First Impressions:

This spring I found myself in the strange position of needing more inputs than my loaded Cooper panel could provide. It was difficult to consider parting with it, however the reality of sound in today's feature and TV productions means more inputs, even with a conservative approach. I was using a variety of outboard mixers for monitoring as it was, and the whole thing was slowly getting out of hand.

With the writing on the wall, I made the following conclusions:

I would wait until after NAB to see what new boards came out of the show, and their price.

Looking forward, I definitely wanted to at least strongly consider going digital.

I needed more inputs by 3 or 4 than I could get with existing production boards.

I needed to make a firm decision about battery power. I have had good luck with my invertor and almost never rely on batteries, but it's always there with the Cooper.

Two things happened:

1- NAB brought no new boards to my attention, and

2- With Andy Cooper's new board, and Glenn's "Cameo" digital board coming in at more than $12,000, my 106+1 with a stereo input had a very nice resale price.

There is no way to justify a rental increase based on a high priced console. It's just not an item that can be valued to the production based on actors or script. It's something that I use. If I have 10 principals and need a slew of RF, fine but a console? No way another dime.

If I give up the battery powering, I open up a whole world of really good consoles at bargain prices. It's the footprint that is the problem. Then there's the concern for ruggedness. Most of the project studio stuff is meant to sit on a table, and indeed, the beefy hardware is gladly sacrificed for features.

Turns out there are darn few project boards that are small enough to use in production, and even fewer that might stand up to the abuse.

I came around to the Yamaha 01V for just these reasons:

Since 1970, they have been making PA boards that are workhorses. I've seen them survive abuse well in excess to anything we have in our arena. The 01V is solidly built. Ultimately I'll have to let you know how it holds up, but with the price, I can buy two new Yamahas for about a third of my Cooper's resale.

20X8X4X2X2!!! So I got one to play with. It powered up with my invertor using 70watts. No buzzing, or any other apparent problems. (So I'll get another 130Ahr marine gel cell for invertor BU.)

I hooked it up to my existing rig in place of the Cooper, that is to say the analog output (+4 bal) drives the Urei LA-22 limiter which drives the 2 DAT machines. My first concern was the mic pre amps. I assumed I would have to get a couple of hi-end outboard pre's to drive my 2 boom mics. I could drive the Audios and Lectros into the board at line level. I may change my mind, but the internal pre amps on the 01V were quieter than the Cooper's. Sorry Andy, but the overall system noise of the Yamaha was less than the 106 hands down. And that was just taking the analog outputs to the machines. I will (of course) drive the Yamaha with the DATS digitally.

Next was the EQ:

I'll go on record as saying that the Eq in the 01V is the best I've seen. 4 band true parametric on each input. 2 band parametric on the output busses. Fabulous.

On the inputs, the bottom (low) and top (hi) bands are selectable from true parametric, shelving, or low or hi pass. Much like the old Harrison or SSL, the hi pass is a dream for boom handling. In the hi pass, the roll off is fixed at 18db per octave and the 3 db down point is adjustable from 10Hz on up. The low mid and hi mid's, and for that point all four bands (if selected parametric) are completely adjustable throughout the spectrum.

I can't say enough about the eq. It's distortion free, easy to use and is bulletproof. Zero is Zero, +3 is +3, etc.

The controls are positive and precise.

If you are one of those mixer's who long for a return to the sound of the Nagra, believe me you can have it. I rolled off the bottom end to about 50Hz with the high pass, added +3db@250Hz, 1/2octave Q, (to simulate the cross talk from the 2 tr head, the "warmth" Nagra is famous for) and finally a soft hi-end roll off above 10K, and voila, the classic analog "Narga" sound.

Some additional considerations:

The board is 44.1. Not the latest technology, but I will drive it with the DAT as the master at 48, and it will handle that. I will also drive it with the in/out module direct (to/from) a DA-98 at 48/20bit. We'll see. The dither is fully adjustable.

I've played with the limiters and gates, and here again, I'm very impressed. Only some actual production experience will tell the tale.

In summary: The bottom line?

Yamaha 01V: 20X8, digital outputs (2), with the in/out module, 8 in, 8 out.

