The GM template works well with the single attribute sounds but can somebody explain to me step by step and in easy english how to set up and record in Cubase the Imperial piano (as example) within the GM template?

The GM Template is designed for recording up to sixteen Parts, one at a time to sixteen MIDI Tracks, one Instrument per Channel.

As you may have noticed the Bosendorfer “Imperial Grand” Performance is three Parts. Recording three Parts requires a different workflow from the workflow that is built up from the “Multi/GM” Performance. This is because the three Parts can occupy three Channels... one each.

Recording a three Part Performance like the “Imperial Grand” can be done several different ways. Which one you choose will be based on what you intend to do afterwards. If it is a solo piano piece, there is a way to proceed... but if you want to use Multi Part and Single Part programs together while sequencing, it is best to gain a clear understanding of how recording multiple channels is handled by the DAW. How to best accomplish your goal will depend on what you want the final product to be. Examples would include a finished stereo mixdown ready to be released to the public as a .wav (CD, MP3, Etc.); Or is the finished product going to be a .mid File that you can use real-time on a gig?

REMEMBER: This is the big difference... most sequencing you’ve ever done is with single Parts, to single Tracks, one MIDI Channel at a time. Now you are going to develop a workflow for recording multiple MIDI channel streams simultaneously. In most keyboards where you created multiple Parts you did so by stacking sounds on the same MIDI Receive Channel. The MONTAGE/MODX, by design, does not allow this kind of “cheat”, instead you transmit to each Part on its own Channel... because each Part is on a separate MIDI channel, this new synth engine is able to address each Part separately by Transmitting multiple streams — this means the keyboard sends the same information Out to each Channel stream, but what each Part does with that data is completely customizable via the Motion Control Synthesis Engine’s massive control matrix.

Background
The MONTAGE can be used as a 16 Part Multi-timbral tone engine (as you’ve seen, having used the “Multi/GM” Init as a starting point) or it can be used as a massive single instrument where you combine as many as eight Parts together under KBD CTRL (Keyboard Control) for real time play and recording. The concept of this combining Parts to build a massive program is at the heart of the MONTAGE concept.

Each individual Part is either an 8 Element AWM2 (Sample based) sound or it is an 8 Operator FM-X sound. In comparing this to previous models each AWM2 Part is the equivalent of a Motif XF Voice. In the XF you were limited to 8 Elements (Waveforms) to create a instrument sound. Yamaha has been expanding on extending the palette of articulations at your disposal when performing. It is these details that make performing on this engine what it is. By linking (KBD CTRL) Parts, it becomes possible to build more complex sounds...

In the case of the Yamaha “CFX Concert” (18 Elements) and the Bösendorfer “Imperial Grand” (13 Elements) the programmers were able to achieve more nuance by providing more Velocity layers to the program. Each Part is a building block to make the instrument sound... each Part responds to different velocities and note limit ranges — so only when all three Parts are used together can you recreate the entire piano. It is a highly detailed reconstruction of the instrument.

A piano, like all percussion instruments, generates more harmonics the harder the key is struck. It does not just get loader it gets louder and there is more harmonic activity.

Simply put, they are more inspiring to play... particularly when performing compositions that take advantage of the full dynamic range from pianissimo (ppp) through the fortissimo (fff) range Waveforms... as many as 10 Velocity layers are used for the main body of the piano, plus Key-Off sound, etc.

Record Options
Audio or MIDI — You can choose to record the Multi Part Performances as audio. If you think of the Multi Part Performances as “specialty instruments” they can be added to your Cubase Project as Audio overdubs. Because Multi Part instruments will use up your multi-timbral capability a lot faster if you seek to MIDI record, you have to plan carefully how many musical parts will be used and how many MONTAGE Parts are going to be necessary. Recording as audio lets you not have to worry about how many Parts can play from the MONTAGE at once. Since you have experience with multitrack Tape recorders, you understand that process of committing to audio.

So an important question to ask yourself is: Do I need to record this as MIDI? If you are one that records then spends more time editing your data, you may opt to record MIDI... Make your corrections... then render the musical Part as audio.

This does not fit every situation, of course. MIDI recording does allow notation, editing/correction, etc. so recording multi-Part Performances as Audio is not always going to be the thing to do. You will need to decide.

Recording the data as MIDI: The data will arrive in the DAW either as three separate MIDI channels (MIDI I/O Mode = Multi) or as a single channel of data (MIDI I/O Mode = Single). The problem if recording MIDI when the I/O Mode is Multi, is you are going to wind up with three channels of data — which makes editing a bit different. You can, as an alternate method, set the I/O Mode to Single to record and edit the MIDI data...

