This lesson takes us into the MONTAGESuper Knob and introduces you further to the concepts of polarity, and more specifically, “Bipolar.”
(NOTE: The Live Set used in these tutorials can be downloaded here.)
PERFORMANCE 4: Super Knob Bipolar-+
This example introduces the polarity “Bipolar,” used for moving parameters above and below the starting point. Often Destination parameters need to revolve around a central starting point – where you need to increase and/or decrease from the starting value. Bipolar is the curve that answers this requirement.
Example PERFORMANCE = Super Knob Bipolar-/+
This allows for movement in either direction from the 12 o’clock position of the Super Knob. In this example, the LFO SPEED is set to a value somewhere between the Minimum and Maximum value. The Classic Flanger’s LFO Speed is set to a medium value in the Part Effect window, with a full range from 0.00Hz through 39.7Hz. Using the Bipolar Curve will allow the Super Knob to start at 12 o’clock (64); increase when turned clockwise; and decrease when turned counterclockwise. When you recall this Performance, the Super Knob is stored at the 12 o’clock position – observe how, when at 64, two sets of LEDs light at the very apex.
You will also notice that, when using a Yamaha FC7 sweep pedal (Foot Controller 2) to control the Super Knob, you will need to move the pedal past the mid point to grab the Super Knob. So if the pedal is at rest in toe down position, you will need to move it back to “hook” the stored value. Once you pass the stored value, the pedal will control the Knob as usual. This prevents any jumping of values.
The Controller Polarity setting for PART 1 Assign Knob 1 is Bipolar with a linear Ratio +32.
Positive values for Ratio will increase when turned clockwise. Let’s use the navigation shortcuts to verify the assignments:
Hold [SHIFT] + [HOME (INFO)] to view the OVERVIEW screen.
Set the PART to “COMMON”.
Press the “EDIT COMMON CONTROL SETTINGS” to see how Part 1’s Assign 1 Knob is linked to the Super Knob:
Press [EXIT] to return to the OVERVIEW screen.
Set the PART to “PART 1”:
Press “EDIT PART 1 CONTROL SETTINGS” to ride the shortcut to Part 1’s assignment to control INSERT “A” LFO Speed:
The Super Knob position 64 (Center) is the start position. On close inspection you can find CENTER when two of the ladder LEDs light simultaneously as you reach the 12 o’clock position. When the Performance is stored, the current position of the Super Knob is documented; in this case it will correspond to the STORED parameter setting of LFO Speed = 2.69Hz.
In the left column of the screen press “Effect” > “INS A” to view the parameters inside the Classic Flanger:
The Super Knob moved from center to left reduces the LFO Speed from 2.69Hz to the minimum of 0.00Hz.
The Super Knob moved from center to right increases the LFO Speed from 2.69Hz to the maximum of 39.70Hz.
As a result, the Super Knob controls the complete parameter range, just as in the previous Unipolar examples. But here the starting point is different. In case of Bipolar, the Super Knob works bi-directionally. In the Unipolar examples, the initial setting was the minimum and we could increase the speed only. Here, we can move in either direction from the initial setting.
If a specific LFO speed is intended as the basic starting point, using Bipolar might be more useful, because the intended speed will correspond exactly to the center position (Super Knob = 64). Modulations in both directions are possible using Bipolar.
Basically the decision to use Unipolar or Bipolar will depend on the start position of the Super Knob and the kind of control you require musically. If it starts at left, Unipolar is more useful. If it starts at center position, Bipolar is recommended.
Catch up on the previous article in the series – “Mastering MONTAGE 3: Super Knob Unipolar”here.
The next article: “Mastering MONTAGE 5: Super Knob Morph” is available here.
Ready to jump into the next lesson about MONTAGEand the Super Knob?
The next two PERFORMANCE examples show the assignment of a Part’s parameters to the Super Knob, which are a bit more complex than using Common parameters.
(NOTE: The Live Set used in these tutorials can be downloaded here.)
Example 3: Super Knob Unipolar+
The first step is assigning the used Part Assignable Knob 1 to the Common Assignable Knob 1, which must be done on the Common > Control Assign screen. Instead of assigning directly to a parameter, we are assigning control of PART 1’s Assignable Knob to COMMON (Super Knob) control. Remember, the Super Knob automatically controls all eight Common Assignable Knobs – and the Part Assign Knob 1 can be used to control parameters within this specific Part.
This means that whatever we assign to PART 1’s Assignable Knob will automatically be controlled by the Super Knob. Begin by loading in “PERFORMANCE 2: Super Knob Unipolar +”:
Once again, we will navigate to the upper level of editing (Common/Audio) and assign Part 1’s first Knob to the COMMON Assign 1.
Go to the HOME screen (press the “Home” icon in the upper left corner of the screen). This highlights the PERFORMANCE NAME: “Super Knob Unipolar+”.
Press [EDIT]
Press the [COMMON] button (right side upper COMMON button).
In the screen select “Control” (left column of the screen) > “Control Assign” (second column).
Make sure the AUTO SELECT option is active.
Move Assignable Knob #1 to recall its setting (“Destination 1 = Part 1 Assign 1”):
The first COMMON assignable destination (Destination 1) for this Performance concerns the program occupying PART 1. This assignment gives the Super Knob control over Part 1’s Assignable Knob 1. To see exactly what “PART 1 Assign 1” is controlling, we must edit the Program occupying PART 1. Remember, you can think about the playable Performance as having 72 Assignable Knobs, where Common has eight Knobs, and each of the eight possible Parts can have eight Assignable Knobs. We are assigning the Super Knob to control a parameter within PART 1 – we do so by linking Part 1’s Assign Knob #1 here.
In this Example Performance, we are assigning the first of the eight (Common) Assignable Knobs to PART 1 of this PERFORMANCE. To manually navigate to the actual parameter that is being controlled, go to the EDIT – PART 1 – Common screen. Here’s how:
Press the [PART SELECT 1/1] top right front panel and select PART 1. This should light the lower [COMMON] button for ELEMENT/OPERATOR. (If it does not light, it’s an indication that you were last viewing an individual ELEMENT within this program; in that case, simply press the lower [COMMON] button.) For convenience, there’s also a “Common” button found in the lower left corner of the screen (blue) along with access to Elements 1-8, or a view that will let you see all eight together:
Hint: To understand this second Common button, remember that the playable PERFORMANCE can have eight KBD CTRL PARTS – and that together they share the PERFORMANCE NAME, the SYSTEM EFFECTS, the MASTER EFFECTS, the MASTER EQ, and that they include the AUDIO IN settings. Each PART is a like a complete Motif XF level VOICE with eight Elements – each with its own Part COMMON parameters. Each Part has its own Name, its own Insertion Effects, and its own eight Assignable Knobs! So if you think of each PART as a separate synthesizer with its own complete set of parameters, what we are doing is linking control of this synthesizer with a, well, you know, a “SUPER” knob – a single knob that, when moved, can send a message that is divided out among the rest of the separate synthesizers. Don’t worry if it takes a minute or two for this to sink in – it’s as if we are dealing with a large modular synth, where a Keyboard Controlled program (with eight complete synthesizers) is linked to this MOTION CONTROL ENGINE. Like patching cables in an old-school analog synth, we are linking control. Later we’ll see how we can limit the range of controllers too.
