Y56K DSP Card for Yamaha's AW4416 Released

Waves, a supplier of audio signal processing solutions for the professional audio and multimedia markets, announced the release of the Y56K add-on DSP card for the Yamaha AW4416 Professional Digital Audio Workstation. The Y56K is a both hardware and software solution that extends the AW4416 capabilities to support Waves award-winning audio processors. The Y56K will be shipped with six of Waves plug-ins, including the acclaimed L1-Ultramaximizer, Renaissance EQ, Renaissance Compressor, TrueVerb, SuperTap Delay, and DeEsser.

"The multi-function AW4416 combines the technologies of several of Yamaha's finest products, and provides exceptional expandability," states Alan Hattori, Deputy General Manager, Professional Audio & Digital Musical Instrument Division. "The Y56K offers AW4416 users Waves award-winning audio plug-ins that seamlessly integrate into the workstation's normal operation. Yamaha's joint development with Waves on this product exemplifies the vision of the AW4416 as a truly expandable and upgradeable platform."

The Y56K card fit into either of 2 expansion slots on the back of the AW4416. Each Y56K card utilizes two (2) 120 MIPS Motorola 56k-series DSPs providing serious DSP horsepower for pristine quality, real time, low latency, audio processing tasks. The Y56K implements all audio processing with 48 bit precision. An additional benefit to AW4416 users is the inclusion of ADAT Lightpipe input/output in Master or Slave mode.

The Y56K comes equipped with Waves world-renowned audio processors. Each installed card supports eight (8) effect chains that can be independently configured to process audio from the AW4416 or the lightpipe I/O, and to be set to mono or stereo pair as well. Each effect chain provides five (5) processor slots to which any Waves processor can be assigned. Effect chains and each processor's setting are easily saved and loaded using snapshot automation to allow for quick access to favorite settings.

"Yamaha's AW4416 sets a new level of performance in professional audio products, and Waves is excited about extending its capabilities with our audio processor solutions," stated Gilad Keren, Waves CEO. "Yamaha's expandable AW4416 platform can allow a much broader user base to benefit from Wave's solutions. We will continue to closely work with Yamaha to provide world class service."

The Y56K solution is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2001. The Y56k includes the high performance DSP add-in card, six audio processors and control software.

Combining powerful technological innovations from its successful digital products into one unit, the Yamaha AW4416 is currently shipping. An optional front-mounted CD-RW drive is available, which enables mastering as well as loading and/or backing up data. The AW4416 contains full 32-bit DSP capabilities (similar to the Yamaha 02R digital console), 44 fully-automated audio inputs, 17 motorized faders, four fader and mute groups, eight bus and eight aux sends plus stereo, and stereo cue busses. An integrated 16-track recording system-complete with sampling, editing and mastering capabilities-retains true 24-bit, 48 kHz resolution without data compression of any kind. Two 32-bit on-board effects may be routed to any bus or input channel. Storage options include an internal hard drive and CD recorder and a SCSI interface for data backup to an external drive. The AW4416's FLASH ROM operating system enables software upgrades to be loaded from CD or the Internet.