What to do
Learn how the Multi Part programs work Out via MIDI. Learn how to record and edit a Multi Part Program. Learn how to then combine the different record setup scenarios to accomplish what you need to do.

Method 1: Solo Piano
Call up the “Imperial Grand”
Press the MONTAGE Record button. Set tempo and Time Signature. Record your solo piano piece to the MONTAGE Play/Rec function.
You can then open MONTAGE CONNECT, bring the MONTAGE Online.
Click on “Song Import”, drag the icon representing your Song into a new Cubase Project. (Avoids any setup in the DAW, captures every nuance of your piano performance.

Method 2: Adding to already recorded multi-tracks
Say you already have a Drum track and Bass track down in Cubase and you want to add the “Imperial Piano”... you can use the MONTAGE’s ability to “EXCHANGE” Parts... move your already recorded MIDI Parts to empty slots between 4-16, freeing up the three Parts you’ll need for the “Imperial Grand”. [SHIFT] + [EDIT] allows you to “Exchange” the location of any Parts in your Performance. You’ll also need to change the MIDI Transmit Channel of the Tracks to match.

if MIDI I/O Mode is MULTI
The synth will output a separate MIDI Channel event stream for each Part. This is what is different from most sequencing duties (the simultaneous multiple MIDI Channel transmit). To record this to a DAW like Cubase AI, you would set a single MIDI Track to record by setting the Channel = “Any”. This allows the Track to record and echo back each incoming channel on the channel it came in on. You cannot (in Cubase AI) Set a Track to ignore incoming data... therefore, each MIDI Track records all incoming MIDI data. Any attempt to record multiple MIDI Channels to multiple Tracks will result in CHAOS! as each Track would record all three MIDI Channels and the results will be unusable. Record all three Parts to one Track (Set to “Any”) then separate the data later using the MIDI function called “Dissolve Parts” — which separates the data to separate tracks by MIDI Channel.

If, however, you have Cubase Pro, which has an INPUT TRANSFORMER. This is a sophisticated filter that isolates incoming MIDI data by channel and type. This allows each Track to only receive its correspondingly numbered MIDI channel. You can isolate and record Sysex to a separate Track (allowing flexible playback/management of Super Knob and Scene change commands.

With the INPUT TRANSFORMER you would set four MIDI Track in record: one for each of the three “Imperial Grand” Parts and one for the Super Knob and Scene recall events (as Sysex). Because the INPUT TRANSFORMER automatically filters the data on the way IN you don’t have to “dissolve” the data later. (Cubase Pro is the most elegant interface for recording and editing the multiple transmit capabilities of the MONTAGE/MODX).

MIDI I/O Mode is Single
When the I/O Mode is Single, all three “Imperial Grand” Parts would be Output on the same single MIDI Channel. What is important to realize the playback results will be exactly the same when you record Single as when you record Multi... what is different is when MIDI I/O Mode is Single, the Synthesizer is not capable of adding any additional Parts. The entire Synthesizer is on the single MIDI Channel.

Now, this can be confusing to those new to MIDI, (and even to long time MIDI users) who don’t appreciate that when you press a key on a keyboard what it sends Out via MIDI includes the Channel number. The Channel setting you make in your DAW is the DAW re-channelizing the data (this why the CHAOS occurs when three MIDI Channels of data are merged three times, to each of three Tracks when you attempt to record three MIDI Tracks without an INPUT TRANSFORMER (special Filter to isolate each channel).

As we are constantly pointing out: there is no one way to proceed. I suggest exploring several different methods... get comfortable with the logistics of routing and recording. This way you can combine methods as necessary to accomplish your goal. You want to get to the point where you can record everything you need within the limits of the instrument.

Skills you want to develop
MIDI record
Audio rendering
Mixing Multi Part and Single Part MIDI record
EXCHANGE Parts as a tool to construct your Performance.

If you have a scenario and need help with specifics, let us know.

See this reply (for the MODX but the same for MONTAGE): MIDI Record on DAW Multi Part Performance Step-by-Step

Thank you so much Bad Mister for your extraordinary explaination! I have to learn a lot but i recorded tonight the Imperial together with in thebbackground the Seattle Sections! 😀 After recording the Imperial i rendered the audio in a new audiotrack and then i recorded the Seattle Sections. Amazing, super quality!

Next step is to find and buy a decent pc configuration...

Thanks again!
Ron

Excellent!

Bad Mister, my hat is off to you again sir! I hope that Yamaha is paying you richly, as your contributions to helping us all learn the Montage are absolutely priceless! THANK YOU, yet again! If only I could get a "disk clone" of your brain and upload it to my own... 😀