GEARREVIEW
Yamaha Montage 8 Synth
KEY FEATURES Super Knob Touch Screen“ Live Set” Mode
2 Powerful Synth Engines AWM2 and FM-X
Game-Changer … Next-Level … Whole New World- These descriptions might sound cliché, but as soon as you get your hands on Yamaha’ s new Montage, you’ ll realize it is all that and much more! Read on...
You know you’ re facing a Big-Time challenge when you try to outdo the best-selling keyboard in the world, the Motif; but the Genius-Designer Guys at Yamaha proved they are up to the task. Here are the Headlines:
* SUPER KNOB By far the coolest feature of this new keyboard beast. Add an Expression Pedal to control it and this is da BOMB! For me, it’ s the perfect solution for so many challenges I face on stage while trying to blend, modulate, and change instruments. For example …
> CHECK OUT:‘ CFX and Strings’- How many times a night do you start a song on grand piano and need to bring in a string section on the chorus? At least half a dozen for me. With the Super Knob / Expression Pedal, now I’ ll be able to do this without ever taking my fingers off the keyboard.
> CHECK OUT: Any of the‘ Pipe Organ’ sounds- Notice how with the Super Knob at minimum you hear only soft‘ flute’ pipes, and as you increase using the Expression Pedal you add ranks of pipes exactly as you would using the Crescendo Pedal on a Cathedral Organ; until with the Super Knob at‘ full’ you have literally“ pulled out all the stops!”.
* SUPERB SONIC QUALITY Let’ s put it this way … On stage with the Alan Parsons Project I’ m playing tons of orchestral parts; gorgeous string lines / brass figures and stabs / detailed woodwinds / every conceivable type of percussion, timpani, etc- I’ ve been using the most expensive sample libraries on the market live, and about 5 minutes into auditioning the Montage, I’ m thinking“… Why am I bothering with these Libraries; I could just use the Montage for those orchestral sounds!” The sonic quality is THAT good.
> CHECK OUT: The‘ CFX’ Grand Piano- I have 4 state-of-the-art keyboards in my live setup, and I always turn to Yamaha for my grand piano; it’ s the heart of everything I do. I just turned on the Montage and played‘ CFX Grand’ for 5 minutes … No-Brainer / Game Over- This is my new grand piano sound live on stage.
TOUCH SCREEN‘ Live Set’ mode / Seamless Sound Selection / Easy layering- SO many features, SO little time in this article!
> CHECK OUT: The Touch Screen is very intuitive and very fast- I haven’ t even seen the manual yet and everything about the interface screen is working exactly as I would expect. Even on the brand new features, my first guess with the Touch Screen is always getting me precisely where I want to go … no crazy-deep menu diving required … NICE.
> CHECK OUT:‘ Live Set’ mode- BANG-DONE. I’ m already putting my sounds / performances in Set
46 Jan � Feb 2017 WorshipMusician. com