I think you just tripped over one of the "gotchas" of this particular section of the keyboard.

"Standalone" mode can be seen as a sort of "Reset" setting - since you cannot modify it, and it will change whatever it does independent if you like it.

Yamaha lets you edit your own 3 profiles. You can make your own "Standalone" mode - but you only get 3 to muck with. If you're out of profiles (all 3 used up doing other important things) - then decide if any of these adds value higher than your custom standalone candidate. If one you can manually do something (and will remember to do it) meaning changing a setting - then maybe you delete that profile and replace with your custom "Standalone".

I haven't seen a reference manual update past A0 - and A0 is the latest on the website. I milled through the firmware releases to try to find a newer reference manual - I think A0 is it.

That said, reference manual A0 page 167 shows the quick setup information. What's incomplete here is that it does not show the A/D input (mic or line) as a setting it saves or changes. Audio settings just show gains. MIDI settings - shouldn't be there - but checking anyhow - doesn't show up. Part OUTPUT settings - you see A/D output select there. But this isn't the input control. Output is going to be under "Edit - Common/Audio" then touchscreen menu "Audio In" --> "Mixing". In the far right under A/D in is the "Output Select". Which is the only setting that makes sense for "A/D In Output Select".

Nowhere does the documentation show, hint, claim that the A/D input selection Mic vs. Line is anything saved in the profiles. However, it clearly is.

... EDIT:

... now I'm leaving my initial impression alone above about "nowhere in the documentation" - just to show how documentation can be confusing due to mismatched terminology. Also, a re-read of the docs do show the reference manual page 168 has "A/D Input Gain" in parenthesis. (aside: main gripe is therefore if Montage GUI would show "A/D Input (Input Gain)" to match the docs - it would make everything more consistent -- the problem is that the page 168 context isn't there when looking at page 167) So actually, the sum of the documentation DOES in fact tell you the Line vs. Mic level is saved.

If you look at the data list, you'll see that the Line vs. Mic level of the A/D input is shown as:

Parameter Name: A/D Input Gain
Description: Mic, Line
Default: 01 (for line)

Therefore, when the reference manual shows "Audio Settings A/D Input Gain" as being saved - this means it will save your A/D input as Mic or Line. Now the Standalone mode which shows Local=on, Direct Monitor=on, Output Select=Main L&R, and Arp MIDI out=Off - does not list the A/D input gain and what it's set to. But we know the default settings run deeper than this abridged listing.

... end of edit, back to previous content:

Since you cannot edit the built-in "StandAlone" profile - you're going to have to:

1) Deal with what it does and manually switch the A/D mic-vs-line setting yourself
2) Make your own profile that does exactly what Standalone does - but sets the A/D input mic-vs-line setting correctly for your preference
3) Do not use standalone - either your own version - or the built-in version. Instead manually change the other parameters which differentiate going to the various modes. These are, after all, just templates that change settings that you can manually adjust yourself.
4) The harder way: send MIDI SysEx to make the changes from your DAW by recording a "macro" that does the same thing as the profiles do - only modifying the settings according to what you prefer. It's possible not all settings can be "reached" by SysEx - I haven't run through the traps.

Jason
Thanks for your detailed reply. My main concern about this issue is that I might accidentally end up switching the A/D input into line mode before a live gig and then will be wondering why the mic isn't as loud as it should be.

I think this is a bug with the Montage software. If it stores the A/D input state along with the 3 user definable Quick Setups then it should also store them with the Standalone mode. I understand stand alone mode is a preset state but this preset state should also store along with it the selected state of the A/D input.

If standalone mode just said "reset auido/midi settings to factory defaults" - then there would be no confusing what's happening with a "bug". This is what standalone does - so - just being picky here - Montage is doing exactly what it advertises it should be doing and therefore not really a "bug".

There is a consequence of having people rely on a setting that resets a few settings back to factory defaults is that they may not want the factory defaults. This is where Yamaha gives you 3 other settings you can edit and reassign.

I really think the most major issue is the button is a bit mis-labeled and would be better if it referenced resetting settings (not all settings, just some) back to factory. People generally avoid a factory reset option - but "standalone" seems harmless - yet "standalone" does more than just flip a few routing options. The mic input being one of the settings which it should probably not have modified in the first place. Because in "standalone" mode - who knows what level your A/D input is going to be set to. Kind of overbearing for Montage to assume it knows better.

The important thing - that at least is settled - is knowing what the feature does so you can help manage the outcomes.

There are plenty of "gotchas" I have to remember because the system doesn't do exactly what I'd prefer. And a few gigs that suffered because I fell into a trap. But now I check a few more things and double-check them.

Glad you got that all sorted out here, (I think).

Standalone - returns the Montage to its normal condition to be played (alone) not connected to anything else. That is the best way to think about it. Standing completely alone. The reason the MIC/LINE returns to LINE is because it is connected to an amplifier. And this amplifier is defaulted in the condition that would add the least amount of noise to the system. I'm sure that is what the thinking was on defaulting to LINE (not MIC).

Since a MIC is not normally connected to the Montage, an easy way to remember that your Montage, when standing alone will default to LINE (the setting that would add the least amount of noise to the total output). You are not going to be aware of the pre-amplifier if a load is attached. But when no microphone is connected to an input it is pretty standard operating procedure for the input to default to the LINE setting (simply because of the potential noise situation). And because of this - it probably does 'know better'.

I'm sure that is why they default the unit to LINE. Most every mixer, or input device does (for the same reason).

Like the Main Volume slider, the AD Input On/Off and Gain knob are very much your responsibility to setup each time you power on and connect to a system, or connect something to the Montage.

If a user always has a Mic connected - forever - until the end of time - in their studio - this is a case where Montage doesn't "know better". There's an assumption here that line is what the user will be using - which is not correct in this case.

Lots of users use these presets to switch between DAW/recording modes and do not change their A/D scheme. So the buttons seem to do the right thing in most cases until, as the OP pointed out, it modifies something they do not consider to be in the realm of what should be adjusted.

if a Mic is or is not normally connected to Montage is not something that can be possibly known. Someone like Byron Chambers is going to have a Mic hooked up 100% of the time. This is a case where a good intention could be getting in the way of what makes sense for a pool of users.

The suggestion to rename was a way to try to make it more clear what was about to happen.

I do think that once you know, however, it's not that much overhead to manage sticking with exactly how Montage works today (forever, without any enhancements).

I understand that the "standalone mode" is intended as a mini reset, and it is a read only setting. But the Mic/Line setting is normally stored. i.e. if you switch on the Montage, flick the setting and then restart it, it is remembered. So it's not something that should necessarily be done each time you boot like the A/D input on/off switch. One of Jason's suggestions was to store this setting in one of the pre-defined modes - MIDI rec on DAW etc. But the problem is, I use each of the 3 modes provided. I can store the A/Input = Mic with each of those but I also use standalone mode. So when I return to that, the mic is switched to line again.

I think another potential solution to this is to provide a fourth "user defined" standalone mode where someone could store their preferred settings for things like this. That way I wouldn't use the default Standalone mode anymore. Just my own custom one.