For former Motif/MOXF users, this is very much like being in a Song/Pattern Mixing setup, then dropping into VCE EDIT when creating a Mix Voice. However, in MONTAGE, every edit has room to be stored and you are editing the Part directly. This second level of Common parameters are Part Common parameters.
Select “MOD/CONTROL” (left column of the screen) > “Control Assign”. The Controller setting is Unipolar with Ratio +32 (giving a linear response, as shown in the screenshot above).
With AUTO SELECT highlighted, you can turn Assignable Knob 1 and view the assigned Destination = InsA LfoSpd. This happens to be the LFO Speed of the CLASSIC FLANGER assigned to PART 1.
Press [EFFECT] (second item left side of the screen to view the Effect) > and select “Routing” for PART 1.
INSERT A is the Classic Flanger:
You can edit the Effect parameters by touching “INS A” in the second column.
Note that the LFO Speed of the Classic Flanger is set to 0.00Hz (minimum) in the Part Effect window:
The Super Knob position 0 (left) is the start position. It corresponds to the parameter setting of LFO Speed = 0.00Hz.
The Super Knob moved from left to right controls the complete parameter range from LFO Speed 0.00Hz to 39.7Hz.
(Note: The values do not animate in the MONTAGE screen when you move the Super Knob although you can clearly hear the Speed change as it is moved.)
The potential here is tremendous: One knob can be assigned to do multiple things with different ranges for different areas of the Performance.
Summary: At the upper COMMON (overall level) we have assigned Super Knob control over PART 1’s Assign 1 Knob. This is done by linking the “PART 1 ASSIGN 1” (PART 1’s Assignable Knob 1) part to the Super Knob so that whatever parameter is selected for this knob to control will be influenced by the Super Knob. The “DESTINATION 1” within PART 1 indicates that this is the first controller assignment for PART 1. There are a maximum of 16 Destinations per PART. In this example, the LFO SPEED of the Classic Flanger is the selected parameter within PART 1.
Again, we are limiting ourselves to a single Part Performance in this case. Each additional PART added under Keyboard Control will have the same opportunities to be programmed with their own set of eight Assignable Knobs and destination parameters. The assignment we make for Part 1 will only apply to Part 1; the Classic Flanger is an Insertion Effect and belongs only to this Part, Part 1.
Example 3: Super Knob Unipolar-
This example shows the modulation of the LFO Speed in the opposite direction (negative). This is achieved here by starting the Classic Flanger at its highest Speed (39.7Hz) and setting the Polarity to a NEGATIVE value, so that applying the same movement reduces the LFO SPEED from maximum to minimum.
The Classic Flanger LFO Speed in the Part Effect window is set to 39.7Hz (maximum):
The Part Controller setting is Unipolar with Ratio = -32.
Select “Mod/Control” > “Control Assign”:
The Super Knob position 0 (left) is the start position. It corresponds to the parameter setting of LFO Speed at maximum = 39.7H:
The Super Knob moved from left to right controls the complete parameter range in reversed order from LFO Speed 39.7Hz to 0.00Hz.
Extra Credit Exploration:
In this example, the COMMON ASSIGN KNOB 1 has been tasked with controlling PART 1’s Assign Knob 1. PART 1’s ASSIGN KNOB 1 is set to control the Part 1 INSERTION EFFECT “A” parameter (LFO SPEED).
Touch the parameter contained within the “DESTINATION 1” box to reveal the list of potential assignment destinations that can be selected. There are a ton of potential options – more than you might think. Use the DATA DIAL to explore the options. In this particular example, by selecting PART 1 > PART 1 Assign 1 we are linking PART 1’s first knob with the Super Knob.
These potential Destinations – the parameters available via the upper overall “COMMON/Audio” level of the program – will give you an idea of the depth of the engine. When you see the top line indicate “EDIT – Common/Audio“ you can assign these parameters to the Super Knob. The INSERT A and B referred to here are those dedicated to the A/D (Audio) INPUT PART. Like every other PART, it has its own Dual Insertion Effect. The A/D INPUT is grouped with the COMMON overall parameters. This is why this level of the architecture is referred to as “Common/Audio”:
If you select an Ins A or B(A/D Part), the Reverb, the Variation, or the Master Effect can each have as many as 24 potential parameter destinations (the actual number of available parameters will vary depending on the effect TYPE currently active in the processor). When an Effect Type is assigned to the processor, the parameter names that are available to be controlled will automatically appear in the list. Those parameters not available for real time control will not appear. (Only parameters that are deemed musically useful are available for real time control.)
If you select the “AD Param”you can control Volume, Rev Send and Variation Send amounts of an incoming signal. These are followed by each of the 16 MONTAGE synth PARTS, each of which have eight assignable knob destinations. That’s 128 Assignable Knobs, plus the eight for the Common/Audio level.
As we’ll learn, Parts 1-8 can be linked with the Super Knob, but every Part has its own eight Assignable Knobs for when that Part is individually selected (highlighted).
Press the “X” in the screen to exit or press [ENTER] to make a selection assignment.
If you touch the “DISPLAY FILTER” box, you can see all of the assignable devices. Changing the Display Filter does not change anything other than what you are currently viewing.
Overview shortcut:
Again, let’s practice navigating using the available shortcuts.
Recall the PERFORMANCE and touch the HOME icon.
[SHIFT] + [INFO] = Overview screen (shown below). Notice that in the PART box, “PART 1” is selected and in the diagram a highlight box also appears around the number “1”:
The Part Assign Knob 1 is linked to PART 1 (green line), which is under control of the Super Knob (blue line). You can go from this information screen directly to “Edit Part 1 Control Settings”. This shortcut will take you directly to the Part Mod/Control > Control Assign screen. If you then activate the AUTO SELECT box, touching/moving a controller will display its assignment. Or simply set the “Display Filter” = ALL to view all assignments for the currently selected PART.
Important Note: Parameter Destinations for the COMMON/Audio level of the PERFORMANCE are different from the available parameter Destinations for an individual synth PART. The INSERT EFFECT A and B that appear among the COMMON/Audio Destinations refer to the A/D INPUT (AUDIO IN) PART, while the INSERT A and B that appear among the synth PART parameter Destinations are those applied to this particular PART.
