Yamaha n12 and n8
Digital Mixing Studio

Take a good look at the Yamaha n8 and n12: behind this familiar layout and look of an analog console, lies an extraordinarily powerful digital mixer and production center that works seamlessly with an advanced version of Steinberg's Cubase DAW running on your Macintosh or Windows PC.

Musically Tuned Class-A Discrete Mic Preamp with Inverted Darlington Circuitry Design
In addition to a specially-tuned class-A discrete configuration that implements an inverted Darlington circuit design for exceptional musicality and low distortion, these outstanding preamplifiers employ custom-manufactured capacitors that contribute to sonic resolution you'll have to hear to believe. You also have a full range of input controls, including gain trim, pad switch, phase switch, low-pass filter, and analog/DAW input selection.

Switchable Phantom Power
The n8 and n12 are fully compatible, with switchable built-in phantom power.

Direct Connect to a Wide Range of Sources
The n-series provide both balanced XLR connectors and balanced TRS phone jacks on all mono input channels for direct connectivity with the widest possible range of input sources. The stereo inputs have both unbalanced RCA pin jack and phone jack pairs. All mono inputs also feature TRS insert jacks that can be used to insert external signal processors into the signal path of the corresponding channel.

Hi-Z Input for Direct Guitar or Bass Recording
Not all guitar and bass recording situations required amps, microphones, and a soundproof studio. You can conveniently connect an electric guitar or bass directly to the "B" input of channel 4 on the n8 or channel 8 on the n12 and engage the input Hi-Z switch for optimum matching and sound.

Sweet Spot Morphing Compressor
Yamaha's innovative Sweet Spot Morphing Compressor produced by K's LAB eliminates tedious details with just two knobs. The MORPH control has five "sweet spots" and by simply rotating the control you can "morph" seamlessly from one sweet spot to the next for an extraordinary spectrum of expressive compression. The second DRIVE knob is used to adjust the amount of compression applied. Alternative sweet spot data can be downloaded from Sweet Spot Data Library.

Effective Musical EQ
The n-series offer 3-band equalizers with sweepable midrange on each channel.

High-resolution Rev-X Reverb
The n-series consoles offer Yamaha's Rev-X digital reverb algorithm - renowned for its high resolution and extraordinarily natural sound.. You have a choice of hall, room, and plate reverb simulations with reverb time and level control. This superlative reverb processor can be used for wet monitoring while recording as well as for adding ambience during final mixdown.

Dimmer and Mute Switches
Normally only found on large studio consoles, the mute switch mutes or un-mutes the console's output, while the dimmer switch reduces the output to a level that is still audible but allows conversation or phone calls. The advantage of the dimmer switch is that you can simply tap it a second time and be precisely back at optimum monitoring level without having to reset faders or level controls.

Surround Monitoring and Bass Management (n12)
The n12 features three pairs of speaker outputs that can be used for full 5.1 surround monitoring: front left and right, center and subwoofer, and rear left and right. If you don't need surround capability the outputs can simply be used to switch between different stereo pairs for comparison. When the 5.1 mode is selected all three output pairs are active, with the speaker selectors functioning as temporary mute switches. Bass management is also implemented for optimum matching between the full-range speakers and subwoofer. A down mix switch that lets you instantly collapse the 5.1 outputs to stereo.

Source Select and Level Control
The n8 has source selectors for DAW (the stereo output from the DAW running on your computer), ST (the console's stereo bus), AUX (the console's auxiliary bus), and 2TR (the console's 2-track inputs), while the n12 additionally features a "5.1" source selector for surround monitoring.

The console's surround monitoring capabilities include bass management, down-mixing more. You can even use the console for top-quality surround playback from pre-recorded sources such as DVDs and computer sources. The n-series mixers make general monitoring hassle-free: simply select the signal you want to monitor and spin the big CONTROL ROOM LEVEL knob to set the ideal monitoring level.

Solo Level Control
Solo switches on every input channel let you monitor a single channel or any group of channels within a mix without having to change settings on any of the other channels. The n-series consoles even provide a pre-fader listen switch for pre-fader solo monitoring, and a solo level control that lets you adjust the solo monitoring level as required.

Talkback with Built-in Microphone (n12)
Another n12-specific feature is a built-in talkback microphone and talkback switch with level control for efficient engineer-artist communication. When talkback is engaged the dimmer is also engaged automatically.

A New Approach to Digital Interfacing
It would be easy to mistake the n8 or n12 for an analog mixer, that's the way they're designed to look and function. Although there's extensive digital power and processing capability under the hood, the interface has been distilled down to the functions you really need.

24-bit, 96-kHz Digital Quality
24-bit 96-kHz processing is the de-facto standard for professional audio, and that's what's happening inside the n8 and n12 chassis. The extraordinary Sweet Spot Morphing Compressors, channel equalizers, and Rev-X reverb processor are all made possible by state-of-the-art Yamaha digital technology too.

One Function per Control
Another reason the n8 and n12 are predictable and easy to use is that nothing is hidden below the surface. There are no layers, no multi-functions controls … there isn't even an LCD display. Each and every knob, switch, and fader does exactly what it says it does, and nothing else.

Easy Installation and Setup
A streamlined installer makes installing the CUBASE AI software on your Macintosh or Windows PC quick and easy. Once the software has been installed all you need to do is connect the n8 or n12 mixer to your computer's IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port via a single cable and you're ready to record! When you do sit down to start work, Cubase gives you a selection of predefined project templates for the n8 and n12 from which to choose.

Tight Integration Keeps You Focused and In Control
The n-series consoles and CUBASE software are nicely integrated. You have track selection capability as well as full transport control including record arming, cycling and marker placement/location. A monitor remote switch lets you process the input channel and record bus signals with reverb and VST effects supplied by the software, and WET switches make it simple to set up wet monitoring while recording. There's even a remote on/off switch for the software's click (metronome) function.

Dry or Wet Monitoring Control
Setting up for wet monitoring can be tricky and tedious with standard consoles and software, but the n8 and n12 have dedicated switches that let you monitor dry or wet with the VST effects provided by the DAW software applied to any specified track.

Work Mode Select
The n8/n12 enables you to select the output destination of CUBASE audio tracks using just one switch. This destination setting is called "Work mode." The n8 provides two Work mode options (ST MIX and HARDWARE MIX), and the n12 provides three Work mode options (ST MIX, HARDWARE MIX, 5.1 MIX). You can change the Work mode setting at any time as appropriate for your situation.

For example, you can select ST MIX for recording, then change to HARDWARE MIX for mixdown. All WORK MODE switches turn off immediately after the mixer is connected to CUBASE. When you press one of the switches to select a desired Work mode, the corresponding output destination is selected in CUBASE, and the switch LED lights up. The following describe each Work mode.

Advanced Integration with CUBASE
The n8 and n12 link seamlessly to CUBASE DAW software, providing extensive mixer/software synchronization that offers unmatched power and efficiency for recording and mixdown.

Project Template for n8/n12
Two templates are provided for the n8 and two for the n12, each including pre-programmed audio I/O and other settings. For production situations you can simply select a template and start recording. The Multi Channel Recording templates assign the console’s channels to the CUBASE tracks on a one-to-one basis, while the Stereo Recording template assigns the console’s REC bus signals to the appropriate CUBASE tracks.

Features