Yamaha DMR8 v.3.0 Technical Information download pdf

Yamaha DMR8 Digital Recorder/Mixer

A User Report from Mike Collins:

Yamaha brought out their first digital MIDI-controllable mixer, the DMP7

about three years ago. They followed this up with a digital in/out version,

the DMP7D a year or so later. This year, in what could be viewed as a logical

progression, they have launched the DMR8, an integrated all-digital system

for both mixing and recording. This combines an 8-track digital recorder, a

digital mixer, a locator, three effects processors, and mixing automation all in

one box! Other recent additions to the family include the DMC1000 mixer, the

SPX1000 effects processor, and the DEQ7 digital EQ processor, while older

members of the family include the DMP7, DMP11, and DMP7D sub-mixers.

Yamaha are aiming the DMR8 at professional musicians, composers, and

arrangers working on commercial music production, and have priced the unit

at around the twenty grand mark for the basic system. You do need to get

either a two channel or an eight channel analogue input unit to provide A/D

conversion, and this will set you back another grand or three, depending on

how many inputs you need. And, if necessary, yet another thousand pounds

will buy you an 8-channel phantom power unit, the HA8, to complete a basic

system.

The idea is that, with this system, an artist could produce a master recording

in a home studio to the very highest audio standards, with a relatively

affordable outlay for the equipment. Yamaha anticipate that the artist might

record tracks at home and then bring a DMR8 tape into a studio and transfer

the tracks digitally to a larger digital multitrack system. Or a composer might

send a DMR8 multitrack tape to a video production facility or broadcast

studio for further mixing or processing.

To keep Studio Sound readers informed about this interesting new system, I

spoke to a fairly representative selection of both dealers and end-users and I

will present their comments here first. Yamaha supplied me with a DMR8 for

several weeks to evaluate in my home studio, so I will carry on to relate how

the system works in practice. Finally, I will present an overview of the main

features for those of you who may be interested to read in a little more depth

about the DMR8's capabilities.

Comments:

Rob Ferguson from Thatched Cottage Digital (TCD):

"The quality of the mixer is untouchable, but a working system will cost you

£25,000. This may seem expensive compared with other products coming out,

such as the Alessis and the Roland Hard disk stuff, but these systems don't

include the built-in digital mixer and effects. It's a great system for wealthy

producers and musicians, such as Dave Stewart who is hawking a DMR8

between his three studios in LA, Cannes, and London. He is using currently it

for his on-location film soundtrack work, apparently."

According to Rob, Pete Townsend put the DMR8's operational features into a

certain perspective when Alan Martin (Digital Audio Product Specialist) from

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Summary of Contents

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Yamaha DMR8 Digital Recorder/MixerA User Report from Mike Collins:Yamaha brought out their first digital MIDI-controllable mixer, the DMP7about three

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Yamaha was explaining in a very succint technical way about how to operatethe machine. "We went to Pete Townsend's place, and while Alan was

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Dreamcoat," John Spinks/The Outfield, and I can't remember the rest. Wenow have eight very happy clients - and, touch wood, we haven't

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attempted to replay material which appeared to have recorded OK. A quickcheck using the C2 error flag display confirmed that there were problems onthe

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third set of eight mixing channels on the DMR8, I would have needed either asecond HA8/AD8X combination, or a DRU8 - the stand-alone recordersection,

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mixers. Still - there is nothing mind-bogglingly difficult about the DMR8 - it'sjust a matter of spending some time with the machine to get to kn

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connect a larger VDU so that you can see many more parameters at onetime. You could alternatively hook up to a personal computer via an RS422interface

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recorder. This can be configured so that you get either sixteen tracks to playwith, or double the recording time (to 40 minutes) with eight tracks. Fo

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timecode locations, and you would typically use this feature to trigger soundeffects from samplers.Conclusions:One of the main areas in which the DMR8