NO BRAINER

IRX One is such a lightweight/portable, no-brainer PA that I must admit, my expectations of the audio performance weren’t sky high. But as soon as I connected my phone via Bluetooth 5 I was greeted by a pleasing rendition. First things I noticed: ‘wow, hasn’t Bluetooth audio quality come a long way in the last 10 years!’; ‘the sound is quite relaxed and open – nothing is poking me in the eye’; and, ‘gosh, the sound is very even back to front and side to side’.

I had the EQ preset set to Flat and was running the system at about 50%.

I was also grateful the Bluetooth connection provides an additional input and doesn’t take up one of the three channels. Admittedly, that means you need to control the mix balance from your device but that’s no biggie.

Turning the PA up, I was pleased to hear that the sound held up right to the point of limiting. The eight-inch sub isn’t designed to fill a large space and the electronics ensure it doesn’t go flappy in places that it shouldn’t.

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’

Next, Preshan and I plugged in a microphone, acoustic guitar and a keyboard. It’s almost impossible to get this PA to misbehave. With the AFS button activated you can sing with your mic and face hard up against the grille of the column. Admittedly, at this point you’re hearing the DSP working but it’s not feeding back. There’s sufficient gain and control to quickly achieve a nice balance of multiple inputs. We both felt that with the keys and the vocals, IRX One provided space and separation without worrying about using the onboard fixed band EQ, which isn’t intended for finessing or sculpting your sound. I did wonder if there was some hush-hush automatic gain control/compression going on to add another level of failsafe level control. 

The EQ presets are a nifty feature. I couldn’t find any reference in the manual to the EQ contours it’s imposing. In fact, I still don’t even know what ‘KTV’ on the dial stands for. No matter, they’re really a ‘suck it ’n’ see’, ‘if it makes it sound better to your ears then use it’ feature. 

The lack of any reverb in the mixer is the only thing that IRX me (sorry). For performers, this is fairly easily remedied by an in-line reverb pedal. I’m aware that JBL has done its best to ensure the mixer can be operated by anyone, and the lack of ’verb is a design choice, and probably the right one. But a one-knob Lexicon Hall would really be the icing.

PERFECT MIX?

IRX One is a remarkable PA. To say it’s ‘versatile’ is a huge understatement. In fact, I can’t think of an institution (or even household) that wouldn’t benefit from having an IRX One handy. Quite literally, anyone, can haul it out and make some noise or plug a microphone into it and, quite literally, no one, can stuff it up – it’s as foolproof as any all-in-one PA ever could be. (I guess the only ‘training’ you might need to do, is to have that awkward conversation about the difference between gain and level.)

What’s more, it sounds good. The design of the 6 x two-inch column array is highly effective and it’s easy to get a ‘produced’ sound with little effort. The 160° horizontal dispersion is very even and means non-technical operatives hardly even need to point the PA in the correct direction — everyone’s covered. That’s not to say the IRX One can break the laws of physics and produce audio miracles but for small to mediums sized spaces (or even larger spaces where only speech reproduction is required) this PA won’t disappoint.

BOX OF SURPRISES

NAS sent us two X206s loaded with the 90° x 60° rotatable horn. Chris and I set them up in the empty auditorium of a local church that’s definitely too big a space for them to fully cover on their own, but it was a chance to see how hard they’d try. My first observation was how far these compact boxes can throw. A two-position ‘HF Correction’ switch on the back of the unit offers high frequency optimisation depending on your throw distance requirements in both point source and line array applications. I could stand about 15m back without key elements in program material falling apart in the slightest. Snare drums, vocals, guitars and percussion all felt present and detailed when reasonably on axis. However, moving laterally at this kind of distance showed where the X206’s capabilities are stretched as its coverage is less predictable when more distant. Moving in closer yielded a smoother coverage from left to right across the stereo spread of the two loudspeakers set up perpendicularly. Top tip: if you’re using the X206’s on sticks, play with the rotation of each box in small increments until the horizontal coverage becomes nice and uniform at your audience’s average listening distance – I found there’s a definite sweet spot and things quickly get lumpy when you deviate from it.

