For all PARTs (each one-by-one), you could add an insertion effect including reverb.

Then, for your global effects (system effects) - you could have variation as the Octaver set to +12 feeding into reverb and use R3 plate (or similar) which itself has a feedback path (to itself).

Edit: here's a generic effects routing picture.

... anticipating closure of imgh.us:

(Backup File:)

Thanks much Jason!

This sounds very promising. I'm tempted to go to Guitar Center store this weekend to try this out, before I pull the trigger.

One note to add to my "what's different from Motif" list is that Montage doesn't have a parallel mode for the insertion effects. They must be in series according to everything I could see. Motif XF allowed for parallel effects which meant that each effect could source a dry signal and be added together rather than the result of one effect being force-fed into the other insertion effect. Having one or both effects as "Thru" gives you the same result as parallel since a series-Thru and a parallel-Thru are equivalent. However, if both insertion effects are not "Thru" - then there's not a way to achieve parallel insertion routing.

I'm not really flagging this as the end of the world - it's a pretty minor loss of routing control. Apparently, something had to give to get the routing matrix to "fit".

One note to add to my "what's different from Motif" list is that Montage doesn't have a parallel mode for the insertion effects. They must be in series according to everything I could see. Motif XF allowed for parallel effects which meant that each effect could source a dry signal and be added together rather than the result of one effect being force-fed into the other insertion effect. Having one or both effects as "Thru" gives you the same result as parallel since a series-Thru and a parallel-Thru are equivalent. However, if both insertion effects are not "Thru" - then there's not a way to achieve parallel insertion routing.

I'm not really flagging this as the end of the world - it's a pretty minor loss of routing control. Apparently, something had to give to get the routing matrix to "fit".

I’ll have to flag this one as a bit of fake news/wrong information or at least very incomplete information.

In MONTAGE, exactly like the Motif XF, the Insertion Effects can be setup for parallel, A>B or B>A routing. Shown below is a Normal AWM2 PART - Elements 1-4 are acoustic piano, and Elements 5-8 are strings... the routing is parallel.

Each of the AWM2 Elements can be routed to Insert A, or Insert B or Thru, as you desire.

In a Drum Kit PART (shown below), each Drum Key is routable to Insert A, or Insert B or Thru;

In both instances (Normal and Drum Kit), the two Insert Effects can be setup for parallel, A>B or B>A routing

However..... With FM-X:

In an FM-X engine Part (not available in the Motif XF), the Carriers can be routed to the Insert Effect Block, and it is here that the “parallel” option does not exist. The Insert Effect Routing is either A>B or B>A in series. The nature of sound construction of FM sounds sends the entire creation through the Effect blocks.

So since the Motif XF didn’t have an FM-X engine, there is nothing to flag as a “minor loss”, nothing, in this instance, to flag at all!
Hope that helps.

I may have been helping/dealing with FM-X at the time. That makes sense. Like I said - "as far as I can tell". I should have made sure I was in AWM2 mode before starting to draw conclusions about Motif vs. Montage insertion routing differences. Looking at Init Normal (AWM2) - of course I see parallel mode is used. Took a while to get that cleared up - but glad it did. Thanks for clarifying that -- as it did need it.

Not having parallel mode in FM is fine considering the DX7 and related synths didn't have effects at all. Even the FS1R, a previous example of FM with effects, does not have more than one Insertion effect -- so no parallel mode there either. The SY99 had parallel effects -- but it's a distant cousin (similar to FS1R) with lots of other features not in FM-X. Not to mention a shorter list of basic effects on the SY99 (although the "combo" effects - cascade and dual is an interesting twist in its own right).

I tried this and no it doesnt sound like a shimmer. The pitch change effect creates a stair stepping effect and is choppy. There needs to be 2 reverbs in the chain. Also the reverb needs to return back through the pitch signal over and over. The Montage can only send the variation fx through the reverb. I would say someone make a preset with a shimmer verb and share it and then we will see that the Montage can actually do it. No typie typie but program the patch and share it.

Heres some samples of what a shimmer verb effect is supposed to sound like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrxfNVYirCo

Heres some videos of other cool reverb types.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPsqZaIjhGE

Also here is a tutorial how shimmer is actually made using a true feedback loop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzpUbLS1zio

I tried this and no it doesnt sound like a shimmer. The pitch change effect creates a stair stepping effect and is choppy. There needs to be 2 reverbs in the chain. Also the reverb needs to return back through the pitch signal over and over. The Montage can only send the variation fx through the reverb. I would say someone make a preset with a shimmer verb and share it and then we will see that the Montage can actually do it. No typie typie but program the patch and share it.

Heres some samples of what a shimmer verb effect is supposed to sound like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrxfNVYirCo

Heres some videos of other cool reverb types.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPsqZaIjhGE

Also here is a tutorial how shimmer is actually made using a true feedback loop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzpUbLS1zio

Although the onboard FX are quite extensive, they don't include a Shimmer Verb, nor an "insert FX Loop" for any of the FX.

For Shimmer you probably want to consider buying an external FX Pedal (See below).

Also, I have not tried this, but if you are using Headphones (No Amp) you could possibly cable your KB output into the external FX Pedal then connect the pedal output to the A/D Input. In theory it should work, but you might hear some lag or doubled notes. Don't know unless you try.

Good Shimmer Pedals for low cost...

- Line6 Verbzilla... second hand only.
- Digitech Polara (Subtle, but at least not Gaudy)... second hand only.

If you are willing to spend more dollars you can go for a "Mega Verb" unit.

Examples:-
Source Audio Ventris
Neunaber Immerse or Seraphim
Boss RV500
Strymon BigSky

Shimmer, if done right, can sound glorious. If done wrong or on the cheap, it will sound ghastly and metallic. I recommend researching before you shell out.

Another thing you can try, since you have a Synth is layer more Elements (maybe Strings) an Octave or 2 Octaves Higher, put them on a Key Delay, and maybe AF1 or XA "Random".

Ironically, Shimmer was predominantly used by Guitarists to make it sound like there was a "Synth Pad" in the background... et voila... you have a Synth, so just cut out the middle man.

Digitech Polara (Halo = Shimmer. The Liveliness control acts like a Low Pass Filter Cutoff)

https://youtu.be/CdxJF9f6wJc

Line6 Verbzilla vs Boss RV6

https://youtu.be/z0m8MEZquB8

La Creme... Strymon BigSky

https://youtu.be/HrxfNVYirCo

https://youtu.be/wvH8Or_rkFY

https://youtu.be/KclJxqde8NQ

Thansk I realize that. I was making a point that there is always this claim that a shimmer verb efect can be done on the Montage. but there is no proof. So I say no it cannot

I don't know if this sounds close enough; however this is my first real try at creating a Shimmer effect on the Montage, and there's lots of room for improvement as I only played with it for about 20 minutes. I basically took the "FM Saw Pad" preset Performance, muted the second PART and removed all the effects from the first PART. So the first sound in the recording is a single FM-X PART on the Montage.
The second sound in the recording you hear is that same single PART with "SPX Hall" reverb & "Symphonic" Insert effects, along with "Space Simulator" for the global Reverb effect (no Variation effect was used).
The third sound in the recording you hear is the same as the second one, except I used "Pitch Change" as a Variation effect (no global Reverb/Space Simulator was used).
The fourth sound is basically the third sound with the "Pitch Change" Feedback Lvl's increased a bit...

https://soundcloud.com/dclowe/montage-shimmer

I'm sure if I put some time into it, I could come up with a decent Shimmer Reverb effect on the Montage... 😉

ok now we are getting somewhere Darryl. Still quite not the same but its more in the zone. 🙂