Once I’ve setup my Performance (with all of my parts, Rhythm track or whatever) how do I name and save this as a User performance for recall later?

For very basic things like storing and naming an edited Performance, the “Quick Guide” sections of the Owner’s Manual are ideal. See page 32 “Quick Guide — Editing the Settings” it will cover the “how to” on storing.
It will refer you back to page 17 in case you’ve forgotten how to enter the characters for Naming the Performance.

You cannot overwrite a Factory Preset, when you press [STORE] you will be offered a User Bank location to store your edited version. As soon as you press [STORE] you are asked to Name the Performance... highly recommended that you do...

I also assume I must save the performance as a User performance first before I can create or add it to a live set correct?

That is correct. A Live Set only references Performances... it is a set list. So yes, of course, the Performance must exist (be stored) before you can add it to a set list (Live Set).

Finally what is the difference between “editing an existing” performance and creating an “initialized” performance (ie, what IS an initialized performance?)

An existing Performance, for example, the Factory Presets, are already setup to respond to controllers, to Envelopes, to Filters, to effect processing, etc., etc., by world-class programmers like Richard Devine, Dave Polich, Scott Plunkett, Peter Krischker, Richard P. James and others...

An Init Performance starts you “from scratch”. There are four “from scratch” starting points:
Init Normal AWM2 - starts with a sampled Waveform (0001), with an organ-Type envelope. For building sounds based on sampled Waveforms.
Init Normal FM-X - starts with a single Sine Wave, with an organ-Type Envelope. For building sounds based of FM Synthesis
Init Drum - starts with a snare drum assigned to all keys C0~C6. For building a custom Drum Kit.
and Multi/GM - starts with a Piano in all Parts 1-16, except 10 which has a drum Kit. For multi-Track sequencing with DAW or playing back .mid Files multi-timbrally.

You build all Envelopes, assign all Filters, assign all Effects, assign controllers, etc., etc., yourself.
In both cases, whether you start with work by the experts, or you start “from scratch” your result will be stored to the User Bank.
The User Bank can hold the following:
640 Performances
2048 Waveforms
2048 Live Set slots
256 Arpeggios
256 Motion Sequences
32 Curves
8 MicroTunings

Once I’ve setup my Performance (with all of my parts, Rhythm track or whatever) how do I name and save this as a User performance for recall later?

Find a button labeled [STORE] (brackets I and others put around things that are physical buttons). Press it. Choose an option if given one (overwrite, create new) and then name the Performance something that makes sense to you. Often not leaving the default since that would be the name of some other Performance. Done.

Yes, you need to save edits before you can access them somewhere else. Edits you make are to memory that is not saved when you change Performances or turn off your instrument - so you'll lose all your work if you do not save it.

Wow. Thank you for such detailed support. I don’t seem to have been too far off the beaten path -;). VERY helpful explanation of init Performance. The Montage is a powerful machine with enormous capabilities, and still as I learn more is extremely user friendly.

Thanks

Once I’ve setup my Performance (with all of my parts, Rhythm track or whatever) how do I name and save this as a User performance for recall later?

For very basic things like storing and naming an edited Performance, the “Quick Guide” sections of the Owner’s Manual are ideal. See page 32 “Quick Guide — Editing the Settings” it will cover the “how to” on storing.
It will refer you back to page 17 in case you’ve forgotten how to enter the characters for Naming the Performance.

You cannot overwrite a Factory Preset, when you press [STORE] you will be offered a User Bank location to store your edited version. As soon as you press [STORE] you are asked to Name the Performance... highly recommended that you do...

I also assume I must save the performance as a User performance first before I can create or add it to a live set correct?

That is correct. A Live Set only references Performances... it is a set list. So yes, of course, the Performance must exist (be stored) before you can add it to a set list (Live Set).

Finally what is the difference between “editing an existing” performance and creating an “initialized” performance (ie, what IS an initialized performance?)

An existing Performance, for example, the Factory Presets, are already setup to respond to controllers, to Envelopes, to Filters, to effect processing, etc., etc., by world-class programmers like Richard Devine, Dave Polich, Scott Plunkett, Peter Krischker, Richard P. James and others...

An Init Performance starts you “from scratch”. There are four “from scratch” starting points:
Init Normal AWM2 - starts with a sampled Waveform (0001), with an organ-Type envelope. For building sounds based on sampled Waveforms.
Init Normal FM-X - starts with a single Sine Wave, with an organ-Type Envelope. For building sounds based of FM Synthesis
Init Drum - starts with a snare drum assigned to all keys C0~C6. For building a custom Drum Kit.
and Multi/GM - starts with a Piano in all Parts 1-16, except 10 which has a drum Kit. For multi-Track sequencing with DAW or playing back .mid Files multi-timbrally.

You build all Envelopes, assign all Filters, assign all Effects, assign controllers, etc., etc., yourself.
In both cases, whether you start with work by the experts, or you start “from scratch” your result will be stored to the User Bank.
The User Bank can hold the following:
640 Performances
2048 Waveforms
2048 Live Set slots
256 Arpeggios
256 Motion Sequences
32 Curves
8 MicroTunings

Wow. Thank you for such detailed support. I don’t seem to have been too far off the beaten path -;). The Montage is a powerful machine with enormous capabilities, and still as I learn more is extremely user friendly.

Thanks

Once I’ve setup my Performance (with all of my parts, Rhythm track or whatever) how do I name and save this as a User performance for recall later?

For very basic things like storing and naming an edited Performance, the “Quick Guide” sections of the Owner’s Manual are ideal. See page 32 “Quick Guide — Editing the Settings” it will cover the “how to” on storing.
It will refer you back to page 17 in case you’ve forgotten how to enter the characters for Naming the Performance.

You cannot overwrite a Factory Preset, when you press [STORE] you will be offered a User Bank location to store your edited version. As soon as you press [STORE] you are asked to Name the Performance... highly recommended that you do...

I also assume I must save the performance as a User performance first before I can create or add it to a live set correct?

That is correct. A Live Set only references Performances... it is a set list. So yes, of course, the Performance must exist (be stored) before you can add it to a set list (Live Set).

Finally what is the difference between “editing an existing” performance and creating an “initialized” performance (ie, what IS an initialized performance?)

An existing Performance, for example, the Factory Presets, are already setup to respond to controllers, to Envelopes, to Filters, to effect processing, etc., etc., by world-class programmers like Richard Devine, Dave Polich, Scott Plunkett, Peter Krischker, Richard P. James and others...

An Init Performance starts you “from scratch”. There are four “from scratch” starting points:
Init Normal AWM2 - starts with a sampled Waveform (0001), with an organ-Type envelope. For building sounds based on sampled Waveforms.
Init Normal FM-X - starts with a single Sine Wave, with an organ-Type Envelope. For building sounds based of FM Synthesis
Init Drum - starts with a snare drum assigned to all keys C0~C6. For building a custom Drum Kit.
and Multi/GM - starts with a Piano in all Parts 1-16, except 10 which has a drum Kit. For multi-Track sequencing with DAW or playing back .mid Files multi-timbrally.

You build all Envelopes, assign all Filters, assign all Effects, assign controllers, etc., etc., yourself.
In both cases, whether you start with work by the experts, or you start “from scratch” your result will be stored to the User Bank.
The User Bank can hold the following:
640 Performances
2048 Waveforms
2048 Live Set slots
256 Arpeggios
256 Motion Sequences
32 Curves
8 MicroTunings