The X206 is a surprisingly full-range box. Perhaps I say ‘surprisingly’ because its compactness dulled my expectations, but it sounds noticeably bigger than it looks, especially in the low end. Bass frequencies emanate with as much confidence as the midrange albeit with less articulation, but still plenty enough to not feel tinny, small or weak in a medium-sized space. Of course, the X206 can’t break the laws of physics – if you want chest-rattling doof, plug in a subwoofer. Otherwise, as far as tone goes, I found the generous dose of high mids from the horn can get fatiguing if you’re standing right in the firing line. However, this midrange presence makes vocals eminently mix-able even in a dense production. The Digipro amps supply enough depth and headroom to handle several instruments and vocals without sacrificing clarity or space.

TO THE POINT

My time with the dBTechnologies Vio X206 was spent using it as a point source box. In this configuration, the X206 is capable of a lot more than its size suggests, and perfect for anything from a solo musician playing a gig in the corner of a pub, to being the primary PA for a house of worship, or fill supplements to a larger FOH system. Conference spaces and function centres would benefit from having a couple of X206s in the store room, as would a rental or production company for setting up some last minute delays or stage fills at an outdoor event. The built-in amplification results in quick setup and the sleekness of the box means you can put it just about anywhere.

But should you wish to up the ante and cater for much larger events and audience sizes, the Vio X206 continues to put up its hand. Using it as a line array with the 100° x 15° waveguide means much further throw distances and more precise pattern control, with the full reinforcement of predictive and management software to hone the system to perfection.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

There’s good news and bad news… the happy news is that the new ICM technology sounds so damned good I’m not sure I’ll ever choose one of the legacy amps again. All up, there are now eight ICM amplifiers available, and between them you can certainly create any tone you like. Also, things like the A/B microphone placement work much better. It really sounds like you’re shifting the mic around and creating space and air in the tone, rather than just a two-dimensional EQ tweak.

Meaning the bad news is a lot of the older components might stay dormant.

Unless, of course, you’re after an authentic or vintage sound of a particular amplifier. Users are divided on whether GR7 (or any of its predecessors) truly re-creates those tones. But what tones are we talking about? A brand new, off-the-shop-floor Vox AC30 circa 1960, or the same amp after it’s been dragged around stages or bouncing in the back of a van for 40 years? So many perceptions of these amps and how they sound are coloured by the conditions of the units and how they’ve been used (or abused) over the decades. Regardless, I suggest that GR7’s modelling provides a very close approximation of the voices and tones of the original amps, which is the perfect start to getting the individual tone you want. Think of the amp modelling as a template, if you like, of what you want to hear.

Adding to this, the effects units and wide range of sound-crunching, manipulating, twisting, mangling tools that come with it make GR7 a fantastic production tool even if you never plug a guitar into it.

PLAYING LIVE

Guitar Rig can still operate as a standalone application, allowing you to use it in live performances. This is pretty good option to consider when you think that a reasonable laptop can be bought, even second hand, and GR7 installed, all within a budget that compares very well with some of the top-end hardware guitar processor boards. You’d need a dedicated MIDI controller – again, not a huge amount of money if it’s just a controller – so the only drawback is you must have those MIDI mapping skills which can be a little daunting. It’s all there in GR7 and with a handy ‘learn’ function, but it ain’t plug ’n’ play.

Initially, by the way, I found GR7 to be a bit of a CPU hog (likely not a problem live if it’s the only thing you’re running) and the internet said I wasn’t alone. My bad, I was running a newly configured PC and hadn’t bothered with the standard DAW tweaks to the OS. After doing that, CPU use dropped dramatically. So in a way, GR7 can act as a bellwether plugin for your system optimisation.

