... I don't know if it's possible but Genos repartitioned (I'm speculating) to steal from the preset memory and future expansion in order to gain more usable memory - wonder if Montage/MODX has similar fat and/or the decision to cap further preset expansion in terms of added waveforms. And the two boxes may be differently margined - so I still wonder about Montage because that's the box I have.

Squeezing the juice out aside - on the update front, NAMM is days away. The "real deal" version of it. So maybe something will coincide with it. There's no reason to hold out for something. Still, these events tend to be usual demarcations of where updates are more likely.

So far the official "press" here has been on artists (and some of their free content), sequencers (... vintage), synthesis (... vintage - YC organ, CS80, etc). I don't know if these are tea leaves but many times before there is some loose relationship between the pre-announce press and some following "major" announcement. For me, firmware updates are considered "major" even if thought of as underwhelming by some.

I don't disagree that there are valid reasons for a hardware refresh. The usual suspects more important than age would be component availability. One has to wonder if component (ICs primarily) lifespans themselves have changed (extended) in the face of other varied issues.

That said - the nose end of synth R&D has been working on something since the YC was released. I don't know what's next in the pipeline.

In other only very loosely related topic - I've been working on MIDI 2.0 frameworks available on iOS that implement a portion of that. I'm not really in the loop of what's (all) available out there - but it seems the bar is not as high on the software end to "talk" MIDI 2.0. Montage and Motif were both demonstrated at the plug-and-play MIDI 2.0 events. I'm still hoping some of that makes it way into this gen due to the possibility of resolution gains on various now limited parameters. I don't know if the engine has the horsepower for the new "bandwidth" - but still, I can cast my wishes. If the engine isn't right-sized then this would be a pretty compelling reason to have a next gen. Maybe put the MIDI logic into an FPGA (or CPLD) so that portion of the design can adapt to the early-life growing pains of the spec "changes" without having to be processor bound.

... for now, I wait-and-see what comes of the next say month (June).

@Jason

Given that MIDI is a thing in browsers, is it possible to make a Patch (sound) editor for Montage/MODX that runs in the browser and uses USB to "drive" the Montage/MODX?

All parameters of a sound accessible in this manner?

Thought occurred as a result of thinking about Modal "apps", some which are just browser "apps":

45sec vid showing one of them:
https://youtu.be/Lqe49fjvJy8

I've given up expecting a firmware upgrade for the Montage or MODX because I don't think there's really any incentive for Yamaha to release an upgrade but perhaps there's a new keyboard in the works. Paul Drongowski has an article on his web page about Yamaha's trademark filing for a new "synth/keyboard" name: "CK-61™" and "CK-88™" ( http://sandsoftwaresound.net/namm-2022-your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine/)

I saw the CK or CI< stuff. Looked like it was still waiting for approval so I’m not making too many guesses right now. If I look at the < part sideways it looks like a V and Cl V+Cl is Vcl (vocal?oid). Maybe a response to Casio’s box. That’s my far fetch take. Like Mulder explaining some phenomena in X-Files. Still too early since there are other things I’m thinking that are more plausible.

NAMM 2022 has ended and there has been no announcement of a new firmware for Montage. 2 years have passed since firmware 3.5 ( June 2020) and there is nothing new.
It is evident that the development of Montage is finished and all the promises of a hardware "platform" with continuous development have ... vanished like tears in the rain 🙁

Not enough votes on IdeaScale?

In unrelated news, online retailers have begun a new round of discounts on Montage.

The last Major OS update release for the Montage/MODX was in early fall a few years back. I predict that we will see Montage 4.0 this coming September followed soon after by MODX 3.0!! 😉

Oh, and additionally, I predict they will release a new hardware version of the Montage "Montage Blue" (the same hardware, different colour)

[quotePost id=117197]Oh, and additionally, I predict they will release a new hardware version of the Montage "Montage Blue" (the same hardware, different colour)[/quotePost]
Well, Montage 6 White is no longer listed at Thomann in Europe, so maybe White line is on its way out.

That's right. Nothing from NAMM 2022. That's a fairly universal statement from the big companies.

Source: Korg NAMM thread

Apparently Korg at NAMM is a waste of space, they had one guy and no kit there, just sharing a space with others.

Roland wasn't there.

Nord was there. Same as Yamaha synths - no new products or updates.

Kurzweil was there. Looks like Nord, Kurzweil, Studiologic, and others were combined in AMS's booth (distributor).

Yes, the OB-X8 and 3rd wave were there.

Mostly the industry was fairly silent in terms of new stuff.

Some smaller companies had new gear or refreshes/improvements since the last time they showed.

[quotePost id=117203]That's right. Nothing from NAMM 2022. That's a fairly universal statement from the big companies.

Source: Korg NAMM thread

Apparently Korg at NAMM is a waste of space, they had one guy and no kit there, just sharing a space with others.

Roland wasn't there.

Nord was there. Same as Yamaha synths - no new products or updates.

Kurzweil was there. Looks like Nord, Kurzweil, Studiologic, and others were combined in AMS's booth (distributor).

Yes, the OB-X8 and 3rd wave were there.

Mostly the industry was fairly silent in terms of new stuff.

Some smaller companies had new gear or refreshes/improvements since the last time they showed.[/quotePost]

This has much more to do with a general antipathy to convention organisers and their host organisations and associations than it does anything much to do with product lines.

IOW: Expect almost all big players, in all industries, to have begun realising their goals to extract themselves from convention based launching of their major products, from here on in. To make their own cycles, as they see fit.

This switch was slowly underway over the last few years, prior to covid. But the manner in which most convention organisers handled things during the past two years has sealed their fate.

Most noticeable example of this was Sony in the two years prior the pandemic. Now everyone is doing as they do, in all industries.

Every company capable of doing so will now follow the Apple model of holding live keynotes when it suits them to launch and/or announce.

[quotePost id=117196]The last Major OS update release for the Montage/MODX was in early fall a few years back. I predict that we will see Montage 4.0 this coming September followed soon after by MODX 3.0!! 😉 [/quotePost]
The hopes of seeing a 4.0 firmware for Montage, consider them more and more .... thin 🙁
A "we're working on it" from Yamaha would be enough: but everything is silent 😮

This is normal SOP. You're not going to hear anything until the week before release. For Montage it's been the same since 2016 and, along the way, there's documented negativity of people who say it's the end of the synth support only to be followed by new firmware and features.

We're certainly in the advanced age of this keyboard - so it's difficult to call. However, I'm not ready to call it the end. Also, I'm investing more than a generation into my Montage. So what comes next (if/when it comes) is not necessarily going to land in front of me.

I let many generations go by on my previous gear before investing in something new. Somewhat influenced by hardware issues (that I fixed -- so I got more out of it) - but mostly because I'm a late adopter in general and dig into the gear I have.