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Yamaha QL5 64-channel Digital Mixing Console

64-channel QL Series Digital Mixer with Virtual Circuitry Modeling Technology, Auto Mixing Functionality, Dante Network Support, and Remote Control via Tablet or Computer

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Yamaha QL5 64-channel Digital Mixing Console
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Your All-in-one Mixing Solution

The Yamaha QL5 64-channel digital mixer is packed with many of the core features of their acclaimed CL Series, making it your ideal compact all-in-one solution for mixing, processing, and routing audio. Loaded with premium internal processors, including stellar-sounding EQ and dynamics tools developed in cooperation with Rupert Neve Designs, the QL5 will bring out the best sonic character in any source. With built-in automixing functionality, Dante network support, and remote control via your tablet or computer, the Yamaha QL5 is the perfect sound reinforcement solution for small- to medium-scale live sound, corporate speech events, broadcast, and more!

Yamaha QL5 Digital Mixer Features at a Glance:

  • Premium internal processors simulate classic studio gear and more
  • Rupert Neve-designed EQ and dynamics for studio-quality sound
  • Automixing functionality via the Dan Dugan automatic mixer
  • Dante network support lets you create complex system designs
  • Remote control via tablet or computer lets you go deep into your mix
  • Tons of scene memory, customization options, and more

Pure, natural sound and powerful processing

In order to produce great mixes, audio engineers need to have uncolored, natural sound as a starting point. That's why the Yamaha QL5 features top-shelf circuitry and components — to provide you with pristine audio from input to output. And when you're ready to get creative, the QL5's powerful Virtual Circuit Modeling (VCM) technology effectively captures various pieces of analog gear right down to their individual components (including models influenced by the 1176, LA-2A, and EQ-1A), injecting your mix with an abundance of authentic-sounding analog vibe. Of course, the crown jewel of the QL5's analog emulations is its VCM versions of the Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5033 EQ and 5043 compressor, developed in collaboration with Rupert Neve Designs! You also get Yamaha REV-X reverb processors and a graphic EQ for your buses.

  • Top-shelf circuitry and components
  • Virtual Circuit Modeling (VCM) analog emulations
  • Modeled Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5033 EQ and 5043 compressor
  • Yamaha REV-X reverb, graphic EQ, and more

Revolutionary Dan Dugan automatic mixer

The Yamaha QL5 comes armed with Dan Dugan Sound Design's revolutionary automatic microphone mixing technology. This remarkable processor, which can be loaded into up to 16 channels simultaneously, lets you automatically optimize your microphone gain distribution for speech applications. The result is smooth, natural gain control — the QL5 almost mixes itself! This is a lifesaver for a non-engineer volunteer who runs live sound in a house of worship or at a community event. This is especially useful in non-scripted situations, as it allows you to concentrate on the balance rather than having to chase talkers on the faders.

  • Dan Dugan Sound Design's automixing technology
  • Up to 16 channels of Dugan Speech System
  • A lifesaver for non-engineer sound volunteers

Refined control for smooth operation

When you're running live sound, you've got to move quickly! Well, Yamaha took this into account, making visibility and usability hallmarks of the QL5's design. First of all, the QL5's large, easy-to-navigate touch-panel display makes working in the dark child's play. You'll love the intuitive design of the QL5's Selected Channel interface, which provides you with a comprehensive overview of the parameters available to you for the channel that you're working on. On top of that, you get remarkably comfortable faders and a straightforward Touch-and-Turn knob, which make operating the QL5 a phenomenally smooth, efficient experience. You also get remote control and offline setup capability via your iPad or computer, adding even more refinement to an already state-of-the-art operating environment.

  • Straightforward Touch and Turn knob
  • Intuitive Selected Channel interface
  • Comfortable sculpted faders and knobs
  • Remote control and offline setup capability

Link it up with built-in Dante networking

Network capability is essential in today's live sound applications, and the Yamaha QL5 has everything you need. By utilizing the widely-implemented Dante networking protocol, the QL5 is able to interface with other Dante-compatible devices to create systems of just about any scale or complexity. Additionally, the QL5's "Port to Port" feature allows its inputs and outputs to be used as elements in a larger system, providing you with unprecedented routing capabilities for front-of-house and monitor consoles. And you'll never have to worry about gain complications disrupting the balance of your mix, as the QL5's Gain Compensation feature ensures that the total gain sent out via the network remains constant, regardless of which device a signal is routed through. In other words, crank up the analog gain on a stage box, and Gain Compensation will automatically turn down the volume on the network so nobody hears the volume change.

  • Widely implemented Dante networking protocol
  • Expand your rig with the Port to Port feature
  • Automatic Gain Compensation between devices

Expand your system with mini-YGDAI slots

The Yamaha QL5 gives you plenty of opportunities for expandability, thanks to its mini-YGDAI expansion slots, which can accept more than 30 types of expansion cards. You can also connect multiple QL5s together via I/O cards such as the MY32-AE, to create powerful systems that offer massive channel counts. The QL5 can also be cascaded to other Yamaha digital consoles such as their CL Series, giving you unprecedented flexibility. On top of that, you can use a separately sold MY8-LAKE expansion card to infuse your QL5 with Lab.gruppen's Lake Processing technology — Mesa EQ, Ideal Graphic EQ, Linear Phase EQ, and other processing features that are capable of fine-tuning your system in a wide variety of environments.

