The Montage is not an arranger. If Tyros is the definition of Arranger, Montage is a Music Synthesizer. We build both and know (intimately) what each does; the Montage is not like a traditional arranger, at all, there are no Fill-in buttons, no chord readout, no dedicated backing band, no Styles to choose from...

If you want a cutting edge synthesizer, next level, get Montage
Want the world's best arranger? get a Tyros 5

Yes the arpeggios can be used to construct accompaniments. Now, don't misunderstand me... The Tyros, and you have a Tyros 3 so you know that is an Arranger, it's entire focus is on being an Arranger, every feature lends itself to doing that thing which is to be an Arranger Workstation.

Sure with Montage, you could find a Bossa nova bass, and match it with a Bossa nova drum groove, and a Bossa nova guitar, (they're all in their) and then after assembling all the Parts and arpeggios, you'll wonder why that took so much effort, all you have to do in Tyros is dial up "Bossa Nova" as a pre-assembled STYLE, and everything you need is already dialed in.

Buy a Montage cause you want to play the best sounding synth ever made! (IMHO)
NOT as a traditional arranger.

Hello Bad Mister (read Good Mister!) - thank you! I suspected that to be the case, and is in fact one reason I haven't gone for the Tyros 5. Styles etc: are fine - but they're never quite what I would like to suit the music I like to play ... eg: 'Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner' or 'Oxygene' need different treatment to yer average everyday toon. But I can program my own, or tailor an existing one - fills and inserts aren't a problem. I much prefer very simple backing tracks. Without a dedicated 'Style' mode I guess I can't keep any I make myself in a separate Bank? That is, I would have to re-program the backing track every time I wanted to play that song? OK, I can record and store the entire song and play it back at any time, but not bits of it? It's just that when I play something back, I often think 'That's rubbish' and need to do it again. But my main interest is not in the songs, but in the sounds they're made with - which is why I'm going Montage and not Tyros (which I concur is the most fabulous Arranger available!). As a thought, I could keep my T3 and midi-up with the Montage? Best of all worlds?

Hi Rod
I have a Tyros 5 and am awaiting delivery of the Montage 6.
There are a host of song specific styles on the internet for all the models of Tyros. 'Loneliness of the long distance runner' being one of them. The style creator function on the Tyros is quite easy to use if you need to either make a specific style from scratch or modify an existing style for a particular song.
Although I will be using the Montage as a synthesiser I will also be linking it to the Tyros via midi and routing R1 output to the Montage for the voices (I hope) and I'm wondering if the super knob, operated by an FC7, will alter that voice whilst playing - it would certainly give a different combination if it did.
Cheers
Peter

Hello Peter - I'm unsure just how to midi-up the Montage with the T3 - currently I'm thinking to use the Montage as the driver and see just how much of the T3 can be driven! It may or may not be a workable combo anyway, certainly complex, and may need a mixer. I half expect the Montage to do all I want by itself. I've played with the 'Style Creator' and it isn't hard to use, just fiddly, although I need not use all 8 tracks of course. Looked at commercially available tracks too - one I find hard is '1492' trying to get the drums and strings in balance - and 'Fanfare for the Common Man' a la Palmer of ELP poses a lot of probs. So I have high hopes of the Montage ...

Cheers indeed ...

Rod

Hi Rod
I've midi'd up my Tyros 5 to my Motif XS quite easily so I'm not anticipating a problem doing it with the Montage - I haven't , however, used the Motif as a master keyboard with the Tyros as the slave.
My Montage is due delivery next week so will try it when I can
Cheers
Peter

Hello Peter - envy! envy! ... I've been trying to order a Montage 7 since Monday of last week (a holiday, of course) and have so far been told twice that (Thomann) don't do part-exchange. Well, OK, but I'd still like to order one please (last Thursday). Still got nowhere, so have no idea when I might get one! Or even if! I used to drive a MOX6 from a Korg M3-73, which worked sort-of OK, but I think it was a bit of a mis-match. Hoping for better this time! What speakers do you use? I have a pair of Alesis M1s, and sometimes wonder if they're doing it right ...

Rod

Hey! That's neat - I actually succeeded in putting a picture on! My other passion is 'Echo' (a 1984 Roller) so she just got elected. One day maybe it'll be my Montage - that'd be nice!

Rod

Hi Rod, I ordered mine in February from AC Hamilton in Preston - no P/Ex....I'm keeping my Motif XS as I need Pattern and Song functions still.
I route the output of the Motif to the audio in of the Tyros and use the MS05 speaker system but when the Motif is used on its own then I route it (and any of my other synths/modules) through a Behringer 1622FX mixer to Behringer Truth 2031A active speakers.
The photo of my set-up includes my old T2 - now upgraded to T5