Yamaha AW16G Professional Audio Workstation

General Information

What is an AW16G anyways?

The AW16G is a stand alone digital audio workstation that you can use to record, master and produce audio CDs for all forms of audio production. It does multitrack recording and playback, has sampling abilities, can link to external midi devices etc...

Wikipedia has a good general description of Digital Audio Workstations.

How should I use this Faq? Can I post questions here?

Use this faq as a reference, and if you have questions that are not covered here, please add them to the "Post Your Questions" section at the end. I would suggest though, that you post new questions into one of the forums listed below as well, you are more likely to get a quick answer since more people are live on the forums than this faq. does this workstation have real time effects as you are recording (like reverb etc)?

What web resources are available for users of the 'G (AW16G)?

Here is a list of web sites that discuss the AW16G:

forum.dijonstock.com - an active forum that most users of the aw16g forum migrated to when the older forum became unreliable.

awinspire.com - a commercial site (sponsored by Yamaha?) that holds lots of good information for 'G users

homerecording.com/bbs - a good forum for all sorts of audio recording information, including some discussion of the AW16G.

Old resources gone offline:

forum.aw16g.com - One of the original but now Very defunct user forum. This site is now one of those useless web squatter sites with AW16G keywords leading to almost unrelated ad pages, probably generating free Adclick income for some weasel.

When first launched, became the forum to discuss the 'G.

www.aw16g.net and www.aw16g.net/forum/phpBB2/index.php (forum) - Two spots on the aw16g.net site, the home of the Radio G Show and Forum, which is expanding beyond only AW16G related music, and joined up with "The School Times" network.

www.aw4416.com/e/16g - Yamaha's official web site for the 'G with specs, user manuals etc. Useful, but almost never updated, last update was 2002..

www.aw4416.com/e/16g/faq/index.html - a spartan FAQ started by Yamaha..

Are there any recommended sites with general audio recording information?

Yes, there are too many sites to list, but here are a few recommended ones:

Jim�s Links for Newbies:

www.tweakheadz.com/perfect_mix.html
www.tweakheadz.com/how_to_record_vocals.htm
www.tweakheadz.com/effects_for_recording_studios.html
www.tweakheadz.com/compressors.htm
www.tweakheadz.com/troubleshooting_audio_cards.htm
www.tweakheadz.com/microphones_for_the_home_studio.htm

What are some tips for new AW16G users?

(the following extracted from forum.aw16g.com and forum.dijonstock.com)

Your very first move should be to download �Recording 101� for a quick start that will give you the basics on using the G.

Download the Recording 101 pdf file from this page: awinspire.com/setups/setups.html

The G has a Demo Song on it. After listening to it and practicing with it is advisable to DELETE the Demo Song to make sure that the scenes within the Demo Song will not present problems for you at a later date.

Begin by Creating a New Song with Default Settings:

First, click on the SONG button until you're at the LIST menu. Using the Arrow buttons, select NEW and hit the ENTER button. It will then ask if you'd like to save the current song.

Of course this part all depends on if you were working on a song prior to this, and if you want to save the changes you made. Once you choose either YES or NO (cancel takes you back to LIST menu), it will ask what settings you want to import.

Just hit the OK button and don't worry about selecting anything else.

A window will now come up that will allow you to change the name of the song from the default name assigned by the 16G. If you are happy with leaving it as "XXX New Song", then select OK, otherwise, move the arrow to the first number in the name.

Now, use the arrow keys to select DEL, and hit ENTER repeatedly until all of the text is gone. To name the song, move the cursor back to the title form, and then use the jog wheel to scroll through the letters and numbers, and the left and right arrow keys to move from one space to the next. Once you are done, hit OK.

Setting up the Tracks

Hit the RECORD button until you're at the DIRECT menu.

To record an input to a specific track, first use the arrow key to select the circle just below the input you are using and then hit the enter key. So, if you are recording input from a microphone plugged into Input 1, select the circle under the number 1 next to INPUT on the screen and hit ENTER. It will hightlight the circle with a black box:

Now, to point this input to a specific track, use the arrow key to select the dot just above the track number and hit ENTER. So, if you want to record it to track 1, select the dot just above the number one next to the word TRACK and hit the ENTER button. It will then draw a line from the input source to the track you're recording it to.

If you chose to record Input 1 to Track 1, Input 2 to Track 2, and Input 3 to Track 5, it would look something like this:

Also note that any input you have selected for recording will have a red flashing light beneath its volume level dial, and any Track selected for recording will have a red flashing light above its fader.

Now that you have the inputs and tracks setup, you'll want to double-check that no effects are currently running on anything, and that everything is panned to the center.

