Yamaha Debuts AW2816 Audio Workstation

(Click for a close-up)

Rear panel (Click for a close-up)

Yamaha Professional Audio moves into the next phase of the digital audio revolution with the debut of the innovative AW2816 Professional Audio Workstation at Summer NAMM 2001. In the tradition of the ground-breaking AW4416, this powerful, highly compact system records up to 16 tracks of true 24-bit digital audio and includes motorized faders, DSP features, automation/snapshot capability and MIDI remote, making it the ideal addition to a home studio or as a front end to a computer-based recording system.

"The AW2816 is really the 'next step' in the development of personal workstation technology," states Wayne Hrabak, marketing manager, Professional Audio. "Yamaha has responded to market demand for a smaller version of our already-popular AW4416 with this product."

As a digital mixer, the AW2816 contains full 32-bit DSP capabilities (similar to that of the Yamaha 02R), 28 fully-automated audio inputs (16 of which are from the internal hard drive), nine motorized faders, four fader and mute groups, four bus and four aux sends plus stereo, and stereo cue busses. All 28 inputs (including eight analog and eight digital inputs via an optional interface card) contain digital attenuators, four-band fully parametric EQ, and direct out assignment.

The rear panel contains eight 24-bit mic/line inputs, two of which are XLR with +48V phantom power, plus a high impedance input that will accept a guitar or other instrument directly. Memory areas include scene, channel, EQ, dynamics and effects.

An inclusive 16-track recording system, complete with editing and mastering capabilities, retains true 24-bit, 48 kHz resolution without data compression, and records directly to the internal 20 GB IDE hard drive. Two 32-bit onboard effects (including Yamaha's acclaimed reverb technology) may be routed to any bus or input channel directly, or re-routed during recording to create layered effects. A quick record, easy-routing screen allows graphical input patching. A control key assignment allows the user to assign any frequently used function to any "F" key, located below the 320 x 240 backlit LCD screen.

Full MIDI implementation allows the AW2816 to function not only as the front endbut also as controlfor the industry's top computer-based recording systems, and also allows the direct recording of MIDI-based instruments. A SCSI interface is included for data backup to an external drive.

The AW2816 is fully expandable. Easily routable SPDIF I/O is provided as standard digital output. A rear-mounted YGDAI card slot will support current and future products from Yamaha and third-party developers, and will also allow any of the 16 tracks, inputs and/or assign busses to be output in digital form for further processing, or for transfer to external digital devices. An integrated FLASH ROM operating system enables software upgrades to be loaded from CD or the Internet. An integrated CD-RW drive, which enables mastering as well as loading and/or backing up data, is installed in a front-mounted port for easy accessibility.

"The AW2816 is an ideal bridge for the user with computer-based recording," adds John Schauer, product manager, Professional Audio. "Anyone with a smaller-scale project studio or small-to-medium sized application can now enjoy the same level of quality, user-friendliness, number of features and expandability options as the AW4416."