Yamaha O1V questions?

[GlynH]

Hi there,

 

I have owned a Yamaha O1V for many years now but have never really used it for more than a way of getting my keyboard, sound modules, sampler & PC soundcards into a pair of speakers!

 

I know...I know...such a waste :-)

 

I would like to get into using it more for the purpose it was designed but first I have a need to go back to basics so please be gentle with me!

 

Setup:

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Yamaha O1V

Korg Trinity Plus

Roland JV-2080

Korg M1R

Akai S5000

Tascam CD-RW700

Yamaha SW1000XG

Mackie HR624

 

I may also have other gear connected such as Korg D3200 & Sonos ZP90

I also have a Yamaha DS2416 DSP Factory and a couple of Creamware cards, Powersampler & Pulsar II in another computer I haven't used in a while.

I've forgotten more than I ever knew...all the gear...no idea! :-)

 

Everything is connected to the O1V Top Panel 1/4"Balanced inputs 1-12 using Unbalanced Jack->Jack leads apart frorm the Tascam which is connected to the rear panel Stereo In/Out using digital coaxial cables.

 

The ZP90 is connected using stereo phonos to the top panel 2TR In/Out

 

Questions

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1. The O1V has a choice of outputs on the rear panel;

Monitor Out +4dB Balanced Jack

Omni Out +4dB Balanced Jack

Stereo Out Balanced XLR

What are the recommended outputs to feed my Mackie's and why? I am currently using Monitor Outs Unbalanced Jack->Jack. Is this optimum?

 

2. I had the O1V setup to use Int/44k as wordclock.

Everything seems OK until I turn on the Tascam when 'CAUTION DIGITAL ST IN Sync error!!!' is displayed on the O1V.

The only way to prevent this is set the O1V to use ST IN DIGITAL as wordclock.

Of course if I then turn the Tascam off I am again left with the same error.

I have taken to setting the O1V to use ST IN DIGITAL as wordclock but then have to leave the Tascam switched on even if I am not using it...does this sound correct to you guys or have I missed a trick here?

 

3. No matter where wordclock is set I am unable to record digitally to the Tascam.

If set to ST DIGITAL IN I get the D-IN UNLOCK! error message displayed on the Tascam.

If set to Int/44k the D-IN UNLOCK error disappears but I am still unable to record.

No activity is shown on the Tascam meters in either mode.

Bear in mind I have nothing (apart from the Tascam) connected digitally - everything is connected using analogue Jack->Jack.

I know I could connect analogue cables to the Tascam but I am using the 2TR In/Outs for the ZP90 and in any case I want to record digitally!

Obviously I have overlooked something fundamental here also?

 

4. If I decide to connect the Tascam using the analogue 2TR In/Outs then I will have to find another analogue In/Out pair for the ZP90.

I use both In & Out because obviously I want to pipe music from the ZP90 to the desk but also because the ZP90 will accept line level outputs so I can pipe anything going through the desk to the Sonos Zoneplayers in any other part of the house.

I guess I could use Inputs 13-16 to feed music from the ZP90 to the O1V but how would I then route the output of the O1V into the ZP90 to feed multiroom?

 

5. I have left the 'best' till last...what is the difference (if any) between a Balanced Jack->Jack cable and a single lead fitted with stereo 1/4" Jack plugs at each end such as those I see in Maplins for example? Can a stereo jack lead be used in place of a balanced jack cable and vice versa?

 

Thanks & kind regards,

-=Glyn=-

[gyro_gearloose]

1 - You should really be using a balanced connection between your desk and speakers. Its far more immune to electrical interference than un-balanced. Your Mackies have both balanced jack and XLR inputs, and it won't make much difference which ones you use as long as you go jack-to-jack or XLR to XLR.

 

2-4 Don't know. Not had much experience of digital recording.

 

5 - What do you mean by a balanced jack-to-jack? I ask because its seems clear that you don't know what this means, since you actually describe a balanced jack cable (two stereo jacks with a bit of cable between them) and ask if it is the same as what you think a balanced jack cable is. So what do you think a balanced jack cable is?

 

Edit: Do you think a balanced cable is one with a pair of two-pole jack plugs at either end? It isn't. Its just a pair of mono, unbalanced jacks

[SteveMG]

Okay, 2-4:

 

2 - you are absolutely correct and no, you haven't missed a trick. The thing about digital signals is that they all need to be synchronised, wherever they are in the device chain. Generally digital devices have two states, Master and Slave. When you set your mixer to use internal sync, it's effectively the master device, and any digital outputs will be locked to the internal wordclock you selected. The problem with this is that any digital inputs won't be locked to this at all, unless you send mixer wordclock back to them, so that they lock to it. The problem with that is that if you want to use the digital input to record on the Tascam, then you are also going to have to send the same mixer wordclock signal to whatever your digital source is, otherwise you'll get the DI-unlock signal that you've already experienced.

 

There are at least a couple of way of dealing with your digital chain problem. What most users do is to set the first digital device in the recording chain to be the master (internal sync), and set everything afterwards as a slave device, so that the Tascam is slaved to the digital input, and the mixer is slaved to the Tascam. As you've discovered also, when you want to use the mixer on its own, you have to reset it to use internal sync. The way that the majority of pro users get around this is to use a standalone wordclock generator, and send sync from this to all devices that need it. The snag with this is that not all devices can accept a standalone wordclock input - for instance the 01v does, but the Tascam (as far as I can tell) doesn't; it only has a single digital input, and that would be the one you want to use for signals, rather than as a clock input. You could almost certainly use the digital input as a clock source and record an analogue input to it, but unless you can persuade the coax and optical inputs to work at the same time (which they might, I suppose...) then you have a problem with a digital input - which of course would also have to be synced.

 

I hope that's a bit of help - sometimes it takes a while to get your head around these things, so persevere!