Hi Hale,
Sounds like typical "new to the synth" issues. We'll see if we can help, although we'll have to make our 'best guess' as your details are scant. As you find issues, you can always post here on Yamaha Synth. The more details you can provide the better. We can help you over some of the learning curve things, new concepts and head scratchers. Welcome.

Whenever I try to create a new Performance using some of the pianos (whether by Init, or editing and existing Performance), they are loading with wacky note ranges and missing velocities. The end result is a piano sound that won't play correctly or even sound at all depending on how hard I strike the key.

Making your own piano sounds requires knowledge of what you are assembling (whether a full instrument layer, or a partial component). If your are "merging" Parts, you really shouldn't until you know for sure the role the Part plays. "Wacky note ranges" are only wacky when you import a Part without knowing it had a built in Note Limit setting (it's a partial component). The result when you are finished should be a piano that plays as well as those from the factory. But if you are blindly combining Parts with knowing exactly what they contribute to the whole, it can be a problem.

A multi Part piano may have a Part that only responds up to a particular velocity value, or key range, say it concentrates on soft strikes, another Part might concentrate only on medium strikes, and third might be doing only hard strikes. A piano Part above G#5 for example is where notes on an acoustic no longer have felt dampers, so they tend to ring and sound completely different.

The Montage is designed for combining Parts, and building customized sounds. But one must take the time to look closely at how the sound in question is using the additional Elements. Multi Parts can give sounds with lots of different articulation so available. Some of the components can stand completely alone, some require to be treated as a set. it important to analyze the factory data - it is then you can make the best use of what is on offer. And refine your search accordingly.

Also CFXPopStudioGrand sounds too loud and bright from G#5 and above. It's a quadruple forte sample and impossible to play soft enough.

Totally possible to set it up that way (although not recommended) again this has its own volume control. It is possible (here comes a guess) that while the Faders were set to Element level you readjusted the output. Recall the factory version of that sound to restore it to normal. Let us know if the factory version does this... Not enough info to determine if this is a problem or not.

One of the tutorials mention how a user can create a Performance of nothing but their favorite and most used Parts, using the Part button to select which sound they need throughout a set. However, this won't work with a sound like CFXGrand and many other desirable sounds because it is multi-Part. In this case user would have to mute all other non-related Parts before playing the Multi-Part. This isn't very practical.

No, it isn't. And fortunately, it is a totally false statement. It does NOT work like that at all.

Call up the desirable "CFX Concert", it will occupy Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the KBD CTRL (green) icon will be activated for those four Parts. Now let's say you want add the Single Part organ "8-8-8-8-6-2-2-0-0" as Part 5.
Press the "+" ADD in Part 5, touch "Organ", set Attribute to Single, find and select the organ... "8-8-8-8-6-2-2-0-0"
Initially it is added with KBD CTRL lit, but you want to access it as a Single, so on the HOME screen turn the green KBD CTRL icon Off for Part 5 (this makes it independent, it will only sound when you select the Part)
[STORE] as a new Performance

Now you can play the acoustic piano whenever you press [PART SELECT 1]
You can play just organ by pressing [PART SELECT 5]

By not including it in the multi (KBD CTRL) linked Parts, you can access Parts 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 as Single sounds via the [PART CONTROL] > PART SELECT 5-16 buttons.

Here's the rule: you can have one Multi Part sound in each Performance. It can contain from 1 to 8 Parts. All the remaining slots can be occupied by a Single Part programs.

If your Multi Part occupies four (1-4) then twelve slots remain for Single programs. You access them directly via the PART SELECT buttons.
If your Multi Part occupies two 1-2 then fourteen slots remain for Single programs. And so on.

No, there is no such thing as two Multi Part Performances because by definition "merging" two Multi Part programs make one new Multi Part program. If KBD CTRL is active then the Part is a member of the Multi Part program... All other slots are available for Singles. And they are individually accessible.

I loaded the Bosendorfer samples, but they all sound as if they are panned hard left, even if the pan was set to center. I updated my firmware to 1.11 and this was resolved.

Interesting but unrelated. Not sure what caused that issue. Please report if it happens again.

I can't make any rhyme or reason out of the Kbd Ctrl button. It doesn't seem to work in any logical way. I may de-select it but it ends affecting unrelated parts, sometimes more than one, while the part I de-select is still playing.

Hopefully some of the above helps. But in general this will help: the cursor highlight can move around the screen. Where it sits makes a huge difference in what is going to happen. Let's see these things:

When you press the [PERFORMANCE (HOME)] button notice the cursor highlight surrounds the Performance name. This is considered HOME
When the cursor is here you are set to play those Parts with KBD CTRL active.
If you touch the box that shows TYPE/NAME that has the Part number in it, you have selected an individual Part. If that Part is a member of the KBD CTRL group the entire group plays, if the Part is not a member of the KBD CTRL group, it sounds alone. It is exactly as if you pressed the dedicated [PART SELECT] button corresponding to the Part.

