Hi,
I haven’t been here for a long while. My question: I presently have an Motif XS7; I would like to upgrade to either a Genos 2 or the Montage M7; First, does the Genos 2 have the same “Performance” type set-ups? Second, I prefer the organ touch vs. piano touch...I know Genos2 has it, but what’s the touch on a Montage? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Well, just so I’m being honest here.,.

IMO the Genos2 and Montage 7 are not upgrades from the Motif XS. The Motif XS has features e.g. sampling, 16 sections A-P for sequencing, etc that the Montage 7 or Genos 2 don’t have.

But aside from that, it really depends on your goals as a player or musician for the instrument.  Yamaha tries to help you with
these decisions by how they classify each instrument.

They market the Montage as a synthesizer, it features and emphasizes sound design using FM synthesis, Virtual Analog, and Sample based synthesis.  It focuses on real time control over dozens of performance parameters relating to timbre, and rhythm.

They market the Genos as a digital workstation where the focus is on styles, common musical idioms, quickly (and easily) arranging and composing songs that can be targeted toward a wide variety of musical tastes.  All serving to let the player be a
one man band.

But some buyers ignore the marketing and use the instruments as they see fit :-)

IMO Both the Genos 2 and the Montage 7 are more musical instrument than Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Liberace,Billy Preston, Yuja Wang, Herbie Hancock, Scott Joplin, Brahms, Chopin, James P Johnson, Barry Manilow, Hazel Scott, Keiko Matsui, Jerry Lee Lewis, Alicia Keys, Mendelssohn, Hiromi Uehara, H Zett, Chick Corea, etc would know what to do with LOL

Both are very deep instruments, so deep in fact a single human being in a single life time could never exhaust all of the musical possibilities, musical approaches, and musical capabilities of these instruments.

So at the end of the day its down to which one looks the coolest, or fits with your decor, is the most attractive to you, is most compatible with your budget, will impress your friends, family, and associates the most and seems to be the most fun....