Yamaha Montage M OS 3.0 update - Sand, software and sound

The Yamaha Montage M series is getting another update:

New Waveforms “ClavD6”, sampled with different pickup positions
New VCM Effect “GS1 Ensemble & Tremolo” from the Yamaha GS1
New VCM Effect “CS Ring Modulator” from the Yamaha CS80
New VCM Effect “Mid/Side EQ Compressor”
Extension of the Scenes with the parameters “Note Limit” and “Note Shift”
Scene parameters can also be saved for Parts in “External” Mode
Additional Effect parameters accessible via Quick Edit
Parameters from the AN-X and FM-X Engines as Destinations in the Part LFO
“Insert” function in the Live Set
“Delete & Move” function in the Live Set
DAW Remote extended to include ESP control
New “SSS Time” parameter for seamless switching of sounds
Maximum number of Libraries increased from 16 to 24
New “Ribbon View” Display variant
Sixty new Performances featuring new OS 3.0 functions

I’m happy to see Yamaha releasing updates for their major platforms. Hope your Ideascale suggestion made the cut! Availability is “Summer 2025”. [Engineers do not like being pegged down.]

You’ll find all of the details in the latest Music Production Guide (March 2025, from Easy Sounds). Overall, there are some nice, small enhancements unless you’ve been pining for a new Clav and specialist vintage effects. The Mid/Side compressor and parametric equalizer add to Montage M’s “studio in a box.”

The description of the Seamless Sound Switching (SSS) time parameter is interesting on a few different levels:

Seamless Switching (SSS) allows you to switch Performances without interruption. In particular, Release Times and Effect components (Reverb, Delay) of the last Performance played are retained throughout the change and decay natural afterwards. The remaining signals of the first Performance played are only interrupted when switching to a further, third Performance. Permanent signals that do not have an ending Release Time, e.g. from special Effects such as “Digital Turntable” or the “Noise Level” of the VCM Rotary Speaker, remain active beyond the first Performance change. The “SSS Time” can now be set for such or similar cases.

The first sentence helps clarify why SSS is needed on SWP70 architecture Yamaha synths (and arrangers, if they ever add it). Pushing release and other aspects of synthesis into the chorus/reverb stages reduces latency through the rather long synthesis pipeline.

If you want to play a cruel joke on your sound guy, engage the Digital Turntable effect. I never saw a board engineer dive for faders as when they heard this effect over the PA. 🙂

Gosh, OS 3.0 and I’ve barely read up about OS 2.0. OS 2.0 included new CFX Grand Piano waveforms, new CP80 waveforms, and AN-X Smart Morph. The new CFX grand is a 200MByte (compressed) package. The CP80 waveforms are taken from the Stage YC series keyboards.

All that aside, OS 2.0 added a new Shimmer Reverb effect type:

New high quality Reverb that already sounds great without using the Shimmer feature
Numerous parameters integrated in the Control Assignment
Low and High-Pass Filters for the feedback signal
Two finely tunable Pitch Shift parameters, each spanning four octaves, that can interact
Panorama and Balance of the Pitch Shift signals can be set separately
Comprehensive modulation options
“Color” parameter for “coloring” the overall signal [Duh!]

I heard a few Shimmer Reverb demos and it sounds fabulous. I want to try to create a similar effect on MODX and possible Genos (gen 1).