AN-X Explosion: All the AN-X Sounds on the new Montage M

[@BA-Rebel]

Thanks for doing this video, sounds good. I own a SY99 from 1991 still going strong. I wished the montage was able to combine the various synth engines within the elements of a voice rather than taking up one of the 16 individual slots to combine the engines. The SY-99 has RCM synthesis, which includes combination of FM and AWM.

[@romanwisniak]

AN1x was never focused just on analog sounds. That's why lot of people said it's doesn't sound analog at all. That's a mistake. It does actually sound analog and huge. Sameish for Montage M's ANX engine. Sounds wonderful.

[@thoris59]

I am avkorg kronos owner and i believe that the kronos is able to do most of what I've heard in this video but i have also had a Yamaha ys 100 and a SY99. The SY99 was amazing. So i really respect yamaha. This Montage any Montage is a great instrument and great choice for anyone who is serious about music and sound development. Awesome. I wouldn't leave my kronos though. Lol

[@kiko1935]

I will be honest - sounds aren't blowing me away. I don't care if it sounds "analog" or not just the filter has this fizzy sound. But I know for a fact programming this thing looks fun as hell and it doesn't sound BAD by any means. This is a great move by Yamaha and I echo the sentiment of a standalone Yamaha synth with ANX in the future!

[@Talia.777]

It has existed for so many years: Yamaha An1X 😅

[@kiko1935]

​@@Talia.777nope, the AN1X, which I owned, is a different engine 👍

[@Talia.777]

@@kiko1935 I say it's kinda a reduced AN1X engine....

[@Donetur]

@@Talia.777it is not the same engine, it is simply a similar name to resemble the old synth.

[@SeraphimHanischMusic]

Hey, Scott and everyone! I actually own an AN-1x, and to my great regret, it is sitting idle where it should not. It is a great keyboard and I am glad I got it when I did, so your video is telling me it is time to bring it back front and center. The Montage sounds wonderful in its reproduction of the AN engine. I think the converters or whatever on this new machine bring the sound a little more clarity and I feel like the Montage offers a real "polish" on these sounds, but I don't think it takes away from the quality of the original instrument. I say this BEFORE getting my AN axe out to run through its gamut of sounds where I can listen through the same monitors as I am listening to this video on. I might be wrong. Thank you for the demonstration!

[@Talia.777]

Your keyboard is of very great legacy... you should be proud... use it and enjoy it... 👏👏👏

[@jamesdefrancesco7765]

My Yamaha flagship is the SY99 from 1991! I paid a premium back then at the tender age of 25. Sequenced my way through gigs! Could load 5 songs at a time. Drove the RY30 to save polyphony!

[@EgoShredder]

SY + RY is a killer combination and one I have as well. Great for making the SY sequencer memory go A LOT further.

[@YanivhmTube]

Sounds pretty good. Like a good quality virtual analogue vst. The power of it is combined it with all montage sounds and effects in a performance. It does pads, sync, analogue fm, very nice. The bass is juno like bass. All rounded, funky, but won't break your windows.

[@thebobbycovert]

He Scott. Love the insight as always. Can’t say I LOVE these presets. Most sound kinda cheesy to me like trying very hard to sound like analog sounds. To me it falls a touch short. However that’s not the engines fault. I think it’s gonna really shine padding out dx sounds and acoustic instruments. Basically the reasons I’ve been interested in a prophet x for a long time. I own a montage, but my desire for and m grows day by day. Again, my issues with the presets are just taste. Like they are trying too hard. Curious if others agree.

[@jumpingman8160]

I agree. The factory sounds suck ass on pretty much every piece of gear. Way too exagerated to showcase what it can do, but always end up sounding terrible. Simplicity goes a long way

[@liviou2004]

Hi Scott, thank a lot for this new video. To be honnest, when the Montage M has been released, I was afraid my "Old" Montage would have been completely obsolete. But hearing these AN-X sounds I'm reassured. I bought all Easy Sounds sounds banks, especially the Phat Analog banks. And with these banks we can get nearly all these sounds you played.

[@winddealer1]

@ liviou2004 - I'm liking the VRM Rotary of the Montage M series over the current Montage Rotary Effect. Not enough to push me over the edge though.

