Whatever you call 01V96 for a job: DAW surface control, live mixing console (main FOH, stage monitoring, and live recording) in gruesome metal concert, multi-track recording in cozy studio, stereo mixdown, 5.1 surround DVD production, 01V96 answers!

Core Features
I/O
• 12 mic/line inputs with switchable +48 V phantom power and 4 line inputs, 12 analog inserts
• Any Bus Outs or Channel Inserts can be routed to four Omni Outs.
• An optional card installed in the slot permits a maximum of 16 inputs/outputs.
• Double Channel support for recording and playing at 88.2/96 kHz on 44.1/48 kHz legacy multi-track digital recorders.

Channel Configuration
• 32 Input Channels and four ST IN channels can be mixed at a time. Group multiple channels and pair channels for stereo.
• Eight Bus Outs and eight Aux Sends. Bus Outs 1-8 can be routed to Stereo Buses for use as Group Buses.
• Channel library for storing and recalling the channel settings for each Input Channel and Output Channel
• Four-band EQ on each channel
• Dynamics processors on all channels (excluding ST IN channels)
• Dynamics processor settings and EQ settings can be stored in libraries and recalled.

Effects
• Four high-quality multi-channel effects (Apply effects via Aux Sends or Channel Inserts)
• Effect library for storing and recalling effect settings.

Scene Memory
• Scene memories for storing and recalling mix settings as Scenes

With a digital mixer like 01V96, you don’t need external bulky and costly outboard effects such as dynamics (compressor, gate, ducker, limiter, expander) and EQ, rack, patching TRS inserts cables and power conditioner. 01V96 has them all! In every channel, 01V96 offers phase invert, gate, compressor, EQ (4-band parametric), delay up to 904 ms, flexible routing option to 8 aux busses (switchable pre/post fader) and direct out, all with preset library so you can call and save the presets in a snap! With onboard effects, portability is the real winner. You can transport it to the venue with your hand. If you questioning Yamaha’s onboard effects quality, you should go to the doctor to check your ears.

01V96 comes with 12 mic pre-amps with similar quality to top notch Yamaha digital console. If it’s not enough, you can add one or two 8-channel pre-amps with digital ADAT lightpipe out like Presonus DigiMAX, Focusrite OctoPre, or cheapo Behringer ADA8000 into available I/O slot via Yamaha MY-16AT (optional, other digital connections are available such as Tascam, FireWire and AES/EBU) to assemble 28 mic pre-amps. Now except you are called to do live mix a metal band with symphonic orchestra, there’s no chance for 01V96 to miss the job. If it’s a multi-talents show, each band can have their dedicated setting (called session) to save all the presets after sound check and recalled it in a flash when they’re onstage.

Recently I brought 01V96 for a live job. It’s a small band live with five personnel. I setup 8 channels dedicated to drums (kick, snare, hi-hat, tom1, tom2, floor tom, overhead1 and overhead2). Two guitars tapped from respective amp out with cabinet simulator, this will minimize mic leakage. Two channel for bass (DI and mic’d cab), one lead and two backing vocals. Total 16 channels with 12 channel pre-amps required so I don’t need external mic pres but I do need that I/O card for four line inputs. One stereo in was for vocal effect (reverb) return.

I set four aux mixes for stage monitoring purpose via available Omni outs. It’s a small stage so three monitors upfront and one for drummer with sub was suffice. Each Omni inserts were patched with dbx AFS224 to tame those nasty “Larsen” effects, a.k.a feedback.  A pair of digital RCA input patched to digital soundcard output to deliver music playback stored in my PC during breaks.

Since I have installed Yamaha MY-16AT I/O card in available slot, I patched 16 direct outs of each channel in digital domain to soundcard for live recording with Cubase SX sequencer. This enable every channel recorded simultaneously and brings them up later in the studio for mixing, adding effects, overdubbing and mastering. Who said we need stand alone hard disk recorder? Our Maxtor PC hard disk with 7200 rpm speed is proven alright to record 16 channels simultaneously. The PC also serve as 01V96 USB interface to display StudioManager, dedicated software for 01V96 to control 01V96 and vise-versa, and displaying channel strips, meters, effect setting, library etc to a 17” LCD monitor.

I did channel config before went to venue so it’s easy to load the preset and re-adjust as necessary during soundcheck. Yamaha 01V96 comes with built-in presets for compressor, gates, EQ, and default I/O patches (for instance EQ and compressor setting for kickdrum) surely you can tweak it as you like to your taste. With StudioManager you can see all inputs, effects, stereo and master channel’s metering dB to see the level each, so you’ll know how the gate and compressor works and keep everything below clipping.

When the stage rolled, dealing with 01V96 pretty much require familiarization, since small digital mixer like this is completely different animal than analog console. In analog, everything is in there within reach of your hand. With digital it’s require two or more steps to achieve one step in analog. It was a time when the guitarist was going mad and rolled that drive level knob madly causing ultra nasty distortion. I have to adjust guitar channel by pushing “select” button for respective channel and tweaking EQ knobs a bit to lower the harshness in order to keep FOH mix in shape. A growling lead vocalist, as usual, pointing to the wedges then raise his middle finger up, like saying “more volume dammit!”, I have to push “master” knob to display aux and bus setting, then 01V96 displays the setting for aux and bus (including motorized fader level) and adjust the aux to the wedge by sliding the respective fader.

To make it short, the job went well. It was sunny warm day but 01V96 refused to give up. It smoothly cooperated with me to deliver the show in clean, low noise sound. Overall, the band was happy the audience was happy and most importantly the show manager came with big smile ear to ear.

As always, there are similar products worth to look for. Behringer offers DDX3216 at astonishingly low price as usual; Tascam with DM3200 and Soundcraft carries Digital 328/324. Anyhow, in our opinion Yamaha 01V96 is the real winner in term of quality/price ratio. Strictly recommended.

Sound    5/5
Features 5/5
Value     5/5

Street Price: US$2200
Where to buy? zZounds.com

Comments

bullshit Written by ahole on 2005-05-12 07:44:58 mic leakage in front of a guitar cab?   what a nonsense, you just did not have enough inputs to do the job properly.    yamaha FX any good? best check your ears yourself.    dynamics in digital domain? HELL NO!!! that sucks    01v a great desk, for the price yes, working on it? naaa not likely

ahole Written by admin on 2005-05-12 08:50:52 ahole, thanks for your comment  according to the author, (and as appears on the text), guitars are run through DI, not cabinet miking. being in a small stage he had experienced mic leakage from the bass cab.  as far as dynamics and effects, it's all about personal taste and he think it's great.    regards  admin

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