Using the Scene store function (Shift+Scene) doesn't always work the way I'd expect. I tried saving a different Part volume in a multi-Part Performance to Scene 2 three times with no success.

Sorry, we have no idea how you expect it work, we can help with why it did not successfully store your setting... Again we are going to have to guess due to lack of details... But the Part Volme can be stored to SCENE. If the sound does not change Volume it may be under direct parameter control of an Assigned Controller. You can review your SCENE by going to the SCENE screen.

From HOME
Touch "Scene" in the first screen column
Here you can see what data is stored in each of the eight Scenes. You can recall the Scene using the front panel buttons or along the top of the screen. Part Volumes are memorized in MIXING 1 and MIXING 2. Make sure it indicates that these are ON.

If the Volumes Faders are moving but the sound's Volume is not responding, you have programmed (or the original programmer has) the direct control of VOLUME to an Assignable controller which overrides your Fader movement... Most often it is either a Part AssignKnob, or the MW sometimes is used to control fade Volume. The AssignKnobs can morph sounds in and out.

Another issue... Let's say I've created a 4-Part Performance and I want to change Part 1 from a Bass to a Piano. I will highlight Part 1, search for a new part and select CFX + FM, or even the CFX Concert Grand. Not only will it load with a G5 high note limit, but it won't load all the Parts and Elements necessary to produce that sound correctly. Shouldn't it bump Part 2-4 rightward to make room for the entire CFX piano?... Or isn't there a way to contain everything I need to play that part in a functional way within one Part? It seems my options are limited here as it is. If I want something halfway functional, I'm forced to choose one of the older pianos I don't really want.

Okay, if it is not clear by now, PART 1 is the prime Part it defines.... No, let me make that a stronger statement: it ALWAYS determines what is happening with the MULTI Part setup. You cannot change just it. Multi Parts must always include Part 1 it can never (ever) start anywhere else. It's the anchor.

What you should have done is EXCHANGED the Bass to a different location... Then you could substitute for it. But while it is in slot number 1 it is the anchor for the Multi Part KBD CTRL program... Touch the Part Name (the box that is TYPE/NAME) a pop-in comes in from the left
Touch COPY
Touch EXCHANGE
Set the target ... Any other Part will do
Touch the Exchange option on the bottom of the screen.
Now that it is no longer the anchor, you can search for a different Part to substitute for the Bass.

You can build a Performance with 16 Single Parts (when sequencing this makes the most sense) by staring with the INIT > Multi/GM configuration.
Think of the MultiPart instruments as "featured programs" - for playing, serious playing.

Is anyone else running into these problems? What am I doing wrong and/or when will these bugs be fixed?

A fair number of folks are trying to get their heads around the MULTI PART thing. It is new, it is different. You have to spend time with both the Owner's Manual and the Reference Manul (PDF), and the Supplementle Manual for the latest firmware version. To connect all the dots.

Also it would be nice if you could move the scenes around like apps on the iPhone screen... inserting one somewhere else in the order bumps all the others to a new spot in unison. Would make building in set list changes a breeze. I play as a profession and the artist I play for changes her set list and order almost every show.

SCENEs may not be the thing that you really want to change... A Scene is one way to remember settings... But not the only way, particular on a per show basis. As you start to discover more of what you have, you may find LIVE SETs more useful. Everyone's mileage may vary.

Just FYI, when you 'substitute' a Part you can opt to include its Arp, Motion Sequences, Zone settings and Scene settings. I have yet to use this Scene feature to copy and manage Scenes... I let you know when I get time to explore it.

Take your time, trust me, the manual will help, only if to answer so basic navigation questions. The Montage is deep, not hard, just very deep. But attempting to create your sounds should be undertaken in steps:
1) try to deconstruct the sound so you are confident you understand the role of the Multiple Parts. If you don't know its role, you may find out it only responds to velocities of 1-92, instead of being a whole complete sound.

2) CATEGORY SEARCH - there is more to it than first meets the eye. There is "Merge" when you are adding ("+") something to an empty slot, then there is Category Search where you are replacing (substituting) a different Part for an existing Part. Getting a feel for using the "Bank", "Attribute", and "Part" feature to help you restrict your search so you are search the type of data you need.

3) Make note: PART 1 is the anchor for the Performance... Replacing it is replacing the entire Performance.

4) Navigation, is important. Until you know to press and hold your iPhone app icon until they wiggle, you can't just drag them around (and don't tell me that's intuitive 🙂 it's a learned function). Spend time with the Owner's Manual just on navigation, it makes all the difference especially in the beginning.