[@depositiveone2677]

The Smart Analog patch is the patch I have been searching for for years. It's the exact same tone I customized in my Yamaha AN1x for bass when I used to own it. I regret selling it since I was upgrading my studio at the time. Now I am seriously considering purchasing this Montage 7M to accompany my MODX7. Thank you for the insightful demonstrations. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@UFO-Ark]

Alesis Fusion??

[@DG-ss1gc]

Have you tried FM&AN Classic Arps patch ? Make sure to try it with a single key held down for the arp, and work the superknob. Classic is an understatement . I made a tweak to it by adding a big supersaw that comes it at the far right of superknob travel.

[@jarnleikr]

I love it when someone has a large repertoire of licks and actually knows how to make it work for a specific sound. Best demo of sounds I've heard in a long time. 😀

[@neol07707]

Thanks for posting this to allow us to hear what it sounds like. While there are some great presets in there like the AN-X FM EPiano at 2:15, the AN-X Saw Pluck at 14:36 and the Dark Vintage Pad at 15:02 , some of them make me pause and say WTF. Examples of these are the Sync Synth Bass PAT at 7:01, the Twee Lead at 14:57 and the Angry Amped Synth at 14:23. These don't sound like Analog or Digital but just pure Chaos lol. IMO bad presets are only a sign of laziness on the developers as there are plenty of synths that come with great presets and Yamaha's other engines on the Montage AWM2 and FM generally have pretty good presets. One need only listen to Korg Triton's God's Bathtub Combi preset or any of the Montage or Motif guitars to know that presets can be great and don't have to suck. I wish Yamaha had put more effort into ALL the presets to make them as great as possible as it would be more of an immediate buy for me. My older Motif ES is an example of a keyboard where around 85 to 95% of the presets are good to great. Such a thing could have maybe been done with having the presets go through a more rigorous peer review process and/or hire more talented sound designers.

[@CaliforniaCreedence]

I owned the JX-3P, and didn’t like it, it was low cost but way too limited, so I got a Juno 106, and I bought the cheaper Oberheim Matrix 6 (matrix 12 was very expensive) and I played an OB-8 in a band but didn’t own it. Anyway, back then I had a couple of SPX-90s for FX. With that said, I liked the ANx sound with all of the effects. I favor Oberheim quite heavily. I heard a few Oberheim like sounds. Very cool! Thanks so much!!

[@roberthedin909]

Just got an M yesterday, my first impression is that the ANX analog is idealized analog, it’s very aggressive, I kind of love it. You’d have to run it through some warming device to get it more what you’d call analog, or just go with the aggressiveness. Nice having options.

[@javiceres]

Have you tried the Mini Filter effect as a preamp?

[@malcolmgregoire1019]

I think you are having way too much fun with this new monster machine. Love the sounds and your interpretations. I wish I had the financial wherewithal to be able to afford that beast.

[@vanessajazp6341]

Sometimes some people need to tear down something they can’t have or can’t afford. The whole sour grapes thing. I have the Montage M8x and the AN-X sounds are great. Not quite as much editing control as a Hydrasynth Deluxe or an analog synth, but the sounds are no less spectacular. Also, I think someone, whose name starts with “anthony”, is being paid by Roland or some other competitor to troll this forum.

[@danielcolfer4671]

Yep. Totally agree. I’ve got an OB-X8 a PROPHET 10 rev 4 and I’ve owned too many others (when they were first released) Jupiter 8, voyatra 8, etc and the snobbery around the current digital or virtual analog offerings is hilarious.

[@danielcolfer4671]

@@anthonyalexander7246 Let me guess you’ve got a Roland Juno 106 and Korg poly 6 in the repair shop thinking they’re still the best out there. LMAO.

[@Screaming-Trees]

Nice sounds. Good to see the AN engine live on.

[@LarryJanca]

I have the MODX6 and just waiting for Yamaha to come out with a new MODX that will be the same as the new Montage. I'm guessing they will.

[@jamesdefrancesco7765]

I, too, hit the like button before the vid got rolling. Sounds great. I agree a standalone would be cool. Blofeld does some great VA as well.

[@Aetila]

Thanks for the AN-X demo...as an AN1X owner wondered how this would sound.

