Yamaha ZG02 Compact Game Audio Mixer

Yamaha has released the ZG02 compact game audio mixer—the newest addition to Yamaha’s growing range of gaming and content creator audio solutions. The ZG02 offers an incredible level of control and flexibility from a simple and compact form factor, while taking up only a fraction of desk space.
The ZG02 features two key elements that combine to create a simple, intuitive, and high-performance gaming audio interface. The included ZG Controller software and the ZG02 compact game audio mixer interface.
The ZG Controller software unlocks all the tools required for a professional presentation, with compressors, limiters and EQ for the microphone plus the setup of a variety of preset modes for the quick select buttons found on the mixer. Furthermore, there’s a multitude of powerful features, such as the ‘3D chat space’ that capitalises on Yamaha’s extensive knowledge in DSP and 3D sound processing. This allows you to spatially select where your game chat is coming from within the overall 3D sound field, to limit distractions from the game sound itself.
The ZG02 compact game audio mixer has been meticulously designed to offer everything you need to control the multiple layers within your gaming audio and live streams within easy reach. This allows on-the-fly adjustments and control without having to pause the action and navigate to additional software or settings.

1. INDEPEDENT CONTROL OF GAME AUDIO
The ZG02 mixer interface has been designed with simplicity in mind, leaving the more in-depth controls and settings to the ZG Controller software.
On the ZG02 itself, you will find a precision fader for adjusting the overall microphone volume, microphone gain switch (with three levels of preset), dials for adjusting the microphone monitoring levels, game party chat and game audio (also commonly called LOOPBACK) all functioning as their own independent adjustment.
There’s also quick recall preset buttons for a variety of sound modes and effects setup within the ZG controller software, plus the all-important quick mute button.

2. LINK YOUR MONITOR AUDIO TO YOUR STREAM
For streamers looking to use the ZG02 as their audio interface for creating a professional audio stream, you can use the new ‘link’ function to output the levels you have setup for monitoring as the final audio levels being broadcast to your audience.
This provides peace of mind that what you are hearing in your headphones is what your audience also hears.

Having these controls always within reach is especially beneficial when you need to make quick adjustments on the fly, meaning you don’t need to navigate back out to other software to check what your stream levels are vs. monitor levels.
Simply adjust the sound using the interface controls and that sound will also be modifed within your stream. For even more flexibility you you can select which audio source is linked and which is not with an LED indicator located below each of the dials to let know which is linked to your stream output.

3. PROFESSIONAL MICROPHONE AND HEADPHONE CONTROL
The free ZG Controller software unlocks the full potential of the ZG02 system with a wide variety of customisation features and settings.
All the essentials are present and accounted for. Ensure your microphone sounds likes it’s been setup by a pro using the built in essentials such as compressor, limiter and EQ plus a noise gate. You can also customise your voice changer and echo effect and apply those to the quick recall buttons.
Optimise your headphones with EQ control and several quick presets customised for certain headphone/earphone types.

4. GAME EFFECT
Capitalising on Yamaha’s extensive experience in DSP and immersive sound processing, the ZG02 features several game enhancement audio modes designed to help the world feel more all-encompassing and fully realised.
For example, ‘Focus Modes’ use bespoke EQ settings to lower the volume of the sounds made by your character allowing you to focus more on the surrounding environment – perhaps listening out for an opponents footsteps instead of being distracted by your own.
3D Chat Space allows you to assign exactly where in your headphones’ 3D sound field that you hear the game chat coming from. Perhaps from above to help prevent it taking over your peripheral sounds, or further back and to the left so it’s less of a distraction and you always know when someone in your party chat is talking to you vs. an opponent or in game character.

5. COMPATIBLE WITH GAME CONSOLES
Plug and play with Playstation 5 and Nintendo Switch. The ZG02, when connected via USB-C to either of these consoles using it’s dedicated console connection will serve as a high performance audio interface. This also allows you to use your gaming headset or condenser microphone through voice chat of these systems, plus control the game audio levels coming back from the console into your headset.
As your microphone, game effect and voice effect settings are saved onto the ZG02 itself, these can still be applied even when being used with a console. You will just need to set these settings up on a PC first, and then save them to the ZG02.
The ZG02 features 2x USB-C connections, one for PC use and one for console use. This means you can simultaneously connect it to a PC and gaming console at the same time.

6. STREAMING SERVICE FRIENDLY DOWNMIXING
The ZG02 is compatible with surround sound of up to 7.1 channels via the PC USB-C connection,, which can be monitered within the ZG Controller software and enjoyed through your connected headset.

When streaming your game audio, Yamaha’s proprietary ‘ViReal’ technology downmixes the surround sound into a streaming service friendly 2-channel stream. The advanced processing in this technology ensures that the many environmental gaming characteristics that would ususally be lost are retained in the 2-channel downmix, making the listening expereince for your audience far more immersive and
enjoyable.

7. COMPATIBLE WITH ELGATO STREAM DECK
Dedicated to simplifying your entire streaming setup, Yamaha has teamed up with Elgato to create a free ZG series plugin for the Elgato Stream Deck ecosystem.

This means you can control several key functions of the ZG02 including microphone, game and chat audio plus enable a variety of the built in effects, directly from the same place that you control the rest of your stream.

AT-A-GLANCE
• High performance professional sound and design trusted by countless studios, venues and creators around the world
• Compatible with condenser microphones with +48V phantom power
• Microphone Inputs: Combo ‘Neutrik’ XLR/TRS (Rear) and 3.5mm Jack (Front)
• Audio output selection between headphones and external speakers (3.5mm Jack Out)
• Easy to access quick mute/cough button
• Precision microphone level fader
• Quick microphone gain switch with high, medium and low settings
• Game Effect Preset button to turn on/off immersive audio effects setup in ZG Controller
• Mic Effect Preset button to turn on/off microphone voice modification effect setup in ZG Controller
• Echo preset button to turn on/off microphone echo/reverb effect as set in ZG Controller
• Apply professional microphone tools with built in noise gate, EQ, compressor, and limiter setup in ZG Controller.
• Not just for PC’s. Plug and play with PS5 and Nintendo Switch using dedicated console USB-C connection for simple audio control when console gaming
• Mic Effect button can be re-assigned as a censorship tone instead of Mic effect
• Save your customised settings to the ZG02 so you can take it out and about to gaming events
• Control the ZG02 with Elgato Stream Deck via free Stream Deck plugin