Have you had a chance to download the User and Referenced Manuals?
Between the two, they cover the topic.
Also, a search of this forum is likely to bring up at least two threads on the subject as well.

Hi Kiwi,

The instructions and details from those two documents for MIDI IN are extremely limited. The manual simply states to connect the MIDI cables between the two devices and make sure the proper channel is selected on the MIDI controller, which I did. However, I could not get any sound. I did not do anything with the zone on the keyboard because neither document mentioned any changes to Zone when addressing MIDI IN.

Also make sure you are set to MIDI and not USB within the utilities menu unless you are actually using the USB. You might also try switching off the local control. I'll see what else although I have not tried this myself. MIDI receive capability should also be on.

Also try MIDI I/O mode set to "single" instead of "multi" although this might be for transmitting instead of receiving. Of course make sure the remote keyboard is also transmitting outbound.

Can someone guide me (step by step) how to play a part from the Montage with an external MIDI keyboard? My goal is to be on the Montage and allow another musician on a MIDI keyboard (MPK261 specifically) to play a part or two from the Montage (sharing the love). Can multiple parts (from the 9-16 parts) be played with the MIDI keyboard? In a previous thread (before I received my Montage), it was said that it is possible to have another musician play the Montage from an external keyboard while another musician is playing the Montage directly. Now, I just need a step by step guide.

Playing the Montage via MIDI, of course, can be done, but please recognize that it is NOT the same as playing the Montage itself. You will be limited to the controller set of the controlling keyboard. But it can still be a enjoyable experience.

That said, you must set the Montage to MIDI I/O mode = Multi, because you want the second keyboard player to be playing something other than what you are playing. "Multi" is short for multiple... in this case it sets the Montage to receive IN and transmit OUT on multiple channels simultaneously. Obviously, SINGLE would not be optimum for your purpose.

You will be playing any PART you select directly 1-16, although if you wish to play multiple PARTS on the Montage yourself, you will activate the KBD CTRL icon on the PARTS you wish to play starting with PART 1 through PART 8. KBD CTRL is available for the first 8 Parts. You can play any of the sixteen PARTS directly or with KBD CTRL you can opt to play multiple PARTs starting with PART 1... so if you want to play two PARTS you would activate KBD CTRL on PARTs 1 and 2. If you require to play three PARTS you would activate KBD CTRL on PARTs 1, 2 and 3, and so on... through to controlling eight PARTS simultaneously with the Montage keyboard.

Any PARTs you are not playing with Montage keyboard, are available for individual play on the corresponding MIDI channel. If you second keyboardist wants to play a single PART they can simply transmit IN on the corresponding MIDI channel. If they for example want to play the PART assigned to PART 9 they would simply transmit IN on MIDI channel 9. If they want to play two PARTS, say 9 and 10, they will need to transmit IN on two MIDI channels. If their controller only transmits on one channel, they will only be able to control one PART which is like playing a Motif XF (Voice).

If their controller is capable of multiple Zone transmit, they can take advantage of multiple PARTS.

Reviving this old thread, as it is the most helpful thing I've been able to find on this topic. Manuals haven't really covered this very well, at least for someone who has a pretty basic understanding of MIDI.

Let's say I would like to play a multi-layered (multiple parts) performance from the Montage, but using a CP300 as controller.

By default, it seems that I can play part 1. I can even control the other parts somewhat with the zone sliders on the CP300. If I select a Montage performance that has only one part, things work great. I get the sound from the Montage layered on top of the CP300. Very nice. I can even move my hands and play both (on the CP) or just the layer (on the Montage). Awesome. Exactly what I want -- most of the time.

But take for example the CFX multi-part performances. Let's say I want to use that for a bit instead of the CP300's built in Grand Piano. It's just not quite as good. Sure, I can select the performance on Montage and play it there. But if I want to use the CP300 as primary, playing just part 1 from the Montage isn't so helpful. The CFX performance is made up of several parts/layers which blend together to make the fantastic sound.

It seems like in this case I need to setup the CP300 for 'multiple zone transmit'? Is that even possible on the CP300? Will I be able to transmit more than the 4 zones that the CP has? Is there any other way to just play all selected parts in a Montage performance? If I can somehow tell the Montage to copy messages from part 1 to all layers, even better -- as I generally find the Montage easier to control during live performance than navigating the CP300's buried menus... ideally I would turn this on and off depending on what I'm trying to do (single layer on top of CP300 vs. using the CP300 as just a controller).

I may be asking too much. But if anyone knows, it's this crowd. 🙂

The Montage has two modes: Multi and single channel. It seems you are talking about the multi-channel mode. If you switch to single mode, the external keyboard needs only to send on one channel and can control all the parts in parallel which you can control also from the Montage - like the CFX piano. Utility -> Advanced -> MIDI I/O mode controls that. That's useful if you just prefer the external keyboard for whatever reason. I often use my E-piano as a controller for the Montage just because for many sounds I prefer the piano like keyboard over my Montage 6 keyboard (which is absolutely great for a synthesizer keyboard). Still I can play the Montage solo when I don't want to carry that much equipment.

