Yamaha has announced additions to its range of professional digital mixing systems with the Rivage PM5 and Rivage PM3 – two new control surfaces and two new DSP engines.
With Rivage PM10 and Rivage PM7 established digital mixing systems, the physically smaller Rivage PM5 and Rivage PM3 add new levels of versatility and scalability to full Rivage PM system functionality. The choice of two DSP engines with different mixing capacities, plus now a total of five control surfaces, gives engineers scope to create systems tailored to a wide range of applications.
The core components of the new Rivage PM5 and Rivage PM3 are the CS-R5 and CS-R3 control surfaces. Both feature the same fader configuration as the rest of the Rivage PM series, with three bays of 12 faders each. The combination of touchscreens and selected channel controls offers functionality and intuitive operation familiar to Rivage PM series users, while also offering easy entry for users of Yamaha’s CL and QL series consoles. The commonality of fader configuration also means that the same layout can be maintained when using different control surfaces, for example on different days of a tour.
Designed with multi-operator use in mind, the CS-R5 for Rivage PM5 systems features three 15-inch ultra-sensitive, extra bright capacitive touchscreens, suitable for daylight viewing, and a condensed selected channel section for intuitive operation. The depth of the control surface has been reduced to bring the screens and the controls within easy reach for comfortable operation while also improving sight lines.
Meters located beside each fader offer dynamic metering and high visibility for fine adjustment. At 42kg, the CS-R5 control surface is also lightweight, being easily carried and manoeuvred by two people.
The CS-R3 for Rivage PM3 systems packs full Rivage PM series functionality and performance into a console 1.145m wide, making it the most compact in the series. The CS-R3 has a single touch-panel display and condensed selected channel section of the same type used on the CS-R5. A comprehensive range of physical controllers also makes the CS-R3 a great choice for monitor applications.
The ‘brain’ of any Rivage PM system is its DSP engine. The two new units comprise the DSP-RX (120 inputs, 48 mix buses, 24 matrixes) and the DSP-RX-EX (288 inputs, 72 mix buses, 36 matrixes). A DEK-DSP-RX expansion board can be added to upgrade the DSP-RX to full DSP-RX-EX specifications. The new DSP engines also allow DSP mirroring – two DSP-RX engines or two DSP-RX-EX engines can be used in mirrored configuration for situations where failsafe redundancy is required. If a problem occurs in one DSP engine, the second one takes over so the show can go on.
All Rivage PM systems use the same DSP engines, the same I/O racks, and the same firmware such that, whichever control surface is used, the sound, features and basic operation remain consistent. The system’s Dual Console function makes it possible to use a second control surface as a sidecar. Any control surface can be used for FOH, as a monitor console or a sidecar, depending on the user requirements.
Like the flagship Rivage PM10 and PM7, the PM5 and PM3 offer direct compatibility with two audio networks: Yamaha’s TwinLANe – which can simultaneously carry up to 400 audio channels with extremely low latency – and Audinate’s Dante, which is standard in CL and QL series digital consoles and other Yamaha pro audio products.
The Rivage PM5 and PM3 fully inherit the underlying Yamaha Rivage PM philosophy that any compatible I/O rack can be used to capture the on-stage sound accurately, without colouration, allowing creative touches to be added as required.
Firmware version 4.0 for the entire Rivage PM series will be released simultaneously with the Rivage PM5 and PM3 hardware. It provides a number of user interface and function updates, including increasing the I/O count of Rivage PM7 to 144 inputs and 36 matrix outputs and the addition of the premium SP2016 reverb plugin from Eventide. As well as a large selection of top-quality presets, the SP2016 allows detailed editing for engineers who want to custom options.
‘The lush, distinct reverbs of the original Eventide SP2016 have been used in countless hit records for nearly 40 years. The original reverb can be heard on albums by Adele, Mariah Carey, Eminem and more,’ says Ray Maxwell, Eventide VP of Sales & Marketing.
‘Eventide is honoured to partner with Yamaha to bring the signature reverbs from the SP2016 (Room, Stereo Room and Hi-Density Plate) to the Rivage PM series with V4.0 software. Users will have a faithful recreation of the original rack processor using state of the art analogue component modelling to capture the unique sound of this widely acclaimed reverb.’
Firmware version 4.0 also allows control of L-Acoustics’ L-ISA systems. For every mono or stereo input channel, L-ISA Objects or Groups can be controlled direct from the Rivage PM control surface. ‘The availability of two DSP engines with different mixing capacities, plus the two new control surfaces, offers greatly expanded flexibility to create systems that are ideally suited to applications of just about any scale,’ says Masahiro Ikeda, Senior General Manager of the Yamaha Professional Audio Business Division.
‘Together with the Rivage PM10 and PM7 systems, Yamaha now has a mixing ecosystem which will deliver the ultimate flexibility, performance and expandability demanded by the highest level events to every space – from the biggest stadiums and festivals right through to compact theatres and clubs – where space should not mean compromising on sound. And all including the ease of use and reliability that Yamaha is renowned for.
‘We believe these new products are a true game-changer, and will continue to develop and add features to the Rivage PM series based on feedback from end users. We will also continue to work with third parties to add premium plug-ins, like the Eventide SP2016 reverb.’
More: www.yamahaproaudio.com
