1) Category search "Preset" shows only the factory built-in Performances and no user or loaded content such as libraries. "User" shows all Performances you have [STORE]'d which creates a user entry or anything you import using the library import feature which copies from library areas to your user area or any content you loaded directly into the user area from an X7U file or backup X7A file or even a legacy file like X3A which can go straight to the user area. "Library" shows up to 8 different slots you load from either an X7L, legacy file, or X7A backup. When you load anything into the user area, it erases what was there. Only "library import" (to user) does not overwrite content in the user area. Import appends and does not affect what was previously stored.

2) Live set is just a shortcut to a Performance. The way you described how you built your user live set sounds like you pointed to Performances BEFORE importing. So your USER live set was pointing to the Library Performances. When you deleted the library, the Performances went away which invalidated your pointers. You need to import first then recall the USER Performance by using Category Search and filter by USER so you load the user Performance instead of Library. Then create your Live Set slot which will now point to the user area for that Performance. Repeat for all others.

You need to save a backup of everything then initialize your user area. Then load the X3A file straight to the user area. Then delete anything you don't want to keep. Then import your keepers from the Bosen and Expanded sets. Then erase your Bosen and Expanded libraries so they're gone. If you have that X3A file as a library delete that library too. Build your live set like previously detailed. Then create ("save" ) an X7L file. You can reinitialize your user area. Finally load the X7L file.

Got it now, thanks man!
Please explain some more questions:

I wrongly select Performances to add to a Liveset from other banks besides User bank because every time I tap Category Search, Montage always shows all Performances from all banks (preset, user, lib,...). If I don't tap User bank, I will add Performances from a Library and lost it when I delete the Library.
1. Is there any way to keep User bank's Performances showing up (not all banks) when I come back to Category Search from other screens?
I'm tired of having to tap User banks every time after adding a Performance to Liveset.

After building up my User performances and Liveset with all waveforms included, I will save it as both X7U and X7L ( same size, says 300Mb) as a backup for the current User bank and delete all unnecessary Libraries. Then,
2. Why do I have to initialize User bank and reload it? It is there already. If I want to add new Performances later, I just load a Library, select, import them then save it to my original x7U as a backup. Still don't need to reload it, right?

3. What is the purpose of saving my User bank as a X7L file? I can only think of one reason: to load it to another Montage, use it on a show then delete it when done.

4. Is there any way to recall a Performances by its number stated in Performance Data List pdf ( as ex. Performance 1173-Syn Lead...) ? I want to select Performances by playing and mark them on this list to import them all in one time to User bank later.

5. What is the fastest way ( least tapping) to find out whether a Performance's waveform belongs to Preset, User, Library?

Thanks you very much Jason!

1. Yes, [CATEGORY SEARCH] defaults with "All". Since the earliest firmware, there have been requests to change how this works. There are a few choices made my Montage that seem counter to efficiency. The counter argument could be that once changed - there would possibly an equal number of users who dislike the system trying to be "smart" and guessing the wrong behavior.

If you want to stop [CATEGORY SEARCH] from selecting "All" from the beginning, there's an easy shortcut. Press [CATEGORY SEARCH] twice. Notice the bank will cycle away from "All" to the next bank. Press [CATEGORY SEARCH] again - the bank will continue to cycle. A long hold of [CATEGORY SEARCH] I believe sets it back to "All" from any other bank.

Knowing this may help you more easily select the bank you want. Note that if you store your User Performances under unique names - like using your initials first - it will be more apparent which Performances are your creations vs. Presets.

2. The basic instructions in summary form:

2a. Assemble what you want to combine into your user area. This includes library content and content loaded direct to the user area.
2b. Create an X7L (Library File) from your user area
2c. DELETE all the old libraries in Montage's Library memory you used to assemble the new X7L
2d. LOAD your new X7L file of the combined Performances into a library slot.
2e. Since you've loaded the X7L into a library slot - you do not need the user area anymore. Erase your user area so you do not have a copy of the Performances in both the Library and User areas.

3. If you want to load a library, create a library file. If you want to load into the user area, create a user file. X7L and X7U depend on the destination you want to load the data. They both save the same contents (your User area). I advocated creating an X7L because I had you load this into a Library area.

4. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure of a way to enter Performance "By Number". Waveforms have a way to search by number. The suggested method to search for Performances is to search by name and type in about the same number of characters you would for the Performance number - but use a part of the name instead.

