https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/input-sensitivity-powered-monitor-volume-too-loud-connected-sound/
https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/comments/2id5d3/one_monitor_louder_than_the_other/

... when you trim both the monitors - I suppose one of the trims could have an issue and cutoff the sound leading to the lack of stereo. Seems to me like one side is having more of an issue than the other and if you switched the speakers around ( L R ) then the side with the missing sound would follow the speaker.

Trims "should" self-clean with some full rotations (clockwise/counter clockwise).

You may want to double check your board with the lousy speakers in-store to see if there's the same issue of being too loud or not (compared to the demo keyboard if yours is louder or the same). And if you carried your monitors in there if the demo board has the same issue with using your monitors or not.

Just something to think about because although you've spent "considerable" time - I'm not sure root cause has been clearly identified.

I would contact Mackie, you can't be the only person trying to plug synthesizers directly to their monitors. Please let us know what they recommend. There is nothing unusual about a +6 Output other than it is a keyboard.

Hi, i see that you are using trs to XLR, have you tested with a trs to trs?

Thank you everyone for your concerns and trying to help me. It meant a lot while undergoing six days of disappointment. I thought it to be easier to address everyone in this post. First let me say that Montage is back in the box and awaiting an RA# for return. I am at a loss of words regarding the entire experience and very disappointed.

Jason wrote:

I was thinking of how to compare notes on Main L&R output levels - one idea would be to route the Main L&R outputs to A/D IN, turn the A/D IN gain to an easily repeatable position (I would say full open - only because it's easiest to repeat vs. "12 o'clock" which may lead to some error in reproducing results). Go to [PERFORMANCE] (HOME) then press [EDIT] and choose "Audio In" -> "Mixing", change setting "Output Select" on the second line (associated with "A/D In") to USB 1&2. This will isolate the A/D input to output over USB1/USB2.

Jason,
Thank you for taking so much of your time to configure and explain a series of testing. Like I said above Montage is in the box as of 4am Sunday Atlantic time. I reached a point in my life when beta testing has a curfew. Six days was enough, I didn't want to pursue the challenge any further. I believe Yamaha, in some way could have resolved this or at least made it known prior to sale. Your help was very much appreciated. FYI, adjusting both sensitivity trims did not produce any drop outs and both speakers displayed identical results.

Rod wrote:

Hello Louis - your speakers are high-end and you have a problem. My speakers (Alesis M1s) are low-end, and I have a problem (but only with Montage). Others have made similar comments. I expect any synth to work reasonably well with any speakers, and up to now that has been the case. Something is amiss, it seems. Montage is a fascinating machine, but is too picky? Hopefully Yamaha have picked up on this over the past 9 months, and are working on it.

Thank you Rod, you said a mouth full here and I couldn't agree more.

Bad Mister wrote:

I would contact Mackie, you can't be the only person trying to plug synthesizers directly to their monitors. Please let us know what they recommend. There is nothing unusual about a +6 Output other than it is a keyboard.

BM, Thank you for all you tried to do in helping me out, I appreciate it very much. I don't think I will be getting in touch with Mackie, even though this was the weak link with Montage. Quite possibly Yamaha, in building the Montage and the audio system within (which is truly a very progressive move in a keyboard and pretty cool I might say) may have only tested Yamaha speakers? This I do not know but maybe this should be looked at?

Jeremy wrote:

Hi, i see that you are using trs to XLR, have you tested with a trs to trs?

Good thought Jeremy, unfortunately Montage was boxed up already. My guess though would be negative. But maybe? .. Thanks for your input.

I was forced to bring this thread back to life. I must admit on the eve of returning the Montage I contemplated running back to UPS to put a stop on the return. I am still feeling the pain to the point of already, as of today, traded in my Mackie HR824s and taking delivery tomorrow of a new pair of MSP7s. So, today I ran back to the store to give another listen to Montage. Please, someone confirm this for me:

Montage was connected to a pair of HR 5s and I must say sounded very nice. The volume on the speakers was at +4dB center. I decided to select a synth pad, all sounded good. Now on the second part I selected a drum kit and then another. I was a little bit taken back by the fact that a few of the drum kits were blaring louder than some of the other kits. It made me jump. It seems as though the mix was extremely hot on them. Just wondering why Yamaha did this? It was very noticeable and I started questing myself about doing something wrong. I had started with an Init. Is this normal? What I do like about the Montage design is that when you know what you are doing and where to go to do it, you can pretty much put together your own ideal Performances. Not many boards can give you this kind of gratification. Thank you.

