Yamaha’s Montage 6 synthesizer is nearly identical to the Montage 8 as far as performance features and quality of craftsmanship go. Many are left with their jaws dropped once they see firsthand how powerful and thunderous the sounds of the Yamaha Montage 6 are, as it is quite the small instrument when looking at what the top performant synths are today. It’s ideal for nearly all playing scenarios and versatile enough to play around with and instrument, yet if you want to go all out and do a show with the Yamaha Montage 6, it is capable of doing just that as well. If you look at most modern synths made by Yamaha (analog and digital) you will find that they are almost entirely built with versatility in mind, and they are really pushing the boundaries of what synthesizer keyboards are capable of. For the vast majority of musicians, the Montage 6 fits a perfect role of being a high-end synthesizer while not being totally expert-oriented.
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User Interface/Style
The display and feel of the keyboard resembles the Montage 8 almost exactly. The button layout remains the same, and really the only difference from an aesthetic point of view would be the fewer keys, smaller size, and lighter feel. As far as style and flair go, Yamaha’s aren’t the most flashy but they aren’t Casio’s either – don’t get it twisted. There is no color variety or anything like that unfortunately, but the matte black is quite stunning if we’re being perfectly honest. Learning to use the board is a piece of cake, and once you get the hang of it, your ability to produce will be limited only by your mind. Seriously, there are never-ending ways you can go about producing and creating. I love the simple yet complex way this keyboard has been designed, and the Yamaha Montage 6 has proven to be one of the best 61 key synths to take a look at.
Sounds
The sound quality of (most) sounds from this keyboard are far superior to most 61-key boards, and even a lot of 88-key keyboards as well. The Roland JUNO DS88 has always been one of my favorites because there are few synthesizers that can match the quality of sound, yet the Montage series from Yamaha proves time and time again that it is a force to be reckoned with. While it comes down to personal preference, most would admit that the Montage 6 is superior to the DS88 as far as sound quality goes, and it’s an even smaller board. The sound variation is vast and rich, but not quite on par with the bigger brother – the Montage 8. If you look at something like the Korg KROME for example, which is an 88-key keyboard, the Montage series generally beats it out in most categories, except sound quality which is debatable, yet it is much smaller. It’s obviously not as small as some other options like the OP-1, but that balance is what makes this synthesizer keyboard loved by so many.
Something else that this model doesn’t have that many have been disappointed about has been weighted keys. They are present on the 8, but not so on this model unfortunately. It is funny though that this model is being compared to such ‘giants’ and when it’s compared to those in its same class like the Kross 61, there isn’t even a discussion about which is better.
Features
The Montage 6 is rich in features, but there are a few things missing. As mentioned before, the keys are not weighted. The keyboard is smaller in size which is both a good and bad thing; many people prefer the longer, more professional look of the 76 and 88 key variants of this model. The action is not as heavy either. Other than that, the features are basically the same on the Yamaha Montage 6 as they would be on the 7 or 8. If you’re looking at it from a different angle and not taking into account the larger variations, then you can see that this synthesizer is totally loaded with features and in my opinion completely worth buying.
Overall – Is The Yamaha Montage 6 Worth It?
The Yamaha Montage 6 is awesome in every way. I personally tend to go for the bigger synthesizer keyboards, but if I were to choose the best 61 key synth, it would likely be this one here. It’s by far, the most feature heavy synthesizer on the market with the best sounds. It is more expensive than your average product, but that is the price to pay for complete professionalism and performance.