Catch up on the previous article in the series – “Mastering MONTAGE 2: Super Knob Common”here.
Next article: “Mastering MONTAGE 4: Super Knob Bipolar” is availablehere.
Join us as we continue our series with a look at the MONTAGESuper Knob Common and Performance architecture.
PERFORMANCE 1: Super Knob Common
Let’s begin our look at the Super Knob with a basic assignment on the uppermost level of the Performance architecture – one that could affect all Parts in common, no matter how many Parts were added under Keyboard Control.
We’ll use a single PART Performance here to keep things simple. But if additional PARTS were added to this Performance, they too would also be able to avail themselves of these COMMON level settings.
(Note: The Live Set used in these tutorials can be downloaded here.)
Example #1: “Super Knob Common”
New Terms and Concepts: The Super Knob automatically controls the eight Performance Common Assign Knobs 1-8. No special assignment needs to be made to have these upper level functions respond to the Super Knob. What they do exactly, as we will see, depends on the deep levels of programming:
The Super Knob sends minimum value (0) when fully counterclockwise (at 7 o’clock) thru to maximum (127) when fully clockwise (at 5 o’clock).
Polarity – Uni (Unipolar) describes a parameter that moves in just one direction, as in a minimum value moving toward a maximum value, or one that is going from a maximum toward a minimum. Minimum-to-Maximum is the polarity that is used in the first example.
Ratio Applying a positive ratio will increase the parameter value, while applying a negative one will decrease the parameter value. Ratio is a comparison between two items. In this case it represents the depth of application, and how it changes.
Curve Type is a parameter that provides deeper control over the application of modulation. In the first examples, we’ll limit ourselves to the “Standard” Curve Type — something that is very easy to hear and understand.
This is a very simple Super Knob programming example using just two Common Effect parameters. Like earlier Motif-series synths, the MONTAGE has “shared” Send/Return type Effects (called “System Effects”) and each PART has access to them. Shared Effects are considered among the COMMON parameter settings because they are available to all PARTS via an AUXILIARY-type Send/Return scenario as you would find on any professional mixing console.
There are two SYSTEM EFFECT processors. One is called “Reverb” and provides the overall acoustics of the virtual room for your instrument ensemble; and the other is called the “Variation,” which provides time delay and other effects types you might want to apply to several music parts. In this example, the Variation Effect is assigned to a Chorus type called “2 Modulator” (a dual chorus effect that was extremely popular back in the 1970s-80s). Any PART with the Variation (VAR SEND) amount turned up will be sent to this dual chorus effect and therefore the changes assigned here would be applied to all the Parts using the Variation Effect in common.
The Variation Effect parameters LFO Speed and PM Depth are assigned to Assignable Knobs 1 and 2, respectively. The assignments are done on the “Edit – Common/Audio” > Controller Assign screen. The very top line in the screen will always identify exactly where you are: “Edit – Common/Audio”. Let’s navigate there using the front panel buttons:
Go to the main HOME screen by touching the “Home” icon in the extreme upper left corner of the screen or pressing the dedicated [PERFORMANCE (HOME)] button
Whenever you are on the HOME screen, the PERFORMANCE NAME is highlighted – in this case, “Super Knob Common”
Press [EDIT]
Press the [COMMON] button (right side; the upper [COMMON] button). You’ll arrive at the “Edit – Common/Audio” edit screen
In the screen select “Control” (the left column in the screen)
In the second column select “Control Assign.” Make sure the AUTO SELECT option is active (green). This allows you to touch/turn/move a controller to immediately access its parameters in the screen
Move ASSIGN KNOB 1 to immediately view its assignment (Vari LfoSpd) “Variation Low Frequency Oscillator Speed”
Move ASSIGN KNOB 2 to view its assignment (Vari PmDpth) Variation Pitch Modulation Depth
The Polarity setting in each is Uni (Unipolar). You can see that one has a Curve showing increase (a positive value) while the other has a Curve applying a decrease (a negative value). This means that the leftmost position of the Super Knob corresponds to the parameter value settings of the Effect window, which are:
LFO Speed = 0.21Hz
PM Depth = 80
Note that the parameter value is not 0; rather, it starts at the value as set, and is offset by the Super Knob.
To view the Variation Effect, touch “EFFECT” in the left column and “VARIATION” in the second column. As you can see, when the Super Knob is at minimum (fully counterclockwise), the LFO Speed is 0.21Hz and the PM Depth is 80
Listen while moving the Super Knob to the right. This increases the LFO Speed (Ratio is +22; the positive value indicates how steep the change is) and decreases the PM Depth (Ratio -19; the negative value indicates how steep the decline is). The LFO Speed starts at 0.21Hz and will increase from there. While the PM Depth starts at a setting of 80, the -19 (negative value) setting ensures it will be decreased from there. The Ratio determines what happens (direction and depth of application) to that parameter as the Super Knob is moved from minimum (0) toward maximum (127).
Because the Common Assign Knobs are routed automatically to the Super Knob, only the two assignments for Knob 1 + 2 are needed here.
Experiment with different values for both the Ratio values and the initial LFO Speed/PM Depth values to gain an understanding of what you are changing and how they interact.
Param 1 (Parameter 1) – experiment with this and observe how it changes the incline of the application of the control. It alters the shape of the Curve! So turning the Super Knob does not have to be a straight line increase or decrease (not at all); in fact, you can customize this “curve type” by an astounding degree. More “Parameters” will be added according the Curve Type selection – more on that in a future article. For now, let’s just stick to the Standard Curve.
Experiments
Important Hint: If LFO Speed is initially set to 0.0Hz, you will hear no modulation when the Super Knob is set to 0. By having an initial setting of 0.21Hz, there is a slight movement to the sound right away. This, of course, is a programming preference. Often you want a certain amount of movement to start, and then have the controller adjust that amount. Controlling the range of application is a programmer’s choice.
Try this: Highlight and adjust the LFO Speed parameter directly to hear its adjustment to the speed of modulation from a minimum of 0.0Hz to a maximum of 39.7Hz. You can do so by highlighting the parameter directly in the Variation Effect screen (shown above) and use the Data Dial to change the actual setting value. The initial setting of 0.21Hz is approximately one cycle every 5 seconds — as you approach 20 times a second, you will notice that the speed of modulation/movement itself is creating a low frequency pitch of its own; it practically becomes a buzzer, and at the maximum of 39.7Hz, the LFO is an audible oscillator. In other words, the LFO crosses over from being a low frequency “rate” into being an audible pitch.
Next, try applying higher frequency LFO Speedsat different PM Depth settings. Notice that if PM Depth is 0, naturally, you hear no modulation, no matter what the speed.
