Steve Levine

Recording and mixing engineer, worked for many artists including Culture Club, The Beach Boys, Honeyz, and Gary Moore.

"I am very impressed with the new Rev-X reverbs. These reverbs sound so good, a match for any current hardware reverb unit - the Rev-X room simulation is the best "room sound" I have heard since the famous Quantec room simulator. "

"For those producers that have a phobia of digital recording, the open deck plug-in is the answer, apart from having the best graphics of any plug in I have ever seen, the open deck plug-in adds the full analogue tape warmth, or even tape saturation/distortion, associated with high quality classic analogue tape machines of the 70's & 80's - without the hiss or the cost of the tape."

"The vintage EQs & compressors really extend the range of EQ & compression options available. The original DM2000 EQs have been praised in the press for their sonic purity & accuracy now you have available EQs and compressors that add that "special vintage colour" that many artists, producers & engineers wish to add to their tracks, but without the sound of crackling pots !!!"

Rick Pope

PM1D: 2001 tour with Jamiroquai
PM5D with Clear Channel, doing ‘instant live' recording directly to CD in 2004, first started using the new effects then.
Now using PM5D (&DM1000) for Jamiroquai's 2005 tour.

"I use Open Deck all the time as a ‘finalizer'. We don't have time to do proper finalising with Clear Channels' live recordings, so the Open Deck gives it that finished result. Sounds like it's mastered off a half-inch. I've tried all the types, and they are very subtle differences. I tend to use Swiss 85. You can really notice the difference between new and old tape. The Old Tape setting really sounds as if its been through the heads several times."

"The comps (276, 260) are great. You'd be hard pushed to tell which is the real one and which is the add-on in a blind-fold test. I used to use all outboard gear, even with PM1D for vocals and bass, with an external comp. Now I've sacked them all. 276 is the one I prefer. I'd be happy to use them in a studio situation too. I used them in Studio 2 of Olympic Studios, and chose to use PM5D with the add-ons instead of their SSL. No reverb outboard either, just a Eventide H3000 for vocal doubling."

Snake Newton

FOH engineer, currently working for Duran Duran. Also worked for Craig David and Pet Shop Boys.

"When I am not on the road, much of my time is spent in front of a studio based around multiple Macs running Cubase SX. If these components are the heart and brain of the studio then the myriad of VST plug-ins that I use are it's life blood. Now Yamaha, with a remarkable set of new effects, have brought live mixing a big step closer to this flexibility. The ability to choose a 'vintage' type compressor or EQ with the click of a mouse is taken for granted in the studio. This is finally within reach thanks to the new range of plug-in type of effects from Yamaha!"