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Hi,
Selling my Yamaha DM1000 VCM mixing desk.
It’s in great condition.
This is a small portable rack mountable mixing desk.
This comes with the optional meter bridge.
Also fitted with a 16 channel MY16-TD card.
This ideal for connection to a Tascam hard disk recorder.
This is ideal for recording gigs or classical concerts with the ultra clean mic pres.
Sounds fantastic.
Collection from London welcome, or can post.
Good luck bidding!
Yamaha DM1000 VCM
Digital Mixer
Hardware > Mixer
Published January 2004
By Hugh Robjohns
Yamaha pack most of an 02R96 into a unit little bigger than the 01V96. Could this be the ideal console for the quality home studio?
Yamaha, as pioneers of the affordable digital console, have built up a lot of experience both in the underlying technology and in the design ergonomics of compact digital consoles. The original 0-series mixers the 02R, 03D and 01V, as well as derivatives like the AW4416 workstation and its siblings found great favour with amateur, semi-professional and professional alike, across a wide range of applications. For example, the original 02R console can be found in countless theatres, small broadcast vans, post-production areas, video-editing suites, voice-over studios, and well-heeled home studios. The two smaller consoles have established almost as wide a user base.
Photo: Mike CameronHowever, after nearly a decade of market dominance with the 0-series desks, Yamaha moved the goal posts. The DM2000 flagship console, which I reviewed in SOS November 2002, was the first example of the company’s new technology, and this was closely followed by the 02R96, reviewed in SOS October 2002. These two consoles employed the very latest in Yamaha’s bespoke DSP technology and shared very similar internal architectures, the main differences being the amount and nature of I/O interfaces and the size and layout of the control surface itself.
Both the DM2000 and 02R96 offer remarkable value for money and a level of performance that far exceeds all previous digital consoles in their respective price brackets. Every aspect of the digital console has been reviewed and improved: the analogue circuitry, the converters, the DSP architectures and algorithms, the sample rates, the effects processors and algorithms, the internal signal routing, the signal paths and processing, the physical controls and ergonomics, the console footprints, and even the monitoring arrangements all to make a range of consoles to meet and exceed the demands of current and future audio production.Is This The 03D96?
While many of us were expecting an 03D96 to be added to the range, Yamaha chose to launch the fourth member of the family as the DM1000 emphasising the link to the high-end, professional DM2000. As expected, though, this latest console does indeed sit between the 01V96 and 02R96 in marketing terms. It is physically larger than the 01V96 (although still rackmountable), but smaller than the 02R96. The desk’s operational facilities and UK price are also aimed between its two siblings although it must be said that both are rather closer to the 02R96 than the 01V96!
Obviously, if you compare the original 02R with the 02R96 you can see significant advances in the range of facilities provided in the new console. A similar step up can be seen between the 01V and 01V96. But when comparing the 03D to the DM1000, the improvement in facilities is disproportionately larger, and it is clear even after a cursory inspection that the new model is intended to serve in professional environments rather than the home studio. The price differential reflects this observation too so it is important, I think, not to view the DM1000 as an upgraded 03D, but rather as a cut-down 02R96!
Optional Meterbridge
Yamaha DM1000 optional meter bridge.Photo: Mike Cameron
The optional meterbridge, like that for the DM2000, features a large timecode display above eight small bar-graph meters dedicated to the eight main mix busses. The left-hand side of the meterbridge carries sixteen more meters, switched in four banks to show all of the 48 input channels, plus the eight aux sends and eight mix busses. The bank switching normally follows that of the console fader-bank selections, but can be operated independently if required. A separate button selects the meter peak hold mode.Overview
Like its bigger brothers, the DM1000 is a very impressively specified console, offering broadly similar facilities to the 02R96 in a smaller frame including 96kHz sampling without compromising the number of channels or processing facilities. The DM1000 has fewer analogue and digital I/Os than its bigger brother, slightly less DSP power, and a much more compact control surface with fewer physical controls. However, the console also boasts some I/O facilities not seen on other DM-series consoles. It runs a slightly more sophisticated operating system providing several theatre and broadcast-related features as standard that only become available to the DM2000 and 02R96 with a cost upgrade to the new v2 operating system.
One of the consequences of the DM1000’s extremely compact design is that the buttons and controls are placed very close together on the top panel. This makes it quite easy to press buttons accidentally while operating the console you have to be careful not to lean on the mixing layer buttons while using the data dial, for example.Photo: Mike CameronThe physical size of the console is a key element of its design, as a primary design aim was for the console to fit within a 19-inch rack. The result is a surprisingly deep console from front to back, and one which is also pretty tall the dimensions being necessary to cram all of the controls and electronics into the chassis. For the record, it is 436mm in width, 585mm deep, and 200mm high at the back sloping down to about 100mm at the front. If the optional meterbridge is fitted (a very worthwhile addition), the rear height increases to a total of 295mm, and the overall depth to 635mm. The console weighs a substantial 20kg in its basic form the optional meterbridge and wooden side cheeks add further to that figure.
One of the acknowledged weakness of the previous generation of consoles was the quality of the analogue circuitry primarily the mic preamps and this has been comprehensively addressed in the new range. Although cost and space prohibit the DM1000 from using the same superb preamps developed for the DM2000 flagship, similar technology has been used. While it is still possible to find better outboard preamps, the DM1000’s internal offerings are fine and capable performers with nothing to be ashamed about.