SOFTWARE VS HARDWARE

Oddly, hardware guitar processors took a long time to be considered seriously in studios. Maybe it’s because you’d usually have a real amp and a bunch of microphones to hand – and sound engineers are stubborn. Now, the high-end multi-FX boards are popular for recording sessions because they sound so brilliant. How does GR7 compare? Cost-wise at US$199, I’d say that GR7 is an attractive investment compared to most of the midrange hardware processors – as long as you have it running properly and issues of latency and monitoring aren’t happening.

Obviously, you can’t chuck GR7 under your arm and portability isn’t an option. But the enormous palette of sounds and effects, and how easily they can be accessed is way better than squinting at a dodgy LED screen. Start talking about the flagship Headrush and Helix gear and… well, we won’t. That’s oranges and apples stuff.

CONCLUSION

It’s been a long time coming, so GR users are entitled to keep being a bit grumpy about that. However, it certainly is worth the wait. Guitar Rig 7 has brought GR back to the premier league of guitar amp simulators. The ICM sounds are impressive and those new amps are a lot of fun to make a broad variety of tones. Likewise, the effects are lush and complete, and really the legacy pedal emulations don’t suffer so much from that not-ICM modelling comparison. If you’re a fan of looping, the new Loop Machine Pro will catch your eye although you’ll benefit most having a MIDI controller attached. And finally, you’ll lose hours of your life playing with the more wild, whacky and experimental patches that the more esoteric components provide – not to mention be inspired too.

It’ll be interesting to see how long Native Instruments takes to try and better Guitar Rig 7. I reckon it’ll be a while before anyone starts getting impatient.

THE KICKER

The Audix D6 kick mic has got to be the most common kick mic I see on stages and a standard for the heavier rock styles with its aggressive low frequencies, scooped mids and added high frequencies. A modern, transformerless design, its low sensitivity (0.8mV/Pa) suits the application – it will take high levels and features a tight polar pattern to reduce ambient sound. A machined aluminium body makes it light and it’s relatively small so it will easily fit through the hole in the front skin for placement anywhere inside the kick drum.

The D6 looks like a kick mic but it’s soft, boomy and its mid-shy to talk into. Tapping the front of the mic gives you a fat boof sound. Put it inside or in front of a kick drum and it comes to life with full and punchy low frequencies that are powerful rather than big or particularly extended. The scooped mids give it a fat sound, while the exaggerated response above 2kHz pushes the beater crack to the front of the mix. The sound of rock.

i i CAPTAIN

Next up is an Audix i5, nominated for snare duties in the DP7 Micro kit. It’s a reasonably-priced general purpose dynamic instrument microphone featuring a  frequency response well-suited to snare with a fattening boost in the lower-mids, flattish midrange and prominent boost from 3kHz to 10kHz. The i5 is manufactured with a caste zinc alloy body and grille, and tips the scale at a lightish 248g.

The Audix i5 snare mic features a more standard sensitivity (1.6mV/Pa) and its much closer to a general-purpose mic than the specialist D6. The proximity effect is pronounced and it strongly rejects sound arriving from the sides and rear. As a snare mic its fat and round with a strong boost around 5kHz to help the snap cut through. It’s also suitable for percussion, horns or guitar cabs. Handling noise is a little high but it could prove to be a capable live vocal mic – it has a kind of radio sound with strong low-mids. The i5 is mounted on a stand by the MC1 nylon moulded clip that grips well but marks easily.

Both the D6 and the i5 feature versions of Audix’s VLM (Very Low Mass) capsule design that uses diaphragms made from their own proprietary material that is lighter than the commonly-used Mylar, so can it react faster for more accurate transients.

OVERHEADS

Overheads are captured by two Audix ADX51 condensers. These are a conventional electret design with a 14mm gold vapour (GV) diaphragm inside a brass body with recessed switches for the 10dB input pad and the 150Hz bass rolloff. The frequency response is tilted to emphasise the higher frequencies, giving it a slightly bright character well-suited to overheads or percussion. The ADX51s and the D6 use the smaller Audix DCLIP stand mount. It’s a simple but efficient design made from hard nylon. The mic snaps in and out from the top of the mount, a metal thumbscrew locks it in position.

