Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

Jay Barracato

Jay Barracato

Graduate Student
Jan 11, 2011
1,528
4
38
Solomons MD
I don't usually engage in speculation about features products "should" be providing, but...

I just glanced at a partially side angle photo of a M7 and was struck by how much the screen really looks like a tablet in a docking port.

Built in wifi, screen removable for storage/transport, seems like a neat possibility.
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

Jay Barracato said:
I don't usually engage in speculation about features products "should" be providing, but...

I just glanced at a partially side angle photo of a M7 and was struck by how much the screen really looks like a tablet in a docking port.

Built in wifi, screen removable for storage/transport, seems like a neat possibility.
Click to expand...


I know it is available as a separate package which means the technology is there. I was thinking if it is that important of a feature to customers then it would be good to build the portability into the "control head". Since the screen looked so much like a tablet laying there from the side, I was just thinking pull it off and take it with you.

And if the screen was removable, a M& case could be, what?, 4-5 inches narrower easy.
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

well, and the ones that should be doing THAT are the iLive folks. they've already got the screen essentially being a different computer. might as well just make it removable and be done with it. a little wifi and you're good...

i'd buy into that...

as the the M7 case thing... it's obvious that yamaha never dreamed that desk would actually gain acceptance in the ProSound community. they were thinking install all the way, and especially the HOW crowd. frankly, i'm an M7 fan, but even i'm really surprised at how accepted it has become...
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

brian maddox said:
well, and the ones that should be doing THAT are the iLive folks. they've already got the screen essentially being a different computer. might as well just make it removable and be done with it. a little wifi and you're good...

i'd buy into that...

as the the M7 case thing... it's obvious that yamaha never dreamed that desk would actually gain acceptance in the ProSound community. they were thinking install all the way, and especially the HOW crowd. frankly, i'm an M7 fan, but even i'm really surprised at how accepted it has become...
Click to expand...

Coming from a Euro nation (and not a very religious one at that) I sometimes find myself a little amused at how big the "HOW" market is in the USA - and how much emphasis is placed on it. In many markets around the globe, churches - or houses of worship in general, are not used for interservice concerts or mega events like we read about in the US of A. A church sound system here is a 1 rack unit DBX mixer with auto ducking, connected to a 100v amp and 4 speakers. The quire is heard acoustically, so is the piano and the church organ. Churces are sometimes used for concerts with no religious content and mobile production gear is brought in. We do have a very few "big" churches that have installed proper live music systems but they are so few there is no impact on the production gear market from what I can tell. Bigger religious events are sometimes held in completely other places than churches and mobile production is usually brought in.

Yet other big markets in the world are predominantly populated with inhabitants that have houses of worship that are used for worship and prayer only. No music, so no need for a concert sound system.

Both the Yamaha PM1D, DM1000 and DM 2000 require surprisingly "fat" flight cases. So do many other mixers from the likes of Digico and AVID. Does that make them "church mixers" also? The M7CL is designed to be an easy transition for people that are used to analog mixers. So was the PM1D, but it was a lot more expensive when it came out than the M7CL - so I guess Yamaha wanted to run that philosophy down the ranks as new models were designed. Remember that Yamaha is a Japanese company that might have theirs eyes on a slightly larger market than just one country...

Not trying to be rude, but wanting to provide a different angle. Best wishes for the new year!

Kristian Johnsen
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

kristianjohnsen said:
Coming from a Euro nation (and not a very religious one at that) I sometimes find myself a little amused at how big the "HOW" market is in the USA - and how much emphasis is placed on it. In many markets around the globe, churches - or houses of worship in general, are not used for interservice concerts or mega events like we read about in the US of A. A church sound system here is a 1 rack unit DBX mixer with auto ducking, connected to a 100v amp and 4 speakers. The quire is heard acoustically, so is the piano and the church organ. Churces are sometimes used for concerts with no religious content and mobile production gear is brought in. We do have a very few "big" churches that have installed proper live music systems but they are so few there is no impact on the production gear market from what I can tell. Bigger religious events are sometimes held in completely other places than churches and mobile production is usually brought in.

Yet other big markets in the world are predominantly populated with inhabitants that have houses of worship that are used for worship and prayer only. No music, so no need for a concert sound system.

Both the Yamaha PM1D, DM1000 and DM 2000 require surprisingly "fat" flight cases. So do many other mixers from the likes of Digico and AVID. Does that make them "church mixers" also? The M7CL is designed to be an easy transition for people that are used to analog mixers. So was the PM1D, but it was a lot more expensive when it came out than the M7CL - so I guess Yamaha wanted to run that philosophy down the ranks as new models were designed. Remember that Yamaha is a Japanese company that might have theirs eyes on a slightly larger market than just one country...

Not trying to be rude, but wanting to provide a different angle. Best wishes for the new year!

Kristian Johnsen
Click to expand...

lots of good points here. i have to admit i'm speaking from a US-centric place. the M7CL was certainly marketed heavily in this country for the HOW market and general A/V. i remember when i took the Yamaha 2 day PM5D class seeing the new M7's lined up for the guys to look at while we were there. the general consensus among the guys at the class [largely all typical production ProSound guys] was it was kinda toy-like. even i was intrigued, but skeptical.

fast forward to today, and the M7CL has become the new PM4K [i.e. it's the 'rarely preferred but always acceptable' rider console]. and having spent many hours on one, i think it absolutely deserves to be. but i'm still surprised that the ProSound community in this country actually embraced it like they did, if for no other reason than it was just too inexpensive to be true.

i do still think that if yamaha truly thought people were gonna be putting most of these into road cases and hauling them all over the place, i would hope they would have designed the touchscreen to at least collapse in like the PM5D does.

in other news... yeah, the HOW market here in the US is kinda weird. we're so immersed in it, we do sometimes forget that. after all, i work full-time for one of those places now... :) i DO really like getting reminded that the universe doesn't actually revolve around my country, even if i sometimes act like it does... :)
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

For the M7CL reminded me heavily of the old SPX90. That was kind of a breakthrough in terms of ease of use (pretty much anybody could figure it out just by poking at the front panel for a couple of minutes) and in providing pretty decent effects at a good price point. I think the sound quality of the M7CL has come a long way from the SPX90, though.

