02R 4 U ?
To go into fine detail about every aspect of this console would take up a whole magazine, but I have to say that the 200+ page manual supplied is extremely clear and thorough, and has obviously been written by a native English speaker! So the best I can hope for is to give you an impression of how easy the 02R is to use and how good it sounds.
Some aspects of the desk are easier to use than others, with the most common functions taking only a button press or two longer to use than their analogue counterparts. When you consider that an equivalent desk equipped with knobs for everything would be impossibly huge, perhaps that's not too bad a compromise. Though the functions that have to be accessed via the display are perfectly plain and logical, I'm afraid that I can't get used to a cursor — give me a rodential appendage any day!
Soundwise, I tested the 02R using an ADAT XT digital 8‑track and the results were beautifully quiet. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the desk sounds 'digital', but it definitely doesn't sound 'analogue' either. Using optical cables for digital connections means that ground loops are things of the past, patchbays can be simplified or even abolished (thanks to the wealth of internal processing and effects), and the powerful automation means that you can return to any previous mix at any time and know that it'll come back exactly as you left it — bliss.
I am not a big fan of EQ at the best of times, but I have to admit to liking certain aspects of the 02R's equaliser, because it does what I want an EQ to do — make bits of the spectrum louder or quieter without actually altering the 'tone' of the signal more than it has to. It's also very powerful, which means it can take a while to get a setting right, but then you can always store your good ideas in the EQ library.
I couldn't detect any sonic artifacts caused by the automation — no clicks or zipper noise were evident, and the delay through the console was small enough to be negligible. In real terms, the delay while monitoring off‑tape is equivalent to sitting a couple of feet further from the monitors than usual.
One downside of a digital mixing desk is that it makes it harder to patch in your own effects and processors. The 02R has six analogue effects sends and inserts on the first eight inputs, but you have to use the existing channels as returns, and if you're using a digital link to a digital multitrack machine, there's no way to insert your favourite valve compressor in the signal path. However, you can always take the appropriate analogue output from your multitrack and feed that into the desk via an analogue processor, if you don't mind a little patching. For those wishing to return several stereo effects, a small external submixer might be a good investment.
I can't say the 02R is perfect, but its potential is immense, and we can thank Yamaha for giving the world its first virtually cable‑free professional studio that is actually affordable.
The internal effects and processors provided are actually very good quality and manage to combine simplicity of operation with reasonable flexibility. While the compressors don't sound quite like my Drawmer 1960, they are effective enough for most routine work.
Having used the 02R for a decent period, my own view is that any console of this type should incorporate more expandability (in the form of card slots) for extra signal processors and effects. Having experienced the joy of not needing to string a room full of hardware onto the mixer to make up a studio, I'd like more flexibility when it comes to expanding the 02R from the inside. Maybe that's something for a future generation of product, but given the 02R's almost unbelievably low price, there's very little grounds for complaint in any area.
I can't say the 02R is perfect, but its potential is immense, and we can thank Yamaha for giving the world its first virtually cable‑free professional studio that is actually affordable. When you add up what you save in outboard gear, cable harnesses and patchbays, the 02R could turn out to be even more of a bargain than it first appears to be. You don't need me to tell you that Yamaha are going to sell an awful lot of these. I'm just sorry I didn't have 10 more pages to tell you everything else about it...
Prices
- Standard 02R Console £7049
- Meter Bridge £1199
- Memory Expansion £449
PLUG‑IN CARDS:
- Digital Cascade £799
- Analogue I/O £649
- AES/EBU I/O £299
- ADAT I/O £299
- Tascam I/O £299
- Yamaha Y2 I/O £299
MIDI
The 02R console is equipped with standard 5-pin MIDI In, Out and Thru DIN sockets and will synchronise to MTC (MIDI Time Code) via a dedicated MTC input. This port also accepts Program Changes (used to change Scene memory under sequencer control) as well as System Exclusive (SysEx) data, which may be used to change the console parameters directly, or to reload archived mix information. MIDI control data is not recognised.
Using SysEx, the 02R can send and receive Scene Memories, Automix Memories, System Setup Data and a Program Change Assign Table as well as library settings for the effects, dynamics, EQ, and channels. The MIDI setup pages for the 02R are called up via the MIDI button, and it is here that the program assignment table is created and that dumps are sent and received.
EQ Heaven?
Each of the 02R's 40 channels can benefit from true 4‑band parametric EQ, which on a traditional console would require 12 dedicated knobs per channel. On the 02R, there are just three knobs in the Selected Channel section. When combined with four buttons to select Low, Low Mid, High Mid and High, these knobs provide access to the bandwidth, gain and frequency parameters for whichever band is selected. There's also an EQ bypass button.
The High and Low sections are configured as variable Q filters, but when the bandwidth control is set to maximum, they change to a shelving filter — very neat. The two Mids are conventional parametric filters, but all four bands have exactly the same tuning range, 21Hz to 20.1kHz. The gain range is +/‑18dB in half dB steps and the Q value can be as wide as 10 or as narrow as 0.1. In shelving mode, the High and Low equalisers have a 12dB/octave response. The graphic representation of the equaliser response in the display window is very useful in interpreting EQ settings, as is the small meter readout which helps avoid overload.