[@halcyo]

Sounds very familiar to me, as someone who had an AN1X years ago and still hear it's sounds in some of my past productions. I mean, it is VIRTUAL analog, so it's not THE most analog sounding you can get, but it still sounds great. The AN1X is a beast of a VA, especially for it's time. Would love to see Yamaha do a AN2X as a standalone board finally. It deserves a sequel, and it's a far more lucrative synth market for those sounds now than it even was back when the original came out.

[@UFO-Ark]

Isn't it now the HydraSynth??

[@danielcolfer4671]

The analog snobs crack me up. If it’s not old and in need of repair they think it’s subpar. Hilarious. Change always comes hard especially to closed minds.

[@davlippo7]

I have the Oberheim OBX8 and Deckard's Dream next to the M8x and nothing will ever sound identical (they aren't supposed to) but some ANx sounds are fantastic and very convincing. I will add that the M8x is far superior to M6/M7 due to the GEX/PAT which can do almost anything you tell it to do. I returned my M6 quickly for the M8x. PAT makes it twice as good, it makes sounds feel way more analog but it works on every sound engine also. Detuning random EP notes is awesome.

[@watchaddicts1213]

RATS!!!! Your hands were SO CLOSE to touching THE WORLD’S BEST SYNTH! C’on….say it with me, Scott-you know the NAME: NOVATION SUMMIT

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

Haha, I love my Summit!

[@analogsynthaficionado6027]

The Montage M AN-X engine does not sound like any analog synth that I own. On the positive side, I do hear many sounds that I could use as a starting point to create new music. It is apparent to me that the FM sonic character seems to be the dominant force in the new Montage M. Many of the AN-X sounds that Scott and other reviewers have played definitely sound like FM, not virtual analog emulations. I consider the AN-X engine a bonus featured digital synth that I could use. Whether the AN-X engine alone would sway my opinion to purchase a new Montage M, considering the very hefty price tag, probably not.

[@djjas764]

Too killer ❤ … Factory drums pls review also 💕

[@edt4062]

These presets sound awesome. Hopefully the m6 goes down in price

[@MathHammer]

These sound good to my old ears! I am not in the market for a workstation, but if I was it would be a difficult choice between this one and the Roland Fantom 6/7. Also, what the heck is up with Korg? They are currently out of the high-end workstation market; there is no suitable replacement for the Kronos atm.

[@Bobkork]

Important aspects covered here, thx 👍

[@Keyboardnut99]

Sounds great Scott but none in the UK so will just have to listen to yours!!

[@coznova23]

Wow sounds brilliant, I've the modx and it certainly sounds good, wonder how it compares to the korg AL1 engine in the nautilus

[@JKVisFX]

Sounds pretty damn nice. I concur with the @halcyo, I would love to see a standalone AN2X synth. I am focused entirely on "electronic" sounding music, not at all interested (except for some chorus samples to run through a vocoder) in any acoustic sounding patches or samples. I would also love to see a robust wavetable engine from them for those more icy, proudly digital-sounding patches.

[@DG-ss1gc]

I think you could do a lot with this in that vein. The osc3 modulates osc 1 and 2 , either with ring modulation or fm. bUt each oscillator has a wave shaper function that with some of the effects and the oscilloscope, you could achieve sounds like that. What’s missing is of course the best thing about a WT synth, the WT pos destination ! But just wanted to say, this thing Is DEEP.

[@giovannifiorini7195]

Montage M is beautiful! But the kidneys I need...

[@TheBebe666]

You don´t need both actually😁

[@oldtimer1294]

It would be great if an-x was compatible with sounds from my old an1x, and if they could be read directly in the an-x engine...??

[@noelsharp]

Nice sound demo with riffs that sound inspired by Rush and others. This is making me want to pull my AN200 out of the closet and dust it off.

[@boriscenteno]

Thanks a lot !!

[@winddealer1]

Hopefully we will see Wavetable support for the three voice oscillator system. Perhaps a minimum of 8 waveforms to morph through supporting 1 to 3 oscillators. This would bring the digital AN-X engine into similar partity with ASM Hydra, Novation Summit/Peak, Waldorf Iridium and others just to name a few. Perhaps there will be an update to the m Series within the next 36 months, or even by NAMM 2024? Will be fun to see how the AN-X develops.

