Yamaha has always been among the pioneers in products aimed at home and project-studio environments. Its by-now-legendary DSP FACTORY and SW1000XG cards allowed modest computers to become powerful studios where, alongside sequencer software, the entire musical process (production, recording, mixing and mastering) could be carried out.
Over time, advances in technology across the industry have given us high-resolution multichannel audio interfaces in external boxes (with standalone DSP power in some cases) that communicate with computers and their audio engines over fast data-transfer protocols (USB2 or FireWire), and let us run sequencer software through hardware controllers with access to all parameters at once, thereby emulating the most missed part of analog consoles. At this point, the Japanese manufacturer presents a product that aims to bring all of the above together (and succeeds, as we'll see in this article): a 24-bit/96 kHz digital mixer, a multichannel audio interface and a control surface for the most common and widely used sequencers. All of it backed by a technology developed in-house which, under the trade name "mLAN," aspires to become a standard for interconnecting digital music devices over the IEEE 1394 protocol (commonly known as FireWire).
The Unit ISP Música Magazine Received
The unit we received for the test bench arrived with only the power supply, so we had to visit www.yamahasynth.com to download the software and manuals (well done, Yamaha... all in Spanish!) needed for installation and use. In its retail package, the product includes, besides the aforementioned power supply, an owner's manual, an installation guide, a quick-start guide for recording and playback, two CD-ROMs, an mLAN cable and the user card with the serial number for the bundled plug-ins. Among the software supplied, besides the drivers, the highlights are:
- A dynamics and EQ manager for each channel called "01X Channel Module."
- A set of three plug-ins (Vocal Rack, Pitch Fix and Final Master).
- A virtual mixer for linking the 01X and the computer without using a sequencer.
In addition, for Windows environments it includes a Yamaha sequencer (SQ01 V2), a waveform editor (TWE Wave Editor) and an editor for the MOTIF RACK's mix parameters (Multi Part Editor for MOTIF-RACK) when it's used as a multitimbral tone generator.
Put to the Test
The first impression the 01X gives is one of flimsiness, mainly because of its light weight and heavy use of plastic, although this surely allows for a notable reduction in its retail price. The channel faders, with a short throw and imprecise feel, and rotary knobs too small in diameter to be truly comfortable, put some distance between it and the image of professional-grade products. Using higher-quality pots and faders would drive the price up, and since the tuning-fork brand clearly intends this unit for home use, it must have decided to go with these finishes in exchange for a more affordable retail price.
The layout of the surface is the usual one for mixing consoles and DAW controllers. On the left side, we find the mixing section with nine faders (eight channels plus the master), above which sit the on/off buttons, the select buttons and a multifunction rotary knob. Above that, spanning the full width of this section, is an LCD that provides information on each channel, the parameter being edited and the signal level. It also displays text messages from the computer when the unit is used as a remote controller, as well as internal ones when we configure the unit. It's worth noting that, being the multifunction unit that it is, the 01X's controls perform a different task depending on how it's being used at any given moment. For example, when the unit is used as a digital mixing console ("Internal" mode), the channel faders control that channel's volume, whereas when it's used as a controller ("Remote" mode), the faders mirror the sequencer's virtual faders. Above them, and aligned with the faders, are the pots that control the preamp gain from Line to Mic, which are accessed from the rear of the console (like the rest of the connections). Slightly to the right is the monitoring section, which consists of just a single knob that controls the output level to both monitors and headphones at once. We miss a bit of independence between the two monitoring paths, both in terms of volume and in the signal we can send to each. Below are the buttons for paging through the parameters we can edit per channel or in the setup. There are also controls for paging through channel banks and a zoom section that activates when we work in controller mode. Finally, on the right of the unit are several banks of buttons for setting the working mode, configuration, scene store/recall, EQ, per-channel edit parameters, function keys and transport. A whole world of possibilities.