Here’s a theoretical situation where this programming would be used: You want to increase the LFO Speed but not have it go into the bizarre (pitch) range that happens as you approach maximum speed. So you want to increase the Speed but decrease the Depth, simultaneously. (This is a job for either two hands, or the Super Knob!)
This is just one of many different scenarios for assigning items to the Super Knob: One gesture accomplishes multiple things.
Summary: Here we have learned that COMMON Assign Knobs 1-8 are automatically assigned to be controlled by the Super Knob. The significance of this will become more clear when we begin to program the PART 1-8 Assign Knobs 1-8, where you can assign a PART parameter to an Assignable Knob and then link the Part’s Knob to the Super Knob.
Depending on your front panel EDIT selection (COMMON or PART 1-8), the Assign Knobs 1-8 take on different roles. If you envision a full front panel, where every Knob is a separate entity, you would have eight Assign Knobs for the COMMON edit parameters, eight Assign Knobs for PART 1 edit parameters, another eight Assign Knobs for PART 2 edit parameters, another eight Assign Knobs for PART 3 edit parameters, and so on. That would be a total of 72 physical Assignable Knobs in a Keyboard Controlled Performance.
Now the reason for the Super Knob comes into focus. You would probably never need to assign this many controls to a single playable sound – it would be difficult for your ear/brain to take in what was happening. But if you think of the eight Parts of a Keyboard Controlled Performance program as one big modular synth that has 64 Oscillators, 64 Filters, 64 Filter EGs, 64 Amplifiers, 64 Amplitude EGs, etc., you begin to understand the scale and scope of the controller matrix on tap here with MONTAGE. The word “massive” is not hype.
Each PART can have 16 assignable Destination (parameters) for the various controllers: Assignable Switches 1/2, Ribbon, Mod Wheel, PB Wheel, Foot Controllers, Aftertouch, and more. You can choose to use the Assignable Knobs directly or linked to the Super Knob. You can assign functions to multiple controller or spread them out as you desire. As we go deeper into the Motion Control Synthesis Engine we will explore these possibilities and pick up some tips on how to navigate and view exactly what’s going on. We highly recommend you take your time and unfold this a layer at a time.
In the example above, we see that the Super Knob can control multiple parameters simultaneously to achieve a specific result — in this case, the Chorus LFO speed is increased, at the same time its Depth is reduced. By adjusting the CURVE you can fine tune this dual action with a single controller gesture.
Extra Credit: Using the Navigation Shortcuts
Shortcuts:
Call up the PERFORMANCE “Super Knob Common” and press the HOME icon
Press [SHIFT] + [INFO] (HOME) buttons to jump to the Motion Control OVERVIEW screen
Here you can view the Controller Wheels/Ribbon, Assignable Knobs/Buttons, Fader and Super Knob assignments. Touch each of those words directly in the screen to toggle its connections on and off. Shown are the “Assignable” Knobs (green) and the “Super Knob” (blue). Turned off in the viewer are the “Controller” and “Fader.” You can see how the two knobs and the Super Knob are linked to COMMON.
Tip: In the “Part” box the word “COMMON” appears. Change this using the [INC/YES] button or the DATA DIAL. You can select any of the numbered Parts 1-16 (Assignable Knob parameters are available for PART 1-8). Notice how changing the value from “COMMON” to “PART 1”, “PART 2”, etc., actually changes the lighted front panel buttons on your right front panel. Selecting Parts — even selecting “COMMON” — can be done in the screen or by pressing an available corresponding button. Begin to make sense out of the lighted buttons — they always tell a story about what’s going on in your screen!
Return the item to “COMMON” on the OVERVIEW screen.
The box next to the PART > COMMON is a direct shortcut to the Controller Setting screen of the currently selected Part (“EDIT COMMON CONTROL SETTINGS”):
Touch “Edit Common Control Settings” to go to the Common Edit Control screen
This shortcut from the Controller Assignment takes you directly to the controlled parameter
“Aha!”
Power Tip: Once you arrive on the Controller Settings screen, you can view the 16 assigned Source/Destination functions of any Part, or the “Common/Audio” level, four at a time, by highlighting the DISPLAY FILTER box and selecting “ALL” (as shown in the screenshot below).
Use the PAGE function to view up to 16 Destinations per programming level. MONTAGE will keep track of the number of assignments per Part and for the Common/Audio level of editing. The “+” sign in a Destination box allows you to ADD a new Source/Destination parameter assignment. The “DELETE” box in the lower right corner removes the selected Source /Destination assignment.
If [AUTO SELECT] is green, you can move a controller to see what is assigned to it or you can move the cursor to the DISPLAY FILTER box and use the Data Dial to view the available options:
This Display Filter allows you to view (not alter) assignments made to a specific controller; when you change the Display Filter you are changing what you are viewing. It is a Display *Filter* because it is allowing you to see just what is assigned to the various Control Source options:
Assign Knobs 1-8.
Motion Sequence Lanes 1-4.
Envelope Follower Parts 1-16, AD, and Master.
In this first programming example, we saw that the Super Knob is linked to COMMON and that COMMON is assigned to vary two Destination parameters. The Destination 1 box is assigned to control the Var LfoSpd. The box with a “+” sign will allow you to ADD a control routing (called a Destination). The “DELETE” box in the lower right corner will allow you to undo a Destination. There can be 16 Destinations (assignments) per PART.
Destination 2 in our example assigns Assignable Knob 2 to Var PmDpth. At this upper COMMON/Audio level of the architecture this includes the following PARAMETER DESTINATION:
INSERT B (when assigned to the A/D INPUT)
The significance here is that you can control, in real time, the Insertion Effects that are assigned to the A/D INPUT Part. Each MONTAGE PART (including the A/D Input) has its own dedicated dual Insertion Effect processor – which can be automated by the Motion Control Synthesis Engine. A Microphone can use a pair of Insert Effects (a Delay LCR and something else) and you can, for example, control the Dry/Wet Balance and number of repeats (Feedback level) by assigning control to one or more of the available COMMON Assignable Knobs:
INSERT A (when assigned to the A/D INPUT)
REVERB (System Effect)
A/D INPUT Parameters
The significance here is that, at the top COMMON level, all eight Parts can be influenced (or not), depending on how much signal you send into the shared System Effect processors. In other words, every PART has a SEND amount into the Reverb and Variation processors, and you can determine how much per Part. Effect parameters for the chosen Effect TYPE will be available as assignable Destinations. We saw this in the first example, where we were controlling parameters within the 2 Modulator Chorus TYPE:
A/D INPUT Parameters
Here you can control the VOLUME, as well as the SEND amounts to the Reverb and Variation SYSTEM EFFECTS for the A/D INPUT Part. This gives you full automation of audio signal coming into MONTAGE — which could be anything you place in front of a microphone, or another keyboard, or other playback source:
MASTER EFFECT
The significance here is that you can automate control over the Master Effects – making it a PART of the Motion Control situation:
PART 1 – AS1 through AS8
PART 2 – AS1 through AS8
PART 3 – AS1 through AS8
PART 4 – AS1 through AS8
PART 5 – AS1 through AS8
PART 6 – AS1 through AS8
PART 7 – AS1 through AS8
PART 8 – AS1 through AS8
It is very important to understand these assignments. They allow the Super Knob to control specific items within each separate PART. As we stated at the beginning of this tutorial, the Super Knob automatically controls the eight COMMON Assignable Knobs 1-8 and it works directly on those upper level/shared parameters. Notice that listed here is each of the eight Keyboard Controlled PARTS, as well as each of their eight Knobs. This means that, with an assignment selection here, you are linking the individual PART’s control of a Destination parameter to the movement of the Super Knob.
