And a similar sentiment thread, too:

https://www.yamahasynth.com/forum/roland-intros-modx-competitor-hope-for-a-modx-firmware-update

[quotePost id=116472]
Here's what I think may be reasonable/realistic features or enhancements in a future OS update:
- A third engine
- Improved Rotary Simulation Effect Modeled after YC Rotary Effect
- Enhancements to the onboard sequencing
- Newer/better piano modeling effects for resonance, pedal noise, and other natural acoustic piano sounds that could enhance the piano waveforms
- More kool Insert Effects (such as Shimmer Reverb)
- Enhanced Scene functionality (possibly Element On/Off control within Scenes)
- Additional New FM-X Algorithms with more of Operators 1 & 2 Stacked
- Ability to Save Custom Effects Settings to User Memory &/or to Copy Effects Settings to another PART
- Yamaha C7 Grand Piano Library (same waveforms as are currently on the Genos, CP & YC series)
- Save/Include SONGs/MIDI Stored in User Memory when Saving to a User File or as a Library File

tis fun to dream 😉 [/quotePost]

Yep

And a great list! Agreed on all counts.

Ah, you guys have this covered already I see...
Well I guess I should spend some time on the MODX forum every now and then! 😉

I've always felt the bank of 8x4 coloured/lit buttons on the right of the Montage are begging to be a TR-S style sequencer. Give it a page button and it's 64 steps at a flip.

Mirror all the step content on the touchscreen, with a couple pertinent values shown in each step, and modes to jump between showing various other values/parameters shown inside each step, and then it all works on the MODX, too.

Faster/better step access on the Montage, of course. So it's the big brother, still.

Trig conditions and states changeable, chance/probability with ranges, too.

Why this hasn't been done already is completely beyond me.

[quotePost id=116472]Basically there was a post in the thread that got locked (first part of the post) by @Andrew

There is a $100 difference between a Fantom 06 and MODX 6.

[/quotePost]
In Europe, that difference is significant and sits between 270EUR and 360EUR.

[quotePost id=116486]
I have a MODX but not a MONTAGE and sometimes I forget that, although similar, they have some major differences.
It is more than appropriate to ask those questions about the MONTAGE and get input from others that do own and use that instrument.
That way if they do add something like keyboard control of all 16 parts we MODX owners can 'hope' that it trickles down to our instrument as well if the internals allow it.[/quotePost]
I kind of was thinking of features / enhancements that would be implemented on both the Montage & MODX, because they are so close in compatibility and I can't see them adding much to the Montage without adding it to their best selling MODX, especially now that the Fantom-0 is competing with the MODX...I think Yamaha are going to need to add every feature possible to the MODX now.

I don't think they will ever add KBD CTRL to all 16 PARTs, because it would be a massive fundamental change to the OS that could break a lot of stuff. Never say never, but from everything I've heard/read, realistically they are more likely to potentially be able to provide Scene control over the Element On/Off. Maybe they could provide this control over all 16 PARTs, but even just 1-8 would provide a crazy exponential amount of different possibilities for what Elements/Waveforms are On and playable during each Scene.

[quotePost id=116487]I've always felt the bank of 8x4 coloured/lit buttons on the right of the Montage are begging to be a TR-S style sequencer. Give it a page button and it's 64 steps at a flip.
Mirror all the step content on the touchscreen, with a couple pertinent values shown in each step, and modes to jump between showing various other values/parameters shown inside each step, and then it all works on the MODX, too.
Faster/better step access on the Montage, of course. So it's the big brother, still.

Trig conditions and states changeable, chance/probability with ranges, too.[/quotePost]
That's an interesting possibility. If they did add a second TR-S style sequencer, that would make sense regarding utilizing the existing buttons & adding the same on the touchscreen.

[quotePost id=116489]
In Europe, that difference is significant and sits between 270EUR and 360EUR.[/quotePost]
Wow, that's quite a difference. I should have asked this before. Which one costs the extra 270/360, the MODX or the Fantom-0 ?

[quotePost id=116493][quotePost id=116489]
In Europe, that difference is significant and sits between 270EUR and 360EUR.[/quotePost]
Wow, that's quite a difference. I should have asked this before. Which one costs the extra 270/360, the MODX or the Fantom-0 ?[/quotePost]
Fantom-0 is much more expensive across all models:
MODX6 1199EUR Fantom-06 1469EUR
MODX7 1399EUR Fantom-07 1748EUR
MODX8 1599EUR Fantom-08 1959EUR

(prices from thomann).

Here's what I think may be reasonable/realistic features or enhancements in a future OS update:
- A third engine

Which one do you guys think is most requested? Or hopefully will be added one day?

I've seen multiple posts on IdeaScale requesting the following:
- Virtual Acoustics/Physical Modelling
- Virtual Organ
- Virtual Analog

I personally would love to see a Physical Modelling with multiple models (reed, bow, pluck, brass...). It works best for the genre I play. Unfortunately the MODX/Montage are not much used in the Oriental Market, that's why I see my idea on IdeaSclae will not get much followers 🙂 I mainly requested improved Mono/Legato and Virtual Acoustics.