Another major improvement introduced with the two larger consoles has been greatly improved ergonomics. However, the far more compact nature of the DM1000 and 01V96 inevitably restricts the number of physical controls, and so the ergonomics are rather more of a compromise. Even so, early impressions would suggest that the DM1000 is easier to operate than the 03D, thanks in part to the trio of EQ knobs, dinky panning joystick, and assignable encoders above every channel fader. The supplied Studio Manager software also enables remote computer-based operation if required, just as with the larger consoles see the review of the 01V96 in SOS August 2003 for full details of how this works.
The supplied Studio Manager software also enables remote computer-based operation if required.Connections & Expansion
The rear panel is divided into four distinct rows of connectors, with the top two rows providing all of the built-in analogue I/O. Sixteen female XLRs on the first row provide access to the electronically balanced inputs, which can accept mic or line signals. Phantom power can be provided individually for each input via top-panel slide switches. Unlike the other consoles in the family, there are no TRS input sockets at all, and no insert points on the channel front ends. Of course, with the sophisticated digital EQ and dynamics available internally on every channel, such insert points are of less use than might otherwise have been the case although the alternative uses in providing direct channel outputs and line-level returns straight into the A-D converters may be missed by some.
Yamaha DM1000 rear panel connections.Photo: Mike Cameron
The second row of connectors is also made up entirely of XLRs. Four more female XLRs are provided for line-level inputs (with fixed gain), referred to as Omni Inputs. These can be allocated as necessary to any console input path, accommodating additional monitor returns, effects returns, analogue insert returns, talkback, and so on. Twelve male XLRs complete the row and provide assignable Omni Outputs, which can once again be freely assigned to carry mono, stereo or surround monitor outputs, main stereo outputs, auxiliary sends, analogue insert sends, or whatever else might be required as an analogue output. The idea of assignable Omni connections first appeared on the original 01V, and the flexibility of this arrangement has proved very successful in practice, enabling a standard, ‘one size fits all’ console to be easily configured to meet a huge range of alternative requirements and working practices.
The third row of connectors incorporates a pair of mini-YGDAI card slots. Whereas the earlier YGDAI cards only supported eight channels in and out, Yamaha has recently launched some new digital I/O cards providing 16 channels, and all of the new quartet of digital desks are able to make full use of the additional I/O capacity. So a pair of 16-channel cards can potentially add a further 32 channels of digital I/O to the desk (at 48kHz sample rates), or sixteen channels at 96kHz rates. Not only are Yamaha’s range of mini-YGDAI cards usable with the DM1000, but the Waves Y56K DSP effects card and Apogee AP8AD and AP8DA interfaces are also fully compatible. On the third connector level, alongside the YGDAI slots, is a compact power-supply heat sink. There is no cooling fan in the DM1000 (hurray!) this is a totally silent console so the heat sink does get quite warm after prolonged use.
The bottom row of rear-panel connectors contains the rest of the digital I/O, along with various remote-control facilities. Starting on the left is a power button and IEC mains inlet. A D-Sub connector provides a dedicated meterbridge port, and a larger D-Sub socket accesses the GPIO (General Purpose Input and Output) facilities. These GPIOs consist of four contact closure inputs for remote control of various desk functions (such as a remote talkback enable facility), and eight switched outputs to control external facilities (like fader starts and ‘mic open’ lights). The handbook lists 155 different parameters that can be activated via the GPIs, including monitor source selections, monitor dim, talkback, channel on/off, buss and aux on/off, and the twelve user-defined button functions. On the output side, there are some 221 possible trigger sources to generate GPOs, such as open channel, buss, and aux faders, the twelve user-defined buttons, remote record transport mode, and when the console is powered. That little lot should make integrating the desk into a small broadcast, post-production or theatrical installation very straightforward indeed, with comprehensive functionality that normally requires a great deal of external bodgery!
Connecting the DM1000 to a PC via USB lets you control the mixer using Yamaha’s Studio Manager software.Photo: Mike CameronThe DM1000 is also equipped with a Sony nine-pin P2 serial remote control port for external machines, and an XLR timecode input for the dynamic automation. A pair of five-pin DIN sockets caters for MIDI In and Out, while a USB port links to a host PC or Mac for remote control from the Studio Manager software. In addition, this USB port can be used to drive DAW software such as Digidesign Pro Tools or Steinberg Nuendo from the desk’s faders and other controls. A pair of BNCs look after word-clock input and output, while two digital two-track interfaces are catered for: one via AES-EBU interfaces and the second on S/PDIF interfaces.
User-defined Buttons
The buttons grouped in the bottom right-hand corner of the control panel are the 12 user-defined keys, plus an associated Menu Display button. The handbook lists 205 possible functions which can be allocated to any of these keys, and up to eight separate banks of keys can be programmed, enabling different function sets to be recalled for different tasks. Options include recalling settings from the various EQ, dynamics, channel, patch and effects libraries; muting each of the surround monitor outputs; enabling/disabling fader and mute groups; various automix functions; oscillator on/off; channel parameter copy and past functions (very useful!); external MIDI Program Change messages; machine transport controls and track arming; and a host of DAW transport, edit and mixer functions.
Although immensely flexible and powerful, once again, many of these functions can be ‘mission critical’ and the positioning of the user-defined buttons does make them rather prone to accidental pressing while mixing or operating other desk controls. It’s a great facility, but the ergonomics aren’t quite all they could be here.Surface Ergonomics
Although far smaller and with fewer physical controls, much of the operation of the control surface is similar to that of the larger consoles. Indeed, the family resemblance makes it easy to navigate given any previous experience either of the larger consoles or even of the previous-generation of desks. So rather than repeat myself too much, I would encourage you to refer back to reviews of the DM2000 and 02R96 for more information about the operational paradigms.
