Yamaha Montage 6 Synthesizer

Just when you think the boundaries of virtual instrumentation have been stretched as far they’ll go, gear like the Yamaha Montage 6 is introduced to reveal just how much more can be done. Aesthetically, this Montage has all the looks of previous Yamaha-developed synths and workstations: left-banked controllers, a centre-mounted display and right-banked management controls. For the 6th gen version, the Japan-based giants have upgraded the interface with a large, full-colour touch-screen coupled with an LED lit ‘Super Knob’ that functions as a kind of macro for fully flexible parameter control.

The Sheer Range of Samples of the Yamaha Montage 6
This synth is driven by an unabashed combination of two kinds of sound engines. The AWM2 engine ensures the optimal performance of all wave forms including pianos, brass, strings and drums and, when compared to the Motif XF, you have around ten times the wave memory, twice as many effects and double the polyphony. Combine this with the integrated flash capability, and you’re already injecting powerful and high sound quality into your audio productions.

Frequency Modulation
The second engine is referred to as the FM-X and this naturally (and excitingly) stands for FM synthesis. This form of synthesis was discovered by happy accident by John Chowning and bust some blocks for Yamaha back in the 80s when the DX7 was released. While FM is purely synthetic, since certain parameters respond uniquely to touch sensitivity and pitch, FM is both surprisingly and incredibly melodic and expressive. New Age, Ambient and EDM may never have even happened had it not been for the emergence of FM synthesis and, while it’s not exactly the simplest form for everyone, the inclusion of the FM-X engine in the guts of the Montage 6 might just take it to an unbeatable level.

Who Needs This?
This synth is so comprehensive and flexible, it will easily find a comfortable place in any genre, on any stage and in any studio. This is an all-out performance instrument; an all-in-one production beast for producers who find software a little lacking and, due to the pure creative power of the AWM2 and FM engines, an indispensable writing tool for pretty much anyone.