In another opinion I would say why not have multiple additional engines (all of the above) in such a monster (Montage) and its little brother (MODX) like the Kronos/Nautilus. I am sure Yamaha are not poor in advanced technologies 🙂

Cheers

At this point, I don't think anything is due.

The silence (which is quite long and follows the Montage White Special Ultra Deluxe White But Otherwise The Same Amazeballs White Version) tends to indicate they're working on something else.

[quotePost id=116496]Which one do you guys think is most requested? Or hopefully will be added one day?

I've seen multiple posts on IdeaScale requesting the following:
- Virtual Acoustics/Physical Modelling
- Virtual Organ
- Virtual Analog

I personally would love to see a Physical Modelling with multiple models (reed, bow, pluck, brass...). It works best for the genre I play. Unfortunately the MODX/Montage are not much used in the Oriental Market, that's why I see my idea on IdeaSclae will not get much followers 🙂 I mainly requested improved Mono/Legato and Virtual Acoustics.
[/quotePost]

Virtual Analog appears to be the one most requested via Idealscale ( https://yamahasynth.ideascale.com )
Yamaha had sent out a survey to people a while back asking what people would most like to see added, and I think VA was what the majority said...

I think that they could potentially provide some physical modeling via Insert Effects perhaps, such as it could be an AWM2 PART with an enhanced Rotary Effect (with additional parameters)..!? Same for Acoustic Pianos...

I personally don't care how it looks (I think they'd likely keep to their standard effects parameters look), as long as it has modeled functionality and sounds great!

[quotePost id=116497]At this point, I don't think anything is due.
The silence (which is quite long and follows the Montage White Special Ultra Deluxe White But Otherwise The Same Amazeballs White Version) tends to indicate they're working on something else.
[/quotePost]
I do think we need to factor in heavily the effects that the Covid pandemic has had, because it caused supply lines to be delayed and shutdown demand, as many musicians were not playing. And how this affected Yamaha employees, research & development, etc, internally could also be a factor in updates being delayed.

Had Covid not happened, I think we would have seen Montage 4.0 update well over a year ago.

Also to add to the delay, 'if' they are adding a 3rd Engine as part of 4.0, this would be THE single most fundamental & HUGE OS update/change to the Montage OS since it was released, so I would think they would need additional time for R&D, programming, testing, etc., as it has to work flawlessly. They don't want to release something this BIG and introduce bugs into an already stable system. They may have taken an extra 6months to a year just testing, tweaking, re-testing, tweaking, etc., until they feel it is solid, as I don't imagine Yamaha would like to release an OS update plagued with bugs, and have to release 4.01, then 4.02, etc. as bug fixes. Just my thought though... 😉

[quotePost id=116494]
Fantom-0 is much more expensive across all models:
MODX6 1199EUR Fantom-06 1469EUR
MODX7 1399EUR Fantom-07 1748EUR
MODX8 1599EUR Fantom-08 1959EUR
(prices from thomann).[/quotePost]

The Fantom-0 almost appears to be more inline with the Korg Nautilus in terms of pricing..!? So I wonder if Roland are trying to compete with the Nautilus more than the MODX, or did they make a blunder in the pricing..!? It's difficult to say at this point. I do hear them comparing the Fantom-0 to the MODX in several videos, so if they are charging that much more, they might not take as much market away from MODX sales as they hoped!? I don't have any numbers, but I would guess that the Nautilus did not affect the MODX sales too much. Unless people are willing to pay more just to have a somewhat lesser learning curve and cooler screen dynamics, etc., I would think anyone on a budget that cares more about the sound quality & functionality of what they can make the Synth sound like, may outweigh the need for the newer look of Fantom-0. Hard to say though, as it could be a mixed bag and a lot of tough decisions by potential customers that are struggling to figure out what they want most in buying a new synth.

Myself, I also lean to the sound quality and what can I make a synth do sound-wise for the same price.
When I was shopping for a new synth ~3+ years ago, the first one I tried out after a bit of research was the MODX8. But my decision on that was a big 'no' very quickly, because my #1 criteria was having an 88 key synth that had the feel of a piano...unfortunately the MODX8 keybed (specifically, as the MODX6 & 7 have different keybeds) did not cut it for me at all, and frustrated me to no end trying to get the velocity to feel right. Adjusting the Global velocity helped with the lower keys, but then the higher keys became way too hot ... after trying the Montage8 about a month later, it played and felt so awesome that I was willing to pay double for a synth twice the weight. But that is just my specific criteria/decision/etc. It basically came down to the Kronos 8 and Montage8 in the end, and polyphony was the main factor that swayed me to buy the Montage (thanks to the folks on the Korg forums who were honest & suggested the Montage would fit my requirements best)

It will be interesting to see how the Fantom-0 sales do in comparison to the MODX and Nautilus...