In terms of the number of channels, the DM1000 can be thought of as half a DM2000 it embodies 48 mixing channels (controlled by seventeen touch-sensitive motorised long-throw faders arranged in three fader layers) instead of the 96 channels and 25 faders provided by its big brother. However, in almost every other respect the console is more closely related to the 02R96 (which boasts 56 mixing channels, incidentally) sharing the same complement of eight auxiliary sends, four internal effects processors and 16 mic inputs. However, while the DM1000 is provided with just two YGDAI slots, the 02R96 features four and the DM2000 has six.
Across the top of the control surface are all the non-automated channel controls relating to the analogue inputs: phantom power switches, pads, gain controls and overload LEDs, plus talkback and headphone level controls. Pretty much everything else on the console relates to the digital processing, and can be automated, stored and recalled in some way. The familiar blue monochrome LCD screen dominates the centre of the control surface, with four function buttons plus left/right scroll keys along the lower edge, and high-resolution stereo bar-graph meters running up the right-hand side.
To the left is an array of sixteen buttons which, in typical Yamaha fashion, accesses various menu display screens directly, such as the automix facilities, input and output patches, digital I/O configuration, panning and surround functions, and so on. A section of nine buttons below enable the control and configuration of the eight auxiliary busses, and below those five more buttons determine the operating mode for the channel encoder knobs and the faders themselves. The encoders can be switched to control one of three things: pan; the currently selected aux send level; or Assign, which can be any one of 49 different channel parameters. For example, should you often need to adjust the compressor threshold, or the channel delay, or the front divergence, any of these parameters can be accessed by simply selecting the Assign mode, bringing the required parameter to the encoder knob. It’s not as user-friendly as a complete assignable control panel la DM2000, but it is very versatile and enables the job to be done perfectly well nine times out of ten. The faders can be assigned to control the normal channel level or the currently selected aux send level.Channel Controls
Above each fader are three buttons: Sel, Solo and On. The functions of the last two will be obvious, and the Sel button, for anyone unfamiliar with Yamaha consoles, selects the corresponding channel for Automix recording and playback, channel pairing, and configuration of fader, mute, EQ and Dynamics groups. In addition, this button causes the LCD screen to display that channel’s parameters.
A built-in joystick makes surround panning on the DM1000 a breeze.Photo: Mike CameronOver to the right of the display screen is a grid of ten routing buttons, used to allocate each channel’s output to any of the eight busses, main stereo output, or the corresponding direct output. Next to these are the only other encoder knobs on the console Q, Frequency and Gain with buttons to allocate these controls to the high, high mid-range, low mid-range or low EQ bands. A miniature joystick is also provided for surround-panning duties, and despite its small size it enables surprisingly accurate control and positioning. My only complaint and this extends for almost all of the console’s buttons is that it is very easy to press a button while operating or adjusting something else. The most annoying was when adjusting the data wheel the heel of my hand often rested on the fader layer selector buttons, often changing the fader bank unintentionally! This is a consequence of the densely packed control surface and, although firmer buttons might help, it is hard to see any real way around the problem besides familiarity with the desk and taking more care!
Below the routing and EQ control section are the familiar Scene Memory selection buttons and numeric display, while to the right on the outside edge of the desk are the four menu navigation buttons, increment/decrement buttons, data wheel and Enter key. The monitoring section immediately above provides source selection keys for the main stereo buss, both of the digital returns (one of which can be assigned to a pair of Omni inputs instead if an analogue replay source is required), and the surround sound buss outs or slot returns. There are further buttons to clear selected channel solos, dim the monitoring and activate the internal talkback system, and a Display key provides direct access to the control-room monitoring configuration menu options. The monitoring level is controlled by a large and easy-to-find rotary knob.
Filling up the last of the panel space adjacent to the main stereo output fader are two more arrays of buttons. The top group determine the fader layer: channels 1-16, 17-32 and 33-48, plus two layers for remote control and the master layer (eight aux send masters and eight mix buss masters). The two remote layers can be set up to control the faders, switches and other functions of a USB-connected DAW or any MIDI-controllable device the desk is pre-configured to control Pro Tools and Nuendo systems directly. Although rather tedious to program, the faders, On buttons and encoders can be set up to generate any required MIDI messages to control alternative DAWs, external MIDI effects units, synths, or pretty much anything else, making this a very powerful and flexible feature. I even managed (after a considerable time) to program the faders and buttons to control my Drawmer DC2476 mastering processor via MIDI, providing real-time control of the input and output levels, multi-band compressor thresholds and release times, stereo width and so on.
Furthermore, the remote layers can be configured to control a specific subset of channel, aux master and buss master faders in any desired order. So, for example, you could create a fader layer that provided real or VCA-style subgroups of certain channels, alongside some specific channels, with a couple of aux outputs alongside those. This kind of flexibility is ideal for theatre, live sound and broadcast applications. Although it requires a clear head to configure, it is immensely powerful and practical top marks to Yamaha for having the foresight to include such functionality.The DM1000 In Action
The DM1000 is very easy to navigate and, although highly configurable, it is simple to customise either on the console or off-line using the Studio Manager software. In many ways I think the new operating concept of this latest range of consoles is even more intuitive than the previous generation. Although the larger consoles undoubtedly benefit from far better ergonomic design, and less need to drive the desk through its LCD screen, the DM1000 is a joy to use for recording and post-production, and I would even be confident running a live theatre show or broadcast with it something I wouldn’t have been very happy about with the 03D!
