Please tell me that the Montage can send MIDI signals out through USB and MIDI DIN at the same...This is a very basic function that I have on multiple synths; even my Novation Mininova has this capability. I can't seem to light up the MIDI and USB boxes on the Montage-only one or the other but I'm sure I'm missing a setting. Can anyone let me know what it is? Thanks again.:)
It isn't readily apparent that the MIDI DIN connector is still active when Montage is in USB MIDI mode. That said, how this works may still not match exactly how you "wish" it would work - although the connected PC on USB can fill the gap.
When USB MIDI mode is selected, your keyboard note on/off messages and normal messages that Montage had been sending through the MIDI DIN connector (when in MIDI "port" mode) are sent through USB instead (USB port MONTAGE-1). Not in addition, but instead. Also while in USB MIDI mode, there's a way to send any MIDI information to the MIDI DIN connector. Through USB there is a second PORT (MONTAGE-3) that will send anything sent from that port and will make available anything received from that port. MONTAGE-3 turns into a USB-to-standard-MIDI-port interface. If you want the MIDI messages sent from Montage to make their way back to the MIDI DIN port, it's a fairly simple task of echoing back the messages received from MONTAGE-1 back to MONTAGE-3. Procedures would vary by DAW.
Montage shipped with free DAW software which could handle this task. This doesn't cover every single user - but it doesn't hurt to ask Yamaha (customer support) if you received Montage 2nd hand without a Cubase license. That still doesn't help those who simply don't want to use a DAW of any kind (free or not). There's not much that can be done in this case as firmware changes are unlikely for this one.
Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R
You can learn all about MONTAGE and MIDI and how MIDI I/O works when you select MIDI I/O = USB:
MONTAGE MIDI Settings Explained
Gents, thanks for the info. This addressed my issue:
Important Note: If you select MIDI I/O = USB, MONTAGE will send and receive via the USB connection; while the 5-pin MIDI IN/OUT jacks will allow you to connect an external device discreetly to the computer (as port 3). So it is NOT that the 5-pin MIDI ports don't work when you select MIDI I/O = USB, they work to address one external device (both IN/OUT, to and from the computer). You can trigger that device by looping the signal through the computer: Port 1 In to Port 3 Out.
Montage is a beast and tough to tame...:D