On the rear panel we find the eight mic/line audio inputs with a nominal input level between -46 and +4 dB, of which 1 and 2 are balanced with XLR connectors and the rest are balanced on TRS jacks. In addition, input 8 is split, also allowing high-impedance instruments (such as guitars or basses) to be plugged directly into the unbalanced jack input marked "HI-Z." Next to them are the headphone and monitor outputs and an auxiliary stereo output to which we can route various signals in order, for example, to send them to an external recorder. Both the monitor outputs and the aux outputs are unbalanced jacks. This results in a signal feed that isn't as clean as it should be. We'd have greatly appreciated balanced outputs. On a lower row we find two mLAN (FireWire) connections, an activity indicator, a switch to enable phantom power on inputs 1 and 2, a coaxial S/PDIF digital stereo input and output, a pair of jack inputs for playback and record control pedals, two MIDI IN/OUT banks, and the power inlet with its corresponding power switch.
Once we had familiarized ourselves with the layout, we connected the output to our monitoring system and powered up the unit, intending to try it out as a digital mixing console with no connection to the computer. For this mode of operation, the "Internal" button must be on and "Monitor A/B" off. The truth is that it was a delight; everything worked as expected. The workflow is as simple as it is intuitive if you've ever worked with a console of this kind (such as its sibling the 01V or the higher-end 03V and 02R models). The quality of the preamps was a surprise; we connected a variety of sources (dynamic mics, condenser mics and guitars). The sound we got by plugging a vintage archtop guitar straight in was remarkable: once we had set the gain, we added a bit of compression, a small EQ tweak and a pinch of reverb. All of this internally, since the 01X has per-channel dynamics and EQ, plus two independent, good-quality effects units with really useful factory presets.
For the test, as both audio interface and controller, we installed the software on a PowerBook G4 generously equipped with RAM. Following the instructions, we installed, step by step, "mLAN Tools" (the equivalent of the "mLAN Driver" for Windows), "Studio Manager" and the "01X Editor." Nothing to complain about; everything went wonderfully. Once the system was restarted, connected with the mLAN cable (a standard six-pin FireWire cable) and with the unit powered on, we repeated the test as a digital console, this time controlled by the "Studio Manager" virtual mixer. First we configured the console to prepare it for the connection, setting the unit as a word clock slave (for synchronization of the digital audio transmission), and ran the "mLanAutoConnector" program to start mLAN communication. Then we launched the "Studio Manager" program, configured it, and within moments it was synchronized and controlling all the 01X's functions as a digital console. With this utility, setting up a mixing session is child's play, letting you assign sends, apply effects, route audio or save scenes with the ease of a few small mouse movements. And for the mixing... the console's real faders. A wise and elegant combination.
Now it was time to see how well it got along with our sequencer. We started by setting the console to "Remote" mode and telling it (in the "Utility" menu) that it should control LOGIC. The 01X is set up to control LOGIC, CUBASE, SONAR and DIGITAL PERFORMER, plus GENERAL (for use with Yamaha's SQ01 sequencer). We turned on the "Monitor A/B" button, which lets you monitor the mixer's output when in "Remote," and launched LOGIC. The program detected the new MIDI ports and new audio devices and, most impressive of all... the console's faders moved to the position corresponding to their on-screen state. And all of it on the first try. We spent time assigning inputs and outputs, recording different sources and playing around making mixes from previously recorded material. It truly lived up to the advertised features and proved remarkably stable. Without a doubt, it invites you to work with it whatever the project. The only "but" we can raise is that sessions in LOGIC had to start several bars after zero, since on our system a couple of seconds always passed between pressing play and the signal starting to be monitored. As we didn't test with other platforms, we're left wondering whether this is a problem with our configuration or behavior inherent to the product, and in any case it's nothing that detracts from its value.
Conclusions
The whole package of features is so versatile that it can be overwhelming on a first look. Audio can be routed through a multitude of options, for both input and output. You can use the software effects or the console's own, either to record them or just to process. You can get a monitor mix that blends what the sequencer is playing back with what's passing straight through the digital mixer. You can switch between "Remote" and "Internal" modes and control the external mix and the virtual mix simultaneously.
As we said, truly impressive possibilities that make this unit a tool of such high versatility that it will delight whoever buys it and keep them busy for a long time until they master its full potential, especially considering that we can add inputs and outputs via mLAN at any time, expanding even further its potential as the centerpiece of a home studio.
