In the first article I covered the installation of the Expanded Softsynth Plugin (ESP) and the Yamaha Steinberg USB (YSUSB) Driver. In this article I’ll explore the ESP user interface and how ESP differs from the physical MONTAGE M and MODX M synthesizers. I’ll cover:

• The basics of using ESP in Cubase
• An exploration of key user interface features.
• Highlight the important differences between the software and the physical instruments.

Launching Cubase and adding ESP as an Instrument Track

Launch Cubase and creating a new or existing project. Adding ESP is straightforward:

• Open Studio > VST Instruments and Click “+ Track Instruments” or CTRL + Click in the Track area and select “Add Instrument Track”.
• From the list of plug-ins, select Synth > Expanded Softsynth Plugin for MONTAGE M-MODX M
• Cubase will create a new Instrument Track and open the ESP interface automatically.

Here’s the process below:

Once loaded, ESP behaves like any other softsynth in Cubase—ready for MIDI input, editing, automation, and rendering.

ESP Main Window: Top Menus

The main ESP window mirrors much of the MONTAGE M/MODX M display while giving you expanded DAW-centric workflow options. Here you’ll find Category Search, Load/Save options, synchronization, Live Set and ESP System Settings. From left to right you’ll find the following:

• Performance Name and Category Seach – Besides showing the current Performance, clicking directly on the name or magnifying glass on the right calls up Performance Category Search.
• Performance Store – Stores and Edit Performance to ESP User Memory.
• Library, User and Backup File Load/Save – Provide direct access to performance-wide parameters.
• Edit Buffer: User, Library, Backup File between MONTAGE M/MODX M and ESP – Offers system settings, MIDI configuration, and plugin preferences.

Check it out below:

Continuing across the top are the following functions:

• ESP Live Set Edit – Here you can select, edit and synchronize Live Sets between ESP and MONTAGE M/MODX M.
• Song/Pattern Import from MONTAGE M/MODX M – Drag and Drop Performance Pattern Scenes and Songs from MONTAGE M/MODX M and the DAW. More on this in a subsequent article.
• ESP Settings, Data Utility and Legal Notices – Settings for ESP, like those found in MONTAGE/MODX M [UTILITY] > Settings.
• Toggle between DAW project BPM and ESP Performance BPM – Offers system settings, MIDI configuration, and plugin preferences.
• Larger Oscilloscope view – Makes the Oscilloscope graphic larger.

Left Side Controls

The left side of the ESP interface is dedicated to Performance navigation. It’s similar to the left side selections you see in the main MONTAGE M/MODX M Performance [HOME] screen. Check out the image below. On the right side is the MONTAGE M/MODX M Performance [HOME] screen for reference:

From the top left down, you’ll find these five selections:

• PERFORMANCE (HOME) – The Main ESP Performance Window.
• Super Knob – Shows Performance Common Super Knob settings for the selected Performance.
• Super Knob MSEQ Auto – Motion Sequence (MSEQ) settings for automating Super Knob movement.
• Performance Scene – Shows Performance Scene settings and switches to toggle on/off which parameters are recalled when a Scene is selected.
• SmartMorph – For FM-X and AN-X Performances created using SmartMorph.

The ESP UI unifies key hardware areas—PERFORMANCE (HOME), LIVE SET, CATEGORY SEARCH, and UTILITY—into a familiar, streamlined layout. It extends the design of the MONTAGE M and MODX M in an elegant way, with that consistency clearly reflected in ESP’s Performance Common and Part Edit views.

