I'm using a Yamaha 01v96 mixer, and have begun to wonder if it would be beneficial to use other mic preamps than the 16 internal ones.
Anyone have opinions on the quality of the Yamaha preamps, and perhaps suggestions for 8 or 16 channel preamps that might be better?

I like bigger and uglier sounds. The yamaha's sound a bit thin to my ears (I've got the o1v, a friend has the o1v96), but they're clean and decent utility pre's.

I got around this by picking up a small channel count mixer with better (well, ones I like better, they spec pretty bad) pre's and good EQs and using its direct outs to a soundcard. I've also got an ADA8000 from behringer, and prefer its pres to the yamaha...way noisier, not as clear, kinda distorted and crunchy in the mids, but I like that sound better than 'straight wire with gain' as the cliche goes.

What kind of material are you recording?

ORIGINAL: tor

I'm using a Yamaha 01v96 mixer, and have begun to wonder if it would be beneficial to use other mic preamps than the 16 internal ones.
Anyone have opinions on the quality of the Yamaha preamps, and perhaps suggestions for 8 or 16 channel preamps that might be better?

For overall general use the O1V96 has good preamps. Much better than the O1V and in my opinion better than the Mackie VLZ's.

However, just like an artist who paints with different colors, an additional preamp or 2 or 3 will help to round out your sonic palette. I would go with a couple of single or dual preamps that are really good and different from each other. You also have twelve channel inserts so you can bypass the O1V96 board's pres unlike the old O1V.

The converters on the new V are not bad either.

Nice board across the board. No pun intended!

I have been using the Yamaha aww4416 preamps (same preamps as in the 01v) since before i had Sonar 4 PE, and although i have other standalone preamps, the Yamaha 4416 (same preamps as in the 01v)is still my go to (main preamp). Plus it takes care of the need for a control surface (excellent control surface also).

JavaMan

Josephusmusic.com

If you're talking instruments, I use acoustic 6 and 12 string guitars, mandolin, acoustic and electric (Fender Rhodes) piano, electric guitars and bass (sometimes acoustic bass), synths of various kinds, drums, pretty standard pop/rock setup.

If you're talking type of music, I'm inspired by everything from classical like Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Gustav Holst to some early Metallica sounding stuff, jazzy electronica and trance, jazz and blues Frank Zappa style, progressive rock Genesis/Rush style, psychedelia early Pink Floyd style..... I finished my new studio not long ago (and finally, it seems, started recording with the right people) so the sound hasn't quite matured yet. But so far, to my ears, it sounds like a jazzy "Pink Zeppelin Doors" thing, don't know how else to put it....

ORIGINAL: Here In Oregon

ORIGINAL: tor

I'm using a Yamaha 01v96 mixer, and have begun to wonder if it would be beneficial to use other mic preamps than the 16 internal ones.
Anyone have opinions on the quality of the Yamaha preamps, and perhaps suggestions for 8 or 16 channel preamps that might be better?

For overall general use the O1V96 has good preamps. Much better than the O1V and in my opinion better than the Mackie VLZ's.

However, just like an artist who paints with different colors, an additional preamp or 2 or 3 will help to round out your sonic palette. I would go with a couple of single or dual preamps that are really good and different from each other. You also have twelve channel inserts so you can bypass the O1V96 board's pres unlike the old O1V.

The converters on the new V are not bad either.

Nice board across the board. No pun intended!

Uh...sorry to be kinda highjacking the thread...but...the 01V96 can do the mLAN thing right? If you have an 01V96 with an mLAN card, can you then hook it up to your laptop via an ethernet cable (with the proper drivers) and no other hardware to get 16 channels off the mixer and into Sonar?

As far as I know, yes, you can equip the 01v96 with an add-on card called MY-16mLAN, and connect directly to your pc, using the IEEE1394 format.
However, I don't think the mLAN solution is the best connection, since you can also buy an ADAT expansion card called MY-16AT, which in addition to the ADAT ports that come with the mixer, give you a total of 24 channels back and forth simultaneously. But then you'd also need an ADAT interface like the RME HDSP 9652, which has three ADAT ins and outs..
All in all the 01v96 can handle 40 separate channels of digital audio at once

ORIGINAL: tor

As far as I know, yes, you can equip the 01v96 with an add-on card called MY-16mLAN, and connect directly to your pc, using the IEEE1394 format.
However, I don't think the mLAN solution is the best connection, since you can also buy an ADAT expansion card called MY-16AT, which in addition to the ADAT ports that come with the mixer, give you a total of 24 channels back and forth simultaneously. But then you'd also need an ADAT interface like the RME HDSP 9652, which has three ADAT ins and outs..
All in all the 01v96 can handle 40 separate channels of digital audio at once

My problem with that is the "But then you'd also need" thing. Besides, I'm gonna have a real hard time getting that thing into my laptop.

Oh...I noticed in your response that the connection is made via a firewire cable...not ethernet as I was supposing. I guess you could say that the mLAN interface turns your mixer into a big, honking, firewire interface.

Yep, the HDSP would be a poor choice when using a laptop, hehe... However, there are other options that would fit your laptop, such as the RME Digiface, which would allow you to use 24 ADAT channels.
Yes, in many respects, it would be a firewire interface, a friend of mine uses the Yamaha Motif ES synth via mLAN, works like a charm...

ORIGINAL: tor

But then you'd also need an ADAT interface like the RME HDSP 9652, which has three ADAT ins and outs..
All in all the 01v96 can handle 40 separate channels of digital audio at once

Yes,...and that is powerful like an F-22. RME stuff is great, especially the HDSP 9652 in/out, the 9632 with excellent converters (among many of their other products).