Pro Tools & Yamaha digital mixer

[wiggzaro]

Hi there

anyone got any comments on using pro tools with a yamaha dm100 or dm2000.
the desks come with a control surface configuration for pro tools. Has anyone used this and how would you rate it against the icon command or pro-tools.


Cheers
Wiggzaro

[sleadley]

We use the DM2000 with Pro Tools 7.3 and it works very well in a limited way. In our recording studio it is important to have, during complex recording projects, a Mixer connected to Pro Tools to take care of headphone sends, various external inputs and keeping the mix the same when opening each session. (I have in the past argued that Digi should create a mixer like the VENUE for recording studios that includes a proper mixer fed from Pro Tools so that we don't lose audio pass through when sessions are opened and closed, but I digress) For the mixing process we use the HUI emulation on the DM2000 for basic mixing tasks, and while this is adequate for many tasks, and ICON it aint. If you have a look at the ICON features it is an amazingly powerful mix surface, but this all comes at a cost. There is a very large gap between an ICON and a HUI controller such as the DM2000 in operation. Depending on your needs the DM2000 is a very capable mixer but it is a different beast to an ICON IMHO. But there are features on the DM that I would miss, such as the Bass management, DSP power, FX, Routing while Pro Tools is opening sessions, audio flexibility and Mixing features.
my 2c
Simon L.

[wiggzaro]

Thanks Simon

yep the cost factor does come into play when considering an icon - specially seeing that it is only a control surface and nothing else. my interest in the dm combination with pro tools is also the pre-amps for recording purposes, which makes it a much more cost effective solution that using an icon with the digi-pre's
cheers
Wiggzaro