This may be a stupid question but i cant seem to be able to find the answer. Can i use the Montage in the same way as i used my midi keyboard for when i do want to play around with Komplete 11? No sounds from the montage, just from the soft synth?

Yes, of course. The Montage has the ability to act as a MIDI Controller.

If you have a question about how it works, please ask based on what you want/need to accomplish. Assume that knowledge of the Roland RD2000 and how it works, is not in evidence here on the Yamaha site.

Mileage can vary depending on what soft synth you are working with... some receive any incoming MIDI Channel, some you can set the MIDI Channel, some are designed with their own parameters to help with the interaction with external devices, others are simply passive. Some are multi-timbral, some are not.

But you'll find that you can use most any MIDI Controller... what is it you envision doing.

Thats fantastic, thanks! I know from what ive played from the montage that my use for VSTs wont really be needed much, its such an incredible instrument, but ive made some great sounds with Komplete 11 and i simply dont have the space for 2 88 key keyboards if I couldn't use it as a midi controller.

I was torn between the Montage, the Korg Kronos or wait out for the Nord stage 3. But after trying all 3 (nord stage 2), i just fell in love with the montage. Cant wait to get it next weekend.

Software virtual instruments (like Komplete) work with standard MIDI messages. For "real-time" control using something like a MIDI controller, you plug into your computer some form of box with buttons and knobs that map to various functions on your software virtual instrument.

To this end, most every modern box with piano keys and a USB connector to the PC is capable of driving a virtual instrument hosted on a PC.

Montage is a fairly capable controller as its MIDI outputs can be customized to fit your needs. By this I mean you can select one or several MIDI channels to target virtual instruments. Each of these channels can "turn off" Montage's internal tone generator from making noise - so the only function of these MIDI channels is to target external equipment (such as a virtual instrument hosted by your PC and running under Komplete). I imagine this is what you want - although you can also simultaneously "turn on" Montage for the same MIDI channel to layer in a Montage-internal sound if you want that as well.

The virtual instrument also has different "levers" and "knobs" that control/shape the sound. Under Komplete - these map to continuous controllers (abbreviated "CC"). There is typically one CC per every virtual instrument parameter that an external MIDI device (such as Montage) can use to modify the sound. Under Komplete, these CC mappings can be "learned" so you can map various knobs and buttons on Montage to control various aspects of your Komplete instruments. The general process would be similar to any other keyboard in terms of what you have to do on the Komplete side to map these.

Assuming you want the full 88-keys to map to your virtual instrument - Montage is roughly equivalent to any other MIDI controller. There may be a slight advantage or disadvantage of using a different controller in terms of available knobs/buttons/pads/etc that can map to CC values. Montage has a fair number of these available.

If you want to map selective areas of the keyboard (splits) to your virtual instrument - Montage can only have 8 zones simultaneously controlled by the piano-keys-keyboard at once. In this respect, something like the Kronos does offer more in terms of zones (16 simultaneous). The RD2000 is an 8-zone controller - matching close to Montage.