General
The Montage synthesizer is Yamaha's new flagship, available in 61, 76 and 88 key versions.. This particular model is popular with travelling keyboard players because this size tends to fit in the back seat of most cars. It looks pretty familiar on the outside, and if you're familiar with Yamaha, you'll probably recognise certain elements from previous Yamaha synth models. Nonetheless, Yamaha has improved its interface substantially by way of a colour touch-screen display for even clearer user-interaction. It also sports a Super Knob, which is a sort of macro-controller that allows you to operate several parameters simultaneously.
Yamaha Montage 7: Samples
The Montage may have more lights and buttons than a space ship, but it's really all about the sound. As usual, Yamaha doesn't disappoint - the Montage 7 is indisputably a shrine for producers and sound-designers! It houses the AWM2 engine, and has a capacity almost ten times greater than that of the Motif XF for even better, more realistic sounds. Pianos, guitars, horns, strings, drums - you name it, the Montage has it. On top of that, it has double the amount of effects and twice the polyphony as its predecessor, the Motif XF.
Frequency modulation
Remember the 1983 Yamaha DX7? A significant change took place in the music industry with the end of analogue synthesizers during that time, but FM synthesis is back in the form of the FM-X engine Yamaha has integrated into the Montage. A huge advantage of this complex, comprehensive synthesis method is its unprecedented ability for musical expression. FM is alive and kicking, and perfect for ballads, EDM and even film scores. It's the combination of both the AWM2 and the FM-X engine that make the Yamaha Montage stand out from the rest.
Who is it for?
On stage, this is simply a beast of a synthesizer. The sounds produced by the AWM2 and FM-X engines are sure to add an element of intensity to any performance. At the same time, it can be just as useful in the studio, and not only because of its veritable plethora of great sounds. There are plenty of producers who are looking for a powerful all-in-one solution that doesn't need to be connected to a computer. The Yamaha Montage has a sound library so vast and versatile, it's suitable for virtually any musical genre.