I doubt Yamaha was shooting for the American HOW market as their design criteria. That was probably something that happened when the first units hit Yamaha CA and people there decided that here was finally a digital console they could sell to churches.
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

brian maddox said:
lots of good points here. i have to admit i'm speaking from a US-centric place. the M7CL was certainly marketed heavily in this country for the HOW market and general A/V. i remember when i took the Yamaha 2 day PM5D class seeing the new M7's lined up for the guys to look at while we were there. the general consensus among the guys at the class [largely all typical production ProSound guys] was it was kinda toy-like. even i was intrigued, but skeptical.

fast forward to today, and the M7CL has become the new PM4K [i.e. it's the 'rarely preferred but always acceptable' rider console]. and having spent many hours on one, i think it absolutely deserves to be. but i'm still surprised that the ProSound community in this country actually embraced it like they did, if for no other reason than it was just too inexpensive to be true.

i do still think that if yamaha truly thought people were gonna be putting most of these into road cases and hauling them all over the place, i would hope they would have designed the touchscreen to at least collapse in like the PM5D does.

in other news... yeah, the HOW market here in the US is kinda weird. we're so immersed in it, we do sometimes forget that. after all, i work full-time for one of those places now... :) i DO really like getting reminded that the universe doesn't actually revolve around my country, even if i sometimes act like it does... :)
Click to expand...

I find it's always interesting to go online and compare/share stories of how local markets are different. Despite what "they" say, the world is still a pretty big place!

I just stumbeled accross an article that might interest you. It's about the development of the M7CL.
http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/global/en/about/insidestory/designforloving/index.jsp

And here is a link to an interview with the design team:
http://www.yamahacommercialaudio.co.../archive/2005_12/08_m7cl_engineers/index.html

Edit: Add link.
 
Last edited:
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

kristianjohnsen said:
I find it's always interesting to go online and compare/share stories of how local markets are different. Despite what "they" say, the world is still a pretty big place!

I just stumbeled accross an article that might interest you. It's about the development of the M7CL.
http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/global/en/about/insidestory/designforloving/index.jsp

And here is a link to an interview with the design team:
http://www.yamahacommercialaudio.co.../archive/2005_12/08_m7cl_engineers/index.html

Edit: Add link.
Click to expand...

very interesting stuff. i couldn't help but notice that the the designers in the interview made several references to the U.S. church market as well what they termed 'small and medium sized' market. so at least i'm not totally crazy... ;)

and to your other point, i actually am truly fascinated by how people in other countries do and see things. i'm very grateful that i've had the opportunity to travel to so many of them and see for myself [though unfortunately not yours. yet.]. i consider it one of the greatest blessings of my life. truly.
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

brian maddox said:
and to your other point, i actually am truly fascinated by how people in other countries do and see things. i'm very grateful that i've had the opportunity to travel to so many of them and see for myself [though unfortunately not yours. yet.]. i consider it one of the greatest blessings of my life. truly.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Even when travelling to "similar countries" like the bigger ones in western Europe or to the US the small subtleties of how people think and act different on the same social issues, etc, has astounded me. I personally believe the trick is to be open minded enough to truly observe, critical enough to filter out the BS - and humble enough to identify the good things one should take home. The problem is that tourists are usually either presented with the strained "we're here to please you" or the nochalant "don't think you amount to anything other than a meal ticked to me". Working abroad is probably a more "honest" experience.

Let me know if you ever plan to visit Norway :).
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

Not a Yamaha, but it's a digital mixer with Ipad dock
Ipad works wirelessly with it
16 channels, 6 auxes
Game changer for club sound

small as s*** too.

b393da52ce3c12b23f33487068662c20.png


more info:
http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/namm-2012-mackie-launches-dl1608-525318


Behr*****er has a mixer with an Ipad dock now as well. Don't think it's wireless though.
 
Last edited:
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

I agree with the original post idea of a removable touch screen controller that packs flat in the case - great idea. How about 2 or 3 or 4 controllers for the various mixes - FOH - monitor - recording - broadcast...

I'm guessing that there are iPad apps that allow this now? The entry level StudioLive does so hopefully the bigger better products do too.
 
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

Gene Hardage said:
I agree with the original post idea of a removable touch screen controller that packs flat in the case - great idea. How about 2 or 3 or 4 controllers for the various mixes - FOH - monitor - recording - broadcast...

I'm guessing that there are iPad apps that allow this now? The entry level StudioLive does so hopefully the bigger better products do too.
Click to expand...
It's not the ipad app, but the console's operating system that determines how or if it handles multiple controls.
 
Last edited:
Re: Next evolution for Yamaha digital?

They added recording to the 01v96, & changed the color of the box.


:D

I seen a yamaha pamphlet, and they have all sorts of mixers besides the M7CL, LS9 & 01v series. I was truly surprised at the different lines..
 
Top Bottom