage. It handles conversion for sample rates that are a multiple of 48kHz.

Far be it for me to say what is idle and is available in an SWP70! Yamaha have not published a description of its internal design and probably never will. It's an incredible competitive advantage for them. They clearly did something interesting to produce the current YC series!

Hey, hey, have fun and thanks for browsing my site -- pj

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/

BTW, the side-by-side comparison of the MODX and Montage micro-architectures show two SWP70s in each model.

I'd like to point out that the 2nd SWP70 in the MODX schematic has a dotted line around it and it says "No Mount" - which means the MODX only has one SWP70.

Unless you overlooked something, I'm a bit perplexed what you're trying to say here because your site acknowledges that the MODX only has one:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-modx-inside-stuff/

I'd like to point out that the 2nd SWP70 in the MODX schematic has a dotted line around it and it says "No Mount" - which means the MODX only has one SWP70.

Unless you overlooked something, I'm a bit perplexed what you're trying to say here because your site acknowledges that the MODX only has one:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-modx-inside-stuff/

You're right, Michel. Please chalk this up to a senior moment. 😀 😀

Thanks for catching this -- pj