[@GuyVignati]

I also was blown away by the quality of the sound… Btw I think one important question for many people could be: do you think this analog emulation engine is gonna be added to the modx in the future? I really hope in a better future update (also hardware possibly since it still misses aftertouch…)

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

Absolutely not. Watch my video that comes out on Saturday, where I explain why.

[@janisalo9011]

Very nice sounds. Does Montage has metronome and/or drum track to play with?

[@synthverkstad2093]

Yes it does

[@LucMusicMan-ij3ck]

Fantastic, but how can put them to my favorites, with old montage is was set and unset, an than you have it. But wth the M8X , i can not find it 🤔 . Please help me, Thank you.

[@patrickbateman7444]

I have an AN1x and it sounds quite different to me. The AN1x has a vintage character, growling, hissing. This doesn't sounds quite generic to me. I guess it has something to do with the old circuit boards, the DACs, OPamps etc....

[@boriscenteno]

Dear Scott any news on the MODX+ update and the anx 1??

[@Digiphex]

Can you show how to sequence a song also with drums, and then edit it?

[@CorreeHoey]

Hey Scott, you think Yamaha will release a AMW2 sound library with pianos that take advantage of the “improved” AMW2 processor? I mean, the built in pianos are the same ones that were released when the 1 gen montage discontinued. Where it was a downloadable link on the site, it’s gone now as if it was never available for the first gen montage. To me, they sound thin and are not taking the full advantage of board’s hardware. I can’t say I’m fully happy with my m7. There’s an industry buddy of mine who has sampled nord’s, ravenscroft, keyscape and a few others for “demonstration purposes” and not for sale. I have a copy for demonstration purposes as well lol and it’s great. Velocity levels and overall depth in the samples are all there. But I really wish Yamaha would do the same. Not to discredit my buddy in any way but if it’s that easy for him to sample other instruments, could we not get a true m version sample library? The only thing that makes me somewhat excited about the board in the AN-X engine and the Rhodes are done really well as I didn’t like the previous “Rhodes Gallery” hardly at all. I hope they’ll do something similar to what Roland did with their EX update (the concept not the quality lol) but who knows.

[@jbognap]

The biggest thing is being able alter the waveforms themselves with PWM and Osc Sync. Otherwise, the Montage can already do most everything thing else. Maybe Yamaha should've had an AN1x factory preset bank.

[@DG-ss1gc]

It’s so great you did this video I own it , but I’ll end up catching it all at work I’m sure. I’m still struggling with the control it’s frustrating, the online manual is not perfect I can’t figure out why the destinations are not straightforward! One thing that Yamaha can do that will really help those of us who learn by doing is set the default the bipolar. I could not figure out why I make a control for cutoff and it wasn’t working properly! Maybe I’m missing it in the manual but it doesn’t have just a full section on control , it just touches on it in “changing the super knob” If ANYONE knows where I can get a full breakdown of how to setup controls for a performance I’ve created from INIT , i have these greats performances , and I’ve almost figured it all out but it’s prettt complex insA and insB ? Maybe I need to reverse engineer some presets that have similar motifs . That’s the one drawback of this love of ours, when creativity is held back by information technology issues. It took me like a year to learn the motif Es8 and that manual is a lot better , well a bit better , this montage is just incredible , I won’t sell my OB-6 but seriously anx- sounds so good it’s unreal. Hell it can sound MORE analog than my OB-6! I can make it sound like a 20 year old synth with osc issues ! The effects are great… I understand some folks need to dislike it, that’s ok. We’re all on our own journey!

[@douglas519]

I know it's a bit subjective and personal, but in terms of VA quality, I think we could put AN-X ahead of Hydrasynth? But is it that far? Or am I totally wrong? 😂

[@EliveltonFagundesF]

Could you reproduce Oppenheimer soundtrack on the montage without cutting sounds?

[@sibariba]

Awesome

[@Arthur-hg7ny]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Yamaha Genos 2. Thanks.