5. [PERFORMANCE] (HOME), press part select button for PART # (Number A [#]), press [EDIT] -- or you could use touchscreen to touch the PART you want to edit then touch the touchscreen "Edit" selection. Then select an element at the bottom of the screen you want to check the waveform. Then make sure "Osc/Tune" menu is selected - should be default. This menu shows you the bank.

Some good basics here! I have not played with anything on the Montage or MODX yet (except for trying some sounds at the Music Store), so I am only going from what I've read so far in terms of understanding the locations where Performances & Waveforms are saved ... However here is what I think is the 3 main locations to understand:

Preset - Factory (Can't be modified or deleted)

User - Temporary location to store/play with/organize/sort/weed through Performances (.X7U, .X7A, .X3A files are loaded to) - Save what you like after weeding through it all, to a .X7L file, then wipe the User area and any Library are files you no longer need, and "Import" (append) the .X7L file to the Library Bank location. Loading new files to User area wipes everything that was in the User location.

Library - Semi-permanent location to store Performances and their Waveform files to. Performance and Waveform files don't get wiped out like they do in the User area when you load/import new Library files here. Best to link all your Liveset's to Performances that reside here in the Library location, not to Performances that reside in the User area!

How did I do? Am I missing something important &/or do I have an incorrect understanding of certain things?

Sounds pretty good (one exception - I'll cover this at the end). Actually, the preset/factory area has an exception when it can be "modified". Firmware updates will sometimes add new Presets. There have been many firmware releases along the way that have added new content. Firmware upgrades are the only method to make any difference to Presets. What changes are made are completely under Yamaha's control and changes to existing Performance Presets are not made - just new ones added.

I think of User vs. Library as a way to "promote" content. Once content assembled in the User area has earned its stripes - reached that point of "perfection" such that you want to promote it to a library slot - you do that so the content is always available without any means to modify by promoting the User area to a Library slot (you have 8 total).

Myself, since I fiddle and tweak Performances often tend not to promote content to a Library. I leave a lot of content I use at my gigs in the User area. I also am saving my User area routinely so if something were to happen - I would have a backup to revert to. My Libraries only have purchased or promotional content from Yamaha or 3rd parties and not my own custom Performances. This is a valid usage as well.

Here's something you said that isn't quite right:

Performance and Waveform files don't get wiped out like they do in the User area when you load/import new Library files here.

Note that "Library Import" does NOT wipe anything from the user area. You said "import" does - which I take as shorthand for "Library Import" - it's the only usage of "import" in Montage nomenclature. Library Import allows one to copy Performances inside Libraries and ADD/APPEND these to the existing User Performances (User Bank) without overwriting or wiping anything that was already there.

Sounds pretty good (one exception - I'll cover this at the end). Actually, the preset/factory area has an exception when it can be "modified". Firmware updates will sometimes add new Presets. There have been many firmware releases along the way that have added new content. Firmware upgrades are the only method to make any difference to Presets. What changes are made are completely under Yamaha's control and changes to existing Performance Presets are not made - just new ones added.

Yes, that much I knew. Yamaha can do almost anything they want via firmware releases! 😉

Myself, since I fiddle and tweak Performances often tend not to promote content to a Library. I leave a lot of content I use at my gigs in the User area. I also am saving my User area routinely so if something were to happen - I would have a backup to revert to.

So if I have content I am regularly tweaking in the User area, would I just save it as a .X7U file on USB, and keep overwriting that same .X7U file each day, until I it is ready to be saved as a .X7L file and import into the Library area? Or is it better to save it as a different .X7U file each day? (I assume that when you backup/save the User area, it backs up/saves to a USB stick..!?

What about in the "Library" area?
Can I modify performances in the Library area and save them there as well, or do I need to first copy them to the User area, then modify them, save as a .X7L and re-import them back to the Library area again?
If the answer is no and I have to modify them in the User area, when I go to re-import the modified version, do I first delete the old .X7L file from the Library area and then import the new, or does it overwrite the old, or does it append to the old maybe..!?
If the answer is yes that I can modify performances in the Library area as well, how do I go about saving it? Or does it save changes to Library performances back to the .X7L file that I had originally imported in to the Library area?
Basically, how do the performances & waveforms (content) reside in the Library area? As the .X7L file that was imported?

Note that "Library Import" does NOT wipe anything from the user area. You said "import" does - which I take as shorthand for "Library Import" - it's the only usage of "import" in Montage nomenclature. Library Import allows one to copy Performances inside Libraries and ADD/APPEND these to the existing User Performances (User Bank) without overwriting or wiping anything that was already there.