MICRO MODELS

Tom mics on live stages are traditionally a tight-pattern dynamic with strong/emphasised low frequencies and high level handling. It seems contradictory to use small diaphragm condensers but here we are, they’re being pushed by several manufacturers and do offer some advantages over dynamics, depending on the application. Assuming they’re padded or can take the level, the small diaphragm condensers are fast and generally accurate with an honest off-axis response. The harder the rock, the more you need the explosive LF push and maximum isolation that dynamics deliver but lighter styles can benefit from the more open and natural sound of condensers. Jazz kits are a good example where dynamic mics on toms are too closed and lumpy, while condensers deliver a more open kit sound.

The three MicroD tom mics included in the DP7 Micro package are miniature condenser clip-on drum/percussion mics with a hyper-cardioid pattern and greater then 140dB SPL level handling.  Not quite as tight a pattern as the D2/D4 dynamics and without their prominent low-end boost, the MicroD’s deliver a more natural and detailed sound that won nods of approval from engineers visiting the Theatre Royal Castlemaine where I manage the sound. Only 34mm wide, they slip into the circular aluminium shockmount on top of the DViceMicro drum mounts and sit snugly insulated from the physical jolts they’d otherwise receive being attached to the drum rim.

MOUNTING A CHALLENGE

The DViceMicro hoop-mounted drum mounts are great. It’s a challenge to design a mount with an adjustable gooseneck that will fit universally and is easy to attach and detach. Rubber mounts that stretch over the rim are the most common but seem crude compared to the Audix approach that uses a spring-loaded lower clasp and a fixed top clasp. You get the technique of placing the lower clasp under the rim and stretching the mount up until the top clasp slips over the top rim of the hoop after a couple of goes. Only once did I meet a drum kit that had top skins that blocked the space under the rim but it still had enough grip in the spring to hold tight. Once mounted, it’s easy to adjust the gooseneck to the preferred position.

Some drummers don’t like microphones mounted directly onto their drums at all, and I understand that if it’s a 300g dynamic mic plus mount hanging off the rims – I use stands to avoid the issue unless I’ve checked with the drummer. But the 47g MicroD toms mics offer a good compromise. They shouldn’t affect the drum balance or tone and they’re more convenient than mics on stands, specially in small touring situations where space and weight are important.

MICRO MANAGING

I took the MicroD kit on a small-ish tour where the acts ranged from mid-level pop bands to a loud rock band (Queenie), and the MicroD kit proved versatile and fuss-free. Touring is tiring and could be why after a couple of shows I started using a MicroD on snare as well as the rack and floor toms. The MicroDs sound similar to the brightish ADX51 overhead mics and don’t have the boosted lows of the i5 but they’re still punchy when placed close to the snare skin and have a pleasingly detailed presence.

The Audix DP7 Micro kit is ideal for pop/rock drums but versatile enough to be suitable for softer styles where detail is more important than punch or there is an emphasis on percussion instruments. Audix mics are reasonably priced anyway and purchasing them in a kit offers great value for a set of co-ordinated application-specific microphones. I think sound mixers generally buy mics one-at-a-time but kits make sense for production companies, venues and educational settings looking for a one-purchase solution.

FAMILIARISATION TOUR

Using the DM3 for the first time requires less familiarisation than most and there are plenty of helpful features. This is when you notice the mixer’s TF series lineage: the one-knob EQ and compression functions, the presets and scenes. For those not familiar with the TF series, the consoles have a library with preset scenes for typical music/speech applications that give new users (or operators in a hurry) a helpful pre-patched starting point. Naming the channels on the DM3 with the virtual keyboard is simple and includes the choice of different languages. Channel colours are limited to eight and there’s not many instrument icons, there’s no tuba icon, for example (yes, I mixed a band with a tuba, and felt mildly dudded).