**Crazy as it may seem I would buy it again if I new how to get past some of the pitfalls I myself have had.. 😉

It would help to have the names of the performances that are louder than the others. Or even if you could just remember one of the louder drum kits.

By the way - I know you have your keyboard shipped back, so there's no expectation of taking any action here. But you mentioned something I thought should be cleared up. My suggestion to use A/D input and go through that procedure was not to beta test anything. I have to assume you do not have an oscilloscope in order to measure the output of the the Montage - so I developed a test that could be used to compare your (well, when you had it) Montage to any other Montage that performed the same test. The purpose was to baseline the output because my hypothesis was that your Montage (that was blowing the doors off) had the exact same output as mine (which was not) - and measuring the output of the Montage using this method would either prove or disprove that hypothesis. If the level was crazy out of wack - then either some setting was doing it (which would clear with a total init of the board) or some hardware issue. If a hardware issue - then it would be reasonable to expect that any other random different Montage would remedy the "too loud" problem.

If output is scaled by a resistor - production snafus do happen. The PCB assembly house should have AOI to inspect every part placed. However, if a circuit was hand-reworked and not passed back through AOI - then maybe you got (un)lucky with the one escape out of thousands. This is just a theory if your previous Montage's output really was louder than any other Montage's. None of that was established - so what follows is a thought experiment/speculation/not reality.

You certainly have the right to make decisions regarding equipment purchase and returns based off of any metric you choose. I'm not going to fault you for having a short fuse - as one target audience for this device are the "snorkelers" who get to demand something more plug-and-play vs. the "scuba divers" who would otherwise put up with a longer, tweaking road. Your experience perhaps demonstrates a gap in enablement for the "snorkeler" demographic.

Maybe Yamaha, like USB sticks, should have a recommended list of studio monitors that have been tested with Montage including competing major brands. As well as listing what works, this also perhaps gives a chance to comment on why some competing monitors have fatal flaws which render the pairing sub-optimal. I say this because perhaps a snorkeler isn't going to be able to design sound reinforcement for Montage without help -- but can hear the difference between a tin can and butter.

Hi Jason, thanks for the reply. In regard to the A/D test I know you were trying to help me resolve or help point to what may have been the actual cause of what I was experiencing. I feel a lot of the problem was my neglecting to turn down the Input Sensitivity a considerable amount more than I did. I must admit a lot of the technical things you were mentioning were going over my head. I may have acted in haste, I won't deny this. In the moment I thought maybe I made another purchasing blunder. I was looking through the Data list for Montage hoping to see the one kit that I do recall at double the volume of the rest. There weren't a lot but few. Is there a kit with the name "Epic" or something like that? If I recall I will post it. I was just reading the specs regarding output on the Mackie Amplifiers: 250 watts!

Low Frequency Power:
150 watts, 4Ω load 350 watts peak

High Frequency Power:
100 watts, 6Ω load 210 watts peak

Hello Jason - good idea! (A listing of monitors compatible with Montage). As you may know, I have largely resolved my problems simply by using the correct TRS leads, but I still get a distinctly louder 'G' than either the 'F' before or 'A' after (especially G3 and G4), most particularly with electric pianos. Get used to it! But I can't use the same monitors for my Korg M3 or Tyros 3 because both use TS leads, so they now use a separate sound system. Slightly less convenient, but works fine - it seems there's no way a Montage can be used with TS synths via a mixer.

Hello Rod, I don't know your setup wether you have speakers attached to Montage or not. Most mixers have inputs for balanced and unbalanced. You would be able to plug in all of your boards but then you will not be using the Montage audio system if you currently are? Also, and I'm sure someone here can clarify, Montage has the A/D input which is Unbalanced and should be able to accept one of your other boards. Just a thought.. Sorry to hear about the low volume keys. What could that be?

Regarding the speaker switch, I'm very glad I made the change. My Mackie's were overkill in my studio room. The MSP7s are doing very well, I like them a lot.