Removing Effects and Setting Pan to Center

Start by pushing on the red knob labeled PAN (next to the red arrow above) until you're at the PAN menu.

If a track is panned to center, it will have a "C" below the pan dial. Tracks 1-8 should have the "C", and tracks 9/10-15/16 should have L and R of 16, respectively. If anything is wrong, use the arrow keys to select the pan dial and then use the jog wheel to adjust it to its correct setting

To Remove any effects, click on the first blue knob labeled EFF 1, shown by the blue arrow in the picture above, until you're at the SEND menu. Make sure that it does not say "ON" for any of the tracks listed at the top, as it does in this picture:

If it does, use the arrow keys to highlight the square(s) that says ON and then hit ENTER. It will ask if you want to release the effect, so hit OK.

If it does not say ON for any of the tracks, try clicking on the first rectangle to the right of EFF INSERT. It will ask if you want to Release EFF 1. Hit Ok. Now hit the same rectangle again and release it again.

The screen will now have effect dials for each track. Make sure that every dial is pointing to the bottom left. If you highlight the dial, it will say at what level the eff is at in the top left corner of the screen.

If it is off, it will say dB.

As long as every track is at that setting, you should be all good.

Now repeat the same thing for EFF 2, which is just below the EFF 1 knob.

Ensuring all effects and processing are OFF:

For each individual input you are recording/monitoring, press each of the appropriate [PAN/EFF/DYN & EQ] knobs as Dinsdale describes in the previous post:

EFF2 & EFF1: For each line in/input, press the knob 3 times (one at a time) to bring up each screen for 'EDIT', 'LIBRARY', and 'SEND', choose BYPASS='ON' for each screen, this ensures no effects regardless of the individual settings within the parameter.

For DYN & EQ: For each line in/input, press the knob 2 times (one at a time) to bring up each screen for 'EDIT' & 'LIBRARY', choose OFF for the 'ON/OFF' option, again, this ensures you are not picking up any settings regardless of the preset parameters.

To start recording now, hold down the red REC button and then hit the PLAY button.

<verbatim> After following the original guide the settings observed for that New Song with EQ, DYN, and Effects are OFF for inputs 1-8 and for all tracks the settings should read as:

Equalization Settings � All inputs and tracks exhibit:

Flat Attenuation 0dB

Low Band EQ Q (steepness) L.SHL F (frequency) 125 G (gain) 0.0

L-Mid EQ Q 0.70 F 1.00k G 0.0

H-Mid Q 0.70 F 4.00k G 0.0

High Q H.SHL F 10.0k G 0.0

Dynamics Settings:

Input 1 Inputs 2-8 Track1 All Tracks

Threshold -17 dB 0 dB Ratio 1.5:1 1:1 Out Gain +2.5 dB 0 dB Attack 76 mSec 0 mSec Release 186 mSec 6 mSec Knee 2 Hard

Eff 1 � All inputs and tracks exhibit:

Reverb Plate

Rev Time 2.6 S Lo Ratio 1.0 Hi Ratio 0.3 Ini. Delay 30.0 mSec Diff 6 Density 70%

Eff2 � All inputs and tracks exhibit:

Amp Type Stk-M1 DST Type DST 1 N.Gate 0 Drive 90 Cab Dep 20% </verbatim>

Do I need a preamp with the 'G?

It depends on the Mic you have. Most users have found that condensor mics have enough output to drive the G nicely, but the old classic SM57, SM58 and the like (dynamic) don't have enough output, and you end up cranking the 'G analog input gain up full, resulting in a noisy result. An external preamp is recommended instead.

How many bits does the AW16G use for audio?

The G has:

• 24 bit A to D converters,
• 32 bit internal processing
• 24 bit 128 times oversampling D to A converters,
• Stores individual track data on disk in 16 bit format.
• Generates standard 16 bit stereo audio CDs.
• I beleive the optical I/O is also 16 bit digital.

With 32 bit internal processing, is clipping a thing of the past?

No, you'll have to wait for a 64 bit internal machine!

For the most part, under "normal" circumstances the 32 bit internal processing is TONS of headroom, but a little experiment I did shows that you can clip internally with just one input channel:

The inputs are specified as having 24 bit A to D converters on them. When a DSP coder connects a 24 bit source to a 32 bit channel, they would connect the 24 bits to the "bottom" of the 32 bits, and set the top 8 bits to zeros, leaving 8 bits of headroom.

8 bits headroom is 48 dB:

2 to the 8th is 256, 20 Log 256 is 48 dB

Set up an input sin wave of 4 khz to an analog input on the G, set the input gain (and source output level) to get it to 0 dB on the input meter.