The 8+1 physical channels have the usual Sel/Cue/Mute buttons, while everything else you need is on the screen. Touching a box or an edit icon takes you there and activates the one-touch knob ready to tweak the level or main parameter. Touching again opens up more functions and options. Channel processing starts with a four-band parametric EQ, with separate HPF. The RTA integrated into the EQ section is not overbearing like some, and can be switched off, or switched to display a piano keyboard for reference. There are two dynamics processors, nominally set as a gate and as a compressor. GainFinder is a visual gain-setting helper. Each channel can be delayed. A multi-band compressor and de-esser are noticeable by their absence, perhaps being saved for an update.

ONE TOUCH, ONE ENCODER

When I first met Yamaha’s QuickPro Presets and One-Touch EQ/Compressor functions on the TF Series I thought they were gimmicky but after using them I came to appreciate how they are another control option rather than simply a shortcut for newbs. A library of QuickPro Presets gives typical EQ/comp settings for a long list of commonly used mics and DIs. The One-Knob function continuously varies how much of the suggested EQ or Comp settings get applied to the channel. The One-Touch EQ preset for an SM58, for instance, gives you increasing amounts of a simultaneous boost to the high-mid vocal range and reduction in the low-mids. The One-Touch compressor simultaneously adjusts the threshold; increases gain reduction; and raises the channel output level as more is applied. The settings make sense and it’s fun to audition the presets but in use I found I was often only wanting to change one parameter at a time and reverting to manual drive.

EFFECTS & SENDS

Notably, there are only two effects. That’s okay by me – a reverb and a delay is enough for a 16-channel show. The effects include three versions each of Yamaha’s REV HD and REV R3 reverbs from the TF series, among a total of 18 different types of effects to choose from.

If the on-board effects aren’t enough or you’d like to use your fave recording plugins instead you can download VST Rack Elements that hosts Send/Return VST plugins.

The boxes in the Send section flip the faders to the six mix buses or matrix send levels. The mix busses (generally foldback) can also be accessed via Send From boxes on the input channels and the send level adjusted by the knob. The Mix Out channels get the same processing as the input channels less the separate HPF, but with the addition of a 31-band GEQ (limited to 15 bands at one time) that can be flipped onto the faders or controlled from the screen.

There are six fader layers on the DM3. The first two are the 16 input channels, the third is FX/MON channels, the fourth is the outputs. Layers 5 & 6 are custom layers you can populate on the fly and I used these a lot. Throwing the channels you need to ride onto one layer saves a lot of thinking. Below the Layer buttons reside six user-defined buttons that allow control of your choice of functions including Mute Groups, FX mutes, tap for delay and meter peak-hold. If the DM3 is used as a recording interface the user-defined buttons can control the transport functions of the host DAW.

GOTH BANJO MUSIC HALL

I’ve been using the DM3 for around three months by the time I put pen to paper for this review. It’s been a handy. It can be anything from a nifty problem-solver to a fully-featured FOH or foldback mixer. The first time I took it out, I was using a 32-channel analogue system for the 2023 Maldon Gothic Festival and over the weekend the DM3 got used for recording the live acts, playing backing tracks, BGM between acts, and as an on-stage sub-mixer for a magic act.

The Guildford Banjo Jamboree is one my favourite annual events and I wanted to use the DM3 as FOH mixer in the Public Hall for the Friday bush dance and the main Saturday concerts. Starting from a Preset scene and tweaking it to suit the event was an easy way to get going and I was soon running all 16 channels in the house plus five sends of foldback. Running the PA subs from a mix out gave me good control of EQ and dynamics, plus delay, and saved packing a separate crossover.