Since the underlying software is the same (or at least very similar to) the other family consoles, the DM1000 shares many of the same advantages and disadvantages. For example, the lack of dedicated high-pass and low-pass filters in the EQ is disappointing, given the amount of DSP available here. Another disappointment (and one which applies to all the desks) is that you can’t patch mini-YGDAI card inputs straight through to mini-YGDAI outputs. You can dial up the aux, buss and stereo master outputs, any of the channel, buss and aux insert sends, surround and control-room monitoring outputs, and cascade busses but not the card slot inputs!
So why would you want such a thing? Well, with 32 digital I/Os potentially available through the card slots, the console is the central hub for all digital replay and record sources. It would therefore be useful, for example, to be able to patch one machine directly to another via the console’s YGDAI interfaces, without having to go through the desk channels. Indeed, the desk could even be used to mix or record using other sources and outputs at the same time while making a clone backup tape in the background! Such a facility would add a lot to the versatility of the console, and by recalling different patch memories equipment could be interconnected in lots of ways very quickly and easily. Of course, it may be that the console has not been engineered in such a way that this kind of facility can be implemented, but a high-quality 32 x 32 router (such as the Z-Sys Detangler) costs roughly 4000 in the UK, so having this kind of facility built into the console would make it even more cost-effective and versatile. One for the software boffins to work on, hopefully.
As far as sound quality is concerned, I have nothing to complain about here. The mic amps might be simplified versions of those in the DM2000, but they certainly sound respectably quiet and clean, with a neutral overall character. While I would probably still reach for an outboard preamp when seeking to add a little character to a recording, or where I need unusually high gain, I have no qualms over the internal preamps for general recording duties, which I wouldn’t have said for the previous 0-series consoles.
I still find the new Type II EQ to be a useful improvement over the original Type I, and I gather that the algorithm has been designed to emulate the parallel-band processing structure of many analogue equalisers. The Type I implementation employs a serial structure, and the way in which the different bands interact when working in parallel and serial sounds very different the parallel mode sounds more natural and analogue-like to me, and I need less gain to achieve the desired effect.Small But Powerful
I am extremely impressed with this desk. It has the same quality and features (in only a little less quantity) as its two bigger brothers, but with a much smaller footprint and with a significantly lower UK price tag. Of course, the smaller size compromises the control-surface ergonomics, and the price tag is still a very big step up from the 01V96 (and indeed, the old 03D) but the fact remains that this is still an immensely powerful and usable desk, which represents astonishing value for money. It is clearly aimed at the professional market those with 02R96 aspirations, but with only half the budget allocation, perhaps! as can be seen from the all-XLR interfacing and P2 serial remote-control facilities, for example.
This console would be absolutely ideal in on-line video-editing and post-production suites, theatres, small broadcast studios and OB vans, mobile recording setups and, yes, aspirational home studios. Like many readers, I have waited a frustratingly long time to get my hands on the DM1000, having already been bowled over with the DM2000 and 02R96. I have to say that the wait has been worthwhile and I can find nothing here that disappoints (given the compromises that are inherent in the design aims of the desk) and a great deal that’s very impressive! The desk is fast and simple to configure and operate, amazingly well equipped and versatile, and the Studio Manager software ices the cake to perfection, providing the facility for intuitive off-line configuration as well as on-line control and display.
With the promise of an imminent software update to accommodate the new plug-in effects processors as well, this really is a fantastic product which redefines the expectations for this sector of the market, just as its bigger brothers have already done for the sectors above it. Those expecting a simple 03D replacement (and I was one of them!) may be disappointed at the relatively high price of the DM1000, but the console is far, far more than an 03D and easily justifies its asking price. I’m trying desperately to resist the urge to own one for my bank manager’s sake but I just know I’m going to lose the fight. I can hardly wait!
Options & PricingDM1000 digital mixer, 4083.13MB1000 meterbridge, 734.38
ANALOGUE MINI-YGDAI INTERFACESMY8AD96 eight-channel 24-bit/96kHz analogue input card, 359MY8DA96 eight-channel 24-bit/96kHz analogue output card, 329MY8AD24 eight-channel 24-bit analogue input card, 289MY4AD four-channel 20-bit analogue input card, 209MY4DA four-channel 20-bit analogue output card, 209
DIGITAL MINI-YGDAI INTERFACESMY16AT sixteen-channel ADAT I/O card 299MY16AE sixteen-channel AES-EBU I/O card 449MY16TD sixteen-channel TDIF I/O card 299MY8AE96 eight-channel AES-EBU 24-bit/96kHz I/O card, 369MY8AE96S eight-channel AES-EBU 24-bit/96kHz I/O card with sample-rate conversion, 479MY8AT eight-channel ADAT I/O card, 219MY8AE eight-channel AES-EBU I/O card, 209MY8TD eight-channel TDIF I/O card, 209MY8mLAN mLAN interface card, 379
All prices include VAT.Yamaha Digital Mixer Upgrades
v2 OS Upgrades & Effects
Hardware > MixerSoftware > Effect, Processor
Published June 2005
By Hugh Robjohns
The REVX ‘Hall’ reverb in the AE031 Reverb package (above), as seen in version 2 of Studio Manager, and (right) the detailed mixer channel view from the same application.
