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high‡efficiency amplifier technology to keep
heating to a¥minimum. Few details are
supplied,but I¥suspect that this technology
uses automatic power‡rail switching to
match instantaneous power needs.
A¥variable‡speed fan system monitors the
heatsink temperature and adjusts its speed
accordingly.This design is claimed to use 50
percent of the energy of Yamaha’s
conventional amplifiers and to generate
around 35 percent of the heat during normal
use, though it’s no featherweight — the
EMX5000‡12 weighs a¥hefty 15kg, so it’s just
as well that its arm-rest doubles as
a¥carrying handle.
Unusually,Yamaha have included
a¥power‡switching feature that allows the
user to select between three maximum
output levels (500, 300 or 100W per
channel), to suit the size of room being
played.This could also be useful if you
connect speakers with a¥lower power rating
than the maximum, to avoid overdriving
them. As you’d expect, the amplifiers are
fully protected against short‡circuited
outputs, DC offset or overheating,while
limiters in the signal path prevent clipping
under high signal conditions.The amplifier
can be used in mono bridge mode (1000W)
or may be used to drive a¥main speaker in
mono plus a¥separate monitor,the latter fed
from Aux 1. A¥further permutation allows
both channels to be used to drive monitors
(sourced from Aux 1 and 2) for situations in
which the EMX5000 is being used purely as
a¥monitor mixer.
Another unusual feature is the
incorporation of two effects processors,
each fed from its own post‡fade send pot.
Each can produce 16 ‘SPX’‡style effects.The
first nine effects produced by each ‘engine’
are identical and comprise reverbs and
delays,while the remaining seven differ
between the two engines and include
various specialised vocal treatments, special
effects such as ‘Radio Voice’, pitch shifting,
modulation effects, and Yamaha’s classic
‘multi‡chorus’ Symphonic treatment. A¥single
Parameter control per effect processor
allows the most important elements of each
preset to be adjusted.The delay includes
a¥very welcome tap‡tempo function
enabling the delay time (of the tap‡delay
program only) to be set very quickly during
a¥performance.
Constructionally, the mixer is pretty much
what you’d expect from Yamaha — steel
chassis,sleek lines and a¥clear layout, though
I’d swear the knobs are more Mackie‡like
than on previous models.The only
connections not accessible from the top
panel are the power inlet and the speaker
outputs, the latter on both Speakons and
quarter‡inch jacks. In normal use, the
minimum speaker load is 4Ω per channel,
while in bridge mode the minimum load is
8Ω. It’s unusual to have the choice of jack
speaker outputs on an amplifier this
powerful but it is, nevertheless, welcome, as
anyone who has ever turned up at a¥gig
with faulty or missing Speakon cables will
testify.
The majority of the audio connections are
on jacks, other than the Speakons, the XLR
mic inputs and the phono connections for
consumer recording and playback devices.
Aside from the balanced mic and line inputs,
November 2004
SOUND ON SOUND LIVE
Yamaha
EMX5000‡12
Pros
• Lots of power considering the size and weight
of the mixer.
• Two really good effects processors.
• Clear,logical control surface.
• Built‡in sub filter.
• Good value for money.
Cons
• EQ mid‡band sweep range could go lower.
• Graphic EQ can’t be split into two mono units for
main and monitor use.
• Not all the line outputs are balanced.
Summary
There are no significant weaknesses in this
powered mixer,which combines Yamaha’s
power‡amp technology with two very flexible yet
simple effects processors,a¥comprehensive mixer
and a¥nine‡band graphic equaliser.Its
shortcomings are very minor compared to its
strengths.
Information
‹ Yamaha EMX5000‡12 £659:EMX5000‡20 £849.
Prices include VAT.
Ê Yamaha‡Kemble +44 (0)1908 369269.
„ www.yamaha‡music.co.uk
At a¥glance