Yes. You can have an external MIDI source play Parts 9-16 as you trigger Parts 1-8 with the Montage local keys. Don't use single-channel MIDI mode for this.

Using all 16 Parts you have more of a chance in running out of simultaneous notes (polyphony). Some Parts are worse than others in terms of simultaneous elements triggered by a single note-on event. There's not an answer that applies to every situation.

If I use basic parts, not fully loaded with effects or manipulated, the basic parts (preset parts) I'll have a better chance of the polyphony not being affected, disturbed or a problem with them not sounding right while 8 parts or all 16 parts are being played at once.
But Depending on how much is going on in 1 part it could affect play back.
If that happens I could reduce how many parts are being used at one time that should help if or when I'm doing to much at once. Singling out the one or two parts thats affecting if that happens.
I think I had it in single mode.
I forgot about that setting it to on for muti parts midi. That was next to the hybrid one too. I see.

Keyboard control activates the parts I'm using at the moment I'm playing all 8 parts. 1-8
For parts 9-16 i won't need to turn them on, they wouldn't be able to turn on anyways but will be activated from the CPU/MIDI.
Thats external midi control.
Perfect!

1) When you say local keys do you mean local control?

When midi from the CPU is being played back to Montage,
2) Does Local control have any affect here,, Would Local control be turned on or off when playing/recording midi to daw, & or midi to Montage tone engine back to daw for the audio to be recorded to the daw audio tracks?,
That's what Quick set up is for.
The quick set up works fine for midi,
The quick set up works fine for audio.

3) When I use the arps that's for arp recording to daw. This would be better for me to sample the arps to the daw so I could save them as loops to the CPU loop library. It would make it easier to find them on the computer because of the screen size.
Those loops for those parts, I won't need to have the arp control on in the arp edit menu for parts 9-16?

4) After midi is recorded to DAW, I switch the Montage quick setup to audio record or leave it on midi record when I'm transferring the midi parts(CPU) to Montage tone engine back to audio tracks(CPU)?
That's what quick set up Audio to Daw is for?

5) When all 8 midi/CPU parts are being played back thru Montage tone engine and I'm playing 8 parts with keyboard control On, would I turn off the arp master swith for those parts 9-16 since 9-16 would already have been recorded midi wise on the CPU?
But I would leave parts 1-8 arp Master on since I'm playing them along to already recorded midi arps from the CPU. And that is if I'm using parts 1-8 with any arps.

I seem to have to turn off the direct monitoring because it does double the sounds of the parts when I'm testing in standalone but I could change that when it happens.

Respond/Answer what's important info,
I sometimes brain storm a bunch of thoughts at once so I might be blabbing on about off the subject things but I know they all tie into each other.

I'm seeing almost perfectly clear how to go about it with hands on,, your guys knowledge, advice, answers, & guidance.

Thank you thank you thank you.

This is becoming super duper fun now.

Now I'll have the mind for superknob and smart morph next.

This is an awesome synth. To bad I see some people still complaining about it not being a workstation.
I knew it was a performance synth from day one.. that works fine, well with a DAW/CPU.
I'm glad I got the Montage.
I was used to Motif ES. And still can use for some things along with Montage.

Thanks Yamaha guys!

So I would be able to play using parts 1-8 with keyboard control on.

When you said "play using parts 1-8 with keyboard control on" - I was letting you know I thought this meant "playing" as in your hands using the white and black piano keys on the Montage. That's what I meant by "with the Montage local keys". It wasn't meant to convey any particular setting more than it was reflecting what I thought your workflow goal was as a means to make sure I've got it right.

I know I left most of your last message on the table. Just wanted to get to that first.

David,
It is good to have a plan. I would suggest that you take your time, learn the fundamentals of recording. What follows are some comments on the concepts that you may be not seeing exactly correctly.

If I use basic parts, not fully loaded with effects or manipulated, the basic parts (preset parts) I'll have a better chance of the polyphony not being affected, disturbed or a problem with them not sounding right while 8 parts or all 16 parts are being played at once.

