TF LOVE FROM YAMAHA
16 April 2015
We’ve seen the CL, QL and more recently the Rivage PM10 flagship, and now Yamaha closes the loop on its digital mixing range with the sub $6k TF series. The TF5, TF3, and TF1 respectively feature 33, 25, or 17 motorised faders along with 32, 24, or 16 rear panel analogue inputs featuring recallable Yamaha D-Pre preamps (for the first time in a digital console). There are a total of 48 inputs on the TF5 and TF3, with 40 on the TF1, including dual stereo analogue/USB digital inputs and dual returns. Live recording features include up to 34 x 34 channel recording and playback via USB2.0 and 2 x 2 with a USB storage device.
TF stands for ‘TouchFlow’ which refers to Yamaha’s touchscreen-based UI. There’s also some nifty stuff like one-knob Comp and EQ control, there’s also an innovative GainFinder feature which has a smart crack at setting optimum gain for individual input signals — I think we all know someone who could benefit from this feature!
Also provided is a range of input and output channel presets created in Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica, as well as respected engineers. The input channel presets are made to match a range of musical instruments and voices, covering parameters such as head amp (HA) gain, EQ, dynamics and more, right down to details like channel name and colour. Output channel presets include parameters optimised for in-ear monitors (IEM) and Yamaha powered speakers, with variations to match different environments and room sizes. All great stuff, especially for the novice.
As you’d expect, TF allows you to do wireless mixing, personal monitor mixing, and offline setup with TF series consoles, there’s a bunch of SPX-sourced FX, and an expansion card slot.
Pricing starts at A$3999 for the TF1 and $5999 for the TF5 and product will land in early May.
Yamaha: au.yamaha.com
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