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127th AES Convention Coverage (New York, NY Oct. 9-12)
PRESS RELEASE
Yamaha mLAN: the Future of Digital Network Connectivity
September 28, 2000
Advertisement After several years of research and development, Yamaha Corporation of America will showcase its mLAN technology, the latest protocol and specification for connecting electronic musical instruments and audio devices, during AES 2000. Incorporating noted Yamaha technology, mLAN conforms to IEEE 1394, a low-cost, high-speed digital interface for interconnecting audio, video, musical and computer equipment via a single line, eliminating the tangle of wires that discrete connections require. With this specification, a "Plug and Play" cable connection provides much more bandwidth, as it can transmit the equivalent of 100-plus channels of CD-quality digital audio and music data equivalent to that carried by several hundred MIDI cables. Since the mLAN system is based on IEEE 1394, it allows the user to configure digital audio networks with or without computers. Three products will debut at AES 2000: the mLAN-8P interface/breakout box, the mLAN-8E interface module and the CD8-mLAN. Additionally, NEC Corporation will provide two repeater boxes which will allow IEEE 1394 to transmit signal over even greater distances. "The strong feature of mLAN is its ability to simplify the connection of audio and music products," states Larry Italia, national sales & marketing manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio. "This technology opens the door to a wide range of new applications for users at every level, including contractors, and changes the face of signal transmission." A current campaign is underway to sign third-party licensees for the technology. Prospective partners include electronic instrument manufacturers, software developers and manufacturers of professional and general audio/video equipment. Interested parties can view current licensing options, technology transfer procedures and implementation contracts online at www.yamaha.co.jp/english/news/00072002.html. "We intend to make mLAN the technology of choice," notes Yoshi Sawada, manager of Multimedia Business Research and Development, Yamaha Corporation of America. The mLAN8P Audio/MIDI Processor is an interface which enables conventional audio and MIDI devices to be connected to an mLAN system. With internal mixing capability and digital effects processing, the unit is capable of eight simultaneous audio in/outs through the 1394 buss (two analog, two S/PDIF, two auxiliary and two master from the internal DSP) and can mix 12 channels (eight from 1394, two channels from analog and two from S/PDIF). Connectors include three 1394 ports; stereo _-in. analog I/O, plus stereo S/PDIF I/O for coaxial and TOSLink optical connections. Other connections include a stereo headphone jack for monitoring a one-in, two-out MIDI interface and stereo master output. The mLAN8E Expansion Board enables mLAN-compatible MIDI equipment to be connected 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 eight 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 eight channels of audio I/O plus MIDI I/O. In order to interface MIDI, the user needs to connect the CD8-mLAN and the console externally via a serial interface. 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 upon user and equipment specifications. All products will ship with mLAN Patch Bay connection management software, a mixer control application, and mLAN Mac drivers for compatibility with the ASIO and OMS standards. In order to achieve worldwide continuity and further popularize the mLAN format, Yamaha’s future plans also include product development for both Mac and PC platforms. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.yamaha.com/.
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