Thank you Cassie for the announcement 😉

This streaming video event will feature new product announcements

Exciting.

I hope to find an update of the Montage firmware with one or more synthesis engines of the survey that was sent a few months ago:D
I always hope that finally Yamaha will make available to everyone the possibility of using User Multisamples in the LossLess format, so as to double their duration (it would go from 338 minutes to more than 650-700 minutes with 16bit samples@44.1 KHz)

@Benedetto - there is likely already audio data compression that gets applied on user samples when loaded: http://sandsoftwaresound.net/montage-wave-memory/

No!!! 😀
The Montage wave memory consists of four Spansion S34ML08G101TFI000 8Gbit with a total physical capacity of 4GBytes. 1.75 GByte is the flash ROM for User Samples and 2,25 GByte for ROM/Presets Sample (4GB-1.75=2,25 GB).
Yamaha uses proprietary LOSSLESS 16-bit LPC (linear predictive coding) sample compression (1:2 - 1:3 Ratio) in their tone generator chips and in and in many of their sample libraries. This technology has been used since the days of MOXF and MOTIF.
In Montage 2,25 GByte for ROM/Presets Sample with this compression are equivalent to 5.67 GB when converted to 16 bit linear format.
In some samples libraries Yamaha uses this loseless audio compression:
Chick's Mark V; Compressed 423.5MB Linear data = 1.1 GB Ratio 1:2,59
Bösendorfer Piano; Compressed 413 MB Linear data : unknown 🙂
You can know if a library uses compressed or non-compressed samples, just open it with the Melas software (MontageWave64 v1.2.1): the format WXC is displayed instead of WAV
The tools package of "lossless compression" is not public and only distributed to 3rd party sampling houses: for example it is used in the library American Grand Synthogy.
My request is to allow all Montage users to have this tool so they can convert a library into the compressed format. I would also be willing to pay an additional license, obviously at a reasonable cost 🙂
Now, without LossLess compression with mono samples 16bit and SR=44.100 Hz, in 1.75 Gb, it is possible to load samples with a total duration of 20317 seconds (338,6 min= 5,6 hours). With LossLess compression the duration would double. it would have a capacity equivalent at least to 3.5 GB when converted to 16 bit linear format
I submitted this request about a year ago: https://yamahasynth.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Lossless-audio-compression-double-the-user-Flash-sampling-time/208088-45978

Devil's advocate: how do you know that the Montage/MODX don't compress user waves internally but still calculate the remaining memory as if they were still uncompressed wavs? 😉

OK, that may be unlikely but we know so little about what happens inside the SWP70.

Also, it's interesting that KApro's free CS80 library are uncompressed waves.

"Michel : Devil's advocate: how do you know that the Montage/MODX don't compress user waves internally but still calculate the remaining memory as if they were still uncompressed wavs?"
The 1.75 GByte is a real FlashRam dimension for User Samples, which can also be completely filled with lossless compressed samples. I tried to load 3 libraries all made with compressed samples, American Grand Synthogy (638 MB), Bosendorfer (423 MB) , Chick's Mark V (418 MB), and analyzing the free space remains exactly as expected (271 MB). If were as you say, the space would run out much sooner, and it would be impossible to load the 3 compressed libraries, which in the example correspond to at least 3 GByte 16 bit linear format equivalent

Regardless of reporting - the fact remains that users do not have the capacity to create any encoded waveforms and different encodings can achieve greater compression ratios. Encodings can have lots of parameters so some of this stuff is not the most "user friendly". Along with the problem of Yamaha wanting to contain the IP. It's easier to make binding contracts with known partners than the "unknown" public.

I agree it would be great to have the keys to the city - but it's an uphill battle. You may have better luck contacting a content provider that has released compressed samples and see if you can pay for having them package your custom user content. Not likely to make it far with that - but slightly more likely than getting your hands on the content processing tools.

a new V3 featuring AN+VL would be very nice

Jason - Regardless of reporting - the fact remains that users do not have the capacity to create any encoded waveforms and different encodings can achieve greater compression ratios

Lossless codecs because they maintain the quality unchanged (by definition 😀 ) they do not need parameters to be set as for mp3 or similar. They are designed and optimized for waveforms and achieve excellent compression values for sounds with decay (piano, vibes, EP, ..) while saving fewer bytes for sounds much more similar to noise (no correlation and predictability). A classic example is the FLAC codec. Nord provides its users with a software that, without any parameters to set, stores the multisamples directly in LossLess format: it is the Nord Sample Editor that among other things anyone can try.
Yamaha itself may also decide to enable a paid online service for conversion.
I still believe that doubling the sampling time is anything but a small addition 😀

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Do you know if one need to be logged in to Facebook to watch the live streams? I do not have an facebook account but would like to be able to take part.

"Michel : Devil's advocate: how do you know that the Montage/MODX don't compress user waves internally but still calculate the remaining memory as if they were still uncompressed wavs?"
The 1.75 GByte is a real FlashRam dimension for User Samples, which can also be completely filled with lossless compressed samples. I tried to load 3 libraries all made with compressed samples, American Grand Synthogy (638 MB), Bosendorfer (423 MB) , Chick's Mark V (418 MB), and analyzing the free space remains exactly as expected (271 MB). If were as you say, the space would run out much sooner, and it would be impossible to load the 3 compressed libraries, which in the example correspond to at least 3 GByte 16 bit linear format equivalent

You misunderstood - I was talking about the small possibility of user waves being compressed internally but still reported as using their uncompressed size. This has nothing to do with WXC compressed samples.

Don't miss the celebration! Learn more!

Do you know if one need to be logged in to Facebook to watch the live streams? I do not have an facebook account but would like to be able to take part.

Hi, I also have this same question on behalf of some 'net friends who "do not do Facbook" (I have it as a necessary evil for band promotion, keeping up with remote friends and family, and to watch cute kitten videos when I am really, really bored 😉 ). Is Facebook the only means to watch these live streams? If so, will the information eventually become more generally available via other mediums?

Facebook?