So, is it true that I can "Library Import" to the User area to do an append, but if I were to "Load" a .X7U user library to the User location, it would wipe everything else out..!? Is that correct?

The library area is just like a preset in terms of how you can modify it. You can't. Library allows you to "promote" user content to "read-only" memory (like Presets are read-only). The only differences between Library and presets are 1) You can create a library with your own content - but only in one fell swoop - not one Performance at a time like user, 2) You can delete a library. Again, in one fell swoop. Meaning you can't delete just one Performance inside a Library. You have to delete the whole library.

This thing about tweaking -- I don't ever promote my own content to the Library area. So I don't have to ever initialize my User area. I just treat the User area like a permanent area for my user content. This also means I do not combine Libraries to create my own custom library. IF I did combine libraries - then I would need the user area as a temporary place to assemble together the Libraries. So, in that case, I would (as I originally instructed) save off my user area (X7U) then initialize the user area, then combine together using Library import the different libraries, then create a new custom library, then install (load) this library. Then load the X7U I saved off in the beginning (no need to initialize, since loading the X7U will wipe anything that is there). I don't backup my user area as often as I may have implied. I do it "regularly" -- which means just about every firmware install. Sometimes if I do something I think is "risky" - I'll back it up again between firmware updates. How often you backup is up to you. You can never backup too often assuming something has changed between backups.

Also in the instructions I have was to load the X3A straight to your user area. The reason for this is that legacy content from the Motif from a conversion process seems to not import its samples when you do a Library Import. So, instead of dealing with that problem - I instructed you to load the X3A straight to the user area. I didn't say why -- but this is why.

"Library Import" appends. Loading wipes. I think you get a warning when you do a load. There's not a way to "load" into the user area directly without wiping. You need to first load an X7L of a user area into a Library slot - then import everything from that loaded Library into the user area. That is, if your goal was to "merge" together one user area to a different user area.

This is how Montage works. There are external tools which can help you manage content. They are not free.

The library area is just like a preset in terms of how you can modify it. You can't. Library allows you to "promote" user content to "read-only" memory (like Presets are read-only). The only differences between Library and presets are 1) You can create a library with your own content - but only in one fell swoop - not one Performance at a time like user, 2) You can delete a library. Again, in one fell swoop. Meaning you can't delete just one Performance inside a Library. You have to delete the whole library.

With the library area, everytime you add a new library .X7L (such as the "Bosendorfer" Library), does it become 'one with the whole library', whereby you can't just remove that one library "Bosendorfer" from the library area? Or are you still able to add/remove the various libraries that are in that location?

So "Performances" that are in the Library area can not be tweaked and saved to the library, but rather they must be saved to the User area, correct?

So if I am tweaking, it sounds like I am better adding X7L &/or X7U files to the User area..!?
Or can I add various libraries to the Library area and have all my Performances copied to/created in the User area? (Or does that then copy all the necessary AWM2 waveforms to the User area as well, thus doubling that space used!?)

There is only so much space on the Montage that we can use/add/modify. So, if I fill up the User area, is there still space available in the Library area (and Vice Versa)?

"Library Import" appends. Loading wipes. I think you get a warning when you do a load. There's not a way to "load" into the user area directly without wiping. You need to first load an X7L of a user area into a Library slot - then import everything from that loaded Library into the user area. That is, if your goal was to "merge" together one user area to a different user area.

If I were to load (not import) the X3A into the 'Library' area, is that possible, or can you only import libraries into the Library area? If it is possible, does loading to the Library area not wipe out anything else in that area?

Keeping in mind future tweaking, adding/creating new performances/parts, and new auditions/songs:
What about Setlists? Is it better to have setlists linked to performances in the User or the Library area?
What about auditions/songs in a performance? If I want to keep the sequenced auditions/songs linked to the various performances, is it better to have them in the User or Library area?

Just trying to figure out the best/safest place to have all my content without possibly accidentally wiping it all out by adding a new library, as well as keep all auditions/songs associated with specific Performances, but also at the same time, be able to add/modify content...

Would I be best off to:
A. Add new libraries to the Library area and keep all my Performance content in the User area, pointing back to the Library area waveforms? (if that's even possible, as I suspect copying performances from the Library area to the User area also copies all the necessary waveforms to the User area as well..!?)
B. Import (merge) new libraries from the Library area to the User area, weed out all new User area performances that I don't want, then delete that specific new library from the Libary area once everything is in the User area that I want...and keep importing/merging from the Library area to the User area!? Or just import(merge)/copy the performances I want from the Library area to the User area, and then delete that specific library from the Library area?
C. Save my User area to a .X7L file, load new libraries to the User area (wipe!), weed out the User area content, then load to the Library area the saved .X7L file of my previously saved User area content, then import/merge it back to the User area?

