Hi, yes you can buy a lot of sound library with 3000$ for the Motif XF but you could not store them togethers in the Motif XF.
The Montage have 8 library of 640 performance to store your data(buy or done by yourself).

I use also on the XF the mixing to have more than 4 parts togethers but you have a maximum of 256 mixing voices, all edition you made in a Montage performance is store in the performance, there is no limitation of "performance" voice if i can call them like this.
You can use 8 part with arpeggio togethers, 8 part with motion seq, change from a performance to another without "sound cutting" for 1 to 8 part performances to another.

Of course you have the FM-X that you cannot have in the Motif XF, motion seq cannot be done on the XF and don't focus on the super knob as only /just a knob, check the bad mister detailled answer about what it can done, it's really more more deeper than what you can done with the XF, the 32 usb audio channel (bus) to record audio in very good quality to your daw (i have the FW card, it cannot done it, bus max are 16).

If you do not use regulary the internal XF sequencer to record and edit your song/pattern and sampling on the XF, check the montage in store when it will be available with your heardphone ( a good one) to compare the sound you have in mind from your XF and choose if it bring enought for you to change 😉

If you are using regulary the internal XF sequencer to record and edit your song/pattern and sampling on the XF, waiting the release, think about how to change your workflow by editing sequence on a daw, use one software like waveform editor to create your waveforms (you can test it in demo version), try, test and see if you find (or not) more or less or equal easy to work like this and if you can (or not) go to montage.

To be honest, this new instrument form Yamaha let me a little disappointed. The blanket is always short. If Montage offers a new approach as a performing instrument, intended as an instrument to play in realtime, at a higher level than Motif XXF, on the other hand it lacks internal sequencer and sampler. Again it offers an analog circuitry to process audio output, but it lacks other syntesis engines a lot of people were waiting for.

If I were to by a Montage I'd surely not trade my XF7, for several reasons, first of all its sampler and internal sequencer that are real lifesavers for creative musicians.
I hardly understand why Yamaha didn't create a new workstation that overshadowed both Motif XF and other competitors.

And, last but not least, the Montage price tag is quite out of range if compared with the old but always well known Korg Kronos 2015.

Hey Michael,

Michael Trigoboff wrote:

Eight-part (or is it 16-part?) performances are attractive, but a long time ago Bad Mister showed me how to set up a Song/Master combo on my XF that’s reasonably equivalent to a 16-part performance. So that doesn’t seem to be a reason for me to buy a Montage either.

... beside the awesome sound quality and nearly endless possibilities with controller assignment to Super Knob, Motion Sequences and much more we have to think about new ways of working for new products.

I know the concept of building multi part performances in MOTIF Song or Pattern Mixings pretty well. 😉 To build up one of those and then step through the Track buttons as you follow the song or piece of music could be complex depending on the requirement from the title.

With a huge number of performances that can be stored in MONTAGE memory and the new Live Set you've been given a whole new perspective. Let's say you need a Piano for the first part of the song. Assign the performances that you like to use to the first slot of a Live Set Page. Then you go ahead using one slot for each part of the song ...

• Piano - Slot 1
• Piano & Pad (layer) - Slot 2
• Piano/Pad left, Brass Ensemble right from a split point - Slot 3
• Organ full range - Slot 4
• ... and so on

So you are able to divide the (maybe) complex Mixing into smaller parts which can be build up in minutes. Then you step forward through this set using a footswitch and without leaving the hand off the keys. With seamless switching (SSS) you don't have to worry about anything, just play your music and with the next pressed key after a Slot switch you're in the next part.

In my opinion live playing has never been easier as well preparing those setups.

When MONTAGE is available in stores go for a deeper look and check out the possibilities, hear the difference and I'm pretty sure you'll get this "must have" feeling. 😉

Best,

hp