Not content with offering some of the most fully featured digital mixers in the world, Yamaha have now upgraded them, and are offering extra effects packs to further expand their capabilities.
The march of progress blurs many a once-distinct boundary, and it’s no different in recording studios. Until about a decade ago, audio recorders and mixing control surfaces traditionally had separate roles in professional studios, but the digitisation of audio has meant that the two functions have become increasingly intertwined in the form of the DAW, or digital audio workstation. Computer-based DAWs with graphical mixing facilities, and hardware mixers with built-in hard disk-based recorders, are now the norm. Indeed, even these two forms of audio production system are gradually converging, as computer-based systems incorporate sophisticated hardware controllers based on the proven ergonomics of traditional consoles, and hardware platforms adopt the computer practice of software upgrades and elaborate third-party plug-in signal-processing options.
Which is exactly what this review is about: Yamaha, who are famed for their affordable and fully-featured digital mixers, have now introduced a range of optional software plug-in effects processors for their current (third) generation of digital consoles. The mixers, which comprise the 01V96, 02R96, DM1000 and DM2000 desks, are powered by Yamaha’s own highly evolved dedicated DSP chips, and the current DSP7 version bestows on these consoles sufficient computing power to retain the full suite of facilities and channels, even when operating at 96kHz sample rates. Equally bespoke and highly optimised DSP6 processors are used to power the built-in digital effects, such as reverb, and once again there is a significant capability here, easily able to operate more sophisticated algorithms than those shipped as standard.
At the beginning of this year Yamaha released version 2 operating software for all of their recent 0- and DM-series consoles, and all of the v1 console OSs can be upgraded as a cost option. You pay your Yamaha dealer the fee (219 in the UK) and receive in exchange a CD-ROM with the upgrade. You then need to hook up your desk to a USB-equipped computer, insert the CD, and follow the instructions. Once you’ve carried out the main chargeable upgrade from OS v1 to v2, all further updates can be downloaded free from Yamaha’s Pro Audio web site (see www.yamahaproaudio.com/download/index.htm). The exception to this process is the 01V96, for which even the basic v2 upgrade is free; it can be downloaded from the same web site at no cost. For the record, the current v2 software versions at the time of writing were v2.13 for the DM2000 and 02R96, and v2.04 for the DM1000 and 01V96. Yamaha’s Studio Manager software has also been updated to v2.11, and there is an upgraded USB MIDI driver for Windows XP platforms (v2.13). Incidentally, for those desk owners who don’t wish to pay to upgrade, it’s worth mentioning that Yamaha have not abandoned their v1 users in the rush to develop the v2 software. Recent bug-fixes were issued for the DM1000 as v1.07 software, and as v1.23 for the DM2000 and 02R96 desks. The latest v1 software for the 01V96 remains v1.03.
All new 0- and DM-series consoles are being shipped with the current v2 software, and for most v1 users, upgrading would be a pragmatic and cost-effective decision. Aside from various minor bug-fixes, the new v2 software adds significant new features and facilities to these consoles while streamlining the operation of several existing features in particular expanding the console’s versatility and suitability for applications such as theatre and broadcast in addition to the recording and post-production mainstays. More importantly, though, the v2 software opens the door to Yamaha’s new range of optional Add-on Effects packs.
This review is based around a DM1000 console running the latest software in all respects, linked to a Windows XP laptop which handled the upgrades and ran Studio Manager.
DM1000 v2
The DM1000 console was the last desk in the 0-/DM-series to be launched, and as a result the original v1 incarnation benefited from the inclusion of several features that only appeared with v2 software in the two larger consoles for example, the mix-minus facility generated using the Aux busses. However, the v2 upgrade still brings around 25 new features to the DM1000, in addition to the support for the Plug-in Effects packs. Similarly, the v2 Studio Manager update has several key new features.This review was carried out using the upgraded version 2 OS on the DM1000.Photo: Mike Cameron
Among the new console facilities is the ability to assign the channel Encoder knobs to operate the fader level of the alternate fader layer (in addition to all of the existing assignment options), and the pre-fade source for the aux sends can now be switched before or after the channel mute button. The routing of paired channels to the stereo buss can also be linked to make the operation more logical and quicker. Version 2 also enhances the Solo functionality. The Aux Buss Select buttons can be configured to operate the Aux solo mode (instead of having to switch to the Master fader layer), pre-fade channel listens can operate in stereo to reflect the channel panning, and raising a fader from the end stop can automatically cancel the channel PFL solo mode.
The monitoring section has been upgraded to allow simultaneous monitoring of stereo sources: the two external digital stereo inputs and the desk’s stereo output can all be mixed together, if required. Likewise, the Buss and Slot sources can be monitored simultaneously when working in surround. The console’s comprehensive bass-management facilities now incorporate THX-approved presets, giving standard settings for DVD, film and music production. There is also a new facility to reset the monitoring level to a predefined volume nominally the cinema-standard 85dB SPL, but in practice any required house standard level.
A new function has been introduced to simulate conventional VCA-style fader operation, called Fader Group Master. With this mode turned on, the level of all channels assigned to a fader group can be offset from their actual fader levels (but while maintaining their relative levels) by using the virtual group master fader. A mute group master function has been added as well, and the user-defined keys can be used to assign selected channels to fader or mute groups. It is also possible to assign the user-defined keys to switch between the various windows of the Studio Manager software remotely.