The “Insertion Effects” being used on any of the sixteen Parts do not affect polyphony. A “Multi” Part program does not necessarily use more polyphony than a “Single” Part — it depends on how the instrument sound is constructed.

Each AWM2 (sample-based) Part has a potential of 8 Elements. An Element uses polyphony only when it sounds. A Part with 8 Elements, where the Elements are mapped to play at different velocity ranges and from different areas of the Keyboard, are not sounding altogether. In fact, they may never sound with any other Element.

So a Single Part Performance where each Element is a drawbar organ footage, uses more polyphony than a four Part acoustic piano Performance that has 18 Elements. I know that sounds strange to some one new to this, but, again, an Element uses polyphony only when it is called on to make sound. The velocity switching in the acoustic piano makes it an economical user of polyphony.

When you play a Performance with KBD CTRL linked Parts, they are not always just layered across all keys, at all velocities, you have the ability design what you need from each Part, and when you need it to sound. Because each Part is addressed individually, changing a Volume output with a single gesture can do a completely different thing to each of the Parts under KBD CTRL. Beyond just simple layering, you have scaleable control to each Part

One of the powerful differences between the MONTAGE and other previous synth engines is this very thing. Instead of creating the link by assigning all receiving Parts the same messages via the internal Sequencer Track (as in Motif), this engine can address multiple Parts - some directly via the Keys and some via a dedicated Arpeggiator. The Control Assign matrix allows you to customize direct parameter control of each oscillator in each Part you are controlling. 16 control assignment per Part.

Would Local control be turned on or off when playing/recording midi to daw, & or midi to Montage tone engine back to daw for the audio to be recorded to the daw audio tracks?

Local Control is literally, the MONTAGE Keyboard’s relationship with the (local) MONTAGE Tone Generator. Normally pressing the Keys of the MONTAGE directly triggers the sounds in the MONTAGE Tone Generator. This is Local Control = On. (Remote Control would be control from some other device)

In order to place the DAW Sequencer (MIDI Recorder) between the Keyboard and the Tone Generator, you must turn Local Control = Off, at this point only the MIDI messages that are generated by interacting with the Keys, Knobs, Wheels, Buttons, Sliders, Ribbon, Pedals, etc., are all sent OUT via MIDI to the DAW, then these messages are “echoed” back to the MONTAGE, via MIDI, where they arrive at the MONTAGE Tone Generator.

Local Control is turned OFF when you are recording MIDI data from the MONTAGE to MIDI Tracks of the DAW.
If you leave it ON during this process you will hear doubling (unnecessarily) of MIDI events during record. It will sound phase-y and weird because the direct signal arrives immediately and signal through the computer plays every thing again.

3) When I use the arps that's for arp recording to daw. This would be better for me to sample the arps to the daw so I could save them as loops to the CPU loop library. It would make it easier to find them on the computer because of the screen size.
Those loops for those parts, I won't need to have the arp control on in the arp edit menu for parts 9-16?

My only comment here is, this sounds like you have not worked much with the Arpeggiators yet. While sampling Arps might work for Drum grooves, sampling musical Arpeggio Phrases defeats the interactive nature that is at the core of its concept.

You”ll want to explore the Pattern Sequencer of the local MONTAGE. It is specifically setup to record Performances that integrate both “live” direct playing and arpeggio backing. The Pattern Sequence can start recording using KeyOn Start and it can automatically end recording when the Phrase Length is met (1-256 measures). This makes working with and precisely transferring the Arpeggio Phrases into MIDI Events.

Each Pattern Scene can be dragged and dropped directly into your DAW as .mid data using USB connection (MONTAGE CONNECT)

4) After midi is recorded to DAW, I switch the Montage quick setup to audio record or leave it on midi record when I'm transferring the midi parts(CPU) to Montage tone engine back to audio tracks(CPU)?

If you are still working with recording and playing back MIDI, just stay where you are... you don’t need to change until you decide what YOU want to do.

