Make sure you're Montage is updated to firmware 1.10.6
Press [UTILITY] > Settings > System
If you have an earlier firmware go to the official Yamaha download site and get firmware 1.10
http://download.yamaha.com

Instructions for updating are included in the Dowload.

If you have 1.10.6 already
Go to [UTILITY] > Settings > Advanced
here you will find the ZONE MASTER
Set this to ON globally. This will allow you to activate the Master Setting parameters within your Performances. Now you must go to the Performance in question and make your individual ZONE Settings... here's how:

Recall a Performance you are setting up to use with your external gear.
Press [EDIT]
Select the PART 1-8, each Part has its one Master Keyboard Zone Settings
For example, say PART [1] press the PART SELECT 1/1

You are now editing Part 1, select "Common" in the lower left of the screen
Select Part Settings > Zone Settings
Turn the Zone ON

Now the Performance's settings determine what goes Out via MIDI, if any thing. You have an Internal Switch to decide to play internal, and you have a Transmit Channel setting for what goes out via MIDI.

Thanks Bad Mister. Yes I already have the update. And I THOUGHT I already tried this last evening but still was getting MIDI output, even with the Zones turned off on a performance. I will double check when I get home later this evening. Thank again.

The ZONE has to be ON, the Transmit Channel has to OFF. 🙂

So within a Performance, if the Zone isn't on at all, it will still transmit MIDI out?

Yes, if the MIDI IN/OUT is set to MIDI, it is normal that the keyboard defaults to transmitting MIDI.

The Montage is different from the Motif-series where you had a separate Master mode. In Montage each Performance has its own Master Zone setup. So instead of being limited to just 128 Master configurations each Performance in user (640) has its own Master Zone setup.

Thanks again Bad Mister. Always appreciated.

So other than editing a each part's Zone settings within a performance, there's no way to turn off sending midi, i.e., Default to NOT sending midi?

Tim wrote:

So other than editing a each part's Zone settings within a performance, there's no way to turn off sending midi, i.e., Default to NOT sending midi?

Well, you could set the Montage to USB for MIDI I/O, when you do, the 5-pin MIDI jacks can only be active via a connected computer.

What is your application?

Hi,

I would like to use the Montage live on stage as a master-controller for my setup. I want it to control a Virus TI2 in multi mode. The problem I have is the same as described above. The montage will always send midi out with every performance unless I change the zone settings to on and transmit channel to off for every active part on every performance I use on stage when I don't want the virus to make sound. It's a lot of work. And it's doomed to go wrong sometime, because when you would quickly add a part in a performance during a rehearsal or whatever, it's very easy to forget to activate the zone and set the ch to off, since I don't always have the virus hooked up.
It also means that I can't use a single preset performance because they have their zones turned off, which means they will send midi (Well, I don't know if it's every preset performance, but at least all the ones I checked had zones turned off)
Is there an easy workaround to not make it send midi out apart from the active zones? Or in a future update, can there be a "midi send off" function implemented in the utility menu so only the active midi zones will send midi? I would very much like this last option, and I hope a lot of you do, so there is a bigger chance yamaha will implement it (if it is possible).
Thanks for listening! (or reading)

Regards,

stef

Stefan wrote:

Hi,

I would like to use the Montage live on stage as a master-controller for my setup. I want it to control a Virus TI2 in multi mode. The problem I have is the same as described above. The montage will always send midi out with every performance unless I change the zone settings to on and transmit channel to off for every active part on every performance I use on stage when I don't want the virus to make sound. It's a lot of work.

A controller that transmits on multiple MIDI channels and a receiving device in Multi mode is of course a lot of work, and yes, you must actively program every Performance. This is as simple to understand as 1+1=2. Of course, you will need to program in this situation. You cannot be surprised or even alarmed by this. One solution would be to use a module (slave device) that is dedicated to a single channel. Not multi mode.

And it's doomed to go wrong sometime, because when you would quickly add a part in a performance during a rehearsal or whatever, it's very easy to forget to activate the zone and set the ch to off, since I don't always have the virus hooked up.

I disagree here because there is no "quickly add" in a system with multiple transmit channels on the controller side and multiple receive channels on the tone engine side. You will need to add carefully to your setup.

It also means that I can't use a single preset performance because they have their zones turned off, which means they will send midi (Well, I don't know if it's every preset performance, but at least all the ones I checked had zones turned off)

I'm not sure I follow what you mean here. The Zone Master, once activated, works a bit differently than you are thinking. Once turned On, you can program your current Performance to act as a Master setup and use it to address internal and/or external sounds. Once you have created your first Zone Master setup, you can [STORE] a link to the current Performance.

Is there an easy workaround to not make it send midi out apart from the active zones?

I see where you are going.
You could unplug the MIDI cable.
Insert something in between to break the connection.
You could switch to USB for MIDI. You could filter MIDI at the receiving device (surely it has a MIDI Receive Off, right?).

Or in a future update, can there be a "midi send off" function implemented in the utility menu so only the active midi zones will send midi? I would very much like this last option, and I hope a lot of you do, so there is a bigger chance yamaha will implement it (if it is possible).
Thanks for listening! (or reading)

To be clear the issue you describe occurs when your receiving device is a multiple Receive Channel device. If it was simply set to receive on one channel, you would simply dedicate a MIDI channel to address it.

