The city was chosen for the corporate facilities of the ICC, the hospitality of the city centre’s main restaurant strip and the proximity of the following morning’s Sound Broadcast Equipment Show (SBES) at the NEC - for which Yamaha’s event provided a significant curtain-raiser.
In another world-launch coup for the Japanese company’s UK operation, Yamaha-Kemble UK’s sales and marketing director Ricci Hodgson hosted a dramatic unveiling of the DM2000 amid dry ice and thunderous sound effects. This was followed by a detailed description of the DM2000’s specifications by Terry Holton, head of the R&D team in London, for which the new console represents a major evolutionary step from the hugely successful 02R.
Holton emphasized the desk’s high-resolution audio quality - 24-bit/96kHz digital audio on all 96 channels - made possible by a new-generation chip developed at Yamaha’s own plant in Japan. Other breakthroughs include new mic preamps; full support for LCRS and 5.1 surround formats as well as stereo; copious expansion card slots; and dedicated software interfaces for digital audio workstations such as ProTools and Nuendo.
After revealing an SRP of $14,500 and a target shipping date of next March, Hodgson rounded off proceedings by introducing a live demo of the console. Engineer Simon Honeywell mixed a disco-driven performance of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by string quartet Pearl - not unique in being all-female, but distinguished by a Vanessa-Mae-times-four approach to image.
Versatility was clearly established as the DM2000’s key characteristic, forged in an era of converging markets for budget-conscious enterprises. The demonstration of the desk’s FOH credentials made its point, but the on-board DAW interfaces and surround features rang similar bells for its suitability for music and post production.
Among those present was David Anthony Otanez of distribution and integration company Total Audio Solutions, in no doubt about the DM2000’s potential in broadcast applications. "Our first thought was to put it into one of our OB trucks - it’s perfect for it. You need more and more channels, and space is the main consideration. The high resolution on each channel is always a bonus, but where I see the real benefit is just the sheer number of channels available for its size.
"We looked at the PM1D for one of our trucks previously, but size and cost ruled it out. The DM2000 is totally feasible for the OB market. The other area, obviously, is post. As far as features go for the price, there is no comparison with this console on the market now."
Confirming the effectiveness of a high number of channels in a small footprint, a week after the launch, Marquee Audio’s sales director Andy Huffer pointed to the DM2000’s appeal to theatre sound engineers. "We held our own demonstration of the console at The Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith three days later," he said, "and there was a good spread of theatre sound designers, educational facilities and touring sound companies. They were all blown away by it . . .
"The number of simultaneous mix channels, at 96k, in a small space is obviously good news for any live venue. Audio-wise, the DM2000 is leaps and bounds on from the 02R, which was picked up a lot in sound reinforcement even though it was essentially a studio console. Where the PM1D would not fit, there was the 02R - now the alternative is the DM2000," continued Huffer. "There is other competition too, of course. Over the years we’ve sold digital desks from Sony, Mackie and Spirit into theatre and live applications. But the DM2000 is the new benchmark."
Phil Ward
