Bruce Johnston Welcomes Yamaha PM5D
28/08/2006
Bruce Johnston, world-renowned mixing engineer for such artists as Crowded House, Silverchair and Oasis, has welcomed the Yamaha PM5D-RH digital mixing console into his inventory.
A force in the pro audio industry for over two decades, Johnston is founder and director of Johnston Audio Services, one of Australia’s leading sound reinforcement and pro audio equipment rental businesses since 1985. The Yamaha PM5D represents a major step in Johnston Audio’s continuing expansion.
Johnston couldn’t be happier with his investment.
“For return on investment, I would put it in the top end,” he says. “When we bought it, it came into the factory and we physically didn’t see it for three months.”
“I would say it’s as good as a moving light, as good as a Parcan,” Johnston adds, noting that his PM5D was in constant demand even while other equipment lay inactive. “It’s a pretty good investment.”
Price was a considerable factor in Johnston’s decision to purchase the PM5D-RH. “It was so cost-effective,” he stresses. “There wasn’t any competition on the market in that price range.”
Johnston is impressed by the immediacy with which the PM5D has become the industry standard at its price point. “There was such a huge uptake,” he observes, explaining how the PM5D single-handedly urged such a vast number of mixing engineers to go digital. “No-one’s been afraid of it. This is the first year that we’re seeing a massive uptake of digital. That didn’t exist last year.”
Johnston reveals that the sheer number of requests on riders made his decision to purchase the PM5D a no-brainer. Having the console on hand instantly made him tour-ready for a multitude of spec demands.
Johnston is particularly pleased with the PM5D’s performance on his current concert tour appointments - he recently mixed with two PM5D-RH consoles on The Strokes’ Australian tour.
Beyond The Strokes, Johnston is looking forward to utilising two PM5D-RH consoles again on INXS’ long-awaited Switched On tour in September. “I’m taking the PM5D because it’s got everything in there,” he says.
Before delving into digital mixing, Johnston’s transition away from analogue was initially a daunting prospect. Last year, however, Johnston knew the time was ripe for the switch.
“I thought that if I didn’t get into it, I might get left behind,” Johnston recalls. “I thought, if I have to deal with it every single day, I might as well get over that fear of digital straight away because it looked like it was starting to become prevalent.”
The PM5D’s intuitiveness and welcoming sense of familiarity were clinching factors. “I thought, it looks right,” remarks Johnston, conveying his first impression upon inspecting the PM5D during a demo. “It’s got twenty-four faders, groups, and it just looks like a normal desk.”
Johnston notes that this level of intuitiveness meant the PM5D was remarkably easy to use. “We’ve put guys on there that have never used a digital board, and they’re all over it within ten minutes,” Johnston says. “I’m very impressed with the fact that it seems to be very easy to train people to use it.”
”The fact that it didn’t need a specialised multicore was even better,” he adds. “That’s one of its plusses, as far as I’m concerned. That’s probably why [Yamaha] have sold tons of them.”
Quality of sound was also imperative. Once he had heard rumours of the PM5D’s sonic excellence, Johnston set out to confirm them for himself. “The word on the street was that it did sound good,” he recollects. “So I heard a festival that had PM5Ds at the front, PM5Ds at the back, and everyone was on them. It sounded fantastic.”
Johnston is also impressed with the comprehensive training and support for the PM5D from both Yamaha Commercial Audio and their sales and support agent, Soundcorp. “The training by everyone involved has been really good,” Johnston says. “If you need some lessons, it gets sorted.”
“It really did only take one person,” he recalls. “You can show one person, and they’re able to train ten others.”
Johnston is especially pleased with the eight SPX2000 effects processors on board the PM5D, complete with state-of-the-art programs plus classic presets he knew and loved on earlier equipment. “That’s another favourite thing of mine,” he rejoices, noting the PM5D’s replacement of many outboard effects units. “It’s all on board. I couldn’t believe it.”
He emphasises that having the PM5D on board at Johnston Audio Services has had a powerful ‘spillover’ effect. “Because we dominate doing a lot of the mid- to high-level Australian acts, we have now got a lot of them into PM5Ds,” he reveals.
Johnston says that these networking consequences, as well as Johnston Audio’s own expansion, have generated the necessity for another PM5D in the near future. “We’ve created a drama now, because we need another desk!”