When you LOAD content:

1) Press [UTILITY]
2) Touchscreen menu "Contents" -> "Load"

You have a choice for the content by pressing the "Content Type" box. Among other things, there is a choice for "Library File" or "User File". This not only selects the type(s) of files shown (X7L vs X7U vs. X3A and the rest for conversion) - but also determines where the content ends up. When you select "Library File" - the load is going to target the Library bank. When you choose "User File" - the load will be placed in the User bank (and overwrite what's there - since "Import" is the only way to avoid overwrite).

Every time you LOAD content into the Library area (Content Type = Library File), this takes the file -- the whole thing -- and places it inside one of the 8 Library slots. How ever many library slots you've previously consumed, you now subtract by one from the amount of free library slots you now have.

So every time you load say an X7L (Content = Library File), it goes into ONE of the 8 library slots. "One fell swoop" was referring to a single slot. You have 8 of them. You cannot delete individual pieces inside a Library slot. Each library slot can hold 640 Performances - which happens to be the same number you can have in the entire user area. So you have a file cabinet with 8 drawers - each can hold the exact same amount of data as the user area. You can only deal with the Library one entire drawer at a time. You cannot, for example, open a drawer and remove just a few sheets of paper. The entire content has to be emptied. And you cannot add content to a drawer unless the drawer is empty. You can't modify what's in a drawer. Only, in terms of loading Libraries, delete a used Library slot or load content into an empty library slot. You do not really have to keep track of which drawers are empty or not -- only that there is a free slot or not. Montage takes care of determining where your content lands and will find a free Library slot on its own.

You can't change anything in the Library. The best you can do is initialize the User area (backup first if necessary), then copy the Library Performance to the User area and modify it. Be sure to rename the Performance name so you can more easily tell the difference between the old version still in the Library slot vs. the new tweaked one in the User area. If you want to update your library area - you need to import all but the one Performance you modified then save a new library (X7L) file, delete the original Library, then load the new Library.

Note that there are two ways to "copy" content from the Library area to the User area. I've heavily talked about "Library Import" because it ensures (not without caveat) that the Waveforms associated with the Performance are also copied to the User area. If you know with certainty that a Performance has no custom Waveforms (either uses Preset waveforms or is only an FM-X Performance) then the second way to copy content from the Library to the User area is to use [STORE]. You would recall the Library Performance you want to copy using [CATEGORY SEARCH] (filter on Library). When the Performance is recalled - press the [STORE] button and give it a unique name so you can differentiate easily from the Library Performance. [STORE] always places the current edit buffer (current Performance recalled) into the User area. It does not overwrite other content. It also does not copy any Waveforms (samples). If there is a custom waveform, it will leave the waveform in the Library area and the [STORE]'d Performance will point to the Library area's Waveform. This means you cannot delete the Library or your sample will go away. This is why Library Import is generally a better tool. And if you [STORE] from a Library Performance to User - you'll eventually find yourself scratching your head when the Performance does not sound right after the Library is deleted.

If you fill up your user area, you cannot save modifications to anything. The Library is always read-only. The User area is the only read-write area. You can promote user content to a Library slot to free up room assuming you have an open slot. Or combine Libraries (use Library import between two or more Libraries to consolidate, save a new X7L, delete the original source libraries, then load the new combined library) to free up a library slot. Or you can delete Performances one-by-one in your User bank to free up space. There's 640 Performances - it's fairly difficult to reach that point. If you did, I'm sure you could find 50 Performances to just delete to give some breathing room.

You don't import TO a Library. You import FROM a Library. Library Import allows you to select one or more (check off many at one time) Performances to copy FROM the Library TO the User bank without overwriting the User area. Now I do know that the interface for X3A talks about "Import Options" for Voice vs. Performance. I think this is overloading the term "Import". This should have been called "Convert Options" because it just muddies the waters to say Import is from Library to User while this "import" means from a file to Library.

You can load an X3A straight to the Library area. Whenever there is a conversion (like X3A), it's going to ask you to convert the Voice or Performance. Apparently it's "safe" to load Voice data straight to the Library area. Legacy data (like X3A) apparently has issues with the samples if you convert the Performance with the "Content Type" as "Library File". This is why I generally advise loading X3A (or any other pre-Montage content that is converted) straight to the user area so the Waveforms end up in the user area. There's no issue if you just want to use the file and do not care about moving the original X3A content from the Library to the user area down the line.