In our next lesson, we will see how this intermediate step opens the door to a wide, wide world of synth patching. We will drop down a level to the individual Part and the parameters that only affect a single Part within a Performance. We will assign PART 1’s Assignable Knob 1 so that it follows the movement of Super Knob and yet controls a parameter exclusively (locally) within just one Part, PART 1. The selection of potential Destinations will change and will include parameters specific to this particular PART as an individual component within the PERFORMANCE.
Catch up on the previous article in the series: “Mastering MONTAGE 1: The Super Knob” here.
Next Article: “Mastering MONTAGE 3: Super Knob Unipolar” is available here.
Inquiring minds want to know: What’s so super about the MONTAGESuper Knob? This series of articles will begin to unfold just what we mean by “Super.” The Super Knob is just the first step — the gateway, if you will, into the deeper world of Motion Control Synthesis.
The first thing to explain is the reason why it exists in the first place. A basic playable program in MONTAGE can consist of up to eight Parts (each Part is equivalent to what a Voice was in the Motif-series). We’ll begin our exploration with the AWM2 engine since it may be most familiar. (Later we’ll dig into the FM-X Engine.)
An AWM2 MONTAGE “PART” can be made up of eight Elements (that is, eight Oscillators), each with its own complex controller routings. Instead of just the six Control Set Destinations offered by the Motif-series, each MONTAGE PART can have 16 Control Set Destinations. Each PART can be a very complex instrument(s) sound by itself (Single) or it can be an individual component used in building a very detailed instrument sound (Multi) – or several individual instruments can be used to construct a musical MONTAGE experience. When this “PART” is combined with seven other PARTS under what is referred to as “Keyboard Control” — well, you begin to understand that the matrix for controller routing in the MONTAGE is massive. Here is just one knob — the Super Knob — that can be put in control of multiple tasks (or not) as you deem fit.
Music In Motion/Music Is Motion
Sounds, in general, fall into two categories: noise and music. In music there is order and a consistency in vibration. It is the relationships between these vibrations that make music enjoyable. In the Motion Control Synthesis Engine you will discover that it is the interaction of these vibrations and control over them that is a key to making music with MONTAGE. Musical tones (notes) are vibrations of a specific number of cycles per second (also called “Hertz,” or Hz for short). We consider something a musical tone if it repeats at a consistent number of cycles per second. Our hearing range is between approximately 20Hz and 20,000Hz. Vibrations below 20 cycles per second are perceived as throbs or pulses. Music is all about vibrations, from rhythmic beats to consistent (rhythmic) tones. In other words, it’s all about motion.
The Super Knob can be moving and/or changing multiple things simultaneously. In this lesson, we’ll start nice and easy; in future lessons, we’ll get deeper and deeper. In the process, you’ll begin to understand just how “super” this knob is in bringing together a wide variety of changing parameters.
The Knob can be controlled directly by simply moving it by hand or it can be controlled from an optional FC7 pedal: Simply connect it to the Foot Controller 2 jack on the MONTAGE back panel. This allows both hands to remain on the keyboard while you put the Super Knob in motion with your foot. This can be assigned on a per PERFORMANCE basis.
The movement can also be fully automated and tempo controlled. And while a full Performance can be made up of 16 Parts, eight of those Parts can be placed under real time “KBD CONTROL.” This means you can be interacting with eight Parts simultaneously.
To get started, let’s take a look at how the Super Knob works from the top down, if you will. (The Live Set that is used in the Mastering MONTAGE series can be downloaded by clicking here.)
We’ll start with an “Init Normal AWM2” Performance:
Press [CATEGORY SEARCH] and select “Init”
Choose “Init Normal (AWM2)”
From the main screen of a Performance (HOME), touch the Home icon in the upper left corner of the screen – this will automatically take you to the main screen of the current Performance, and it will highlight the Performance Name. From here we can begin our tour of the MOTION CONTROL SYNTHESIS ENGINE:
Touch “MOTION CONTROL” — the second item in the first column of the screen
Touch “SUPER KNOB” — the fifth item in the second column of the screen:
If you turn the Super Knob you will notice that all eight Assignable Knobs move in concert under the control of the one Super Knob. No special assignment needs to be made to have this control at this programming level. Because we are at the upper Common level of the architecture, each of the eight Assignable Knobs are automatically linked to the Super Knob. Currently, they are not assigned to do anything – again, this is for you to decide on a per program basis. These Assignments can be made to a specific set of parameters that are common to all the PARTS associated with this PERFORMANCE (including the A/D Input Part). These COMMON parameters are referred to in the architecture as the “Common/Audio” parameters.
The Super Knob can be assigned at the overall top level to parameters that could affect all controlled PARTS (in common) or are available to all PARTS (in common), including parameters for the Analog-to-Digital Audio Input Part. (The A/D Input is included along with the overall Common parameters because it can be a control Source assigned to influence any of the synth Parts.)
The Super Knob can also be simultaneously assigned to control specific parameters within a PART by linking the PART’s ASSIGNABLE KNOBS to the Super Knob found on a deeper level. (More on that as we go along.)
At first glance, the MONTAGE appears to have just eight Assignable Knobs and the Super Knob. In the actual programming, every Performance has a set of eight Assignable Knobs on this upper “Common/Audio” level of the architecture, and each of the eight possible synthesizer Parts under “Keyboard Control” has a set of eight Assignable Knobs of its own, at the PART level of programming! Any or all of the individual synth Part’s eight Assignable Knobs can be linked, so that they, too, follow movement of the Super Knob (or not). This is entirely programmable, and all can be influenced by the Super Knob, if you wish. These multi-dimensional changes and interactions are at the heart of the Motion Control Synthesis Engine.
