It can also be controlled via a foot pedal for hands-off control over many parameters simultaneously - you could morph from one sound into another, fade in an FM-X layer over an AWM2 layer, control several layers' volumes or filters or effect levels/parameters, with some going up and some down simultaneously. The knob glows several different user-definable colours and flashes in accordance with the overall tempo. Now the SuperKnob! While it may seem gimmicky at first, it serves a very important function as a central 'macro' knob that enables control over a huge array of simultaneous parameters manually, or via the 'motion control' function which allows automation of the knob via motion sequences (or over MIDI). There's also a pop-up numeric keypad to speed up programming. Navigating the OS and selecting/editing is simple - use any finger to select functions/parameters and change values using the data wheel. There's also no apparent way to adjust the screen's brightness, though viewing is easy at all angles. It feels like there are no bounds to the control and sound design possibilities which is great (yet scary!) Regardless, the screen feels generally snappy with little lag (there's seamless sound switching too) and it's easy enough on the eyes, though we would have liked to see even more contrast/colours/graphics along the lines of the Korg Kronos 2/Roland Jupiter/FA-series. The heart of the Montage's programming system is the full-colour touchscreen plus data wheel/cursors, though surprisingly the plethora of real-time controls (faders, knobs, SuperKnob etc) don't really get involved with the editing process. One downside is that, while the part/function/element selector buttons on the right side of the panel glow orange and speed up programming/navigation massively, it's hard to distinguish when (for example) a part is muted or unmuted as this only involves a subtle change of brightness - multi-coloured LEDs to show different states would have been clearer. The Yamaha Montage8 (88-key), Montage7 (76-key) and Montage6 (61-key) will ship in May 2016.It certainly feels tank-like and the controls are very solid with nicely stiff and positive selection buttons, rubberised Nord-style knobs with LED ring dials (that relay knob position at a glance) and eight plastic-capped faders with LED meters that can be assigned to various duties including part volume levels and organ drawbars once set up. “Playing and experiencing Montage is, quite simply, inspiring.” “Montage is the culmination of over forty years of synthesizer legacy and innovation.” said Nate Tschetter, marketing manager, music production, Yamaha Corporation of America. The inspiring Montage brings newfound power to performers, songwriters, producers and sound designers. Montage also features a brand new user interface with color touch screen, endless rotary encoders and the Super Knob: a macro control allowing users to control multiple parameters simultaneously. An amazingly sophisticated pure FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesizer engine capable of producing classic ‘80s or cutting-edge EDM sound with incredible dynamic range, power and fidelity. Joining the powerful AWM2 engine is FM-X. The Motion Control Synthesizer Engine controls two iconic Sound Engines: Advanced Wave Memory 2 (AWM2) and FM-X.Ĭompatible with previous generation Motif libraries, the AWM2 engine is exponentially more powerful than the previous Motif XF flagship with nearly ten times more wave memory, integrated flash, double the effects and twice the polyphony. Montage, available in 61-, 76- and 88-key configurations, features the Motion Control Synthesizer Engine, a powerful and intuitive way to interact with and control sound. Now, Yamaha raises the bar again with Montage. Press Release: Yamaha have introduced the Montage, which represents a new era in synthesizer technology by offering unprecedented ways for keyboard players to control and interact with sound.įor more than 40 years, Yamaha has developed industry-leading synthesizers, from the revolutionary DX7 in the 1980s to the renowned Motif series – one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. Blake Angelos from Yamaha was good enough to show us the scope of the new Montage keyboard synthesizer, and also give us a pretty great demo of its capabilities.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |