The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Yamaha mLAN announcements from the AES show are posted at 
MusisPlayer.com 
http://www.musicplayer.com/Miller_Freeman/Music_Players_Network/CDA/Ho
me/Article/0,1611,5100906,FF.html  

Looks like owners of recent Yamaha gear will be able to pick up mLAN 
add on cards. Too bad they didn't go back one_more ;-) product 
generation (AN1x, A3000, SU700,...) 

Check it out...

Several mLAN products are now available for Yamaha's IEEE-1394-based 
digital communications protocol. Each product currently operates at 
200 Mbps (megabits per second) and offers sampling rates of 44.1 kHz 
or 48 kHz, and 16- or 24-bit depth, dependent on user and equipment 
specifications. All products ship with mLAN Patch Bay connection 
management software, a mixer control application, and mLAN Mac 
drivers for compatibility with the ASIO and OMS standards. Yamaha's 
future plans also include product development for both Mac and PC 
platforms...The mLAN8P Audio/MIDI Processor is an interface that 
connects conventional audio and MIDI devices to an mLAN system. With 
internal mixing capability and digital effects processing, the unit 
handles 8 simultaneous audio in/outs through the 1394 buss (2 analog, 
2 S/PDIF, 2 auxiliary and 2 master from the internal DSP) and can mix 
12 channels (8 from 1394, 2 channels from analog and 2 from S/PDIF). 
Connectors include three 1394 ports, stereo 1/4-in. analog I/O, and 
stereo S/PDIF I/O for coaxial and TOSLink optical connections. Other 
connections include a stereo headphone jack for monitoring, a 1-in, 2-
out MIDI interface and stereo master output...The mLAN8E Expansion 
Board enables mLAN-compatible MIDI equipment to connect to an mLAN 
system and to computers that support IEEE 1394. This interface module 
supports Yamaha digital musical instruments, keyboards, tone 
generators and samplers including the S-80, CS6X, CS6R, A4000 and 
A5000. The unit also features internal mixing capability for 16 
inputs. Connectors include three 1394 ports that support 8 channels 
of audio I/O (subject to the specifications of the connected 
instrument) and MIDI I/O...The CD8-mLAN is an interface card for 
connecting compatible Yamaha digital mixing consoles - the 02R and 
03D - to an mLAN system by installing it into the YGDAI card slot. 
The unit contains two 1394 ports with 8 channels of audio I/O and 
MIDI I/O. In order to interface MIDI, the CD8-mLAN needs to connect 
to the console externally via a serial interface...A current campaign 
is underway to sign third-party licensees for mLAN technology. 
Interested parties can view current licensing options, technology 
transfer procedures and implementation contracts online at 
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/news/00072002.html. For more 
information on Yamaha pro audio products in general, go to 
www.yamaha.com/proaudio.

jondl@... shared with us:
> Yamaha mLAN announcements from the AES show are posted at 
> MusisPlayer.com 
> http://www.musicplayer.com/Miller_Freeman/Music_Players_Network/CDA/Ho
> me/Article/0,1611,5100906,FF.html  

Finally. It seems like I've been waiting my whole life for this.

> Looks like owners of recent Yamaha gear will be able to pick up mLAN 
> add on cards. Too bad they didn't go back one_more ;-) product 
> generation (AN1x, A3000, SU700,...) 

On the other hand, the A3000 and the SU700 both have the same
expansion slot at the back. Now, this is usually occupied by the
AIEB1 output expansion board, but the mLAN8E board is the same for
all Yamaha models with the large, rectangular plate with three
screws (left, right, and top). Even the Korg Triion Rack has the
same plate for mLAN expansion.

The products they mention are all current Yamaha models; i.e., the
ones that haven't been discontinued yet. This doesn't mean, though,
that older machines won't get mLAN. On the old incarnation of the
mLAN homepage (http://www.yamaha.co.jp/tech/1394mLAN/) there were
photos of an A3000 with an mLAN expansion. And my own EX5 has the
same plate, and an mLAN option in the test menu.

Then again, one would need ROM support for MLAN, and I'm not so
sure that the 'older' models (hey, I had my PC before the EX5 was
even announced, let alone discontinued) will have it. Still, I'm
hopeful.

Something I notice as well is that these are the mlAN products
they've been showing us for the past half year. There is no board
for the 01V mixer, whereas it is hugely popular, especially among
the terget group of mLAN. I would be more than surprised if there
wouldn't be a board for it as well, especially since the difference
between YGDAI (03D, 02R, CD8-mLAN) and Mini-YGDAI (01V, AW4416,
DME32, D24) is the size. Boards do exist that fit in either one.

So don't start selling your old gear just yet. :)

- Peter