The LED PATTERN Type setting (lower right in the screenshot above) allows you to choose different behaviors and color schemes for the Super Knob (including OFF, for those with no sense of adventure/style and who are certain they don’t want a colorful flashing knob). You will find that it is not only colorful but a highly useful multi-dimensional control. The SUPER KNOB value setting in the lower right corner indicates the currently stored value for the Super Knob (its current location). In the screenshot, notice that all eight Assignable Knobs and the Super Knob are set to the middle value: 64.
Knobs, Knobs, Knobs
We should mention that in addition to the Assignable Knob functions, the eight Knobs can be used to QUICK EDIT the currently selected PART (or all Parts together). This is similar to how the Motif XF had three rows of eight parameters, each of which could be applied to the currently selected PART or all PARTS together (Common). You may notice also that the selection here is a bit different:
The cursor highlight (above) is showing the selected PART item – which can be “COMMON” (all Parts together) or any of the 16 potential Synth Parts within the PERFORMANCE. This is called “QUICK EDIT” because they allow you to apply offsets to the stored value within the program. The CUTOFF knob in the TONE row, for example, offsets the eight potential Filter Cutoff Frequency settings within the currently selected PART.
When editing a single PART, remember, there are eight Elements, each with its own Filter and Filter Cutoff Frequency setting. If you simply want to make the sound brighter, adjusting this CUTOFF knob in a positive direction (clockwise), is like applying an offset increase to eight separate Filters. To select the first Knob to offset PART 1’s Cutoff Frequency you would select PART [1] and make sure the front panel [TONE] button is illuminated. These QUICK EDIT functions allow for overall changes to be made quickly … and, as we will see, you can dive deeper and select a specific Element, a specific Filter and assign one of the Assignable Knobs to it (separate from all others).
If COMMON is selected, that one QUICK EDIT knob could, in theory, be adjusting the Filter of all the PARTs together – similar to the Motif/MOXF-series Quick Access Knobs. In the Motif XF, for example, you also have 24 Knob parameters for the selected Part, two of them being assignable (AS1/AS2). Here you have 24 Knob parameters; however, since you have eight Knobs that are assignable per Part, you do not see them listed here — they have a separate view. Each Part, when individually selected, has 24 Quick Access knob parameters plus its own eight fully Assignable Knobs. And yes, each of the fully Assignable Part Knobs can be set to control multiple destination parameters, simultaneously, each with their own range and direction!
SUPER KNOB always available
The SUPER KNOB does not have to be selected, nor does any special condition need to exist, for it to control its assigned parameters. Even if you are using the Knobs to control a specific Part directly (via QUICK EDIT, as in Part 1’s CUTOFF), the Super Knob can still be used to function as assigned to the PARTs it’s assigned to control. The [ASSIGN] button that is just to the left of the Super Knob simply alerts you to what the red step-ladder indicators that encircle each Knob are indicating at the moment. It does not affect whether or not the Super Knob is functioning — it functions whether this is lit or not.
As we go along, you will see how useful the Super Knob can be when performing on MONTAGE. We will be introducing you to concepts that are bound to be new, but we will attempt to unfold them a step at a time so that you can follow along. It is highly recommended that you explore the basic programs provided (as a download) with this series of articles rather than diving into the Factory Performances (which include many, many advanced routing scenarios that may or may not be easily decipherable at first glance). The basic examples provided here have no extra frills to disturb the learning process – seeing and hearing the results will be the best way to learn what is going on. Theory is one thing; experiencing it is entirely a different thing.
You will notice that all eight of the Knob icons and lighted step-ladder LEDs around the Assignable Knobs move together, initially. You’ll be able to adjust the movement, the range and the direction and apply that to the selected (assigned) parameters, as you require. And in a similar fashion to the way sound is created with a huge modular synthesizer, you will be making assignments (routing connections) that cause different components within the synth engine to interact.
As you can see, the default for the Super Knob is for it to change values from a Minimum (0) at 7 o’clock (green) to a Maximum (127) at 5 o’clock (blue). The green color for VALUE 1 indicates Minimum, and the blue color for VALUE 2 indicates Maximum. You can easily reverse the direction by making VALUE 1 = 127 and VALUE 2 = 0:
Now, when you move the Super Knob, Assign Knob 1 will move in the opposite direction from the other seven knobs, effectively reversing the direction of application of the controller. As we go along we will see that this can be useful for fading something out while another knob might be fading something in, etc. Also, by adjusting the VALUES for green (1) and blue (2) you can limit the range of application to just a specific region. Later we will see how this can be used to fine tune the application of your controller function. This will be done by ear, based on the musical results that are useful for your program.
In the next article in this series we will tackle Super Knob Common assignments, i.e., controlling parameters within a SYSTEM EFFECTS. The SYSTEM EFFECTS are “shared” by all PARTs in that they are available via an Auxiliary Send per channel. Control over them is therefore indeed a COMMON assignment. If, for example, you want to control one of the two INSERT EFFECTS assigned to a specific SYNTH PART, that would be handled on the PART (Assignable Knob) level of programming — because each Synth Part has its own set of eight Assignable Knobs! In the articles that follow, we’ll dive deeper to the individual Part parameter assignments, where we are specifically controlling one Part separately from the others.
Background on Controllers and the Parameters they Control
When thinking about assigning parameter destinations to control from physical controllers, the musician must think about the physical gesture used to apply the controller and the direction of response. In other words, a Mod Wheel moves from a nominal minimum position (fully down) smoothly to a maximum position (fully up). You can quickly understand this best matches parameters that have values that move in that direction — 0 through 127, for example. Attempting to assign control for panning to the MW would not seem to be optimum because you would always be guessing about where center is exactly. Some parameters are minimum to maximum, like volume, send levels, etc. — while some move above and below a center (pitch bend, pan position, etc.) and sometimes you just want to limit the amount of change. Assigning Volume to the Mod Wheel is a controller parameter match, as both move from a minimum value toward a maximum. But for every rule there are going to be exceptions – so throw away the rule book! Say you want use the MW to pan one sound from the left position in a mix to the right position, while simultaneously panning another sound from right to left! In this case they will pass each other somewhere in the middle.
The way the eight individual Assignable Knobs interact with the Super Knob and the application of change is what we will be digging into here. And this is where you will discover why it is indeed “super.” Although the gesture will be simply moving the Super Knob from minimum to maximum, you can define the result that this has on the tone engine to a degree that boggles the mind. Simply sweeping the Super Knob from minimum to maximum can have two sounds criss-crossing in the stereo panorama, passing each other several times with just the single gesture!
Here’s another important point: The application of any physical controller is always a matter of personal preference. It’s how far you like to move the Mod Wheel to get the amount of vibrato you like. It’s how far you move the PB wheel to get the amount of change you desire. It’s how hard you want to strike a key to get the response you desire. So is setting the range and direction of movement within the Motion engine. It’s all of these things and they are as individual as you are.