There is even another benefit, which is shown in a Yamaha video on YouTube (by Katsunori UJIIE, maybe also others): With that setting you can play all parts which have keyboard control enabled from the external keyboard. In addition you can select 1 one of the 16 parts in addition which you can play from the Montage keyboard. So you have different sounds on the two keyboards, all coming from the Montage. That part needs to have the keyboard control disabled. It's the little green Keyboard icon in the row which says "KbdCtrol" on the performance main page. If you select a part which has the icon grey, then you play only that part from the Montage keyboard, but those with the green icons on the external keyboard.

[UTILITY] > touch "Settings" > touch "Advanced"
Here you will find three settings you will need to know about if you are going to use the Montage in a multiple keyboard setup.
They are the ZONE MASTER (master Switch), and the two MIDI I/O Mode Settings: Multi, Single.

Here are the facts you need to consider:
The Montage can transmit (when MIDI I/O Mode = Multi) on as many as eight MIDI channels simultaneously. Example, in the 2036 Factory Preset Performances, the number of simultaneous MIDI channels equals the number of Part slots active. This will range from one to eight Parts. An active Part will have the KBD CTRL icon active (green). This KBD CTRL icon links these Parts for simultaneous play.

But unlike most keyboard synths you are not playing (transmitting) on just one MIDI channel - each Part is on a different MIDI channel. If, and when, you attempt to play them IN via MIDI from your CP300, which can transmit on as many a separate four midi channels simultaneously, you could play the four Part "CFX Concert" piano while in MIDI I/O Mode = Multi. It would require you setup all 4 CP300 Zones. But the Montage can have Performances with more than four Parts...

For the sake of understanding... if however, you recalled an eight Part Performance, like "DJ Montage" where there are drums, bass, multiple Arps, etc... it would be impossible to control and play this type of Performance without a controller that could reach all 8 Parts across MIDI channels 1-8.

Enter MIDI I/O Mode = Single.

MIDI I/O = Single allows the Montage multiple Part Performances to played and controlled on any Single MIDI channel.
In Single mode, you select a channel, 1-16, to operate the Montage. This single channel will be for both receiving and transmitting.

In the original post, the poster wanted to play both the Montage keys and the external keys with both playing Montage sounds. That requires MIDI I/O = Multi.
In MIDI I/O mode = Single only the currently selected sound can be heard from either keyboard.

MIDI I/O mode = Single will allow you for example, to use your CP300, transmitting from one Zone, to trigger any Montage Performance. You could play all four Parts of the "CFX Concert", all eight Parts of the "DJ Montage" - it basically replaces the Montage keys with the CP300 keys.

We mention ZONE MASTER because, if you activate a Zone setup within the current Montage Performance, it will override the MIDI I/O Mode = Single setting. Just FYI. Zone Master settings are made on a per Performance basis... if the Zone Switch is Off within a Performance, then the MIDI I/O mode setting will apply.

We will be posting an article on the Zone Master function and although it deals with "Transmitting" from the Montage, it is related to how Montage "Receives" via MIDI in many scenarios, as well. And although the possibilities can get very complex, once you understand the basic rules, you can get very creative.

But if you simply want to trigger the Montage the same as you do with the Montage's own keys, then select MIDI I/O Mode = Single.

Understanding the creativity which can be employed using MIDI I/O = Single and Zones, I summarized what I knew which matches the rules above (1st paragraph).

Source: https://yamahasynth.com/forum/set-the-receive-channel-of-each-part-individually#reply-18492
Sunday, February 26 2017

When MIDI is set to single-channel - this applies to all PARTs except those parts with Part Zone control set to ON and the transmit Channel set to some different channel. Now I know modifying a PART's zone channel affects the output MIDI channel - so although "Single" MIDI channel is selected - you would see more than one MIDI channel on output.

Not having the firmware to test, I went on to speculate if modifying the PART Zone Channel setting ALSO decoupled the same PART from participating in the MIDI I/O Mode=Single (shared) channel setting. In other words, when using MIDI I/O=single does a PART with a Zone transmit Channel set serve to decouple this same PART from the shared channel (associated with mode=single)? That is, assuming the PART number is not equal to the I/O mode=single (shared) MIDI channel.

Bad Mister wrote:In MIDI I/O mode = Single only the currently selected sound can be heard from either keyboard.

That's not totally correct: As I wrote above, if selecting a part which has keyboard control disabled, you can control those parts with keyboard control from the external keyboard and the selected part from the Montage.