What is different about Montage - and why we are even having this discussion is that it is capable of transmitting from its keybed on multiple MIDI channels simultaneously. That's what is unique. The obvious advantages of this when it comes to realtime control and performance become a complex thing when you endeavor to include an external device along with the multiple channel Montage engine.

The good news is it is programmable, the bad news is, yes, YOU have to program it. But that, we figure is why you purchased a cutting edge synthesizer. But remember, this situation is being made more complex because both the master and slave devices are in multi modes!

We'll add this to the list of conversations we'll have with engineering at the upcoming NAMM show.

I've similar issue with my montage and my nord electro 5d setted on one midi channel (11).
I use one montage program "M1" to recall, by zone setting, one NE5 program (N1). After that, sometimes I need to change nord program (going to N2 for example) by nord panel without using montage. After that if I go to montage program M3 that is without any midi setting (each one of montage preset for example) it happens that in the time of M3 selection (leaving M1 program) montage send again midi message to nord that go again in N1 program (I would like instead that nord stay in current N2 program). That's is behaviour that I don't want because I would like that montage send midi message only in the time that I select M1 program and not in the time that I leave M1 program going in the M3 program that is without midi message.

Hi,

Bad mister, thanks for the reply and thanks for adding it to the list of conversions.

Andrea, after playing around with the midi settings I also found that my montage sends program changes without having that set up. I also found that when I have the montage in Single Midi I/O mode (ch2), and I add a part in a performance which uses zones, the montage will send Multi Midi out with that zone turned off again. After that it will continue to send Multi Midi out even if I select different performances. It sends out midi for every part of a performance. And in Utility the Midi I/O Mode is still set to single. I have to turn the montage off and reboot it again and then it is back in single midi mode.

Regards,

stef

It does not Send Bank Select/Program Change without being setup. What is actually happening is the last Bank Select/Program Change Sent on a particular Channel persists in the next Performance you recall.

If you recall a Performance that is set to Send Bank Select 000/000, Program Change 33 on MIDI channel 16, that message is sent Out via MIDI and should recall a GM Acoustic Bass in the receiving device on channel 16. Now say you move to a Montage Performance you have not setup for an external Zone, your external device receives no new command and remains exactly where it is. It will not change. It will stay on the Acoustic Bass. It is not told to do anything so the last program, the last volume, the last pan position all remain exactly where they are. They persist.

When you finally do recall a Performance with a new command for your external module, it will change to that new setting. Say you now send it a Bank Select and Program Change to select a Synth Bass...

Now here comes the key thing to understand, say you now back track and return to the Performance that nothing setup, the external module receives no new command and remains on the Synth Bass, (not the Acoustic Bass as the previous time). The current settings persist... this means the last program selected, the last volume settings, the last pan position settings remain until you send them commands to change.

Once you understand this, (and only when you do) will logically setting up Master Zones start to make sense.

In general, an external device will or should have a MIDI channel on which you always address it. You can opt to send commands to external devices from a specific slot 1-16 on the Montage. If you plan to include the external device layered and/or split simultaneously with internal Parts, please recognize that the limit is eight simultaneous Zones. If you have one dedicated to the external device that leaves seven dedicated for internal Parts. The total of controlled (sounding) Parts is 8.

If you wish to play the external device separately, you can simply dedicate a Part slot for its setup, and when you wish to play that device simply use PART SELECT to directly transmit on that channel. In my example slot 16 would be responsible for controlling my external device. To play that device, I would use [PART CONTROL] and button [16] to address the external device by itself. I would have a Fader to control its volume, and when Part 16 is selected, my Montage controllers all address the external device, while the Super Knob and Scenes keep me in touch with the internal engine.

Things can get complicated when you want combine internal and external Parts for simultaneous playable control - so a good understanding of how item and settings Sent on MIDI channels persist from program to program. Once you start layering and splitting, and split/layering internal and external Parts together, you had better recognize recalling a Performance that you have not pre- setup, is not going to be a realistic option. You will want to plan for it, because for all intents and purposes, they become a single entity at that point.

Meaning, if you setup a PART of your Montage MULTI PART Performance for the external device, you will want consistently address the external device from one of the KBD CTRL Parts. This way you can begin to think of it as a specific PART Number, with its own Fader in each of the Performances you setup. This way when you don't want it to sound, or you want to use that Part slot for an internal Montage sound, you know to set Transmit Off for that Part. Consistency and persistence, are the keys to Zone Master setups.

Bedminster you say:
"The current settings persist... this means the last program selected, the last volume settings, the last pan position settings remain until you send them commands to change"
Where does it persist? On montage of course and it is sent again in the time I change montage performance going to new performance that is without midi setting. From my point of view this is wrong behaviour and different from other gear I have had before montage.
With other gear if I do the same things that I explained to you (above in the thread) NE5 stay at program N2 (please refere to previous explenation)....only with montage NE5 come back to N1.
In the montage seems that midi message stay in a sort of buffer and it is sent again and again anytime I select a program that should have no midi message on channel 11 (I mean preset programs for example) and the only way to stop this sending is to have a dedicated program on montage that have transmit channel off (and keyboard zone on).