Go into the eq section, set all 4 bands to 4Khz, and turn em up full. Each band can add 18 db gain. Seems like if you dial up two bands to 18 db, you get 36 db boost. Each additional band adds another 18 db, so once you turn up the third band, you bump over the 48 dB headroom, and you haven't touched the 4th eq band yet.

So, yes those kind of EQ settings are extreme, but they can clip a 32 bit value all on their own. I did not expect this! Bring on the 64 bit machines! :)

Also I'm a bit surprised that the EQ gain settings multiply like this. It "seems" - rampant speculation with no facts warning!! - that all 4 eq bands are wired in Series, in a chain (output of one EQ band feeds the input of the next).

I kinda thought they would be in parallel (input is sent to all 4 bands, each does their own thing, then the results of all 4 EQ's are added back together and sent onward). In Series, you can get far more range of extremes (so much so that you can clip a 32 bit value!) so I guess this is why they wired it that way.

Is there a list of copyright information available on the web?

Yes, here are links to U.S. copyright information:

Copyright Information:

Copyright Basics:
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html

Copyright Form SR:
www.copyright.gov/forms/formsr.pdf
When to use Form SR:
www.copyright.gov/register/sound.html

Copyright Form PA:
www.copyright.gov/forms/formpa.pdf
When to use Form PA:
www.copyright.gov/register/performing.html

Searching Copyrights:
www.copyright.gov/records/cohm.html

Hard Drive Faq

The unit shipped with a 20 Gig 2.5 inch laptop ATA/IDE drive, an IBM Travelstar Model IC25N020ATCS04-0. IBM sold their drive business to Hitachi, so you may still find a Hitachi branded model if you need a replacement drive.

Yes, you can replace the hard drive with a 40 gig model, at least it has been verified with the Hitachi Travelstar 40 gig model (just finished). It is unknown if any other 40 Gig model will work. I was lucky and found one in an obsoleted laptop.

One attempt at trying a 60 gig failed - a new Seagate Momentus drive I bought.

The detailed instructions are here:

http://www.awinspire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=4,5&Board=getstarted&Number=270713&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=7&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

On that link you will find the binary zip of the AW16G OS 1.06 and instructions.

A couple of tips:

• Make a simple standard "data" CDROM with just the bin file found in the zip from the link.
• you need to completely erase all filesystems and partitions from the drive, apparently the machine won't update if you forget this step. New drives may have a dos partition from factory testing etc. This can be done with many disk utilities on many operating systems. I used a USB to "anything" disk drive adaptor widget, and the Ubuntu linux disk utility to clean out the laptop drive I used.

CD Drive F.A.Q.

What speed does the 16G cdr drive write at?

The cd drive burns at a maximum of 8x, but you can set it down to 4x or 2x if you're having problems burning at full speed.

What kind of cds are tested working with the 16G?

Verbatim, Sony, TDK, & Memorex are all verified working.

Does the speed of the disc matter??

Yes. Make sure the disc is rated for at least 8x, otherwise you will get errors and/or will not be able to burn cd's at the full speed.

Does the cd drive support CDR and CDRW discs?

Yes. You can write onto a writable cd or a rewritable cd. The drive will erase rewritable cd drives for you if needed.

HOW TO WRITE AN AUDIO AFTER CREATING STEREO TRACK

?====

Try to lower the burn speed, or use a different brand of cdr. For additional info, check this thread: ATAPI Error & this thread: How to Write an Audio Cd after Creating Stereo Track

Does the 16G have any built-in copy-protection on cd's that I burn? And if so, will it prevent me from making copies of my discs in another burner?

No, if you use the internal CD drive, it does not have the option to enable any copy protection bits.

Can I import audio from an Audio CD?

Yes, you may import tracks from any CD source into the G. Here is how (courtesy JON)

1. Press [SONG] repeatedly to select the �List� menu and set up a �New Song�.

2. Press [UTILITY] repeatedly to select the �D.IN.HDD� menu.

3. Cursor to �DIGITAL REC� and press [ENTER]. <This will bring up the �OBSERVE Copyright Notice�� warning.>

4. Cursor to �OK� and press [ENTER]. <�DIGITALREC� will now be �ON�.>

5. Press [TRACK] repeatedly to select �CD IMPORT�. <�READ CD INFO� box flashes>

6. Place the source audio CD into the 16G�s drive and allow to spin up.

7.Press [Enter]. �CD TRACK:� will display the first track no. of the CD (usually �01�).