Set lists I would generally advise your User Setlist only point to either Presets or User Performances. This will help if you eventually promote your user area to a Library slot. If you point to a Library slot - then that slot may eventually be deleted and then invalidate the link. It would be "best" to Library Import the Performance(s) you want to point to that are only in the Library area and point the Set List slot to the User bank copy. This isn't really a rule - there's no harm in pointing to anything you want to as long as you realize the possible consequences. Since I leave my user area alone (I don't plan currently to promote it to a Library) - I'm "safe" to point to Library slots. I'll probably use a different Set List user bank (User 2-8 instead of User 1) so the slots pointing to library slots are all organized together. This will help clue me in later if I start seeing missing slots because a Library was deleted.

I can't tell you what's best. Just get a feel for the rules and operation so you can decide how to manage your content unique to how you operate.

You can load an X3A straight to the Library area. Whenever there is a conversion (like X3A), it's going to ask you to convert the Voice or Performance. Apparently it's "safe" to load Voice data straight to the Library area. Legacy data (like X3A) apparently has issues with the samples if you convert the Performance with the "Content Type" as "Library File". This is why I generally advise loading X3A (or any other pre-Montage content that is converted) straight to the user area so the Waveforms end up in the user area. There's no issue if you just want to use the file and do not care about moving the original X3A content from the Library to the user area down the line.

Set lists I would generally advise your User Setlist only point to either Presets or User Performances. This will help if you eventually promote your user area to a Library slot. If you point to a Library slot - then that slot may eventually be deleted and then invalidate the link. It would be "best" to Library Import the Performance(s) you want to point to that are only in the Library area and point the Set List slot to the User bank copy. This isn't really a rule - there's no harm in pointing to anything you want to as long as you realize the possible consequences. Since I leave my user area alone (I don't plan currently to promote it to a Library) - I'm "safe" to point to Library slots. I'll probably use a different Set List user bank (User 2-8 instead of User 1) so the slots pointing to library slots are all organized together. This will help clue me in later if I start seeing missing slots because a Library was deleted.

Thanks Jason, this is all very helpful!

So it sounds like it might be best if I have any X3A files, to save what's in the User area to an X7L file, Load the X3A to the User area (wipe!), then load the saved X7L to a Library slot, Import all of it back to the User area (Merge!) from the library slot, and then delete that library slot to free it up again..!?
Is it best to load the X3A as a Voice or Performance to the User area? (or are those not the options when loading to the User area?) Maybe I should ask instead, when I load an X3A to the User area, is it going to ask me to convert the Voice or Performance? Is that a choice (A) VOice or (B) Performance, or is it all just one option/prompt for loading all Voice &/or Performance content combined that is contained in the X3A, and you don't choose between the two types?

If that is a good way to add content from X3A files retaining all its Waveforms, and then merging back all my previous User area content ... then how does the this affect all the Setlist links to User Performances that I had previously linked, then wiped, then re-imported/merged back to the User area? Does the SetList(s) just see that the same performances are back in the User area somewhere and retains the links? Or would I need to relink all the SetLists?

Also, I plan to have a good percentage of Performances in the User area with Auditions (sequencing) linked/associated with those Performances. So when saving the User Area content to an X7L file (with Performances having associated Auditions), then wiping the User area (via loading X3A), loading the X7L to a Library area slot, and then re-importing/merging back to the User area; does that affect the Auditions that were linked to their respective performances, or do the Auditions remaining linked to the same performances as there were before?

Also, I plan to create some of my own Waveforms (using John Melas waveform editor), having them in parts/Performances. I assume all of that will remain intact when saving, wiping and re-merging content back to the User area..!?

What about the 1.75GB of User space? Is that the total writable space for the Library and User areas combined? Or is the 1.75GB just the User area only, and the 8 library slots allow you to add 8 libraries of additional space?

For example, if I were to load 4 piano libaries (~400MB each) to the library slots, then imported several pianos(Performances/content) from each to the User area, then deleted all those 4 piano library slots, and then loaded more large libraries to the library area, and imported several of the sounds to the User area, whereby it is likely taking with it to the User area all the largest waveforms/samples...Am I using up the allowed 1.75GB space only in the User area, or in both the User and Library areas combined? Since the 4 piano libraries are 1.5G, would there even be enough space left in the User area to basically almost double up the Waveforms?