[@winddealer1]

@Arthur-hg7ny - Hi Arthur, I own a old Tyros 4 and Montage 61. Five years ago, got the Montage for the FM and newer AWM tech to complement the T4. For the moment at least, IMO, the Genos 2 could of/should of included the VRM Rotary effect (Montage M series and YCs have it). Maybe that will be a suprise upgrade later this year for Genos2, maybe at NAMM 2024? VRM Rotary effect provides a better rotary simulation if drawbar organs are important to you. For the price, I would have expected the Genos2 to include VRM Rotary with the upgraded 9 drawbar sliders of the Genos 2. RevoReverb of the Genos 2 and the dynamic arranger for me wasn't on my short list. Would have liked for the new Genos2 or Montage M series to have included VRM Resonance for the Piano samples like CLP, DGX, Pseries (Piano Room), but not a show stopper. For some, I suppose enabling the FM engine in the Genos2 might be compelling. Even so, I'd still stick with T5/T4 combo with Montage M series. The Montage series provides alot more control and programability over the FM engines than Geno2 ever will (no editing yet). Overall, exploring the over 10,000 arp patterns of the Montage line is enough of an Arranger Lite for me. The Geno2 does offer some unique sounds (SuperArticulation2) that are unique to the Arrangers. Tyros/Genos/Montage all share the same underlying AWM2/FM Standard Wave Processor engines (SWP70). For me, looking to convert my weighed 88 P-200 and Montage 61 with a single board, the mX8 after the dust settles 12 months), one less keyboard to manage. Keeping the T4.

[@Arthur-hg7ny]

@@winddealer1 Outstanding comment! I feel, too, that upgrade of the VRM is coming later. I’m having a hard time with the $5,600 price tag of it. They have upgraded the styles to 800 over the 500 from the Genos. I’m a Roland guy, but the Genos 2 seems to be a glorified backing track machine.

[@stefanhoffmann2748]

Hey Scott, thanks for sharing some examples on the AN-X sond capabilities. What is your first impression with the Montage M7? Beside the AN-X -Engine -- would you look back to the old Montage or do you think the update is worth the price? (I am still not sure weather to buy the new M7-version or buy last stock from the old Montage 7 to replac my beloved Motif XF)

[@yeshuam6941]

Scott thank you, good video. nice sounds very rich and fat.

[@JewelzFin]

I believe it's a great workstation/synth, but not enough to make me upgrade from my current Montage.

[@frankschneider7190]

light and shadow

[@AynsleyGreen]

So is it actually the 90s AN1X engine in there, or just a new VA synth engine bearing the name?

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

It's a whole new engine.

[@swanofnutella4734]

Sounds great. Not analog, but silky & lush, in a precise, digital way. Digital isn't a bad word to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (and I wouldn't be surprised, for a future patch, if they hire/emulate Creative Spiral's virtual analog work he did with 3rd wave, Arturia and ASM... Then Montage users will truly have the best of both worlds. They may already have that even if it's not reflected in their launch patches. Hydra doesn't either.)

[@UFO-Ark]

Scott... Are you recording this through the audio outs? Or digital USB ??

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

Audio out.

[@axelmaldini4218]

It is a good keyboard to play on Sundays at church.

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

Decent, but I'll take a good analog VST over the Montage M such as an OB-X clone or Prophet. But then again, the Montage M VST in coming Jan 2024. Computer users can have it all, and way cheaper & lighter too.

[@boriscenteno]

Dear Scott any news on the modx+ update and anx??

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

I would be very surprised if the MODX+ ever gets AN-X. I don't think it has the hardware inside to support it.

[@iwaves1]

Hi ..any idea if Modx m will be released soon ?

[@ROBBYTOB777]

It does not sound fat. Its sounds like a typical DSP VA. Except for the Wave Folder it sounds like a cheap copy of the AL-1 in the Korg Oasys.

[@csu111]

No previous Montage, Motif, SY, TX or DX has ever sounded like this!

[@dirkkeersmaekers4343]

My taste of sound is more the Jupiter-X

[@gabrielegelfofx]

I own the Montage and the AN1X. I will not replace my Montage for the new one M because it’s almost the same instrument. I’d like to buy the Summit but only when the polyphonic aftertouch keyboard will be implemented/added. The Summit is the best VA synth available today. Also the Montage M will be available as VST instrument, why replacing the old Montage?