The Scene Memory functions have been extended, with the ability to copy entire channel or selected parameter settings from the current scene and paste them into other scene memories. The list of parameters that can be protected with the Recall Safe function has been supplemented with the channel delay and channel routing settings, and the monitoring section has been added to the list of facilities protected by the Operation Lock Safe function.
The Automix system now has the ability to insert static mix parameters between specified In and Out points of the Automix data for example, to insert a new EQ setting over a specified time span. A new Overwrite mode also allows all selected channel parameters to be punched in and out simply by touching the relevant faders.
Finally, the v2 software can now remotely control Yamaha’s AD8HR A-D converters and Steinberg’s Cubase SX (as a Remote Layer target), and the front-panel joystick can be assigned to the surround-panning functions in Pro Tools. The desk can also be controlled remotely from a video editor using the industry-standard ESAM protocol a function that many video houses have apparently been waiting for.
All in all, a lot of useful new and improved functionality has been introduced, all of it detailed clearly in a new handbook supplied in the upgrade pack. This new edition boasts nearly a dozen more pages than the original and an entire new chapter covering the new ESAM functions. Similar but even more extensive enhancements have been made to the other DM- and 0-series consoles, but rather than list them all here I will refer you to the PDF documents on one of Yamaha’s many web sites which detail the specific information relating to each console check out: www.yamahaproaudio.com/download/catalog_lib/d_mixers/down.htm.Add-on Effects
While the v2 upgrade brings many useful benefits of its own (see the box on the previous page for examples of what installing the v2 OS did for the review DM1000, for example), its real raison d’tre is the embedded support for the Add-on Effects packs, of which three were available at the time of writing, with two more anticipated shortly. The three packs reviewed here are the AE011 Channel Strip package (providing two mono and two stereo compressors, plus a six-band equaliser), the AE021 Master Strip package (containing four tape-machine emulations that can be mixed and matched), and the AE031 Reverb package (which brings Yamaha’s most sophisticated REVX technology to the consoles with hall, room and plate algorithms).
Two additional packs which weren’t yet available for review when this was written were the AE041 Surround Post package and the AE051 Vintage Stomp Box, which recreates three classic Phaser effects pedals. The Surround Post pack is intended for sophisticated film and TV post-production applications, and includes an early-reflections generator with source-position tracking, a Doppler shift system to modulate the pitch of a source moving around the surround-sound stage, and a program which allows the entire spatial field to be rotated. This optional pack cannot be used on the 01V96 console, because it has no surround-capable effects facilities.
The new Add-on effects packs are based upon three innovative Yamaha technologies. ‘Virtual Circuit Modelling’ (or VCM) is used for the Channel Strip, Master Strip and forthcoming Vintage Stomp Box plug-ins, and the idea is that by modelling every aspect of an analogue electronic circuit, its sonic nuances can be emulated precisely. This origins of this VCM technology are to be found in Yamaha’s first physical modelling synths, the VL1 and VP1, released in 1994. The early modelling techniques were developed by a team of Yamaha engineers led by Toshifumi Kunimoto in what became known within Yamaha as ‘K’s Lab.’ The R&D work continued, and for the last few years it has been focused on the modelling of analogue circuits (instead of acoustic instruments) with a view to emulating classic analogue signal processing.
Virtual Circuit Modelling technology has now reached the stage where it can emulate every key parameter and nuance, not only of electronic components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors and so on, but also of complex inductive devices like tape heads, transformers and even magnetic tape. In fact, a lot of the R&D effort has been expended on modelling the subtle magnetic saturation effects that are such an integral element of a lot of analogue audio systems.
The Surround Post pack will apparently employ another set of modelling techniques: Yamaha’s innovative Interactive Spatial Sound Processing (iSSP) technology. The idea here is to produce precise simulations of real acoustic spaces by using modelling to accurately predict reflections and decays, taking into account a specified room shape, surface materials, and the directivity of the sound sources. This is supplemented with further processing which uses source position data to generate distance-related decay and pitch characteristics, providing precise imaging information and even doppler shifts as a mono source is panned around, for example.
The Reverb pack uses the sophisticated REVX algorithms which were first introduced in Yamaha’s top-of-the-line SPX2000 multi-effects unit. This system represents the current state-of-the-art in reverb from the Yamaha stable, and broadly equates to the top-flight systems from Lexicon and TC Electronic.
Each of these plug-in effects packs is supplied in the form of a CD-ROM, with an Installation Guide. The effects algorithms themselves are already embedded in the console’s v2 software, and the CD-ROM is essentially a means of authorising and enabling the relevant software components. The authorisation process requires a computer with Internet access linked to the console via USB, and each Add-on effects pack is authorised for use on that specific console via Yamaha’s web site. If you want to load a pack onto a different console, you must disable it on the first console, cancelling the authorisation via the web site, before attempting to load and re-authorise it on a second desk.
I found this whole enabling and authorising process painless and fairly quick, and was able to activate and license all three current Add-on effects packs easily within 15 minutes. Once authorised, the relevant effects appear in the console’s effects library (starting at position 53), and the desired effects can then be routed and applied within the console as required. Most of the effects reviewed here are probably best used as an insert into a channel, group or master, but the reverbs will obviously be more appropriately used within an effects send and return loop.
Of course, it is the console’s dedicated effects processors that are used for these plug-in effects, so the number of plug-ins that can be used at any one time will depend on the quantity of effects processors available in the console four in the case of the DM1000 and 02R96, and eight in the case of the DM2000 although all can be used at any sampling rate up to 96kHz without limitation.
