Yamaha has launched additions to its range of professional audio products, the Rivage PM5 and Rivage PM3 digital mixing systems. The launch of two new control surfaces and two new DSP engines gives sound engineers choice and flexibility to deliver audio in a much wider 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 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-in capacitive touchscreens, suitable for daylight viewing, and a condensed selected channel section for intuitive operation. To maximise the advantage of the screens, the depth of the control surface has been reduced to bring them and the controls within easy reach for comfortable, stress-free operation while also improving sight lines.
Weighing 42kg the CS-R5 control surface can be carried and manoeuvred by two people.
The CS-R3 for Rivage PM3 systems offers full Rivage PM series functionality and performance into a console measuring 1145mm wide, perfect for reducing seat kill in venues where space is at a premium.
The CS-R3 has a single touch-panel display and condensed selected channel section of the same type used on the CS-R5.
The two new units feature the DSP-RX (120 inputs, 48 mix buses, 24 matrixes) and the DSP-RX-EX (288 inputs, 72 mix buses, 36 matrixes).
If you start with the DSP-RX and later need more capacity, 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. This means that, whatever 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 a Front of House mix, 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 a range of other Yamaha pro audio products.
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 important 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.
* Rivage PM7 features an integrated DSP engine, and does not support DSP mirroring.