Performance Common Edit

Now let’s turn to the ESP main Performance Common view. Performance Common parameters are common to all Parts in a Performance. Here you’ll find the list of Performance Parts, common effect return settings, Quick Edit options and more. Check out the image below:

• Performance Common Reverb/Variation Effect Return, Pan and Volume – Like MONTAGE M and MODX M, these parameters effect all parts of the Performance. Individual Reverb/Variation sends, Part Pan and Volume are found in Performance Part Edit.
• Portamento (+Time), Arp Master and Motion Sequence Master Switches – Overall Portamento control, Arp and Motion Sequence On/Off for all Parts are controlled here.
• Performance Scenes – These function the same way as the hardware synthesizers. Performance Scene recall parameters are set in the Scene area on the right (see previous section on Left Side Controls).
• Performance Common Quick Edit – You can switch between TG & Effect, Arpeggio, and Motion Sequence Quick Edit views here, similar to the Quick Edit section on the left side of the MONTAGE M/MODX M front panel. In the image above, “TG and Effect” is selected. The highlighted diagonal “Edit Jump” arrow appears wherever deeper editing is available—clicking it opens the Detail Edit area below. Think of Edit Jump as the plug‑in equivalent of the [PAGE JUMP] button on MONTAGE M/MODX M.
• Super Knob and Assign Knob Link Switch – This is the Super Knob control, and you can link/unlink which assignable knobs from the Super Knob macro control.
• Performance Common Edit List – Clicking on this list reveals all the Performance Common screens you can edit. See below:

Performance Part Edit

Performance Part Edit focuses on modifying individual Parts (1–8). Each Part can be an AWM2, FM-X, AN-X or a Drum Part. The image below shows the Performance “Space Dust”, a three-Part Performance consisting of AN-X, FM-X and AWM2 Parts:

The AN‑X Part is selected on the left, showing its three‑oscillator AN‑X engine in the Selected Part Quick Edit area. On the right, the top image shows the FM‑X Part, and the bottom image shows the AWM2 Part. Notice how the Selected Part Quick Edit adjusts for each engine—displaying Operators and FM Algorithms for FM‑X, and Element Levels, Switches, Filter, EQ, Note/Velocity Limits, and Element Waveforms for AWM2. ESP’s UI puts AN‑X Oscillators, FM‑X Operators, and AWM2 Elements front and center in the Selected Part Quick Edit view, making it easy to shape core sound components synchronize with MONTAGE M/MODX M.

In the lower right corner of the Part Quick Edit, you’ll see the Detail Edit drop-down menu. Click on this to select deeper Part editing parameters appearing in the lower Detail Edit portion of the ESP UI:

Operational Similarities Between MONTAGE M/MODX M and ESP

Let’s look at the same three-Part Performance “Space Dust” in MONTAGE M. Like ESP, the Selected Part Quick Edit in the secondary LCD display on the left change when different Parts are selected:

In the image below you can see how ESP Detail Edit compares to MONTAGE M Part Common Edit. It has same editing features as the hardware reimagined within the plugin environment:

Differences Between ESP and MONTAGE M/MODX M

It is correct to say that ESP gives you the sound engine of MONTAGE M & MODX M inside your DAW. ESP facilitates sound synchronization between hardware and software and offers sophisticated and elegant control of the plug-in from the physical instrument through DAW Remote and ESP Control. While their operational aspects are quite similar, there are four important differences between the hardware and ESP:

• Currently ESP does not support MIDI 2.0. MIDI 2.0 is available in the hardware MONTAGE M and MODX.
• ESP does not support Seamless Sound Switching (SSS) but you can always add additional instances of ESP instrument tracks and move between them as a workaround.
• You cannot select Individual Part Output Settings in ESP. Individual Part Outputs are allow you to record separate audio tracks for each MONTAGE M/MODX M Part. This is particularly useful for the hardware. It’s very easy to convert ESP tracks to audio tracks in a DAW. In Cubase this is the “Render in Place” function.
• Performance of Parts 9 -16 are not supported. ESP is ultimately designed to replicate the playable MONTAGE M/MODX M multipart Performance. In MONTAGE M/MODX M, Parts 9-16 are often used for backing tracks when using the Performance Pattern or Song Sequencer. You can always add additional ESP instrument tracks in these cases and in article four of this series, I’ll cover workflow approaches when transferring Pattern or Song files from the hardware to ESP.

In the next article I’ll explore sound and file synchronization between MONTAGE M/MODX M and ESP.