The Montage will be an intermediate synth, I don’t think it will be made to replace the Motif XF line yet. Give Motif another two years to be replaced.

kday - 03 October 2015 12:48 AM

The Montage will be an intermediate synth, I don’t think it will be made to replace the Motif XF line yet. Give Motif another two years to be replaced.

I dont think there is room between motif and moxf for another workstation…

I think there is need for innovation, and i guess this innovation comes with a new name..

Kday, is this speculation from your side, or do you have inside information?

lordbachus - 03 October 2015 05:20 PM

kday - 03 October 2015 12:48 AM

The Montage will be an intermediate synth, I don’t think it will be made to replace the Motif XF line yet. Give Motif another two years to be replaced.

I dont think there is room between motif and moxf for another workstation…

I think there is need for innovation, and i guess this innovation comes with a new name..

Exactly.

I don’t they are trying to replace the XF, but create something different maybe even an analog/digital hybrid synth, or something creative expanding along the lines of Arp or Karma technology maybe.

I think the XF is probably still selling. And to replace the Motif XF and compete with the Kronos, their next flagship has to be massive.

Faldin - 04 October 2015 06:59 AM

Kday, is this speculation from your side, or do you have inside information?

Speculation

The Montage may be a flagship to replace the Motif line.

OK. Some things to consider from my point of view:

In this interview (in German, from last year) some Yamaha representatives say they are not going to “imitate” competitors but will develop something new (and btw, they also say they are NOT working on any “real” analog synthesizer). One could also conclude from this that a “Super-Kronos” by Yamaha is unlikely to happen, even more as they say the EX5 was no real success because 5 different sound engines were too much for keyboarders:

https://www.amazona.de/interview-yamaha-japan/

The “something cpmpletely new” hypothesis is supported by the following source,

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/06/new-yamaha-synths-will-include-totally-alien-new-technology-says-interview/

In this Reface Review (German), the author claims Yamaha sources told him there will be another “big” release, likely before the end of the year, which contains technology as important as FM and VL:

https://www.amazona.de/test-yamaha-reface-cs-va-synthesizer/

Finally, here someone has analysed recent patents from Yamaha and reflected on the name “Montage”:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-speculation-montage/

Personally, I think we will see something extenting the “Motif” idea to another level. Motif was about music creation using arpeggios, phrases...i.e. “motifs”! Montage might somehow extend this, possibly to audio / waveform data.

All pure speculation of course…

And btw- concentrating on features which stimulate the creativity of the user and somehow help musicians to create music would be a smart move for any hardware synth manufacturer imo. Because in the field of super-duper multi (digital) synth engines they will lose against software anyway.

I did a show last month, we played with another band that had a very nice guy who works at Yamaha sitting in on keys.  I talked to him alot before the show, trying to coax info from him, I got nothing but a few wry grins.

name and venue/gig info withheld to protect the employed… :)

Faldin - 04 October 2015 11:27 AM

OK. Some things to consider from my point of view:

In this interview (in German, from last year) some Yamaha representatives say they are not going to “imitate” competitors but will develop something new (and btw, they also say they are NOT working on any “real” analog synthesizer). One could also conclude from this that a “Super-Kronos” by Yamaha is unlikely to happen, even more as they say the EX5 was no real success because 5 different sound engines were too much for keyboarders:

https://www.amazona.de/interview-yamaha-japan/


The “something cpmpletely new” hypothesis is supported by the following source,

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/06/new-yamaha-synths-will-include-totally-alien-new-technology-says-interview/


In this Reface Review (German), the author claims Yamaha sources told him there will be another “big” release, likely before the end of the year, which contains technology as important as FM and VL:

https://www.amazona.de/test-yamaha-reface-cs-va-synthesizer/


Finally, here someone has analysed recent patents from Yamaha and reflected on the name “Montage”:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/yamaha-speculation-montage/


Personally, I think we will see something extenting the “Motif” idea to another level. Motif was about music creation using arpeggios, phrases...i.e. “motifs”! Montage might somehow extend this, possibly to audio / waveform data.

All pure speculation of course…

I wrote it down in another post… if you look at the current technollogy Yamaha has to offer in all kinds of products, you must realise what they mean with the Yamaha way..

I think when you take a look at Halion 5 (which is developed by Yamaha for Steinberg brand) you can clearly see how Yamaha is able to intergate VA, FM, VL and AWM and more into a single soundengine...making it modular.

This will allow you to build even deeper sounds then you ever imagined..

Another thing you need to look at is Yamaha mobile mnusic sequencer(ipad app), and combine this with the Motifs pattern sequencer..

And then look at the CP4 and Tyros5 and reface, and see all those great virtuall technollogies. And then look at the ensemble feature, which clearly shows Yamaha has been keeping their eyes on Kontakt too.. Where Yamaha has done awesome in the Tyros5 is making these kontakt ideas very very playable in real time

The arps are offcourse nice, and i am allready wondering how they might improve them further.. love to see more of them… Audio as you indicate seems a possibility, like audio loops that transpose and sync in real time..

