You still need to install yamahas audio driver on windows.
Not on Mac
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Received the synth and looks like the couriers had been playing soccer with it.
Snapped off and bent slider and scratches on the faceplate.
Plugged the bastard in and the analog audio outputs are a noisy mess.
WTF
So ring the shop and sure enough all sold out now and not available again for 3 months 
(not really funny but may as well laugh)
I think the synth gods are trying to tell me something here
Also as expected no way to utilise the pristine 10 digital outputs via USB in my DAW without selecting the MODX as the audio interface.
Such a waste, and such a shame you are forced to use the 2 analog outs if using an alternative audio interface 
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you in australia and did you buy from store dj?
Yes and yes
the yamaha packaging is bullet proof --was box dropped?
Box looked intact
Not double boxed like some gear though
Who knows what happened??
they should give you a montage 6 instead as compo if you asked nicely
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I posted the unit back on the same day, and as they are out of stock till mid January I am getting a full refund.
I only messed around with it for about an hour or so, and this was far from ideal as I had to use headphones as the analog outs were fugged.
I never use headphones so it was a little hard to judge and compare the sound quality.
I have ridiculously good monitors so I was more than pissed I couldn’t hear the synth through those.
I quickly searched for the most extreme, twisted and abstract FM patches I could find. I must admit I was extremely impressed with what I briefly found.
It’s no secret this is the most powerful hardware FM synth on the planet and it shows.
Some of the sounds are so complex, evolving and harmonically rich it is quite staggering. Didn’t have time to look into programming at all, but the touch screen at least seems adequate and responsive enough.
As expected the sample based AWM2 stuff is just ok.
If you use something like Omnisphere this side of the synth is pretty redundant
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Great idea. I will ask nicely 
they should do it i think for the same price considering what happened
Here’s another funny one.
So I return the synth to Store DJ and get my money back due to Yamaha out of stock till February.
So a day later was about to order another one from another store when dude from Store DJ rings saying they suddenly have one in stock.
I thought sweet so placed the order with them again.
So a few days pass and no news on the synth being posted?
So I ring Store DJ and dude looks into it, and it turns out the synth that I ordered again is actually my damaged synth that I had just returned the day before.
Got my money back again. Love it 
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How can people answer a question about durability of a feature that they have only had a short time to test? Yamaha has a pretty good reputation with their stuff, so why would anyone assume it won’t be reasonably durable?
Do Kontakt or Omnisphere have a way you can use your samples as operators in FM algorithms? IIRC, that is one of the unique aspects of the SY77. Either way, I can say I’ve never heard anyone use Kontakt or Omnisphere to create the kinds of sounds I’ve heard out of SYs or TGs, so maybe it’s how it all fits together that is important?
You’re too late. Discussion already resolved.
Derp, thought it was a reply to my 2nd post. Nm.
You do realise AWM2 is the sample based part of the synth, not the FM-X engine side of the synth?
And yes the alternative sample based synths mentioned are more powerful and potentially sound better.
As for FM-X not loading samples, as Richard Devine says, ‘just give me sine waves and I can do anything’
Yes, I am talking about how they were combined in RCM in the SY77. I’m not asking if Kontakt or Omnisphere are more powerful, I’m asking if they have can replicate this functionality. I have not looked into whether this has carried over to the MODX.
Of course there was nothing I didn’t like, I’m trying to sell it here mate 
Ok to very quickly summarise.
What I like is the real diversity of the sounds onboard. It’s like omnisphere in a keyboard really, though it has the advantage over omnisphere of instant and seamless patch changing (you will wait a few seconds for patches to load with omnisphere).
The fm-x engine is crazy powerful and some of the patches are quite amazing. Evolving pads, soundscapes, plucks, mallets, percussive sounds, you name it they’re all here, and are crystal clear and very dynamic sounding.
There are some really good patches onboard of both AWM2 and fm-x engines.
The effects are pretty good also. The touch screen is the best I have used on a hardware synth as well.
Now to the bad. I have heard a few people say they only use presets on synths and for these people I honestly couldn’t recommend a better synth I think.
The problem is I am the exact opposite. The first thing I do when I sit down at a synth is hit the ‘init patch’ button, then start designing sounds from scratch.
This is where this synth is more hard work than I would have liked.
To program something as powerful as fm-x really could do with at least the extra knobs and sliders as seen on the flagship montage.
The Nord 3/G2 style led rings around the knobs and led indicators on the sliders on the Montage would help greatly as well.
What I was disappointed with as well was the fact the 10 digital USB output channels could only be accessed in your DAW by selecting the MODX as your main audio interface. This wasn’t an option in my studio, forcing me to feed everything out of the 2 analog outs instead.
Would be nice if they had built a VST like Overbridge or Virus TI where you could pipe the USB digital audio in and out of your DAW, independent to your main audio interface.
As I own omnisphere and shit loads of other plugs, and the fact that fm-x is harder work to program than it should be, it just wasn’t for me in the end.
No big surprises though as I knew the editing side was going to be a gamble, and make or break the synth, and was the reason I was so hesitant prior to purchase.
Anyway, it’s an amazing synth. Wanna buy it 
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Wow the 61-key is smaller than I thought.
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This is cute
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