As you go through the exercises in these articles, please follow through with experimenting when instructed. Hearing the influence a parameter has on the result is what learning is about here. Remember, programming is really making decisions that are personal preferences.
The Live Set used in the Mastering MONTAGE series can be downloaded by clicking here. (Note: Before downloading, be sure to make a backup USER file (.X7U) so you will have a document of your own user data. Loading the data will overwrite any data you have in User memory.) This Live Set presents 16 basic AWM2 (based) Performances, as shown below:
In this series of articles, we’ll be using these to illustrate the fundamentals of navigating and looking at these Controller assignments. Please follow along with the given examples, as they are designed to take you through discovering the different layers of the architecture. Each example is designed to start your exploration, and this tutorial assumes you are following along, hearing exactly what is being affected by the assignments being discussed. These example Performances were originally assembled by Peter Krischker (Easy Sounds, Europe) for the Yamaha programming team — we have simply edited and expanded on these basic setups and use them as programming launching points to explain and explore the architecture.
Next article: “Mastering MONTAGE 2: Super Knob Common” is available here.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out our kick-off article for this series, “Getting Started With MONTAGE,” click here.
Just got your new MONTAGE? New to synthesizers? Or you’re an old hand at synthesizers, even owned a MOTIF? Here are some quick suggestions on what to do first.
Start by assembling the following four booklets as PDFs:
MONTAGE Owner’s Manual.
MONTAGE Reference Manual.
MONTAGE Data List.
MONTAGE Synthesizer Parameter Manual.
Although you are given a paper copy of the Owner’s Manual you should download a PDF of it so that you have the search capabilities afforded by reading it on a computer, tablet or notebook device. PDFs will allow you to quickly and easily find information when necessary. Reading a manual, while recommended at some point, should never be handled like reading a novel. It’s much more like reading a reference book, where you are looking things up. It should be used to connect the dots as you gather information while you are experiencing the instrument.
So set them aside for now, and just play the instrument. Here are some tips to get you started:
You’ll find various types of Performances in the Factory Set Preset Banks. It may not always be immediately obvious how to play or interact with them, since they can be quite complicated. Many include advanced programming tricks that may not be immediately decipherable. Take advantage of the AUDITION button: If you have no idea what to play, or how to approach a particular Performance, press AUDITION and closely observe the front panel. The Super Knob, Assign Switch buttons, SCENE buttons etc., will animate in response to the audition data. You can see how different timbres and combinations of instruments settings are accessed. Then try approaching the Performance again with what you’ve learned. The Audition function can be extremely helpful in situations where you simply have no clue what the programmer was thinking. Perhaps it is an instrument emulation that has several programmed articulations that are essential to make it work and sound properly.
Even some single instrument sounds will come to new light in response to the Audition button — what you may think is not such a great sound may be transformed when played with a different approach, a different attack. It can change your mind entirely. For example, if you call up a “Gallery” Performance (typically these will have a variety of approaches to a single instrument, like the Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano galleries), each individual Part may be from a different era, or a completely different model of that instrument. The Galleries use the SCENE function (“snapshots”) to give you a different featured electric piano creation. It would be wrong to conclude anything about them until you place them in a musical context. For example, the Rhodes with the soft felt hammers, the one with stiffer neoprene rubber hammers, then the one with rubber hammers with improved preamp, or the Dyno Rhodes – all will behave and sound completely different and will have uses for different musical situations. Use the Audition button to momentarily “step away” from the task of trying to both play and listen simultaneously — and just listen. Often you will have the surprising experience that your opinion of the sound changes dramatically when you just listen. It’s some kind of psycho-acoustic thing. Respect it. For example, you might have been approaching a sound by playing soft chords, while the programmer’s intent only becomes clear when you play medium hard to hard aggressive key strikes to get the sound to “bark.” Approach is important!
If at any point during the Audition phase you find a setting to your liking, stop the Audition (by pressing the AUDITION button again) and play the sound yourself. The audition data is actually MIDI data, interacting with the sounds in real-time — and each has a wide range of timbres, tones, effect settings that can be evoked by moving the controls. Note that once an Audition is activated it will continue to repeat (loop); you can stop it, or just move to another sound, at any time.
Navigating the Preset “Live Sets”
Live Sets are used to assemble groups of sounds into a set of 16, designed for quick access. The Preset Live Sets are simply examples of how you can group sounds into custom arrangements. This can make touring the MONTAGE for the first time more organized then stepping through Performances from 1 through 1,920. (The Live Set that is used in the Mastering MONTAGE series can be downloaded by clicking here.)
Note the relationship between the 16 boxes in the screen and the right front panel lighted buttons, as shown below:
There are four rows of eight buttons; however, the left half – four rows of four columns – are illuminated buttons, dividing the entire grid of lighted buttons into two halves, left and right. One of the left half is glowing brightly. This represents the currently selected Performance in this Live Set. You can either touch the box in the screen or you can touch the dedicated button associated with that program. We’ll say this now and repeat it often later: Anything you can reach with the touchscreen can also be accessed via front panel buttons. It’s your choice.
There is only one light illuminated on the right half of the 4×8 grid. The right side represents the Preset Live Sets. From the factory, 12 of the 16 Preset Live Sets are occupied. Use the upper set of two buttons marked “UP/DOWN Bank” to move between Preset, User, and, later, your installed Library Bank Live Sets. Use the lower set of two buttons marked “UP/DOWN Page” to move between Live Sets within the current Bank. As mentioned, there are 16 Preset Pages of Live sets, and 16 User Pages of Live Sets.
At this point, you should take a moment to read the QUICK GUIDE section on “Live Sets” in the Owner’s Manual on pages 18 and 19. Creating your own User Live Set will allow you to put together Performances you find immediately engaging, enabling you to create sets containing your favorites. Don’t worry about overwriting anything — MONTAGE has plenty of storage. Read through “Creating Your Own Live Set” on page 30 of the QUICK GUIDE.
Category Search
When you want to audition a specific Category of instrument, you’ll need to exit the Live Set and view the main Performance screen. There are several ways to do so and arrive at the main Performance screen:
Press the [PERFORMANCE (Home)] button; OR
Press the [EXIT] button; OR
Touch the “Home” icon in the extreme upper left corner of the screen:
Any of these operations will place you on the main Performance screen with the Performance name highlighted.
Performances are first divided into two main kinds: Single and Multi. This refers to the number of Parts under Keyboard Control (Kbd Ctrl) contained in the Performance, which can be as few as one (Single) and as many as eight (Multi). In the screenshot above (“CFX + FM EP”), you can see that this Performance uses five PARTS: Four to make up the CFX Acoustic Piano, and one to recreate the FM Electric Piano. The green (active) icon on the “Kbd Ctrl” row indicates that they will respond to the “local” MONTAGE keyboard. Here, the PERFORMANCE Name is highlighted; when this is the condition, pressing the [CATEGORY SEARCH] button will take you to the program listings:
When searching for Performances, you can view the listing in the “Default” order (as they are listed in the Data List Booklet), in alphabetical order by “Name,” or by when (“Date”) you added it to your MONTAGE.
