After 7 years on the market, Yamaha discontinues the MONTAGE synth workstation but teases the next generation for October.
Synths come and go. Most releases remain on the market for a few years and are replaced by new versions or, if they fail, not at all. For example, the Teenage Engineering PO-Modulars, which are now being sold off massively but will probably not come back
Yamaha also says Sayonara to a Synthesizer product from their portfolio. They have today officially discontinued the Yamaha MONTAGE synth workstation.
Yamaha Discontinues MONTAGE
In 2016 Yamaha released the MONTAGE synth workstation and replaced the MOTIF series. The MONTAGE quickly became a very popular instrument, especially for live musicians. You can find it today as the centerpiece in many synth setups. For example, Jamiroquai’s Matt Johnson uses two MONTAGE synths on stage.
The MONTAGE offers every studio and live musician a feature-rich motion control synthesis engine unifying two iconic Yamaha engines. The AWM2 gives you high-quality waveforms with subtractive synthesis and the FM-X classic FM synthesis but on steroids. Plus, it offers sample-based content, tons of effects, and more.
Now in 2023, Yamaha is retiring its MONTAGE music Synthesizer. According to Yamaha, they cannot develop the current MONTAGE any further. Is this due to the lack of DSP power for new engines or missing components to continue building the synth is not said. I think it will be a mix.
Free Content
As a thank you, Yamaha is providing a final set of content free of charge for all MONTAGE owners. This pack contains three acoustic pianos: a Yamaha U1 upright piano, a Yamaha C3 grand piano (AKA “Nashville Grand”), and a Felt Yamaha U1 upright piano. It’s a free download for existing MONTAGE users.
Next-Gen MONTAGE
MONTAGE is dead; long live MONTAGE. The trip goes on. Yamaha teases that they will introduce the next generation MONTAGE in October 2023.
The new features are still secret. But I assume that the hardware will be changed, maybe with more hardware control and a better screen. Hopefully also with more memory as the current Montage only has 1.75GB of user memory. That’s pretty nothing for a synth workstation.
I am almost sure that the next-gen of the MONTAGE will feature the new AN-X engine. This leaked during the trademark registration process in 2022. I’m curious about what the MONTAGE synth workstation has and how much it differs from the current model. And also the price. We will see it in October.
More information here: Yamaha Synths
Available at my partner
Be the first to comment