Yamaha has launched the RUio16-D/VST Rack Pro, which allows VST3 plug-ins to be added to any Dante-based audio system.
Small, light and rugged, the low-latency RUio16-D can be connected to a Windows PC or Apple Mac computer via USB, working with VST Rack Pro software (licence included), to add VST3 plug-in functionality to Dante-based audio systems and expand the range of sound options in live sound, streaming and other audio applications. As well as digital audio systems, it can also be used with analogue mixing consoles.
A straightforward Mac/PC user interface makes it simple to use, and allows performers to use the same plug-ins as when recording. It can also manage custom presets by rack, effect and scene, contributing to shorter set-up times.
VST Rack Pro is bundled with more than 30 plug-ins from Yamaha and Steinberg. These include hardware emulations of compressors and equalisers using Yamaha Virtual Circuitry Modelling (VCM), as well as the Rev-X reverbs. Bundled Steinberg plug-ins include sound-shapers like Quadrafuzz v2, the Reverence sampling reverb and VST Amp Rack, problem solvers like Cloner, the MultibandEnvelopeShaper and SuperVision, and a suite of visual monitoring tools.
The RUio16-D provides 16 Dante inputs and 16 Dante outputs, a high-quality mic preamp and two analogue inputs and outputs with phantom power, enabling it to be used as an interface for acoustic measurements. It also features an independent gain control with pad switch for each analogue input, switched Monitor/Dante/USB output level control and a headphone output with volume control.
It also includes a Bypass USB utility function, which bypasses the VST3 plug-ins without interrupting the sound, automatically adjusting the output volume to a preconfigured SPL to ensure the performance continues seamlessly.
‘We strive to improve the mixing environment for all applications by providing new and flexible tools for sound engineers,’ says Chihaya ‘Chick’ Hirai, Yamaha General Manager of the PA Marketing & Sales Department. ‘We are pleased to offer the RUio16-D/VST Rack Pro solution, a new partner for audio professionals which is designed to be compatible with a wide range of tasks and applications, assisting them as their needs become more diverse.
‘For customers who have invested in Dante mixers and cards, it also means that they can enhance their sound creation possibilities with less investment than alternative methods. We will continue to listen to the opinions of our customers and work hard to provide the most flexible, user-friendly solutions.’