Correct me if I am wrong...I suspect that if I load a Bosendorfer Library to the Library area, and then import/copy several of the different piano performances to the User area, that the majority of Waveforms from the Library will end up in the User area as well, therefore nearly doubling the space used, until I delete the Bosendorfer library slot..!?

The reason I ask all this is that I may have the Bosendorfer, the Epic Grand C7, the Synthogy American Grand, and several other pianos with large waveforms all loaded into the Synth at the same time, along with other Performances with fairly large Waveforms, and it would be good to know what the 1.75GB represents, and how many GB's of waveforms I can have loaded all at once in both the Library and the User areas?

The 1.75 GB is sample space for the user samples and all the libraries samples combined. So if you have for example 1 GB user samples and 0.75 GB library samples and want to import the library samples to the user area you cannot. They would (temporarily) occupy 2.5 GB which is not possible. If you want to combine multiple libraries to one or import multiple libraries to the user area and rearrange stuff I highly recommend John Melas' waveform editor. It allows you to do all this on the computer and does not have such a problem. It allows you also to make sure there are no duplicate waveforms, move waveforms freely between libraries and the user space and so on.

The 1.75 GB is sample space for the user samples and all the libraries samples combined. So if you have for example 1 GB user samples and 0.75 GB library samples and want to import the library samples to the user area you cannot. They would (temporarily) occupy 2.5 GB which is not possible. If you want to combine multiple libraries to one or import multiple libraries to the user area and rearrange stuff I highly recommend John Melas' waveform editor. It allows you to do all this on the computer and does not have such a problem. It allows you also to make sure there are no duplicate waveforms, move waveforms freely between libraries and the user space and so on.

Hey Stefan, I was planning to purchase the John Melas Montage Waveform Editor for creating custom waveforms from samples, but it sounds like it will be useful for other important things as well.

Can I do everything you say via just the Waveform Editor utility, or do I also need to purchase some of the other utilities such as, Total Librarian, Performance Editor &/or Live Set Editor?

Hello guys - if you're a tweaker like me, life is hugely simplified by using a USB of 16 or 32Gb capacity, and save or load everything to or from that USB. I NEVER save Montage User files to a User File on the USB - accidents happen. ALWAYS saved as a Library file. It is slower because of having to Load and then Import to User - but that's the way things are. And I separate Libraries by Category, which you can do with a USB - you're not limited to 8. Smaller Libraries - so if you're thinking of more than one Category - say Strings and Brass - you have to Load two small Libraries and then Import to User - sure it's slower, but safer - and faster than Loading a massive multi-Category Library anyway -.and easier to find what you're looking for. Like anything, you have to work with what you have. Montage makes tweaking so simple that its few shortcomings are forgiven ...

Hello guys - if you're a tweaker like me, life is hugely simplified by using a USB of 16 or 32Gb capacity, and save or load everything to or from that USB. I NEVER save Montage User files to a User File on the USB - accidents happen. ALWAYS saved as a Library file. It is slower because of having to Load and then Import to User - but that's the way things are. And I separate Libraries by Category, which you can do with a USB - you're not limited to 8. Smaller Libraries - so if you're thinking of more than one Category - say Strings and Brass - you have to Load two small Libraries and then Import to User - sure it's slower, but safer - and faster than Loading a massive multi-Category Library anyway -.and easier to find what you're looking for. Like anything, you have to work with what you have. Montage makes tweaking so simple that its few shortcomings are forgiven ...

So if I understand correctly, you are saving your User area to X7L on USB, then loading possibly several X7L's to the Library area, then Importing them to the User area...then tweaking the User area performances, then Saving as X7L on USB again, etc..!?

Do you wipe out the smaller libraries in the Library area slot before you re-load the Tweaked X7L file into the Library area again?

When Importing/merging back all previous User area content that was tweaked, saved to USB as X7L, then loaded back to a Library area slot ... how does the this affect all the 'Setlist' links to User Performances that were previously linked to those Performances in the User area before tweaking them, saving, loading to Library slot, then re-imported/merged back to the User area? Does the SetList(s) just see that the same performances are back in the User area somewhere and retains the links? Or would I need to need to relink all the SetLists?
From what area do you save your Setlist Performances from?

What about Performances in the User area with Auditions (sequencing) linked/associated with those Performances. So when saving the User Area content to an X7L file (with Performances having associated Auditions), then wiping the User area (i.e. loading a new X3A), loading the X7L to a Library area slot, and then re-importing/merging back to the User area; does that affect the Auditions that were linked to their respective performances, or do the Auditions remaining linked to the same performances as there were before?