8. Turn the [JOG/DATA] wheel to select the CD track no. you wish to rip. Tip: you can hear the track by moving the cursor to �Listen�, raising the red �STEREO� fader and pressing [ENTER]. [ENTER] again will stop playback.

9. Cursor down to �TR:� on the bottom line and use the [JOG/DATA] wheel to select the 16G track(s) to which you wish to record. If the source track is stereo, then this will always be a track pair. I generally use 9-10.

10. Now cursor to �V:� and select the �Virtual Track� you wish to use. 11. Once you�re all set, cursor to �EXEC� and press [ENTER]. <�Execute CD IMPORT?� box appears.>

12. Cursor to �OK� and press [ENTER]. Importing will commence� Once the whirring noise stops, you should have an exact copy of the source CD track on your 16G. To listen:

13. Raise the fader for the track(s) to which you recorded, and the red �STEREO� fader and press [PLAY]. Note: If you changed the �Virtual Track� (�V:�) in step 10 to anything other than �1�, then you�ll need to first select that virtual track for playback, i.e.

14. Press [STOP].

15. Press [TRACK] repeatedly to select �V.TR.�.

16. Use the cursor to select the appropriate virtual track for the relevant track(s) (e.g. 9-10).

17. Press [PLAY].

Now you can widdle away on the other tracks, mix and burn!

Hope that helps people out.

Notes:

1. Don�t forget to remove your source CD�

2. Don�t forget to SAVE your work!!

3. You�ll need to repeat the above procedure for each source CD track you wish to rip, i.e. you can�t copy the entire CD in one go.

Can I somehow extract the audio information from an AW16G data backup CD?

Yes, you can download Gee Audio from SillyMonkey Software. It will extract all the audio tracks from any AW16G backup disk. The website link is here:

http://www.sillymonkeysoftware.com/gee_audio

Additionally, you can download a utility originally created for the AW4416 and AW2816 that will allow you to extract audio data from a backup file. Of course, this will only work on 16g backups that are saved using the 2816 format, however, it can be a useful utility. The website link is here:

http://www.socialentropy.com/aw4416/

and the utility itself is here:

http://www.socialentropy.com/aw4416/awx266.zip

Can I export my AW16G audio tracks as wav files for use in other gear?

Yes, using the CD drive:

Exporting Tracks (courtesy Lysdexia)

You can export up to 16 tracks at a time onto CD for use in other G's or, indeed, for any machine that can use WAV files. Ideal for taking the audio over to PC for additional mixing and processing for example.

To achieve this do the following:

1. Press the EDIT button until you get to the EXPORT screen.

2. Use the cursor key to move to the pane on the screen marked TR:

3. Use the data wheel to scroll through the options until you reach 1-16. It's the second last option available.

4. Use the cursor keys to move to the top row of zero's that look like this - 00:00:00:000 being hours, minutes, seconds and millisoconds. This indicates the start of any track times you have recorded. Leave it just at the zeros.

5. Use the cursor keys to move to the second row of zero's (again, 00:00:00:000) and use the data wheel to enter a time slightly longer than the duration of your tracks. So, if your song is 3:55 long then enter, say, 4:00.

Your two rows should then look like this:

00:00:00:000 00:04:00:000

6. Use the cursor keys to move to the EXEC pane.

7. Press ENTER. A small pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation. Use the curor keys to move to OK and press ENTER.

8. The G will begin to export your TRACKS in WAV format - you will see a progress bar follwing the completion of the export.

9. When the G is finished it will pop your CD out and that's it. Job done.

Using the 1 - 16 option will export all tracks you have recorded on said tracks. So, if you have 8 recorded then it will export those 8. If 16, then 16 and so on. You don't have to worry about them being recorded sequentially either. If you have recorded on tracks 1,3,7,8 11/12 & 15/16 then it will export just those and ignore the empty tracks. Nice touch, Yamaha

I bought a used AW16G. I desperately need the recovery cd-rom. Please help.

eduardo hern�ndez

Response: Burning CDs with AW16G:

Martin,

 I had the same problem initially. The issue is the CD display when you want to burn a track to CD is not very intuitive. It doesn't show you all the 'ST' stereo tracks that can be burned. To find and select them:
1. first press "NEW" or "INS" insert. 
2. Then move your cursor over to the right most window and use the scroll knob to 'see' the recorded stereo tracks. 
 

Cheers, Piatro www.piatro.com

I have had the aw16g for a couple years now and have upgraded to software daw's and was wondering if anyone knows how i could dump my audio files onto a computer so that i could edit them that way instead of mastering on the aw16G Thanks Martin Brooks ezmac@fullsail.edu