[@furiobisotti8150]

Because VST won't be available on the market for all, but only for those who bought the hardware MontageM

[@winddealer1]

@gabrielegelf0399 - I have a Montage and Peak and was thinking the same thing. The Peak and Summit do offer Wavetable synthesis as well. I might make a move (in the future) to Montage M from the Montage/Peak, when/if the AN-X delivers some sort of Wavetable support, then at least I could reduce the gear count by one. I haven't head many demos of using AN-X with Delay/Chorus/Flanger/Reverbs and all the other great effects that Montage includes. With Summit you have two Filters with Peak only one. The AN-X has dual filters and endless combinations of effects to explore. Just have to wait and see how the AN-X develops in the next 12 months.

[@mammyat80s21]

Great video, thx! But... regarding the 'analog' sounds, the cat is not impressed.

[@neol07707]

LMFAO!

[@trstack]

hmm...I think your comment about those don't have a Montage M applies to PAT too. I'm sure you know who I mean. Cheers!

[@ChrisCebelenski]

It sounds OK - not amazing, but a lot like my old PLG AN board which sounded better for me than the Nord Lead 3 I also owned. It's too "controlled" to really be analog - none of the slight imperfections note to note that is hard for digital to do convincingly. It's not Diva for sure. You either like the filters or you don't, and these sound a little like a parody of a Prophet filter, which was what the AN1x was going for (not the parody part, obviously.) In fact this engine is so controlled I'd be hard pressed to spot it's FM from the DX engine a lot of the time.

[@rainerjost6014]

Hello to Everyone… I Think a Lot of This Sounds. We can do with the Engine Two. So I will not by New Montage am another ha ha with the Montage. Classic, what it’s nice to hier and Some of the Sounds Asso in like FM Engine and away Goes with FM you can Sound with the New Ex and like analog

[@yamahamotifxs]

As for the demo, my opinion is that factory sounds are never the best. I have a Roland Fantom and a Korg Nautilus. Both are completely different, but both are suitable for almost everything. I had a couple of favorite sounds from Fantom, and sounds that I programmed. I was able to reprogram all sounds on the Nautilus, but since they are both different synthesizers, there were challenges. The main point of what I wrote is that every synthesizer that has a Virtual Analog engine can be programmed for almost any sound. A lot of learning, a lot of experimentation, but in the end the result compensates for the energy invested in it. I don't have a Montage M yet, but I'm planning to buy it as soon as it's available in our store, and I know for 100% that the AN-X is an amazing Virtual Analog engine, you just have to learn how to program it.

[@chrislisten87]

Absolutely agree. I also have a nautilus. I sometimes think about selling it, and try some newer vst and so on. But as I started Al1 enginge and learning more... It just sounds so nice.

[@odmusicman]

I think I know why you are getting comments it doesn't sound very analog. 1) The sounds are heavily modulated by effects masking the "pure" analog sound/feel of the patches/tones. 2) People may be expecting to here a Behringer Pro 800 or Moog Sub 37 type raw analog sound/filtering and instead hear very "polished" sounds.

[@vinnien]

3) people that own a AN1x with wonderful patches (such as those from JayB (FREE)) and are not impressed with the stock sounds. I think the Montage M is a beast and I hope Yamaha brings out a cheaper MODX version with AN-X engine or maybe even a standalone AN-X out soon.

[@Coowallsky]

KZbin’s compression algorithms make accurate analysis of sounds impossible.

[@AlvaroMRocha]

A bit plastic but certainly enhanceable with smart modulation/fx and layering...

[@davlippo7]

Sounds like the 80s to me

[@EgoShredder]

Yep I love it!

[@aquaticborealis4877]

Some of the sounds are pretty good, some pretty meh. Some sound fairly “analog”, some don’t at all. So the engine is capable. From what I’ve heard here, the sound design is good, but doesn’t blow me away. Sort of bread and butter? Useful for most purposes. Maybe I haven’t heard enough. I guess you would buy a Montage for the all-in-one and gigging capabilities? But I think many flagship VSTs sound just as good or better these days.

[@Coowallsky]

I never trust KZbin heavy compression to evaluate instruments.

[@juliprivate715]

But: my AN-1x is blue !✌

[@ROBBYTOB777]

Sounds like plasctic, AN-X cannot competent with the AL-1 in the Korg Oasys.

[@carlomeoli8236]

It's a wonderful synth but too much expansive (for me) even if the price is right.😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@josephballew]

Yamaha still can't beat Roland Fantom on Synth Sounds.

