Pro Light + Sound 2017: Yamaha Unveils New Control Surface, Enhances Digital Mixers

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary of digital mixer technology, Yamaha has announced new components and V1.5 firmware update that will further enhance the versatility and performance of the RIVAGE PM10 Digital Mixing System. The announcement was made at Pro Light + Sound 2017.

The new CS-R10-S control surface is approximately two-thirds the size of the existing CS-R10, and offers the same outstanding operability for applications where space is limited. A Dual Console function (to be supported in a future update) will allow two CS-R10 and/or CS-R10-S control surfaces to be connected to a single DSP-R10 DSP engine so that separate CS-R10-S control surfaces can be used at both front of house and monitor mix positions. A CS-R10-S will also be able to be used as a sidecar for a CS-R10.

The HY256-TL-SMF is a TWINLANe card that supports single-mode optical fiber. The Yamaha TWINLANe audio network with up to a 400-channel capacity had previously only supported multi-mode fiber connections. The new HY256-TL-SMF expands system connection flexibility by additionally supporting single-mode fiber connections.

Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 firmware update V1.5 includes an Eventide “H3000 Live” Ultra-Harmonizer plug-in and Dan Dugan Sound Design automatic mixer plug-in. The original Eventide H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer offers outstanding effect quality making it an enduring favorite among engineers and musicians, and the newly developed H3000 Live plug-in offers that same performance optimized for live-sound applications.

“We are privileged to offer the H3000 Live to our PM10 customers that will provide them with even more control and sonic flexibility,” states Marc Lopez, director of marketing, Commercial Audio products, Yamaha Professional Audio. “And, by adding the automatic mixer plug-in from Dan Dugan Sound Design that provides automatic gain adjustment of up to 64 speech microphones in real time, was a natural progression of our long-standing relationship with Dan Dugan.”

The Dugan plug-in also suppresses feedback and comb filter effects, freeing the engineer from the need to keep track of numerous faders in challenging unscripted speech situations, numerous Speech System channels, and five groups so processing can be divided into as many as five independent automixers.

A new analog delay and other Yamaha plug-ins have been added in PM10 V1.5 expanding the variety of sound-shaping tools for mix engineers.

Yamaha also announced the release of firmware update v3.5 for the company’s TF Series Digital Mixers during Pro Light + Sound 2017. The TF Series offers ease of operation and an advanced touch-panel based TouchFlow Operation interface, popular for a wide variety of applications. Ideal for new as well as experienced engineers, these fully featured consoles offer users the ability to get a great sounding mix in very little time.

Firmware update v3.5 will significantly expand the utility of the Yamaha TF Series with the addition of the acclaimed Dugan Speech System automixing capability. Developed in cooperation with Dan Dugan Sound Design Inc., the update includes the original, innovative automatic microphone-mixing algorithm that helps professional audio engineers cue multiple live mics in situations with unpredictable dialogue. This capability is also included in the Yamaha QL Series and more recently, the CL Series consoles.

The Dugan automixer can be applied to up to eight channels in the TF Series, automatically raising the gain of microphone inputs that are active, while lowering the gain of inactive microphone inputs, and adjusting each to create a consistent overall mix level. This will eliminate the need for complex fader operation – for example, during presentations where multiple microphones are used, or panel discussions where an even larger number of microphones may be required. The advanced Dugan automatic mixing algorithm also maintains a safe feedback margin, ensuring high-quality, high- clarity sound at all times.

“By incorporating the Dugan automixer in TF v3.5, we have even more flexibility in applications where TF Series mixers are used, be it a conference or boardroom, presentations at corporate events, theater, broadcast, houses of worship, and teleconferencing,” states Nithin Cherian, marketing manager, MI Pro Audio, Yamaha Corporation of America. “The TF Series has gained enormous popularity since its release, and now, thanks to the collaboration with Dan Dugan Sound Design, it will present engineers with an even higher level of performance and versatility.”