Right now the external metronome can be connected to two different synthesizers at the time since it has two 5 pin MIDI out connection. In the future I intend to connect more synths by adding a MIDI Thru box, but now I want to connect the Montage only.

I'm guessing for now you're using Midronome's MIDI port #1 for this. It matters because Midronome can be configured to send tempo/start information out Port 2 or not. The 3 modes are: Send only to Port 1 using "Play" to start, Send both to Port 1 and Port 2 using the single "Play" to start, or Send to Port 1 when the Play button is pressed and repurpose the Mute button as a "Play" button for Port 2.

Technically I should be able to hit the "Play" button of the Midronome and the Montage should start playing the performance using the tempo I set on the Midronome, yet it doesn't happen.

I'm not sure what you are wanting to start. A pattern? A song? The arpeggios (these won't start since they require a trigger note)? Independent if it's possible or not - I'm wondering what you're trying to do in a little more detail. You supplied lots of good information, I'm just curious about this part.

Hi Jason - and thanks for your reply!

What I'm trying to do is to figure out a DAWless working setup here.

Yes, I did the tests only on the Port 1 of the Midronome. Is true, the Midronome can be instructed from the Settings to separately trigger Port 1 and Port 2. If set like this, the "Mute" button will act as "Play" button for Port 2 while the "Play" button will continue to trigger Port1), Right now I'm not using this 1&2 individual configuration but the default one, where "Play" button engages both Port 1 and 2 simultaneously and the "Mute" button mutes the click. The person in this video has changed the configuration as you mention, with separate control for each MIDI port, but I didn't for now.

So what I'm trying to achieve next is to find the correct Montage configuration, so that it can interact with the Midronome. It would be nice to be able to start a Montage performance by pressing the Midronome "Start" button. This is what the person in the aforementioned video is doing. But if this would not be possible on the Montage, it would be interesting to start the Montage sequencer as well when I press the Midronome "Start" button. If this would not be possible neither, I would be happy to manually press a Montage key to start a performance, but the performance should be tempo synced with the Midronome.

I must add that today I have also connected the Midronome to a Virus TI2 Polar using the same Port 1 of the Midronome. Starting or stopping the arpeggio was not possible, but I was able to select in the synth settings to receive an external clock tempo signal. Therefore, after manually starting an arpeggio preset by pressing a Virus key, I was able to change the arpeggio BPM by rotating the Midronome button while the arpeggio continued to play (faster or slower). I repeated the test with a Waldorf Quantum and after setting the synth to receive external clock tempo signal, it worked exactly like it worked with the Virus.

In conclusion: if it would be possible to start a Montage performance (or the Montage sequencer) from the Midronome "Play" button would be stellar! If this would not be possible I would be happy to get the same behavior I had with the VIrus and the Quantum, which was to receive an external clock tempo signal for the Montage. Like this I would start the Montage performance by manually hitting a key, but the performance should be in sync with the Midronome. Any idea how should I configure the Montage to get this behavior?

Sorry for the long message, I wanted to make sure I explain correctly what I try to achieve here.

Emanuel

I still don't understand what you're expecting to "start" since you've restated "start the Performance" which doesn't convey what you're expecting with enough specificity to consult.

For sure the tempo adjusting testing should work that you tried on the other keyboards. As you change tempo you should see the tempo change which is shown on the upper right of the Montage's touchscreen.

In conclusion: if it would be possible to start a Montage performance (or the Montage sequencer) from the Midronome "Play" button would be stellar!

A MONTAGE Performance cannot be “started” by a MIDI START command. A Start command can only address a Sequencer-type device (MIDI Song or Pattern).

A Performance that contains an Arpeggiator, a Tempo driven LFO, a Tempo driven Effect, etc., does nothing when all it receives is a MIDI Transport “Start” (FA) command. These functions additionally require a Note-On event — it is the Note-On event that can start an Arpeggio, that can trigger a tempo driven LFO, that can cause a Tempo driven delay or other effect to sound in tempo, and so on. It is also a Note-on that can cause a Performance’s program to make sound!
Pressing Start is a command for a Sequencer

Think of your MONTAGE as three components
1) Keyboard/Controller (keys, knobs, sliders, switches, pedals, etc)
2) Tone Generator (oscillators, filters, amplifiers, Arpeggiators, LFO, Effects, etc)
3) Sequencer (Song, Pattern)

__ if all you send is a MIDI START command, what will happen is the Performance Recorder/Sequencer (“Play/Rec” > “MIDI Song” or “Play/Rec” > “Pattern Sequencer”) if selected, will start.

