Commercial Audio News
Yamaha Training Tour Enters Next Phase after Queensland Success
Posted on 29th September 2008
Clockwise from top-left: The Digital Mixing 101 course achieves success in Northern Queensland with strong attendances in Rockhampton, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville
Yamaha completes successful Central and North Queensland sessions with attendees in four regional cities trained on digital mixing theory and practice
Yamaha Commercial Audio is celebrating the success of the first leg of its Commercial Audio Training Tour. The initial phase took place in Central and North Queensland in mid-September 2008 as Yamaha’s Commercial Audio trainers, Jason Allen and Jonathan Bailey, conducted the “Digital Mixing 101” course in Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns to over 80 registered trainees.
The day-long Digital Mixing 101 course featured Yamaha LS9-16, LS9-32, M7CL-48, PM5D-RH V2 and DSP5D digital mixing systems connected seamlessly within an EtherSound network. Attendees were trained on audio engineering theory, microphones and mic technique, simple bidirectional audio networking via EtherSound, and practical digital mixing concepts such as gain structure, dynamics, EQ, effects, scenes, offline editing and user administration. Yamaha also toured its new, large-format IM8 mixer to provide effective comparison between analogue and digital mixing technologies, and completed the signal chain with Yamaha’s DME Series programmable DSP units, PC-1N networkable power amplifiers and high-end Installation Series loudspeakers.
Attendances in each venue represented a diverse selection of professional backgrounds, with trainees comprising live audio engineers, theatre and entertainment venue technicians, church staff, university students, professional audio retailers and audio enthusiasts, among others.
Post-session feedback was very encouraging, with attendees expressing goodwill and forwarding positive comments regarding the usefulness of the Digital Mixing 101 course, the training session’s balance between audio engineering theory and practice, the effectiveness of the training staff and the course’s relevance to each attendee’s career, workplace or organisation.
Jason Bursztynowicz, who attended the Cairns session, couldn’t be happier with his experience and makes particular mention of Yamaha’s Commercial Audio trainers in his recap of the course.
“Both presenters did an excellent job in covering the topics and know the Yamaha equipment inside out,” recalls Bursztynowicz. “Along with a very extensive knowledge of technical audio questions thrown at them by the audience, they were able to answer them in detail and even demonstrate hands on with the gear.”
Patricia Whiting, a student at James Cook University who attended the Townsville session at Riverway Arts Centre, expresses similar praise of the effectiveness of Yamaha’s instructors. “I found the training staff to be helpful, friendly and easy to understand,” she recalls.
Sarah Lane, of Life Church Townsville, is similarly pleased with the outcomes she gained from the course. “There were so many ways we could apply what was covered in the training sessions,” Lane says. “Coming from a church who uses the sound system nearly every day of the week, as well as live mixing on weekends, there were many ways the digital consoles were suited to our environment.”
“The theory covered provided a great chance to gain further understanding on the topics such as live mixing and microphone technique, as well as introduce concepts that we had limited knowledge about such as EtherSound networking and the digital mixing consoles,” Lane continues.
From October to December 2008, attendees in several other Australian cities will be able to gain hands-on tuition from Yamaha’s Commercial Audio instructors on the principles of digital mixing, constructing audio networks or expanding a PM5D console, depending on their choice of session.
Once the Training Tour hits its final destination, Hobart, in December, it will have comprised a total of 18 training sessions held across 15 days of training, in a total of 12 Australian cities spanning seven states and territories. The tour is the largest of its kind ever conducted by Yamaha Commercial Audio in Australia and is a testament to Yamaha's enduring motto of “Local Service, Global Support”.
Admission is via pre-booking only - attendees will need to book online for each session via Yamaha's Training Tour 2008 registration page.
Interested attendees can contact Yamaha Commercial Audio on (03) 9693 5272 or email jason_allen@gmx.yamaha.com for more details on venues, registration and course topics.