5) Understanding the lights... When you begin to grok the story of the lighted buttons, what they do and when they do it... That's when you reach that "aha" moment where comfort starts moving in... Until you are at home with the lighted buttons, when and what they mean, your working up that learning curve.

Take your time, you can always come here and get detailed answers (of course the more details you provide the more specific the responses can be). Welcome, and enjoy!

Wow! Bad Mister, my hat is off! What a kindly and informative reply! I found it very interesting and enlightening too, and I'd bet there's a few more the same. Agreed the Manuals are necessary, but finding your way around them is a challenge in itself! And you address so many issues in a contiguous and easy-flow manner - it'd take forever jumping forwards and backwards in the Manuals to cover the ground you did! That's even if you knew where to look! They are reference books, not novels (quoting you, I think), and sitting down and ploughing through just doesn't work. I take a crumb of comfort in that I don't have any of Hale's issues, but I can come up with a load of others ... but you've just switched on a few lights ...

I'm not new to synths. I'm new to the Montage. I'm also a Yamaha endorsed artist. I've come from the S90 and Motif series. I originally typed my question on an iPad and away from the Montage keyboard so it was harder to remember every detail and type efficiently. I can try again later with more details. Much of Bad Mister's reply, while thoughtful and appreciated, was not new information to me. I know all about elements and parts, multi-part ingredients and the components in those parts. Sounds like I'll just need to type my issues out on a laptop and separate each question into individual posts so that I can include more detail and my issues can be better understood.

Regarding my question about Scenes, I meant to say "Live Sets".

Regarding CFXPopStudioGrand, I am in fact talking about the factory default. Try it... Play a chromatic scale very softly starting on C5. When you get to G#5, it is significantly louder and very bright. It has the timbre of a note struck hard. Inspect the factory set elements and you'll see why. I have to unprogram it from factory setting to make it sound normal.

I think I understand Kbd Ctrl a little better now. Made sense. Will have to get behind the Montage and put it into action to verify.

I may end up needing to make a video about the other stuff.

Is there a way to add an existing, complete (all notes and velocities) multi-part sound like CFXConcertGrand to a new Init performance without having to construct it one part at a time, replicating it from scratch? Am I overlooking something obvious here? Is there some intuitive way of doing that... pulling it in from Category Search as a group? I realize CFX pianos are a Performance, but can you import that whole performance into a new performance in an efficient way?... All of its parts at once?... linked together as a group? Say I have two single parts occupying 1-2. Now I want to add CFXConcertGrand to parts 3-6... How is this done?

Thanks.

To add a multi part performance (or indeed any pre existing performance) to a new performance you will merge the two. In your new performance click on the + sign in an empty part, navigate to the performance you wish to add from the list that is brought up and then press enter. All the parts will be added to your performance with their respective key and velocity ranges.

Hello Hale - I wonder if you have a 'rogue' Montage? I have just tried CFXPopStudioGrand, and it plays perfectly normally through all the chromatic scales at all settings of the Superknob and with or without the Assign Buttons and all positions of the MW. Also, using a Performance made up of two single part pianos, I can add the full CFXConcert to them simply by pressing the '+' and 'Enter' as usual. Exactly the same starting with 'Init' (I used AWM2). So I can't reproduce your situation, which makes me wonder if your particular Montage has a problem of its own? It sounds a bit as if you weren't pressing the '+' in the next slot in 'Performance Control' (or 'Init') before selecting the CXConcert and then 'Enter' ... ?

Rod,

I hope a "rogue" is not the case, but it feels possible in my situation. I wish my experience was as easy as it sounds in your description. Doing what you describe would be a breeze. I've done exactly what you did and do not get the same results.

Phil, I wish it was as simple as you've made it sound. My parts aren't merging like that. Only single part instruments work like that for me.

I thought it might be a firmware issue but you are running the latest version.

That is correct. I had a major issue with the Bosendorfer samples in the original firmware, but the update fixed it.

I just tested this on a Montage8, and what you describe about CFXPopStudioGrand is unfortunately true:( ; I hadn't actually used that particular sound to find out until now.

I'm not at my Montage now to check - and can't remember if PopStudioGrand is a single or multi part performance - but I do remember that the CFX concert has 4 parts with one of these being only for the highest register. In this regard if you do not like the sound used at that register simply mute it and extend the note range of one of the other parts.

It's not really a matter of liking the upper register sound on this Performance, it's that it is programmed wrong from the factory. I believe CFXPopStudio is a single Part Performance.

Tonight I played a show and had an S90XS backlined to me. Aaah... something that works right.

I had a look at that sound again - there is a single element that plays from that pitch upwards. Perhaps it was a programming error (maybe it will be addresses in the next firmware) but at least it can be user altered.