Yamaha’s Next-gen Flagship Synth
Yamaha’s professional synthesizers have reigned as industry leaders for decades. Now, the company again advances the state of the art with the Montage M8x — a flagship synth so powerful, it’s the only keyboard you’ll need to ace any studio session or stage performance. This next-gen synth powerhouse packs the latest technology with three beastly sound engines that can create jaw-dropping renditions of any instrument you could ever imagine, while new performance controls, workflow enhancements, and a 7-inch TFT color touchscreen allow you to access all this power effortlessly. For authentic grand piano feel that will satisfy even the most discerning pro pianists, the Montage M8x boasts Yamaha’s fully weighted GEX action with polyphonic aftertouch. It even has a 5-segment ribbon controller to add rich expressiveness to your playing. The Yamaha Montage M8x is an instrument that seamlessly bridges stage and studio while unlocking unlimited potential for sound, control, and workflow.
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Three potent engines deliver a universe of sounds
Under the hood, Montage M8x packs three powerful sound engines. Yamaha’s all-new AN-X engine re-creates the warm, classic sounds and behavior of vintage analog synthesizers. With Preset and User wave memory doubled from the original Montage, the AWM2 sample-based engine with 128-element architecture delivers emulative high-definition instrument sounds with plentiful articulations and vibrant dynamics, realism, and expression. FM-X is an 8-operator FM synth engine that generates modern digital sounds and dynamic expressive behavior. Together, these three adroit engines cover the gamut of any sounds you’ll likely need for live performance and studio work. Moreover, they are elegantly integrated under the command of Montage M’s capable control set, making it easy to quickly craft any sound you can dream up.
The expressive power of polyphonic aftertouch
Like monaural (channel) aftertouch, polyphonic aftertouch is actuated by the pressure you add after you strike a key, allowing you to add varying amounts of, for example, vibrato — literally without lifting a finger. But what makes polyphonic aftertouch a more effective expressive tool is that it works on a per-key basis, allowing for individual key control over any parameter or effect you assign to it. With mono aftertouch, no matter which key you apply after-pressure to, all keys will respond the same way. By allowing for individual finger control, polyphonic aftertouch lets you selectively modulate held notes to bring them out in the mix. Instead of a single sensor strip underlying the entire key range, polyphonic aftertouch uses individual sensors under each key. This obviously makes it more expensive to manufacture, and thus, it is a feature usually found only on premium professional synths like Yamaha’s flagship Montage M8x.
New performance controls put you in command
The Montage M features new performance controls that put you in complete command of your instrument — which you’ll especially appreciate when playing live. It features a 5-segment ribbon controller with a dedicated hold button as well as a new Keyboard Hold button that lets you sustain chords while tweaking knobs to edit your patch parameters. There’s also a Portamento on/off button and a dedicated Portamento Time knob. Dedicated Keyboard, Part, and Scene control buttons give you intuitive control over 16 Parts per Performance. Keyboard artists at Sweetwater find these controls particularly helpful in demanding onstage settings, enhancing overall usability while adding dimension to their performances.
Advanced technology for vivid and richly varied expression
The Montage M leverages proprietary audio technologies that advance the state of the art in synthesizer design. Yamaha’s Pure Analog Circuit 2, for instance, provides clean harmonic reproduction and level frequency response for clear, powerful sound. The updated Pure Analog Circuit attenuates noise and improves the dynamic range, crosstalk, low-frequency phase, and distortion rate, resulting in crystal-clear sound with richly detailed lower mids and assertive presence. Montage M’s sophisticated VCM Rotary Speaker effect and realistic drawbar behavior provide authentic organ sound and control. And to ensure that every minute detail of even your most complex performances will be heard, Montage M is spec’d with a formidable 400-note total polyphony.
Tap into immense sonic potential
Yamaha has built acoustic pianos since 1900, and has been on the cutting edge of digital technology for decades. All the advanced tech working synergistically under the hood of the Montage M makes it an intuitively accessible synthesizer with immense sonic potential. A suite of dedicated accessories is available separately to let you customize your Montage M for optimized operation and creativity, whether you’re composing, performing onstage, or laying down tracks in the studio. Equipped with comprehensive connectivity, including USB-MIDI and a multichannel 6-in/32-out audio interface, it streamlines MIDI recording, virtual instrument monitoring, and multitrack audio recording through a single USB cable. Amazingly, though, you may find you don’t need the instrument itself in the studio, thanks to the Extended Soft Synth plug-in. Offering an unparalleled degree of stage and studio integration, E.S.P. software replicates the Montage M in your favorite DAW, allowing you to create, edit, and mix Montage M performances without the hardware. Add it all up, and you have a truly world-class synthesizer eminently worthy of Yamaha flagship status. If you’re ready to take your music to the next level, your Montage M8x awaits!
Yamaha Montage M8x Features:
- Fully weighted GEX keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch
- AN-X, AWM2, and FM-X sound engines
- AN-X models classic analog synthesizer sound and behavior
- AWM2 with 128-element architecture delivers more articulations, dynamics, and high-definition sound
- FM-X 8-operator FM synthesis generates modern, dynamic synth sounds
- Pure Analog Circuit 2 provides clear harmonic reproduction
- 5-segment ribbon controller with dedicated Hold button
- Keyboard Hold button lets you sustain chords while tweaking knobs
- Portamento on/off button and dedicated Portamento Time knob
- Dedicated Keyboard, Part, and Scene control buttons provide control over 16 Parts per Performance
- VCM Rotary Speaker effect and realistic drawbar behavior for authentic organ sound and control
- 16 Library slots for thousands of custom user Performances and waveforms
- 400-note polyphony (AWM2 Preset: 128, AWM2 User: 128, FM-X: 128, AN-X: 16)
- 9.97GB Wave ROM Preset memory, 3.8GB Flash ROM User memory
- E.S.P. Extended Soft Synth plug-in (VST3/AU) replicates the Montage M in your favorite DAW — available early 2024
- 7-in. TFT color touchscreen offers highly detailed editing control
- Fast, intuitive navigation via Navigation button, Quick Edit screen, 6 touchscreen display knobs, and Page Jump button
- USB-MIDI and multichannel 6-in/32-out audio interface
- Suite of dedicated accessories available separately
