West Midlands, UK-based AV specialist Central Presentations Ltd. (CPL) is one of the first UK rental companies to take delivery of the Yamaha CL5 digital mixing console, introduced earlier this year.
CPL already has a large stock of Yamaha LS9 and other desks. One reason the CL5 was chosen is that it runs on the same operating principals as these, so all their engineers who are used to working with Yamaha digital consoles will be able to use the CL5 immediately, and quickly familiarize themselves with its many features.
The CL5 system was supplied to CPL by the Birmingham office of LMC Audio Systems.
“The compact size and weight for 72 channels is a ‘no brainer’,” explains CPL managing director Matthew Boyse, who adds that it is “perfect“ for so many of the corporate events and presentations that CPL services. “It is a truly multi-purpose console that will fit neatly into any space and transport very easily.”
The CL Series is the first Yamaha console family to run natively using the Dante digital audio network protocol, with connections between Dante elements via Cat5e cable further reducing overall weight and truck space requirements.
Other Dante devices can be connected to the network keeping the domain completely digital, and in this context, CPL’s CL5 was supplied with two Yamaha RIO-3224-D stage racks giving 64 inputs and 32 outputs which connect via Cat5e in a simple daisy-chain or redundant star-network. Up to eight RIO stage-boxes can operate on the same network, including the smaller RIO1608-D, providing excellent expansion and audio distribution potential.
James Lawford, sales manager at LMC Audio Systems, states, “The availability of the RIO-1608-D stage box, and the move towards Dante by other third party manufacturers, will allow CPL to harness the power of a fully integrated digital audio network, working across standard Cat5e cabling and Ethernet switches, future-proofed with the move towards AVB, and with the reliability, ease of use and wide industry acceptance of a Yamaha console.”
The CL Series also includes a Premium Rack with a Rupert Neve Designs five band Portico 5033 equalizer and a Portico 5043 compressor/limiter. Up to eight Premium Rack devices can be assigned, including VCM technology emulations of other classic analog devices.
Via Dante, the console is also optimized for very straightforward live multitrack recording, utilizing Steinberg Nuendo Live that is supplied with the system and runs on Mac or PC, or any other digital audio workstation.
Nigel Griffiths of CPL notes, “You can set the system up to minimize the need to run analog multicores and the multitrack record and playback facility, without needing additional sound cards or having to stray back into an analog domain, is brilliant. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.”
CPL is already anticipating hot demand for the console and it becoming a valuable cross rental item. CPL has arranged with LMC to provide training days for both its full-time and regular free-lance engineers and technicians, enabling them to maximize their experience with the console.
In addition to further CL5 purchases, Boyse also has his sights set on Yamaha’s new CL1 and CL3 variations, which will become available late summer, the idea being that the company will stock the full CL range.
