Polyphonic aftertouch is not just for Yamaha MONTAGE M8x! How to play poly-AT with M6 and M7

[@KierDarby]

I’ve added my MONTAGE M MIDI Template to the template sharing thread over at the Native Instruments forums community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/191781/#Comment_191781

[@abdolreza82]

LOL what a brilliant solution! so in order to get the PAT (which is there almost in all MOTIF series sound engines as well) we spend couple thousand more to get it working! That said, I haven't seen a single PAT included performance that doesn't look and sound stupid. Show me an impressive performance and task that can be done with PAT and I'll all the credits to you. Not just its is almost impossible to use, it isn't really needed. PAT was nothing more than a gimmick for Yamaha to jack up the prices.

[@KierDarby]

FWIW you can achieve poly aftertouch for just a couple hundred dollars with something like ROLI Piano M, and personally, I don't agree that it's a gimmick. This video is just to show that it's possible to express poly-AT over MIDI, rather than an advert for any particular product or solution.

[@GenosKeys]

I hate to rain on your parade, but the solution you present is a costly one. Most musicians, including keyboardists, want an all-in-one solution for their playing needs. The reason I suspect Yamaha didn't include poly aftertouch on Montage M6/M7 was a time constraint to release the new Montage M series at the time they did, probably because other keyboard manufacturers were releasing new synthesizer/keyboard products, some with poly aftertouch. Yamaha didn't want to be too far behind the curve, or they may have lost much valued market share. After releasing the Montage M series, Yamaha mostly focused on the M8x with poly aftertouch in their demos of the Montage M. Another possible reason is perhaps Yamaha had submitted a patent for implementing poly aftertouch in a semi-weighted form factor (without GEX technology) but hadn't received approval from the Patent Office at the time they released the Montage M series. ASM Ashun Sound Machines released the Hydrosynth Deluxe keyboard with poly aftertouch and patented the process they use for poly AT. I suspect Yamaha is trying to do the same thing. I found one patent submitted by Yamaha that was just approved on July 16, 2024. Of course, the Montage M series was released on October 10, 2023. It's patent number: 12039994. From what I can decipher, it might refer to a method of triggering poly aftertouch on semi-weighted keybeds like the FSX keybed on the current Montage M6/M7. But it's just speculation on my part. I think Yamaha will eventually release poly-AT in a semi-weighted form factor, but we might have to wait until a successor to the Montage M is released, perhaps by 2028.

[@KierDarby]

There’s really no parade upon which to rain. While Yamaha may well release a PAT-capable semi weighted keybed in the coming years, that doesn’t help existing M6 and M7 owners to make the most of their instruments today. Adding a PAT controller is never going to be very inexpensive, and I’m not suggesting that anyone go out and buy a Quantum solely for use as a MIDI controller, but Montage owners have already demonstrated their ability to significantly invest in their equipment, and adding something like the Kontrol S or Seaboard Block to their setup in order to enable far greater expression for PAT-enabled parts does not represent a massive extra cost by comparison.

[@simonashton6845]

Great vid, but how did you get the Montage M artwork onto your S61 screen when you made the template?

[@KierDarby]

It’s a little involved but not terribly difficult. I’ll put together a quick video showing the process.

[@simonashton6845]

@@KierDarby That would be fab. Cheers

[@KierDarby]

Et voila kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKqcY4ujadmfpbM

[@Farz8806]

So your solution to getting polyphonic aftertouch is to buy a keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch? 😅

[@KierDarby]

Well.. yes :) From what I’ve read online, lots of M6 and M7 owners don’t realise that their instruments actually SUPPORT Poly-AT, so this is really just a demo to show that you don’t need an M8x to make use of the new engine capabilities.

[@musicrockzx]

Music industry is as one organism! They will never make a perfect instrument. Because they think how to continuously make their bisnes runing. You can not name one single instrument that has enough polyphony, analog, digital, polyaftertoch , effects, filters, and so on…! For good live performance you always need at least two keyboards and effects producing units! Yea, and drum machine too!

[@KierDarby]

Actually, I think Montage M is pretty close to the perfect keyboard instrument.

[@musicrockzx]

Agree! But not perfect! That’s why to make montage perfect I bought Behringer UB-XA ,instead of replacing it by montage m! Very good pair. I appreciate your work on KZbin channel! It is very helpful to musicians! And me too 😉