Those listed in green font are Single Part, while those in blue font are Multi Part Performances. We’ll deal with the significance of this in a future posting, as it really only impacts things when combining (merging) Performances or recording in the MONTAGE. Listings of Performances in Category Search can be further defined by Preset (factory), User (your own custom/customized), from an installed Library, or by the technology used (AWM2, FM-X, AWM2+FM-X). Along the top of the Performance Category Search screen you can see the defining search options for BANK and ATTRIBUTES.
Searching is context sensitive. This means that when you have selected a PERFORMANCE (highlighting the PERFORMANCE Name) and then hit [CATEGORY SEARCH] you will be searching for whole PERFORMANCEs (as opposed to single PARTs). When you touch or move the highlight to the PART Name and hit the Search function, naturally, the listings will for available Parts. And when you have highlighted Arpeggios or Waveforms and you hit [CATEGORY SEARCH], the search will be for Arpeggios or Waveforms, respectively. One of the first skills as a new user is to know what parameter is highlighted. Unsure about what that parameter is? This is where your reference books come in handy.
Performance Merge
Take the time at this point to go through the QUICK GUIDE section of the Owner’s Manual (page 36) while seated in front of the instrument. This explains the basics of selecting a Single sound for a Part and adding a second sound layering them; then it covers adding (merging) a multi Part and a Note Limit region, thus creating a split. These fundamental skills will serve you well. It can get a whole lot more complex than this as you wade out into deeper waters!
Do’s and Don’ts
Do: Remove and discard the protective plastic film that covers the screen when initially unboxing the instrument. Leaving it on can interfere with touchscreen operation.
Do: Explore categories of interest to you.
Do: Experiment with different approaches toward playing a sound, particularly if your first attempt yields less than satisfying results.
Do: Press the [AUDITION] button to gain a bit of perspective on what the programmer had in mind.
Do: Plug in your (optional) Yamaha FC7 pedal into the Foot Controller 2 jack to control the Super Knob with your foot. This will give you hands-free Motion Control.
Don’t: Approach every sound with a preconceived idea or lick you want to play.
When first encountering an instrument, be flexible. Let the sound lead. Discover where it takes you. Later, when you are looking for a specific sound for a specific lick, you may want to adjust your search attributes to narrow the number of selections. The worst way to try out an instrument is to play the same thing on each and every sound. Your initial search should be “open” and more general (like shopping for clothes or shoes). Later, you can get specific about what actually fits.
Remember: there are no good and bad sounds. One person’s opinion can be vastly different from yours. Allow for this. Sounds are generally either appropriate or inappropriate for a particular musical situation. A Honky-Tonk piano sound is neither good or bad by its overall nature. It is exactly right in certain situations, and exactly wrong in others. Always remember that — especially if you’re someone who thinks there is one “BEST” piano sound.
Snorkeling, Scuba Diving and the Art of Sound Design
First, a word on Multi Part Performances. These come in two general unofficial categories: those that are traditional Splits or Layered sounds and those that are like mini-compositions which you set in motion with a single note or a chord. Approaching the Split/Layer type is usually very intuitive because you are creating the music by playing the keyboard in a traditional fashion, but with these mini-compositions you are the trigger that puts all this bottled potential energy into Motion. For some people this is heaven. For others, they have no idea how to interact with these inventions.
You can stay near the surface and enjoy MONTAGE from the snorkeler’s view, or you can dive deep and get out your scuba gear. (This swimming analogy is so apropos!) So whether you only want to wade out a little bit or you’re ready to dive for the Mariana Trench, you’re covered.
Let’s use the appropriately named “DJ MONTAGE” as an example. You might feel that the composition is already done, and much like a DJ, you are simply putting the turntable in motion. What’s left for you to do? If you are asking that question, move on and come back to this later. But be aware that what you are hearing is a programmer combining the Motion Control Synth Engine’s various tools (arps, motion sequences, automated controllers, etc.) into a musical montage. It’s sound designing. It’s very much like working with a room full of analog modules and patch cables, where you are putting in motion a musical patchwork of connections. Here you can potentially have 64 Oscillators (or more), 64 Filters, 64 Amplitude Envelope Generators, tons of LFOs, Effects, even external sources all patched together to create a musical result.
I learned synthesis on a room full of ARP 2500 modules back in the early 1970s – a time when creating music was about patching Oscillator to Filter, Filter to Amplifier, and while the “preset” had not been invented at that point in synthesizer history (seriously, it was still years away), anyone sitting down to interact with a student’s patched creation would have an entirely unique experience based on how they chose to put the creation in motion. The patched creation was simply “potential energy” – the person interacting with it provided the “push” to turn it into “kinetic energy.” Sometimes that was by triggering a key or activating a switch. These MONTAGE Multi Part, multi-instrument creations are musical and rhythmic environments/atmospheres that represent the “patching” of the various components by one of the Yamaha voicing programmers. You can choose to interact with it, edit it, learn from it, change it, or even ignore it. You put all this potential energy into motion by triggering a key, turning a knob, or flipping a switch. Every time you interact with it you may have an entirely different experience.
“Patching” in the MONTAGE is about assigning and mapping controllers to do your bidding:
But understand that your own personal creations can go in any musical direction you desire – in any kind of musical genre or one that doesn’t yet exist. There has never been a synth quite like MONTAGE.
Imagine the very first synthesizers. Electronic music back then carried a stigma. And it was not until early attempts to use them to create “classical” music that some folks start paying any attention. Soon synths were everywhere, including in rock’n’roll. The acoustic piano was limited by similar thinking for many, many years – it was thought to be only capable of chamber music. Imagine folks from 1700 hearing stride piano, or jazz, or rock’n’roll! Every time I hear someone say, “yeah, it’s only good for this one type of music” I have to remind myself that not everyone hears the same when it comes to music and sound. Just because the organ started as an instrument exclusively for religious music doesn’t mean that’s all you can do with it. James Oscar Smith (better known to his friends as Jimmy) decided to change the role of the organ forever — building on the door kicked open by Fats Waller. And in doing so, Jimmy reinvented the role of the mighty B3 forever!
The MONTAGE is music in motion. Please bookmark the official Yamaha Download site and check in often for product firmware updates. You can expect updated features, bug fixes, and improvements on an ongoing basis.
You can check your firmware version in [UTILITY] > Settings > System.
If you are ready for the first lesson in the series: “Mastering MONTAGE 1: The Super Knob” — check it out here.