If the MONTAGE is set to MIDI SYNC = MIDI all tempo driven MONTAGE devices will be ready to run at the external Tempo. This does not guarantee that they will run in musical synchronization (strictly in musically appropriate time) that will depend on the placement of your musical NOTE-ON event and how you instruct them to reference that tempo. In other words, they will run, when properly triggered, referencing that external tempo.

Example: say you set the MIDI SYNC = MIDI. This means all MONTAGE Tempo driven functions will reference the external tempo.

If you have a MIDI Song or Pattern selected, they will start, stop and continue in perfect sync with the external device.

Whether the Arpeggios, the LFOs, the Tempo driven Effects, associated with the Performance, run or not (at all) depends on whether the appropriate Note-on event is also included and whether the function is set run at the exact Tempo or whether it is set to multiply/divide the musical value of that tempo (in musical terms: double time, half time, etc).

Arpeggios are MIDI events (either Notes or CC messages) that are musically timed and placed (quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, etc), that do not / cannot start independent of NOTE-ON commands.

You could START your metronome device — have it count-in and begin counting time/tempo… however, your MONTAGE, being a musical instrument, does not start playing until the musician, you, trigger the notes.

The reason a Sequencer starts playing is because it represents a duplication of a musician having done that very same thing… listening to a countdown and then documenting the triggering of the keys at the musically appropriate time.

That is one way to accomplish your goal: __ have the external clock device trigger note-on events that you have already recorded to the sequencer.

As soon as your external clock is running… your MONTAGE is ‘aware’ of the tempo (it will show it on the top line of the screen)… like every musician in the orchestra is aware of the tempo when the conductor counts off… they do not necessarily start playing until the notes on their particular score tells them to come in.

A metronome “Start” count always begins on Measure 1, Beat 1 (or with a count-in)
The ‘music’ does not… the music’s actual beginning can be independent from the count

Meaning… you could Start your metronome clock device, yet have the music begin on the “and of 1” (an eighth note after the downbeat). The MONTAGE and its clock (tempo) driven functions will respect your tempo but you can reference any point as the actual start point.
Some tempo driven functions could be set to run at double time (same amount of music in 50% of the time), others might be set reference the exact tempo (100%); others at half time (200%)

If you were to start an Arpeggio Phrase an eight note late, it would remain offset exactly an eight note behind the beat from then on (unless corrected).

Thanks for your thoughts, Jason!
And Bad Mister... wow, really happy to hear you again - still grateful for all the help I got from you back in the days with my Motif XS!

I will go through your answer once again as soon I will be next to my beloved Montage, until then I whish you all a great weekend ahead! 🙂

Hello again!

I'm back to confirm that the the Montage can be synchronized with the Midronome BPM when using the following settings:

”Utility” on the Yamaha Montage surface, then "Settings", then"MIDI I/O" In the "MIDI" section I selected "MIDI IN/OUT" with the "MIDI" button highlighted in green. In the "Sync" area I selected "MIDI Sync MIDI" and "Clock Out OFF". Now the Montage (probably the MODX too) will play arpeggios in sync with other MIDI devices connected to the Midronome. Also, the Midronome big knob can be rotated while the arpeggio is running and the Montage BPM will change in real time - and the other MIDI device performing an arpeggio will remain in sync.

Also, the big-awesome-great-hyper news is that the Play/Stop button on the Midronome is actually starting and stopping the Montage sequencer, which is top notch! For this purpose I used the same settings I explained above.

Thanks a lot, folks! Your input was really precious! I will go now to experiment with the Montage, the Midronome and the other synths - now in sync! 😀

Emanuel

Thanks for posting the update.

And especially for providing the actual settings you used that addressed the issue. That's the sort of thing that is a BIG help to others that may run into the same issue.

Andrew, I was sure someone will need the settings above and this is the reason why I have not left a simple „thank you, it works!” message. Glad I was able to help!

I must say that I'm so happy about the Midronome compatibility and the fact that now I can sync various synths without a DAW, that I will go ahead and buy a MIDI thru box, in order to be able to connect all seven synths I have here, The Sequential Pro 3 has a sequencer/arpeggio that can also be started and stopped from the Midronome Start/Stop buttons. I was not able to do that with the Waldorf Quantum and the VIrus TI2 Polar, but their arpeggios will play in sync with the Midronome anyway, which is already wonderful. Still have a Prophet Rev2, an Arturia PolyBrute and a Behringer DeepMind12 to test, but I'm very confident about this little Midronome thing, which managed to considerably improve my live jamming workflow. Of course, the Montage sequencer working here is the cherry on top of the cake.

Cheers!
Emanuel