The “Audio Rec on DAW” has a specific use and may not at all be what you want to do next.

That's what quick set up Audio to Daw is for?

The Concept of these three “Quick Setup” templates is to make the parameter settings you would typically have to make to prepare your MONTAGE for use in YOUR studio. The factory ones are designed to be “typical” (you can, and should adjust them to your workflow - once you develop one). The Audio Record template sets Local Control = On but also makes all the settings you would need to make when you are ready to PLAYBACK your DAW MIDI Tracks to the MONTAGE, so that you then can record the Tone Generator Output as USB Audio (in the DAW).

As you know, the MONTAGE has 32-bus Outputs via USB. Main L/R plus 30 assignable USB Outputs. The 30 USB Outs can be configured in odd/even stereo pairs, or as mono sends (when required) This means you could setup to record any configuration that suits your needs.

You may need to isolate Kick, Snare, Hihats to mono Audio Outputs, you may want to take separate audio outs on some Parts and not on others... there are an infinite number of ways to configure your audio.

What the template does, as I mentioned, does a specific configuration designed for like song writers/composers... Often a synth like MONTAGE is used to build musical compositions... while the entire recording session might not be just the MONTAGE, often the studio will want to take complete stems of each musical Part... this way they can decide what to keep what to replace, etc.,

A complete stem is like a stereo recording of each MONTAGE Part - the template accommodates this specific setup: each Part 1-16 is sent to its own stereo pair of audio Outputs.

To set this up manually takes a lot of button pushing (you’d need to recall each Part and change the default “PART OUTPUT” for each, one-by-one). The template does this in a single tap.... saving you a lot of time when you need to output complete stems of each Part.

Please notice: You may not need to do this — please don’t do this just because it’s the template. Think about what YOU need to do
Ultimately, you want to replace these Quick Setup templates with ones that actually serve how YOU like to work.

5) When all 8 midi/CPU parts are being played back thru Montage tone engine and I'm playing 8 parts with keyboard control On, would I turn off the arp master swith for those parts 9-16 since 9-16 would already have been recorded midi wise on the CPU?
But I would leave parts 1-8 arp Master on since I'm playing them along to already recorded midi arps from the CPU. And that is if I'm using parts 1-8 with any arps.

When working with a computer, you do not have to think in terms of limiting yourself to 16 Track.

Yes the MONTAGE can sound 16 Parts, but rendering audio is a great way to break the 16 Part barrier. You are given 32 glorious audio outputs... use them. Record all you backing stuff in the DAW... this way you have your entire MONTAGE free to play along with it.

Playing back your rendered Audio tracks through the MONTAGE (as audio interface) is a viable workflow.

Thank you Guys.

Coming from Motif ES I am New to synths "Montage", midi & midi controllers, I am not used to arrpegiators or sound design yet. I just find things when picking parts that are good enough but dont add/edit/change the sounds or change arps, the arppegiation, because I'm still learning how to & how things work,
Im used to guitar effects & drums machines.
And since the Montage has an awesome way to use arps and create them, I see what the KeyOn Start does now for when recording them.
Using Pattern record is the better way to drag and drop arps of all kind to the CPU with Montage Connect.
I started to edit the midi loops recordings on the CPU using the Montage arps when I could just use KeyOn start with Pattern Recorder.
It eliminates wasting time.
Because like you said it records the whole arp/s from the beginning of the arp to the end perfectly.
Thank you.

It was having Local control On that was why it was doubling.

Thank you
Bad Mister & Jason

I wish I had your guys experience & knowledge. But I know I'll get there.

Ill go threw all the "Learn" articles and videos again, & again.

Thanks.

Excellent.

It was having Local control On that was why it was doubling.

The MIDI Signal Flow diagram should start to make sense - start to refer to the both the Audio and MIDI Signal Flow diagrams as you make settings — once you are comfortable making settings and reading the Signal Flow diagrams you’re well on your way to mastery.