Montage to seems like the perfect name for an instrument that allows you to put your own ideas into sound..

lordbachus - 05 October 2015 12:19 PM

Montage to seems like the perfect name for an instrument that allows you to put your own ideas into sound..

I agree.

Montage is a word that indicates a synthesis of sounds or possibly loops or Arps or sounds to create something entirely new.

This is the dictionary meaning of “Montage”.

1 : the production of a rapid succession of images in a motion picture to illustrate an association of ideas.

2 a : a literary, musical, or artistic composite of juxtaposed more or less heterogeneous elements.

So this Yamaha Montage synth seems like it will something new in turns of new way of synthesizing sounds, or a new way of creating sound loops.

If it is a new way of synthesizing sound loops, like a new loop generator or a new sophisticated Karma like loop generator that would be cool.

So I think the Montage is if we are to go by the name should be along the line of a new synthesizer with a new generation loop generator. I just hope we can load in our own sounds to take advantage of any new loop technology also.

The Montage synth sounds exciting, lets just hope it lives up to that name.

The name to me indeed indicates creating ...

Tough, i was hoping that they would take the workstation more in the direction of performing, instead of performing..

Creating to me sits in the middle first you create something, and then you either record it or go performing with it..

Motif range was a bit more to the recording side of things.. Where Kronos currently sits a bit more to the performing side of things… With all those great software DAWs i think there is more room on the performing side of things.

(i hope this makes sense to you)

Some more leaked info on this new Yamaha Montage synth…

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/06/new-yamaha-synths-will-include-totally-alien-new-technology-says-interview/

lordbachus - 06 October 2015 10:40 AM

The name to me indeed indicates creating ...


Tough, i was hoping that they would take the workstation more in the direction of performing, instead of performing..

Creating to me sits in the middle first you create something, and then you either record it or go performing with it..

Motif range was a bit more to the recording side of things.. Where Kronos currently sits a bit more to the performing side of things… With all those great software DAWs i think there is more room on the performing side of things.


(i hope this makes sense to you)

I believe the Montage will be a new synthesis synthesizer, don’t know if it will be a Workstation as this new technology doesn’t necessarily need workstation technology to sell on its own. But if they want to sell more units, a better idea would be a new synthesizer with different synth engine capabilities and a new loop generator. I think people want technology and wizardry, technology needs to expand to sell. We need new loop generators, new synthesis technologies, new sequencers, new sampling capabilities, new ways to develop user sound sets, new ideas for new money.

ferrari512s - 07 October 2015 02:29 PM

Some more leaked info on this new Yamaha Montage synth…

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/06/new-yamaha-synths-will-include-totally-alien-new-technology-says-interview/

the same news was posted in many of the reface threads, as it surfaced in the same periode

But then the reface interface was far from alien…
It makes me wondering, when such a highly capable man takes weaks to understand the new interface, how will this land with the general people that have become acustomed to better and very easy and intuitive interfaces.

Cant imagine however that Yamaha comes up with something not available in VST form yet in a hardware instrument..

kday - 07 October 2015 05:36 PM

lordbachus - 06 October 2015 10:40 AM

The name to me indeed indicates creating ...


Tough, i was hoping that they would take the workstation more in the direction of performing, instead of performing..

Creating to me sits in the middle first you create something, and then you either record it or go performing with it..

Motif range was a bit more to the recording side of things.. Where Kronos currently sits a bit more to the performing side of things… With all those great software DAWs i think there is more room on the performing side of things.


(i hope this makes sense to you)

I believe the Montage will be a new synthesis synthesizer, don’t know if it will be a Workstation as this new technology doesn’t necessarily need workstation technology to sell on its own. But if they want to sell more units, a better idea would be a new synthesizer with different synth engine capabilities and a new loop generator. I think people want technology and wizardry, technology needs to expand to sell. We need new loop generators, new synthesis technologies, new sequencers, new sampling capabilities, new ways to develop user sound sets, new ideas for new money.

It will be a workstation as thats what the name indicates to me, i asume with a modular sunthesis that lets you combine awm, va, vl, fm, vp, scm, vrm, aem, etc etc… Combined with advanced audio capabillities (also patented by Yamaha) clip launching, advanced arps (think karma and audio) ...

Could be however the OP is right aboit the montage,

The official German Yamaha facebook page just got renamed from :
“ Yamaha Keyboards und Workstations Germany”
to
“ Yamaha Digital Piano’s and Keyboards”

Maybe Yamaha is leaving the whole workstation market after all..  Could just be true with the Motif replacement being so long overdue…

Or maybe i am jumping to wrong conclusions, but Yamaha renaming these facebook pages could be a lead why its taking them so long to show off a new workstation..