Product Reviews

Yamaha's new 01x mLAN digital mixing console takes full advantage of Mac OS X 10.3.3's support for mLAN, the interfacing protocol that uses FireWire to deliver audio and Midi connectivity between mLAN-compatible devices. Connect the 01x to your Mac via a FireWire cable, and mLAN enables the 01x to become an audio/Midi interface, an effects unit with a four-band EQ and dynamics on every channel, as well as two multi-effects devices. It also functions as a control surface for your sequencer and, of course, as a standalone mixer.

The 01x is a 28-channel, four-bus mixer with two external Midi ports (32 channels). It also uses motorised faders so its 24 mixer channels, auxiliary sends and remote-control options can be viewed by paging along eight channels at a time. The faders snap into position to show the status of each mixer layer.

As this is a digial device, it dispenses with the rows of channels and myriad knobs of its analogue counterparts, replacing them with a menu-driven screen and just a few knobs and switches.

All interfacing appears on the back panel of the unit. Eight input channels comprise two XLR microphone inputs with switchable phantom power, six balanced TRS jack inputs and an additional instrument input on channel eight. Two jack pairs deal with monitor-out and stereo/aux-out, and there's a headphone socket. Stereo digital interfacing is achieved via two coaxial connectors. Two mLAN connectors (six-pin FireWire) allow the 01x to be daisychained to other mLAN and FireWire devices, including hard disks. There are two footswitch connectors, two sets of Midi in/out ports and the DC input for the external PSU.

The console can function at 24-bit/96kHz resolutions and it works with Mac OS 9 using OMS (Midi) and ASIO drivers (audio), but under OS X the data flow is far

ADVERTISEMENT

more efficient, particularly with multiple audio channels. The console's functions are accesed by paging through its numerous menus.

Operating the 01x in this way can soon become tiresome, and the alternative is to use the bundled Studio Manager software, which provides an 01x virtual console on your Mac's screen; simply move a virtual fader and the corresponding fader moves on the 01x unit. However, getting to this level of functionality requires some setting up and a few downloads.

Under OS X 10.3.3, the mLAN console integrates with the Mac's Audio Midi Setup utility (AMS). While only two Midi ports work as an external interface, AMS will actually show five Midi ports; the other three are dedicated to transport, console and automation control functions. These extra ports are important when setting up the Studio Manager software to remotely control the 01x from the Mac. Yamaha provides preconfigured OMS setups that take care of these routing issues under OS 9.

Studio Manager may appear rather basic, but more details appear in four additional windows: Library (custom setups and effects), Effects Editor, Patch Editor (routing) and Selected Channel. The latter gives an overview of the channel status, including EQ, dynamics, effects and routing settings. Studio Manager can work in the background alongside a sequencer and is certainly worth exploring. However, it's curious that the 01x includes presets to remotely control Cubase, Logic and Digital Performer from the console - taking you away from the screen - and yet demands that you return to it to control the console effectively with Studio Manager.

When used in tandem with Cubase SX 2 and Logic Pro, the 01x was a joy to work with. The transport controls made light of the mousework and its built-in dynamics, EQ and effects can help to reduce the CPU burden of realtime plug-ins on the host Mac.

While the 01x comes into its own when used alongside the Mac, it can be used on its own with multiple analogue sources or mLAN instruments for both live and recording tasks.

While operating the console itself manually may seem rather daunting, the Studio Manager software will enable anyone familiar with a sequencer to get to grips with the 01x. It's an amazing piece of kit that can transform your working methods overnight.

Needs: 800MHz PowerPC G3 or faster + Mac OS 9.2 or Mac OS X 10.3.3 + 384MB RAM