Sam Gutman vs. Yamaha Montage: The Workstation Roast We Needed

Sam Gutman kicks things off by giving the Yamaha Montage a long, hard stare—and it’s not a look of love. The Montage, apparently, channels the aesthetic of a 2004 office printer, which is about as inspiring as a grey cubicle. Sam’s not having it, tossing out wild suggestions like tiger print and Game Boy Color shells, all with a wink and a nudge at Yamaha’s design team. It’s a classic case of a flagship synth that looks like it belongs in the accounts department, not a rave bunker.

But the real beef isn’t just with the looks. Sam dives into the sound set, which boasts quantity over quality. Sure, there are a thousand sounds, but if most of them are “GarageBand at best,” what’s the point? The Montage shines with its complex digital synth patches, but the rest? Sam reckons they’re filler, not killer. He’s dreaming of a world where every patch slaps, not just a handful. If you want to see which sounds survive his cull, you’ll have to watch the video—trust me, it’s worth it for the jazz scat alone.

When it comes to workstation keyboards, the piano and Rhodes sounds should be the main event, not the opening act at a school disco. Sam’s verdict? The Montage flops hard in this department. He admits he once blamed himself for the lacklustre keys, but after seeing a pro struggle to make them sing, he realised it’s not just him—it’s the samples. If Yamaha can’t nail these two bread-and-butter sounds, what hope is there for the rest? Sam’s solution: ditch the stock stuff and bring in Kontakt’s heavy hitters. It’s a savage but fair call, and if you’re a keys snob, you’ll be nodding along.

Sam’s not just here to moan—he’s got fixes. First, he gives props to Yamaha for their slick preset management, but then swings back with a vengeance. The category buttons? Redundant. He’d rather see a lava lamp or a popcorn machine on the panel than another pointless button. It’s tongue-in-cheek, but the point lands: less clutter, more fun.

The real villain, though, is the Montage’s arpeggiator. Sam’s rant is legendary—he calls it an abomination and suggests Yamaha should be prosecuted for crimes against workflow. Instead of the intuitive arp controls we all crave, you get a labyrinth of menus and a bank of useless riffs. His fix? Rip it out and drop in Omnisphere’s arpeggiator. He doesn’t stop there: he wants the best analog sounds from Arturia, orchestral magic from Audio Modeling, and choirs from Spitfire. It’s a fantasy workstation, but honestly, who wouldn’t want to play it?

Sam’s had it with features that sound good on paper but make you want to throw the Montage out the window in practice. Polyphonic aftertouch? Nice idea, but unless you’re playing MPE at a wedding gig, it’s just more fluff. He’d rather have a Roli Seaboard or Expressive E Osmose keybed—go big or go home.

Song mode gets the axe too. Sam can’t fathom why anyone would want a half-baked DAW inside their synth, especially when it’s less capable than GarageBand. And don’t get him started on the non-consensual backing tracks that spring up when you’re just trying to audition a patch. The message is clear: cut the bloat, keep it playable, and stop making the workflow a punishment. If you want to see the full extent of his frustration (and some hilarious alternatives), the video’s got all the juicy details.