(2)analog +4 bal main outs, (4) additional +4 bal programmable aux busses. (2) –10 RCA outs.

Buss 2 together and double everything to 40X16X8X4X2X2!!!

It does so much in the processing and routing departments. Motorized faders, mix recall, 99 memory undo, great EQ, input direct outs, patch in/out per channel, and a bunch of effects we'll never use.

Finally, it's the right size. It's cheap, you can buy 2 or three. With the changing technology I'm not getting into bed with a $15'000 console that may or may not be the answer. It's been in the marketplace for a couple of years now. Readily available. On a Sunday I can go down to West LA Music with my MasterCard and get another one if disaster strikes.

Production up-date:

We've been in production for a couple of weeks now The 01V is doing fine. Out in Newhall recently with temps at over 100°, it got real hot but no problems or shutdown. On the invertor or not, no prob with AC power or source ground loops, buzzing, non-existent. All in all, VERY happy with the whole set-up.

1. Getting the DAT to drive the board at 48K

Turns out that the coax digital in/out on the 01V is an aux digital port to a second machine, consumer DAT etc. It will not look for, or allow word clock access. (Ie. The DAT or other digital device connected will be 44.1K from the 01V's internal clock.) Contrary to the owner's manual, to drive the board from the word clock (@48K) in my DAT recorder, it is necessary to use the AES/EBU card in the expansion slot. That card and special pin-configured cables need to be used.

There seems to be a real concern for matching the digital sync and word clocks from multiple devices. Dave Missal @ LSC suggested the "ArdvarkII" digital time clock generator. Sort of like a Denecke GR-1 for word clocks. Of course this single space rack unit is more expensive than the 01V itself, requires extra space and cable hookup etc., and generally complicates the set-up. I'm sure it will make the clocking of all devices bulletproof, and at some point in the future I'll get one and put it in the rack with my digital stuff and the DA-98. More To Come

Right now I feel its only smart to investigate all this new technology in stages, and with that in mind, I wired up my rig with the 01V analog outs (+4) to the LA-22 limiter and into the DAT machines, essentially putting the 01V in the circuit in place of the Cooper. There is a great comfort factor in allowing me to explore the 01V knowing that what I have in my ears has arrived in a more traditional route. I will go in on a Sat. sometime in the near future and re-wire in full digital to see what happens. My real interest is seeing how the DA-98 and DAT's all hook up and run together in the digital domain. We have an episode coming up on F&G that has the cast playing in a rock band (that will be multi-track record), and there's where this will get all sorted out.

2. Headphone matrix

There is none. Not even a way to sum your headphones to mono on the 01V. With all the menus and screens and capability of this board, a real oversite for Yamaha. Even if you consider their market was the music recording folks, I can't imagine miking a set of drums or a piano in stereo, without the ability to sum to mono in my headphones.

The solution is in using a headphone DA or amp. I have one that Ron Meyer made in the old days. Still works great, allows me to put either track into both ears etc At the cost of the 01V, I guess I can't argue that having to spend extra on an outboard DA blows the deal.

Also for the record All the omni outs and aux outs are killer. I can buss any signal, or group of signals to anywhere quickly and change the routing mid-take if I like. I could after all, build a mono headphone mix for myself on a post-fader aux buss, and use that for mono compare, but Yamaha should have thought of this.

3. Summary good stuff

The headphone thing nonwithstanding, I have found no other flaws. The board is quiet and stable. All of the switches are silent and easy to find. The aux buss is VERY friendly and easy to get around. Indeed all of the screens and menus are second nature after only a couple of 70 hr weeks. EQ'ing mid-take, inverting the phase, memorizing the input set-ups, monitoring, etc has been great, AND practical for what we do.

I especially like the memory feature. I've built eq's as a starting point for the RF's on the cast. With so many cast members, both children and adult, and with the crazy way we try to do 10 pages a day, it's a lifesaver to be able to have different cast members on different RF units, and recall the channel set-up instantly. As I learn their voices and adjust the eq for the wardrobe, it's easy to up-date the settings and recall to where you were last.

I haven't even begun to explore the compressors and gates on the 01V. That will be next. More To Come