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Hi folks.
I'm looking at a piece in the current issue of Australian magazine Audio Technology. Under an article entitled NAMM report is a photo and a bit of a rave about the new Yamaha DM2000. It has "the potential" to mix up to 96 inputs at full 24bit 96kHz, and the article lists some of its other features (new mic preamp's etc.). The thing that caught my eye however was this:

"The extraordinary feature of the DM is its ability TO OPERATE AS A CONTROL SURFACE for the most popular DAW's on the market. CURRENTLY PRO TOOLS AND NUENDO ARE SUPPORTED and Yamaha confirmed that others are being completed. ." (my emphasis).

Anybody got further info on this? E.g. are we talking the new HD systems here? Waddya fink?
:cool:

Comments

Greg Malcangi Tue, 03/19/2002 - 08:49

Hi Stedel,

I don't know the DM2000 so I can't say for sure but my guess is that it's configurable as a MIDI controller. The O2R had this feature but it was next to unusable so I presume they have beefed it up on the DM2000. A downside to using a MIDI controller for PT is resolution. MIDI only has 128 steps from minimum to maximum, which is considerably less than the 10bit resolution (1024 steps) of PT's faders. Hence why the procontrol uses ethernet instead of MIDI. The same is true to a lesser extent with other parameters, for example pan, which in PT has 200 steps.

I might be wrong of course, for all I know the DM2000 has an ethernet port and can be seen by PT as an ethernet controller. I seriously doubt it though! More likely is that they just have a MIDI profile for PT and Nuendo.

Greg

anonymous Wed, 03/20/2002 - 00:38

Hi Greg.
Thanks for replying. I spoke to Yamaha's Aussie rep today, he said that he thinks it's midi. The report I read (which was fairly glowing of the DM2000) gave the impression that this was a new implementation/feature. I'm not familiar with Yamaha's stuff (that is in a hands on way) and the DM2000 is a new piece of gear. Anyway a local retailer is setting up this thing with one of the new Pro Tools HD rig. The retailers are usually better informed than the reps over here. I might go and check it out. If there's anything new in respect to the info you gave above I'll post (just for curiosity's sake). If not I won't. Again, thanks for the info.
Kind regards :cool:

anonymous Fri, 03/22/2002 - 05:48

Originally posted by Greg Malcangi:
Hi Stedel,

I don't know the DM2000 so I can't say for sure but my guess is that it's configurable as a MIDI controller. The O2R had this feature but it was next to unusable so I presume they have beefed it up on the DM2000. A downside to using a MIDI controller for PT is resolution. MIDI only has 128 steps from minimum to maximum, which is considerably less than the 10bit resolution (1024 steps) of PT's faders. Hence why the procontrol uses ethernet instead of MIDI. The same is true to a lesser extent with other parameters, for example pan, which in PT has 200 steps.

Greg

Just happened by this thread and thought I would pass this along...
FWIW, Emagic's Logic Control has 10-bit faders (Penny & Giles - same ones in Pro Control?) for 1024 step resolution, along with 32-bit automation in Logic 5 (all parameters including VSTi's and plugins). Logic Control is a midi controller so apparently there is a way around the 128 step limitation (likely double control changes - 128X128, which the DM2000 lists for it's surround/pan control).

Ethernet is a misapplied term for control interfaces using RJ45 connections. AFAIK, all use either a proprietary communication protocol or midi. According to Emagic, ethernet as a data standard (which I believe is considered isochronous, IIRC) isn't appropriate for midi and time-constrained data. Any controller that can be used with 3rd party software will have to be a midi controller. According to Emagic, this is plenty fast enough for control surfaces, and even for punch ins (i.e. even 1 to 5ms is faster than human reaction time). The key requirement for better than midi resolution is automation within the app. The only way to use a proprietary control protocol is with a hardware system (such a PT, Paris, RADAR, etc). Software-only systems will have to use midi.

Sorry this doesn't answer the DM2000 question directly, but it is possible at least (a review on it states it does use 128X128 resolution for surround).

Regards,
Dedric

ckevperry Mon, 03/25/2002 - 18:07

Originally posted by Greg Malcangi:
Hi Stedel,

MIDI only has 128 steps from minimum to maximum, which is considerably less than the 10bit resolution (1024 steps) of PT's faders. Hence why the procontrol uses ethernet instead of MIDI
I might be wrong of course, for all I know the DM2000 has an ethernet port and can be seen by PT as an ethernet controller. I seriously doubt it though! More likely is that they just have a MIDI profile for PT and Nuendo.

Greg

Don't forget the HUI has 512 (or is it 256?) steps and it is midi.

Also remember that the PT faders have only 128 steps if you don't hold down the apple key... which many people forget and mix using PT faders at 128 steps resolution.