I see several folks are picking up their Montages this week. Please post here concerning your initial thoughts and reactions to the sound quality and functionality and build. Something along the following lines with detailed comments to support your conclusion please.

A) Extraordinary- Better than advertised!
B) Exceptional- As good as advertised!
C) Average- What you’d expect for 2016!
D) Below Average- Not what I was expecting at all!
E) Drastically Over-Hyped- I’ll buy something else!

Mine won’t be here until Tuesday and Guitar Center did not have one today sadly.

Very initial impressions.

Picked Montage 8 up this afternoon, and just hooked it up using the balanced out for the moment. (I’m on a Mac, and it will take a bit of research on my part to figure out how to create an Aggregate Device so I can use the Montage built-in audio interface along with my Apogee Symphony (for monitoring).

The touch screen is phenomenal. It simply works, with instantaneous response, and easy to read, even with my ancient eyes. :-) It’s true what they have said that you will be using it without even realizing it.

Although the action is supposed to be the same as the XF, I like it better. It seems quieter, smoother and tighter somehow.

The dynamic range is yuge (to coin a word that Mr. Trump uses).

I find that the FC-7 pedal (used to control the Super Knob) is quite light. I play pipe organ and so am accustomed to heavier pedals, I guess. I don’t know if the pedal tension can be adjusted.

I had planned to immediately turn of the blinking function of the Super Knob, but have already realized that it does (possibly) serve a purpose. For example, playing a pad type sound and then want to bring in the drums by switching on the arp - well, the blinking is helpful with timing, and perhaps less intrusive than a click track. It’s early, but for the moment I will leave it on.

Build quality seems fine, as I would have expected from a flagship instrument from Yamaha. 

I do wish that Performances were numbered, and that there was a keypad for direct access. Yes, Live Set can be used as a workaround, but I’d rather it were otherwise.

From the sounds that I’ve tried so far, I’m very impressed and pleased. This seems like an “alive” instrument to me, not static.

My local store - Long and McQuade, Burlington in Ontario, Canada got in a 6 and an 8 yesterday. The kindly put a hold on the 8 for me. (The 6 is their demo floor model). So, boasting rights - I got the first one from that location! :-)

Here is my new machine.

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

Melodialworks - 07 May 2016 08:30 PM

Here is my new machine.

So what’s the verdict? I can not help but ask about those Tandy speakers are they? Those are scaring me. Just kidding but I’m curious what they actually are.

They look like Tannoy Ellipse speakers of some sort to me.

Sorry I misread the label. Probably the strangest looking design I’ve ever seen. Better sound good for $1,300 each as a passive speaker. If I bought these I would have to cover them up somehow. Usually the architecture of a speaker is an art form which I like to showcase.

I agree that those monitors look very odd. I don’t like the look of them myself, but I got a deal on them so couldn’t resist. They sound great and are quite accurate.

Hi --

I just posted a first impressions review at:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/montage-initial-review/

I had a chance to play a Montage8 for 75 minutes+ at GC on Saturday. I’m a church musician (gospel to contemporary pop to traditional and semi-classical) and a rock, jazz, soul, fusion, whatever player. So, if you’re into a highly synthesized, electronic form of music, this review probably won’t help you out very much.

In terms of the rating scale at the beginning of the thread: a solid B.

All the best—pj

pjd - 09 May 2016 05:14 PM

Hi --

I just posted a first impressions review at:

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/montage-initial-review/

I had a chance to play a Montage8 for 75 minutes+ at GC on Saturday. I’m a church musician (gospel to contemporary pop to traditional and semi-classical) and a rock, jazz, soul, fusion, whatever player. So, if you’re into a highly synthesized, electronic form of music, this review probably won’t help you out very much.

In terms of the rating scale at the beginning of the thread: a solid B.

All the best—pj

Thanks for that review. I also used to own the Tyros 5 and I have the CP1 currently. My M8 is here today so I’ll provide a review this weekend most likely. I would also point out that some-is-not-lost if certain sounds don’t measure up to the competition on the Montage. With their new focus on stage production I’d assume that the future Montage expansion packs will improve all shortcomings with a vengeance such as organs, etc. I would not let any waveform comparisons hold anyone back from the Montage in any way especially if the capability of the interface “UI”, functionality, power and qualities of the system are present. The waveform domination is forthcoming as only Yamaha can provide.

1) I like the new workflow of Montage, it’s very easy to use and understand
2) Superknob is a bit learning curve, but when you understand the workflow then it’s easy to setup
3) I’ve own DX7 IIFD, so this one will bring the DX sounds to the next level.
4) Set List and the screen is great.

I give a B for rating.

dcool - 10 May 2016 08:26 PM

1) I like the new workflow of Montage, it’s very easy to use and understand
2) Superknob is a bit learning curve, but when you understand the workflow then it’s easy to setup
3) I’ve own DX7 IIFD, so this one will bring the DX sounds to the next level.
4) Set List and the screen is great.

I give a B for rating.

Interesting you give the Montage a B rating. 

So.. What is it missing to earn an A from You ?

1. Superlative sound quality and playability!!!
2. GUI is intuitive and considering the degrees of freedom present in the programming very easy to use.
3. Build quality is top notch
4. Virtually unlimited sound realization palette for sound design
5. SSS is prety well implemented, no cut off of the previous performance

I have not had a chance to integrate with Cubase 8.5 yet.

I only received the instrument yesterday and due to severe weather operations last night I only got an hour with the instrument.

I did upload the new OS image 1.10.6 and it was quick and easy.

I will give a provisional B+ to A- rating until I get the Heliox tanks filled for some deep diving into Motion Control and the sound engines/effects.

I bought the Montage 7 to supplement the XF8.

A comprehensive review would require at least a few 10s of man hours to author if you evaluate all of the features in depth.

I am very happy with my investment!!!!!

Craig

kt_over_q - 11 May 2016 06:44 AM

I have not had a chance to integrate with Cubase 8.5 yet.

When you have accomplished this, please post the procedure and settings. I’ve been trying to get Montage and Cubase 8.5 to play nice, so far with only limited (unacceptable) success.

Thanks.

I have to say that the lack of SSS on the scene function is absurd. We’re back to the same ole interrupted, abrupt sound cut-off with every press of a scene button. So you’re in a performance playing and you have special custom scenes you want to use but you have to stop playing to switch to the next selection. If Montage has the power to continue one performance into another, why then can’t it continue from one snap-shot of settings within the same performance to another? I hate to be negative but this is lame Yamaha. This negates the whole purpose of a stage performing synth (Montages whole MO) with scene functions if you can’t even use them without stopping.

I agree. It seems it would be nice to be able to use the scene buttons to switch between sounds used in one song because they’re so close and handy.

I guess they were thinking that the way a scene masks the parts you don’t want to hear is by muting them, or setting volume to zero. And mute means mute. If a sound it muted, why can you still hear it?

But yeah, it would have been useful.

To clarify, the sound is only interrupted when “mute” is activated such as in a gallery performance. If scenes are used for other parameters set by the super knob then the sound changes but seems to not be cut-off in the same way. Even with the mute function perhaps an OS update could allow the sound of a held note to carry over until a new key is triggered. Hopefully.