The 01V96 is more limited, however, offering four effects at standard sample rates but only two at double rates. Nor does it have any provision for dedicated surround effects, whereas both the DM1000 and 02R96 can run a single surround effect in addition to three mono/stereo effects. The top-of-the-range DM2000, meanwhile, can run two surround effects and six mono/stereo effects.
All of the selected plug-in effects parameters can be controlled from the console’s LCD screen in the usual way, just as for any other internal effect. Alternatively, they can be controlled remotely from the Studio Manager software, using either the generic Effects Editor window, or the bespoke and very attractive graphical interfaces provided for each of the new effects within the version 2 Studio Manager software, screenshots of which you can see throughout this article.AE011 Channel Strip
The Channel Strip package provides three effects two compressors and a stereo six-band EQ all modelled from classic analogue devices dating back to the 1970s, with the effect’s name and graphical interface giving fairly generous clues as what has been modelled… but without risking copyright litigation! Each of the compressors is available in dual-channel, mono and stereo forms, giving a total of five effects in all. These appear in the Effects Library in positions 53 to 57.
‘Compressor 276’.
‘Compressor 276’ and ‘Compressor 276S’ (dual-mono and stereo forms respectively) are modelled on an FET-based compressor with a fast, peak-acting response reminiscent of a Urei 1176 (2-76 geddit?). The controls are typically simple, with input- and output-level attenuators, Attack and Release controls, and a ratio control that can be switched between 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 20:1 settings. There is also an automatic gain make-up option, and a high-pass filter for the side-chain to restrict the amount of compression applied to powerful low-frequency signals. The stereo version uses a single set of controls to configure both channels, whereas the dual-mono version has two complete sets of independent parameters and the desk’s own internal routing allows the dual-mono compressor to be applied to any required channels.
If the input level is raised, the sound thickens up nicely in a distinctly analogue way, with a subtle but detectable saturation effect. The compressor offers plenty of punchy dynamic control, and is ideal for smoothing out bass guitar lines, helping to fatten up drum parts, and tightening vocals much the same purposes that suit a classic 1176, in fact. Compared to the standard desk channel compressor, the 276 plug-in sounds less clinical, transparent or precise. It introduces a distinct character and thickness to the sound which worked well in appropriate situations and certainly reminded me of the classic 1176 effect.
It may sound odd, but I found this compressor easier and more precise to control from the console’s LCD screen. Having said that, the Studio Manager graphic is very attractive and presents the control information clearly, complete with useful analogue-style metering offering signal-level or gain-reduction displays. Adjusting the controls with a mouse on the computer screen seemed cumbersome compared to the LCD and data wheel of the console, but I dare say practice and a larger screen than the 13-inch one on my laptop would help.’Compressor 260′ from the AE011 Channel Strip.
The ‘Compressor 260’ (dual mono) and ‘Compressor 260S’ (stereo) plug-ins are undoubtedly based on the old Dbx 260 VCA-based compressor. Again, the stereo model provides a single set of user controls whereas the dual-mono version has two independent sets. This compressor features RMS level detection and has an adjustable knee characteristic with soft, medium and hard options. The Ratio control offers extremely precise settings, starting at a very gentle 1.05:1 and increasing with astonishing resolution all the way to a genuine infinity:1. Other controls include Threshold, Output Level, and the usual Attack and Release times.
The RMS detection and adjustable knee used here gives a very different kind of response to that of ‘Compressor 276’, providing for some very smooth compression effects if required. I found ‘260’ worked well as a stereo compressor on complete mixes, and I also used it to bring out the room character of distant drum miking. It was also very controllable on individual sources, especially guitars and keyboards, maintaining control without becoming distracted by occasional transients.
‘Equaliser 601’ also from AE011.
The final offering in this pack is the stereo ‘Equaliser 601’, the graphical interface for which looks remarkably like an old Neve rackmount EQ unit. This effect can be switched between Clean and Drive modes, the latter providing a much higher internal signal level which results in significant but musical saturation artefacts.
The EQ provides high and low shelf bands (with switchable slopes, and alternatively configurable as high- and low-pass filters), plus four fully parametric mid bands all with separate Bypass buttons. The mid band sections all offer up to 18dB of cut or boost, with variable Q from 0.5 to 16, and centre frequencies spanning 16Hz to 20kHz (and up to 40kHz in 96kHz sampling mode). An inherent part of most analogue filter designs is the interaction between bands, and Yamaha have ensured that this modelling emulation behaves in the same way which you can see from the very clear graphical interface within Studio Manager (see page 183).
In fact, this graphical display allows the frequency response to be adjusted either by clicking on the control knobs, or by dragging nodes on the response chart itself. There is also a very useful ‘Flat’ button to cancel previous EQ settings.
I have become rather attached to this EQ, and in many ways, it’s a shame that I can only access four stereo instances of it on the DM1000 it would be fantastic if it was available on every channel as standard! Not only is it superb for gentle musical tweaking and shaping, it also serves well for most surgical duties, and in the Drive mode it can add a welcome analogue-like richness and body to suitable sounds if the input knob is cranked up a bit. Unlike so many digital EQs, I found when running at 96kHz sample rates that this one was able to add the kind of ‘air’ or sparkle that is the hallmark of a good analogue EQ.AE021 Master Strip
I thought the modelling was impressive in the Channel Strip package, but I was completely blown away when I first saw and heard this one! The Master Strip pack provides ‘Open Deck’ simulations (effects program 58) which recreate the typical analogue circuitry and magnetic tape characteristics of four different open-reel tape recorders, two kinds of tape, and two tape speeds all of which influence the sound in important ways, of course.