The DM3 looked a little out of place at the traditional bush dance. People kept asking if I could watch TV on it, but I was happy with the sound in the room and found mixing quite enjoyable. The channel and output EQ options are precise and you get what you expect from them. The comps are normal – they do what they’re asked – perhaps without the character of favourite analogue devices (the high-end Rivage range has simulations of those) but they work. The FX are limited in number but they’re excellent quality. The physical faders are real but not very smooth, not like analogue faders. It’s more of a digital console issue rather than Yamaha’s, and could be a cost thing, but they’re noticeably notchy.

I also supply a system for the old gold-rush era Guildford Music Hall across the road. The guys mixing in there over the weekend noticed that I’d ‘gone digital’ in the main room. They had no complaints about the sound but were mighty relieved that I’d supplied a 16-channel analogue desk for them to use in the Music Hall. It might be different for the new kids but there are a lot of amateur/casual/senior mixers out there who freeze when they see digital consoles… even a nice friendly one like the DM3.

I make a simple recording of the concerts every year, usually onto a Zoom recorder from the mixing desk. Recording onto the DM3’s USB drive was easier, the recording/naming routine is foolproof, and the recorded sound quality is very good, although I’d prefer the recordings to be pre master bus EQ, or switchable, to avoid printing the house EQ. Something for a firmware update perhaps.

GOING PLACES

The Whole Loddon Love Tour saw the DM3 on a run of shows in flood-affected towns in the Loddon region of Victoria. Some were outdoor shows but others were small pubs with no dedicated FOH mix position. The 24-channel analogue desk and effects/drive racks I otherwise would have taken would have been hard to squeeze in. These small rooms made a good case for an iPad mixer but the DM3 was a better solution for me – it’s not wireless but it’s more precise to operate and it will fit in any space.

An outdoor school concert I do every year is a good test of how a digital console performs in daylight. One year I recall having children holding cardboard sheets above the console to try and create some shade because I couldn’t see the screen at all. That was under a gazebo too, it’s glary out here. The DM3 passed the test, with the brightness up full, I could see the screen quite well, and it’s got dark/light background screen modes with separate intensities for screen and panel, plus two custom banks to store your preferences.

A seven-piece cover band at the local sports club was probably about as big as you could fit into the 16 inputs but did demonstrate how capable the DM3 is with heavily processed pop bands, where I think digital consoles do their best work. The channels were all loaded up with no signs of protest and it remained easy enough to operate with a band that needed lots of FX and fader-riding. Clear displays of everything going on helps, the Custom Fader layers minimise fader flying.

GROUP THERAPY

There are a few things the DM3 doesn’t have. No DCAs – although you can make groups from the omni mix outs and route them back to the main outs, and there’s also a Channel Link page to create groups of linked channels that can have parameters changed simultaneously. There’s no talkback mic so you use up a channel to talk to stage. No auto mic mixer for corporate events. No multiband comps or de-esser. None of that really matters, it’s not competing on quantity of functionality, it’s the functionality of the package that’s important here and by that measure it punches well beyond its weight.

Apps include the offline DM3 Editor, a good way to learn the desk before you use it or to pre-plan shows, that can be saved and loaded when needed. DM3 StageMix is the app for iPad-only remote control. MonitorMix is available for Android as well.

All Yamaha gear seems inherently reliable, they make a lot of machines you don’t want to fail in the middle of a high speed corner (or equivalent) so they make them to work and last. Yamaha pioneered the development of digital consoles and while I still occasionally see tech riders specifying ‘no LS9s’ its current range from the DM3 up, are all leading-edge premium consoles.

SLIDING INTO THE DM

Given the quality, both physical and fidelity, the Yamaha DM3 seems like a bargain to me. There are cheaper options with similar channel counts, especially iPad-control systems, but the combination of Yamaha quality in a modern compact console, with an excellent touchscreen and real faders is a level above.

Potential customers for the DM3 include small-medium sized bands/duos/DJs, streamers and home/project recording studios. Portable PAs, where size and weight are important. Venues that use less than 16 channels looking for a plug ’n’ play replacement for their ageing analogue mixer, or any sort of corporate/educational setting. I want one.