Yamaha Montage (6, 7, 8) Synthesizers: Features sophisticated dynamic control, massive sound creation and streamlined workflow. You can craft any sound you like, and control it with the expressive Super Knob. Finally, Yamaha has a worthy successor to the Motif music production synthesizer. Many call the Montage synths as a blend of Motif and DX (two iconic Yamaha keyboards), rolled into one. Yamaha Montage provides deep sound design possibilities & incredible control.
Highlights
- Super Knob lets you control multiple parameters at once, allowing one-hand dynamic sound modifications.
- Motion Sequences makes it easy to manipulate patches in real time.
- Powerful DSP effects engine
Yamaha Montage Synthesizers: Pros & Cons
- PROS: Huge Sound Libraries, countless effects, very intuitive, superb build quality, fast operating system
- CONS: Make sure your sustain pedal is compatible. The information displayed on the screen uses very small font size
- BEST USES: Use it for live performance, Arrangement & Composition, Concerts, Electronic Music
Yamaha Montage Synthesizers: Review
It seems, Yamaha is positioning the Montage as their new flagship product, and the keyboard has the features to match.
- The Montage is beautifully designed, easy to see in the dark, well illuminated. The touch screen shows a lot of useful information – for sound design, parameter display, and patch selection.
- The Montage has completely reorganized how you find and organize sounds. All the Sounds can be found in once place. If you want to find a sound, you use the search feature.
- You can assign just about anything to the super knob – sound, effect parameter, etc. It’s all handled intelligently by Montage
With the Super Knob, the assign buttons, and the expressions wheels and motion control, you can add several elements to your sound and song on the fly.
The montage scores in the sound and expressiveness department, and it gets full marks there. The clarity of this instrument is just astounding. Its expressiveness makes you feel as if you’re playing a real instrument, and not a synth. If you appreciate pristine sounds, you will like the Montage.
Experienced keyboardists and arrangers will feel comfortable using the various features, although for learners there’s some learning curve involved to learn detailed features. But then remember, there’s a lot you can do using the knobs and controls; and its pretty self-explanatory.
The Chick Corea Mark V Sample & Performance Library for MONTAGE is now available as free download from yamahamusicsoft.com for users of Yamaha MONTAGE synthesizer. This library features 16 all-new performances, programmed using data sampled from Chick Corea’s customized Mark V electric piano.
Yamaha Montage Synth Video Demo
Click here to Buy Yamaha Montage
Yamaha Montage: Various Models
Yamaha Montage Synthesizers include the following keyboards (they vary in the number of keys):
Yamaha MONTAGE6: Flagship Music Synthesizer with 61-key FSX action.
Yamaha MONTAGE7: Flagship Music Synthesizer with 76-key FSX action.
Yamaha MONTAGE8: Flagship Music Synthesizer with 88-key Balanced Hammer action.
Yamaha Montage: Specs
Key features of Yamaha Montage:
- Touch screen
- Motion Control Synthesis Engine that combines two iconic Sound Engines: AWM2 (high-quality waveform and subtractive synthesis) and FM-X (modern, pure Frequency Modulation synthesis). Motion Sequences are tempo-synchronized, completely customizable control sequences that can be assigned to virtually any synthesizer parameter and provide incredible new ways of creating sound.
- Massive Sound Creation. Create dynamic, incredibly expressive new sounds
- Allows variety of methods to add expressions in order to help you create your own unique sound.
- Virtually limitless effects
- USB Audio/MIDI Connection
- Seamless Sound Switching (SSS) lets you change performances seamlessly without any cut-off in envelope or effects.
- A/D input processes external audio sources (mics, guitars or any line source) with your instrument’s internal DSP.
- Eight rotary encoders and faders with step ladder LED
- From high definition reverbs to incredibly detailed Virtual Circuit Modeling (VCM) effects, Montage is loaded
- Live Sets let you organize your Performances however you want without copying, changing order or renaming; quite useful for gigs or for creating your own organization scheme for Performances.
- Montage features professional, stereo balanced outputs with “Pure Analog Circuit” digital to analog conversion.
- MONTAGE comes bundled with Cubase AI (Steinberg’s professional music production software).
Competition Check
If you want inspiration for your music, if you want the best FM synth, do consider this keyboard. If you wish to play a wide variety of real instruments, the Montage is good but Korg can also be a good option.
The Korg Kronos is a good keyboard, n doubt about it; but the Yamaha Montage is also in a league on its own.
If you want a keyboard for live performance, you can also consider Nord or Roland. If you want a keyboard for studio work, you can also do well with a PC and controller. If, however, you want to customize a lot of things and come up with unique sounds, the Montage does give you all the power and flexibility you need.
In short, this board is a master of some things, but not a real jack of all trades like the Motif was or the Korg is. But the keyboard sounds fantastic and can easily compliment your other music production tools.
Yamaha Montage: Buying Links & Prices
With the Yamaha Montage Synthesizers, you can access your signature performances via programming and on-the-fly presets, and easily integrates with DAW software. If you’re a piano player, you may opt for the Montage 8 that comes with proper piano action. The Montage is the perfect combination of power, control and convenience.
Buying Links
- Yamaha Montage 6: Buy on zZounds | [easyazon_link identifier=”B01CFOAAQ2″ locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Buy on Amazon[/easyazon_link]
- Yamaha Montage 7: Buy on zZounds | [easyazon_link identifier=”B01CFOAAVW” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Buy on Amazon[/easyazon_link]
- Yamaha Montage 8: Buy on zZounds | [easyazon_link identifier=”B01CFOAC24″ locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Buy on Amazon[/easyazon_link]
The successor of the Yamaha Motif music production synthesizer, Yamaha Montage, provides deep sound design possibilities, incredible control & power & satisfying sounds. Watch our video review here.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
The last time I was blown away by a keyboard was when Yamaha introduced the Motif. A decade later, they have done the same with the Montage. For those who judge the sound of keyboards based on YouTube videos (that includes me too), I will say: find a store and check it out personally. Ask if you can hear the keyboard through professional monitor speakers (avoid keyboard amp, headphones or some mono speakers). Personally, I think Yamaha will rock once again in the synthesizers department.
I am quite impressed with the Yamaha Montage 7. Its a big upgrade over the Motif. The added FM-X sound engine and the DX sounds are a big plus. The Live Set page is perfect for the gigging musician.
After buying this, I’m going to change the way I create music from now on. I won’t use it as a controller because i like everything I hear on this keyboard. I will record via usb signals as I do not want to compromise the sound via midi (even though integration with Cubase is fantastic even using midi).
I always thought that an onboard sequencer was a must on a keyboard. But now my setup is on my Computer and the need for a sequencer on a keyoard is less. However, the re-imagining of how a board is setup – Yamaha has stolen my breath. The Motion Control gives that “instant” preview of one of thousands of possibilities that this could sound like. The Montage looks like a Workstation, but is not, in the traditional sense. The good thng is that the Motion Control function is compltely independent of the Arpeggiator.
I have a pair of Adam A7X monitors and its enough to let this keyboard shine. You will need to get used to where the various functions are. I only hope its OS improves as the product matures.