I assume you can use the drum, scenes and arps...., and play along while changing scenes arps to make your composition. You could record the drum performance as a song, and then play along with that. Or you could just manually record the drum track and play along with that. Of course using a DAW opens up a whole bunch of options.

Hi Jerry, I think I may be trying to do the same as you, program an ARP(s) loop for Drum and Bass, to accompany another layer(s) for melody/chords which I want to play on the right hand. Or to find an ARP I like in one of the built in Live Sets for example, and change and/or add performances layers and splits, for right hand playing, to accompany the ARP without it sometimes not playing when the ARP is turned on, but playing again when the ARP is turned off. I haven’t discovered yet why this happens with some performances I try, and not with others, and what settings are causing it?

I am going through the same steep learning curve as you, having bought a Montage in November after having a Tyros 1, T2, T3 & Tyros 5. I have also spent hours on YouTube Tutorials/Google/YamahaSynth Forum etc, and I’m getting there with a lot of things now, (and love the keyboard), but the myriad of context changing screens and changing differing left-hand-side pop-up menus makes it very hard to grasp what is happening, from a ‘standing start’, without a photographic memory.

If only the touch screen mirrored to a PC or iPad it would be so much quicker and easier for trial and error.

For me, after following the Bad Mister videos, & also the Moessieurs & DavidKBD subbed videos, recording a custom loop is ok, but it all then goes pear-shaped when I try to add or change a performance layer. I am not ‘getting’ the interactions of the various related settings between Parts, Elements, & Scenes, (if this is the problem)and what needs to be turned on or off, and linked or un-linked, and where to go through the differing touch screens to do it anyway?

I would welcome any help.

i believe the OP can do this.. correct me if i'm wrong..

1. create custom sequence drum loop on a sequencer.
2. save as a midi file
3. load into montage as an arpeggio..
4. load drum kit with custom arpeggio..

Yes, that is correct.

Next week is the NAMM Show, so it’s a bit busy right now... but I promise to address some of the many possible ways you can create, and recall your own custom backing. The “Easter eggs” (hidden functions) in this area are many.

There are over 3200 Drum Arps... these can be used as they are or adjusted to fit your needs.
You can create your own accompaniment .mid data and install the phrases into your instrument as User Arp Phrases.
Because Scenes and Super Knob movements can affect all 16 Parts, you can independently control selection of your Arp Phrases, Motion Sequences, and sound behavior, while using the [PART SELECT] buttons to pick your lead sound.

Performances can be linked to Song data in your MONTAGE’s Song Folder.

We’ve been going over many of the features and functions in our MONTAGE series on Motif XF Conversions... since the Motif XF and MOXF featured four Part Performances, with 2 Assign Knobs, and 6 Control Sets... when reconstructed in the MONTAGE they make perfect “starting points”. We’ve been learning about adding Parts (MONTAGE can have 8 Parts under KBD CTRL), adding Assign Knobs (MONTAGE can have 8 Assign Knobs per Part), and learning how to integrate the Motion Control Synthesis Engine via the 16 Control Sets available per each Part).

I promise to address this subject (programming accompanying Tracks, MONTAGE-style) in detail as apart of this series... if you are coming to the NAMM Show stop by the Yamaha Showroom (we’re in the Marriott Hotel Ballrooms) and say hi ... we should have a few MONTAGE’s around to play with!

That’s great Phil, and as a newbie buying a Montage 7 after a series of Yamaha PSR’s/Tyros’s/MC-600 Organ, I think that a ‘Sticky’ on the top of the Montage Forum with a dozen or so key quick start explanations, procedures & illustrations would save loads of time, rather than what has happened in my case, i.e. slowly piecing together lots of randomly picked up info, either directly or indirectly, from all the info I have read or watched from searches.

e.g. for a case in point, your notes on the PARAMETER WITH PART settings in the excellent ‘Rule The Earth’ Motif XF Conversion (and Waterfront – Simple Minds?), seems to explain a lot of the issues (I think) that I mention in my above post.

To me, this was a welcome ‘light-bulb’ moment, as I can see that if parts brought into a performance to demo are bringing in their own mixing info, overwriting what you already have there, rather than coming in ‘clean’ which is what I would have expected, it’s going to mess things up. I just wish I had seen a reference to this before rather than going around in so many circles for the last 8 weeks.

Still, slowly getting there, and really pleased with the change having thought for the first few weeks "what have I done?" Thanks again

To me, this was a welcome ‘light-bulb’ moment, as I can see that if parts brought into a performance to demo are bringing in their own mixing info, overwriting what you already have there, rather than coming in ‘clean’ which is what I would have expected, it’s going to mess things up.

Having choices means you shouldn’t expect things to be only one way, necessarily. Having choices here is a feature; you can choose to keep the settings or you can choose to bring settings from a previous setup. We think it is imperative, in a mature product to have these selections. Those familiar with the Motif and MO-series of synths would be familiar with this option as it is derived from the old “Parameter with Voice” option as found in those synths.

With each firmware update, new features are outlined in the Supplementary Manual. Always make sure you keep the latest version as a pdf - new features are explained - the latest version includes all previous additions.

Perspective is also important. You have to appreciate the synthesizer as having more than just a Tone Generator... you have to separate those parameters that are Keyboard/Controller oriented, and those that are the built-in digital mixer. Today, many keyboardist don’t really see/appreciate the fact that a full fledged digital mixer is included in the synth. This is where parameters affecting the mixer can be considered as separate from those strictly affecting the synth tone engine. There are EQs that are clearly apart of the synth engine’s individual Parts... understanding that there are other EQs, that work on the overall sound. There are Sends and Returns, and Output Routing assignments, etc.

Just because all these are built-in to one device, I find it still helps if you recognize the component nature - and that is the purpose of the articles. Taking the tasks and decisions that go into assembling programs and discussing them in application. A manual can tell what a particular thing does, it does not tell you in every instance, when you would use it.

Anyone can just layer multiple Parts, true sound designing is creating a role, a reason to be, for each “merged” Part. Knowing the consequences of “merging” is covered in the documentation. The articles just frame it in the context of how it would be used in practice.

Just FYI
If building your Performance involves adding a new Part (“+”) meaning no previous data occupied the slot, you will not see the “Parameter with Part” options.
Only when you are substituting one Part with another, and there is information to inherit, are you offered the option of bring Parameters or inherit existing parameters. So the function is very “context sensitive”. And as mentioned is not a new concept but one with a decade or more of Yamaha Synth history.

Try the “MONTAGE” tag in the “LEARN” area of the site for guides, getting started, and often asked topic articles.
And of course, if you have specific questions on the operation of the instrument please don’t wait eight weeks, post a question... we’ll try to get to it in less time than that. The purpose of this site is to offer a way around struggling with only the Manuals for weeks... questions are what this Forum is all about, no questions, no reason to be