About a year ago I started researching workstations after realizing that I spent more time cursing Kontakt than actually getting any work done (oh, how I miss GigaStudio. Yes, really)

After a few months of research I decided to get either an XF or a Montage so I planned a few trips to the local musical instruments store to try out a Montage. And I liked it. Mostly. Aside from the abysmal touchscreen (not quite Triton levels of bad but still) and sluggish UI (even after disabling all the fancy effects) I actually really liked the quality of the samples and the playability of the voices. But then I noticed that my ears began to hurt a little over an hour after I had started playing and I couldn’t really tell why. During the next few months I had the chance to play and record an XF and after doing that I went back to the Montage to compare the similar voices AND the ones that were ported straight from the XF. After a few minutes going back and forth I noticed that the Montage sounded “artificially” bright when compared to the XF, especially when it comes to the brass instruments and generally anything that resides in the mid-high range. I also noticed literal holes in the low-mids when compared to the XF. I tried to EQ the Montage to the best of my very limited ability but I wasn’t really able to tone the highs down without taking away all the “impact” so to speak.
I asked around but apparently very few people noticed this. What made me get the XF was one guy on YouTube - he had an XF, programmed a few voices for it (both using the ROM and his own samples) and then transferred them to the Montage he just bought a few days earlier. Apparently almost all the ones on the Montage sounded noticeably worse so he just sent it back and kept the XF instead. Not exactly a scientific test but he was also able to confirm the whole thing about the holes in the low-mids.
A few months later (about a month before getting the XF) I had the chance to try a MODX and the same exact thing happened.

So, is there something wrong with the Montage/MODX’s EQ and outputs (I tested both the analog AND the digital outputs on every keyboard) or did I run into not one but two lemons?

I kinda really wanted a Montage, would’ve gladly put up with the UI if it wasn’t for the bright highs.