[@axelfoley1768]

It sounds nothing like a real analog synth. It is indeed digital & sterile & anerexic compared to the real thing. I think Roland modelling sounds somewhat more authentic.. the Fanton plugins although not perfect

[@Stawski_3d]

Sounds very generic for 4000$(especially basses are weak). Free plugins sounds much better this days.

[@brendanm.9946]

The analog guys really like to trash this board and make me feel like a loser for buying one. That is really mean. It’s bad enough I spent all that money and never get laid, now they say both me and more keyboard are sterile…

[@davidbanner9001]

I have a AN1x next to me and I love the sounds. I'm sure the Montage M's AN-X engine sounds much better if programmed correctly. To be honest these factory patches don't sound great.

[@LauraBlalock-g7j]

i have a montage.....this is a totally completely different keyboard......it should have been given a new name altogether.....its almost a digital Roland D50 inside a montage....its coming from a different place in terms of being creative .... and being a complete go to keyboard....but its just not as phat as a KRONOS to me on the synth leads.....my KRONOS synth leads cuts through the band big time......my montage leads do not cut as hard...and i do not hear that with this new montage....i hear phat juicy new ole skool chord sounds but not that 80s SOLAR Lakeside, Midnight Star, Klymaxx.... phat ass synth lead

[@lassel1644]

It sounds great, much better than any analogue.

[@shawcunningham]

Sigh… I’ve owned numerous analogue synths - Oberheims, Moogs, Sequential / DSI, Modal Electronics (the 008), Studio Electronics…. this synth doesn’t sound analogue. That’s not a knock to Yamaha. It sounds nice, just nicely digital. In fairness, no other VA synth (hardware or software) has nailed the analogue sound either. But I had high hopes. I was expecting the “Digital rebirth of the CS-80”. Apparently, 1970s Yamaha set the bar way too high.

[@vanessajazp6341]

I think one of the things about old analogue synths that gave them a certain “something” that digital emulations don’t typically have, are the imperfections and the ‘drift’ of the sound character. Like how a human drummer inevitably sounds a little more natural and better than perfectly quantized drums. That said, I think the AN-X engine has a function to introduce those subtle imperfections, the way most drum plugins include a ‘swing’ function to offset the sterile quantized sounds of drum sequences. Plus, just quickly running through stock patches doesn’t give you the full breadth of the AN-X engine’s full possibilities.

[@swanofnutella4734]

The thing with drift is a lot of virtual analog emulation just drifts pitch. People are catching on though. Better virtual analog features are drifting pitch, per-voice variation in envelope parameters, their timing, and probably very critical = better emulating how much play and how often that play occurs. Yamaha clearly did not implement all those aspects like Groove Synthesis have, but there's nothing wrong with that. My Virus TI2 doesn't sound analog to my ears but it still sounds great IMHO and solves so many sound shaping challenges for me.

[@vanessajazp6341]

@@swanofnutella4734 And that’s the most important facet - does it sound great? I say yes, even if it may not sound EXACTLY like a Moog Mini or a Prophet or an Oberheim. Approximately 99% of your audience won’t hear the Montage M in a mix and go, “Wait… that doesn’t have the exact same mid emphasis of a REAL Moog!”.

[@JimDaneker]

Man, as I suspected, the factory patches are pretty awful when it comes to showing off the "analog" side of this thing. However, as soon as I had some time on one, I had it sounding remarkably close to my Prophet 5. For whatever reason, they just opted for really vanilla, unexciting patches that don't begin to show what this thing can do. I look forward to having one in a few weeks, and I will do a video that really shows off the potential of the AN-X engine. That's not a knock on Scott BTW - he's just scrolling through factory patches here. Believe me, it's capable of a lot more than these sounds suggest!

[@kiko1935]

​@@JimDanekercan you post that video here when you do? If Scott doesn't mind of course

[@ConductiveIRL]

They don’t really sound all that great. I’m sure it’s the factory patches.

[@JimDaneker]

It's the factory patches. It can sound utterly massive!

[@lumpichu]

Sounds just dull. Lacking in spaciousness and "sparkle" or how can I say it. Yes, I can't afford the Montage M and I'm not a synth guru.

[@jocee2257]

Hi Scott. Do you know if they are bringing the an-x engine to any other range? Like the ModX?