Strangely, you seem to need to add more of the 02R's EQ than you'd expect to in an analogue console to achieve the same results, but the end result doesn't sound over‑equalised (unless you go really wild. of course). Analogue proponents may say the EQ lacks warmth, but I like the way it preserves clarity, even when you add a lot of low‑end boost.
02R Main Features
- Onboard automation of all digital mixing parameters, referenced to SMPTE/EBU timecode or MTC.
- Instant and total reset of all digital mixing and signal processing parameters.
- 40 input channels and two full‑featured stereo internal effects returns.
- 24 'built‑in' analogue inputs equipped with 20‑bit, 64‑times oversampling AD converters, 16 of which are equipped with high quality mic preamps, and 8 with individually switchable phantom power and analogue insert points.
- 8 output buses, stereo analogue (20‑bit, 8 times oversampling DA converters) and digital (S/PDIF and AES/EBU) outputs.
- 16 digital outputs to multitrack (8 buses plus direct outs).
- 100mm motorised faders.
- 4‑band fully parametric automated digital equalisation on all input (and stereo output) channels.
- Comprehensive 32‑bit programmable dynamics processing on all input channels and output buses (equivalent of 50 stand‑alone processor units).
- 8 aux sends (pre or post fader) on every input channel; two directly routed to internal multi‑effects.
- Programmable fader groups, mute groups, and stereo pairs.
- Digital cascade of multiple consoles with full 24‑bit precision.
- Interchangeable digital I/O cards, providing direct digital interfacing with Alesis ADAT, Tascam TDIF, AES/EBU and Yamaha formats, as well as multiple analogue I/Os.
- Comprehensive input and output metering and parameter status monitoring.
Project Manager
At the time of writing, the 02R's Project Manager software was still in beta test form with a significant number of functions not fully implemented. When complete, which should be very shortly, this Mac‑based program acts as an editor/librarian for the 02R allowing mixes, Scene memories and libraries to be handled efficiently.
Editing functions will include direct control over EQ, effects and dynamics, as well as full control over Automix from the Mac's keyboard. Notes can be kept with projects, mixer channels can be named, and a built‑in help system is included for both Project Manager and 02R operations.
Project Manager doesn't demand a lot of processing power, so virtually any Mac capable of running
System 7 (or higher) and with 6Mb or more of RAM can be used. Only 3Mb of hard disk space is required and the monitor requirements are for a 640 x 480 pixel screen (or larger) with support for either 256 colours or monochrome.
Built‑In Dynamics
Each 02R channel may be assigned its own dynamics processor. This can be set to function as a compressor, a gate, a ducker, an expander or a combined compressor/expander (more like a compressor/gate combination).
Taking this last function first, the compressor part is set up as normal via threshold, ratio, attack, release and make‑up gain parameters. A further parameter called Width is then used to set how many dBs below the compressor threshold, the expander threshold is set. Signals which fall between these two thresholds are passed unchanged while signals outside these limits are subjected to gain reduction. The outcome is that loud signals are levelled and very quiet signals are reduced even further.
In the compressor‑only mode of operation, there's a choice of hard‑knee or soft‑knee characteristics, with several levels of knee severity. A nice little graph of the compressor characteristics is shown in the 02R's display, along with a meter reading of the amount of gain reduction. The compressor controls themselves are depicted as knobs and are accessed using the cursor keys and the data entry knob. Pairs of compressors may be linked for stereo operation and the keying may be set pre or post the channel EQ, or even pre or post the EQ of the channel immediately to the left, where external keying is required. When the dynamics editing section is in use, the Enter button functions as a dedicated dynamics on/off button.
Internal Effects
Two internal digital effects processors are permanently assigned to aux sends 7 and 8 and returned to stereo returns 1 and 2. The library facility provides a choice of 40 presets or 88 user memories from which to choose. According to Yamaha, these processors have no direct equivalent in any stand‑alone product but they are pretty conventional in their architecture and can generate the usual bread and butter effects — reverb, delay, chorus, flanging and ADT — to a very high standard. Though multi‑effects by nature, the internal processors are designed to produce only one or two effects at once.
The user programs are created by calling up a suitable preset from the effects library and then modifying it, rather than by starting from scratch. The number of parameters have been kept down to a manageable 10 per patch, but with the serious reverb programs, you can still adjust all the usual parameters — filtering, pre‑delay, density, reverb time, HF damping and so forth. The Effects pages show graphic representations of control knobs on the screen and these are selected and adjusted in the time‑honoured way, using the cursor buttons and data entry knob.
The effects may be fairly simple but their quality is very high and the level of background noise is low. There may not be enough sonic firepower to satisfy everybody's requirements, but what's available should handle the vast majority of routine needs.
Pros
- Complete automation and recall at an unbelievable price.
- Very clean signal path.
- Good manual.
- Clearly thought‑out operating system without the curse of multi‑function buttons everywhere.
- Project Manager software for Apple Mac users.
Cons
- Cursor control is too slow and clumsy for some of the functions that you'd normally expect to perform in real time. A row of 'soft' buttons below the screen could have made the interface faster to use.
- No built‑in disk drive for archiving of mix data.
- Certain users may find there are insufficient expansion card slots for their needs.
Summary
An impressive combination of value for money, features, performance and compact size. Unless somebody else comes up with a miracle, the 02R seems set to become a project studio standard, not to mention its applications in professional audio and video post‑production work.
information
See 'Prices' box.