The recorders that have been emulated so carefully are three Studer machines, the A80 MkI, A80 MkIV and A820 (identified as ‘Swiss 70’, ‘Swiss 78’ and ‘Swiss 85’ respectively), plus the American Ampex ATR100 (called ‘American 70’ here). The two types of tape are modelled on new BASF and older Ampex formulations.
One of the three Studer tape machine emulations. This one is based upon the A80 MkI.
The effect is a stereo-in, stereo-out patch, and in setting it up you can choose which recorder model to use for the record electronics, and which for the replay, in addition to selecting new or old tape and 15 or 30ips ‘tape speeds’. On the record side, controls are provided to adjust the virtual high-frequency equalisation, the bias level and the overall record drive, while on the replay side there are high- and low-frequency equalisers, plus replay gain. For convenience, the record and replay gains can be linked with an Auto Make-up mode to maintain consistent output signal levels regardless of the amount of drive applied to the tape.
I found the differences between the various vintage recorder electronics very subtle, but changing the tape type and speed, the record drive level and especially the bias control really did alter the sound in precisely the way I would expect a real recorder to behave. There are lots of digital emulations of analogue tape recorders around, with varying degrees of success, but I found this one to be particularly accurate, controllable and easy to set up.
Here’s the Ampex ATR100 modelled open-reel recorder from the AE021 Mastering Strip package.
The transient crushing effect is delicate but perfectly judged, as is the gentle response-rounding at both frequency extremes, and the finesse with which the sound can be tailored is remarkable. And if the sound quality is not enough on its own, the graphical interface in the Studio Manager is pure joy, complete with whirling tape reels, waggling meters and dented face plates!
This is not an effect that should be overdone, of course, although Yamaha’s are more subtle than many similar systems I have heard. When used across the main stereo output as a mastering process, where some gentle analogue rounding and warming is required, I found the Open Deck modelling to be virtually as creative and effective as the real thing, but a lot easier and more flexible to set up and maintain; all the sonic benefit without the chore of cleaning heads and rollers! Analogue die-hards will have to try hard to find fault, but digital converts will enjoy using this plug-in very much indeed.
Studio Manager v2 Improvements
The Fader Layer window in Studio Manager v2. The version 2 edition of Studio Manager boasts several new features, as well as some worthy updates to the existing functionality. For example, it can now support multiple different hardware products, with multiple control windows open at the same time. Control windows can also be opened and closed from the console via the user-defined keys.
The Patch Editor window can now be resized, physical port names can be listed and edited, and patches can be set up by using the mouse to click on the appropriate crosspoints. There is now an Effect Patch window to show the ins and outs corresponding to each effects processor.
The Fader Layer window can be customised to show or hide various channel parameters (see screenshot, right), and the numeric value of fader levels can be shown. The Master fader section may be shown in a separate window, and there is now an option to view User Assignable layers and Fader Group Masters. A set of more detailed meter options has also been added (a new Meter window shows all the meter displays at once), and you can jump to a selected channel window by double-clicking on a Channel’s ID label.
Other key new features include a new Automix Library window, an upgraded Surround Editor window which now supports 6.1 working, and an upgraded Effects Editor window which incorporates the bespoke interfaces for the Add-on effects packs.AE031 Reverb
The final review package ports Yamaha’s REVX algorithms into the 0- and DM-series consoles. There are three stereo-in, stereo-out algorithms Hall, Room, and Plate which occupy effects library positions 59 to 61. Each program can be comprehensively tweaked via either conventional control parameter knobs on the desk LCD or Studio Manager ‘s generic Effects Editor window, or via the graphical display screen within Studio Manager, (shown at the head of this review).
The REVX ‘Plate’ setting provides a brighter and relatively straightforward reverb character, while the ‘Room’ and ‘Hall’ settings recreate spacious but detailed acoustic spaces, with well-defined early reflections which create believable environments. Within a mix, these reverbs sit very nicely indeed, adding space and perspective to individual sounds without clogging up the natural spaces between instruments in the way that so many less accomplished reverb algorithms do.Conclusions
The three new Add-on effects all introduce useful and impressive features to the 0- and DM-series consoles. Clearly, given the nature of the effects and processing provided, and that the number of effects useable at any one time is limited, these plug-in effects are intended to be used mainly for final mix sweetening rather than on a track-by-track basis.
The compressors and EQ all work superbly well and offer a useful range of facilities and characters, with a distinctly analogue sonic quality. The open-reel plug-in is intriguing and surprisingly flexible, and will be an instant hit with anyone wanting to add an analogue flavour to their digital productions. Equally, the REVX algorithms provide a very useful step up in quality from the standard-issue reverb effects. Useable though these older effects are, they aren’t in the same league as the best, which is why I have a Lexicon PCM90 permanently hooked up to my DM1000. It’s seen much less use since I installed the REVX plug-ins!
The original DM1000 was a very impressive, versatile piece of equipment, and I have never found it wanting in any way. However, the v2 upgrade has tidied up several operational quirks and limitations, and the new Add-on effects further extend the versatility and, more importantly, the sound quality in new and creative ways. All three packages reviewed here are thoroughly recommended.
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Category: Musical Instruments:Pro Audio Equipment:Mixers
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