Some audio consoles seem to have been developed by software engineers. They can be awkward to navigate and appear to have been developed people who have never mixed before. Other consoles are well designed, but are so complicated only a professional audio engineer really stands a chance on it. And then there's the new Yamaha TF Series: a console line that is well thought out, designed with the obvious influence of other audio engineers, feature-rich, and yet simple enough to use that a novice can get the hang of it easily.
I recently got to spend some time on a TF-3, the middle-of-the-line version (which includes the smaller TF-1 and the larger TF-5), and I'll be honest: I wasn't optimistic going into it. Why? It's inexpensive, and, frankly, I'm spoiled by regularly working on some of the best consoles in the market. I assumed, therefore, that it wouldn't be fun to work on, and that it wouldn't have very much to offer me. Boy, was I wrong. This is a great product.
The overall design theme is called TouchFlow Operation. The intent is to keep the console simple to operate for folks who may not mix professionally, but still retain a lot of power and flexibility under the hood for those who do. The first thing you'll notice is that the surface is very logical, and there is not an overwhelming array of knobs and buttons. There are dedicated effects busses (more on this later) and a row of buttons to access sends-on-faders mode for the auxiliary busses. The touchscreen is responsive and provides easy access to everything you need. After spending just a few minutes with the console I began to get the sense that Yamaha got the balance of simplicity vs. usability just right.
Before we dive into details, here are a few key specifications. All of the TF Series console configurations offer 20 mix busses and 16 output jacks. Depending on the frame size, you get between 16-32 faders (plus a master), 16-32 mic/line inputs, and eight DCA groups (more on these later). The active channel count ranges from 40-48, which can be a combination of on-board mic/line inputs, USB multi-track playback content (34 tracks of recording and playback, and software is included), and remote stage box inputs (coming in the future, along with a Dante card). The TF Series is not compatible with Yamaha's existing YGDAI cards.
New Twists
One of the most creative, and novice-friendly aspects of this console is a feature called “1-knob.” But even though this feature is intended for beginners, I also found it quite useful and timesaving. In one of the “1-knob” EQ modes, getting a vocal mic sounding right is a breeze. As you start to turn the “1-knob,” a high-pass filter (HPF) begins to roll in. An HPF, in case you're not familiar, blocks low-frequency content (rumble, unwanted bass; things that clutter up vocals). As you continue to turn the “1-knob” further, a low-mid band begins to cut (around 250Hz), further clearing up the vocal. Turn the knob even more and some high-end is added to help make the vocal shine. And, while those changes are cool enough, it gets more interesting.
As you keep turning the knob, that same high-frequency boost that was just added is taken back out and a different, mid-high boost (around 4k Hz), starts to kick in. Why have a high-frequency (HF) boost kick in and take it back out later? I imagine the designers had intended the HF boost to add presence to the vocal. However, if you still aren't getting the vocal to cut through and need to keep turning the “1-knob” even further, that same HF boost may be piercing if you're also running the vocal loud; a high-mid boost might therefore be the only thing left in the arsenal to get the vocal to cut effectively. All in all, the fact that the twist of one knob brings these successive, and intelligently chosen changes is brilliant.
The “1-knob” feature can also be used in a different EQ mode that simply takes your existing boosts and cuts and increases them. For example, if you've made a low-mid cut to get rid of some muddiness, and also added a high-frequency boost for clarity, turning up the “1-knob” in this mode will simultaneously cut even more of the low-mids and boost even more of the high frequencies, taking the EQ curve you already defined and simply making it more aggressive. Turning the knob the other way has the opposite effect (i.e., your EQ curve becomes more subtle). The “1-knob” also works for dynamics processing, making it a breeze to get a compressor dialed in quickly.
In the spirit of rapid and effortless settings, Yamaha also offers a special level meter they call “Gain Finder”. While there is still a traditional digital peak meter available, the “Gain Finder” is a five-segment, slow-moving level meter that somewhat resembles a guitar tuner. Because of its slow response and simple, five-segment display, setting preamp gain is simple. Just hit the middle and move on to other things.
There's a feature called “Rollout” I really like and did not expect to find on an inexpensive console. Before I explain it, though, it may be helpful to understand what a DCA is. A DCA (digitally-controlled amplifier) is a fader capable of controlling a group of other faders. You might have a DCA for the drums, which allows you to control the entire drum kit from one fader (to easily change level or mute the entire kit, for example). This is a little different from the traditional audio subgroups of analog consoles, but the difference is beyond the scope of this article. However, DCA groups (the TF-series includes eight of them) are very convenient for managing a complex mix with only a few faders, and the “Rollout” feature makes them even more convenient.
When you “rollout” a DCA group the group member channels take over the surface. In other words, your console may currently be showing you channels 17-32 on the faders, but by doing a “rollout” on the drums DCA, the console layout changes and all of the individual drum channels show up on the faders, temporarily replacing the other channels. When you disengage the "rollout" the console layout returns to its previous state. This is a feature available in much more sophisticated consoles (often called "spill"), and is a great way to navigate the console quickly. There are two fixed effects busses, and they're already set up with reverb and delay, respectively, right out of the box. There's also a dedicated tap tempo button. The console also, quite cleverly, includes a pre-determined “sub” bus for managing your subwoofers. All of this is in keeping with the goal of simplicity and immediate out-of-the-box functionality.
A number of processors are available to insert, my favorite of which is the three-band multi-band compressor for use with the mix busses. While the software interface is a bit boring, it gets the job done, and the simple fact that it's available is amazing at this price point. There are also additional effects processor options, should you want more than the dedicated reverb and delay busses provide. The parametric EQ display can overlay a piano keyboard to help you match up frequencies to actual notes. This is really helpful if you can tell that a certain note on the bass guitar is sticking out (from room resonance, for example), but you're not sure what frequency that corresponds to. And when you're looking at a graphic EQ, you also get an RTA (frequency analyzer) on the screen. One side note about the graphic EQ: you can only adjust 12 bands out of the 31 available, although you get to pick which 12. I don't know if this is due to a processing limitation, but I like to think it's to keep people from getting into too much trouble; for example, by cutting nearly every single band, which I've seen many times.
Yamaha has also reinvented EQ presets, which are starting points for EQ settings. In the past, many consoles have had presets called simply “kick drum” or “acoustic guitar,” which are sort of meaningless because there isn't one ideal kick drum or acoustic guitar EQ curve. Most importantly, the type of microphone you're using matters significantly. Yamaha worked with touring audio engineers and major microphone manufacturers to come up with presets that take into consideration which type of microphone you're using. These could make good starting points for someone inexperienced in the art of EQ. Combine this with the “1-knob” functionality I described earlier, and you've got some real power.
Final Analysis
At this point you may be thinking, “Yes, that's all great, but how does it sound?” Good news: the mic preamps are clean, everything throughout the signal path is transparent, and the effects not only sound good, finding and applying them is quite simple. This is a console that sounds much more expensive than it is.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this console. The TouchFlow Operation (TF) makes it easy to use for a beginner, with just the right amount of knobs and buttons to get the job done quickly, but still packs plenty of power and flexibility for a professional.