  • Highly versatile mini-YGDAI expansion slots
  • Connect multiple QL5s together for massive channel counts
  • Cascade the QL5 with other Yamaha digital consoles
  • Compatible with Lab.gruppen's Lake Processing technology

Two-track recording and multitrack options

If you're wanting to record your live shows, the Yamaha QL5 makes it easy. You can either make a 2-track recording straight to a standard USB flash drive (in MP3 format), or you can create a full-blown multitrack recording with Nuendo Live or your DAW choice via Dante. Multitrack recording is great for performing "virtual sound checks" when the band isn't available, and for making professional recordings of your live shows. On top of that, you can play back sound files (in MP3, AAC, or WMA format) from your flash drive, for convenient playback of background music or sound effects without the need for extra playback equipment.

  • Record two tracks directly to a flash drive
  • Play back files from a flash drive
  • Create multitrack recordings with your DAW via Dante
  • Up to 64 tracks can be recorded simultaneously

Tight iPad and computer integration

Thanks to Yamaha's state-of-the-art QL StageMix iOS app, it's possible to mix on the QL5 remotely using your iPad. Imagine being able to mix from the audience's or performer's positions — you can ensure that your show sounds great in every corner of the venue! You also get support stays that will support an iPad on the left side of the QL5's panel, sleekly integrating the iPad into the QL interface. You can also use the QL Editor app, which is compatible with both Macs and PCs, to set up the QL5's parameters via your computer, both on- and offline. You can use the QL Editor to conveniently manage scene and patch list data, for example, and keyboard entry capability can be a huge advantage for typing channel names, etc. One thing's for sure: both of these innovative apps are great timesavers!

  • Two amazing ways to access your settings
  • QL StageMix allows you to mix remotely with your iPad
  • QL Editor lets you set your parameters via your computer

Loaded with features and performance.

Optimized for live sound, the QL5 provides you with up to 300 scene memories, up to 1000ms of delay on its inputs and outputs, ample EQ and dynamics processing, 32 DCA groups, eight mute groups, 12 user-defined keys, multiple user key sets, a 5-in/5-out GPI interface, and more. The perfect sound reinforcement solution for small- to medium-scale live sound, corporate speech events, and broadcast, the Yamaha QL5 is a phenomenal 64-channel digital mixer!

  • Up to 300 scene memories
  • Up to 1000ms of delay on its inputs and outputs
  • Ample EQ and dynamics processing
  • 32 DCA groups
  • 8 mute groups
  • 12 user-defined keys
  • Multiple user key sets
  • 5-in/5-out GPI interface
  • Onboard help file

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Digital
  • Channels: 64 mono, 8 stereo mixing channels
  • Inputs - Mic Preamps: 32 x XLR
  • Phantom Power: 32 channels
  • Outputs - Main: 16 x XLR (Omni)
  • Inputs - Digital: 2 x EtherCon Cat5 (Dante Primary, Secondary)
  • Outputs - Digital: 1 x XLR (AES/EBU), 2 x EtherCon Cat5 (Dante Primary, Secondary)
  • Busses/Groups: 16 x Bus
  • Inserts: Yes
  • Talkback: Yes
  • MIDI I/O: In, Out
  • Data I/O: Ethernet
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • I/O Expansion Slots: 2 x Slots (MY expansion)
  • Word Clock: In, Out
  • Faders: 34 x 100mm Throw
  • EQ Bands: 4-band Parametric
  • Effects: Yes
  • Height: 10.7"
  • Depth: 22.2"
  • Width: 32.6"
  • Weight: 48.1 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: QL5

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Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 5/5

Opry City Stage

When I worked on the Blue Bird Song Writer series, this was a great stage mixing board. It was great to mirror each stage monitor the artist listened to live, at the push of a button. It was a great way to check monitor levels right at the mixer. The Dante connection from the CL5 was awesome as well but having an engineer at the stage with the QL5, gave the artist ultimate confidence that the staff was on top of everything audio. Very intuitive board plus the capability of saving the show mixes on a flash drive was great for engineers on different shifts. Over 200 slots to save shows made it easy to work with other engineers.
Music background: Live Mix Cheif Audio Engineer (FOH)
Rated 5/5

Seamless workflow, solid platform interfacing

My favorite desk, of all I've used in my 6 year audio engineering career. This board is rock solid, and features the customary yamaha rock solid reliability, as well as nearly infinite flexibility. Love the Dante interfacing, with Rios, Shure mics, you name it. Re the Shure ulxD, I love that you can see antenna strength and battery life, right on the console channel strip! Keep fresh your RF status without taking your eyes off the ball.

I also can't live without the dynamic EQ!

I'd love to see this desk operate at 96k, if I have a criticism.
Music background: BMus, Music Production & Technology
Rated 5/5

Not Bad At All!

My church rented this console from a great small PA company for our annual festival twice and it sounded great and had outstanding workflow -- borrowing from CL5 technology. Without using the myriad of internal effects processors, I found very little difference in sound quality going from an X32 to this desk -- using the same JBL line array -- which says quite a lot about how good this things sounds since the X32 can be made to sound about as good as anything!
Music background: FOH Engineer Semi-Pro, HOW
Rated 5/5

Fantastic Live Board

Just spent two weeks putting together a touring show with this mixer. I had never used this board (for that matter nobody at the venue had used this fairly new-to-market board), but had it pretty figured out in just a couple of days. The manual that ships with the unit is pretty useless - just scrapes the basics - not at all what I'm used to seeing with a Yamaha console. I was also in a location with spotty WiFi so consulting an online manual was usually impossible. It can seem overwhelming, but having used Yamaha's digital consoles starting with the 01v up to the DM2000, the architecture is fairly similar. Anything can go anywhere - the routing is incredible. Our board was fitted with the optional Avoim card to feed the Aviom monitoring setup in the venue. LOVE this board!!!
Music background: Producer/Engineer for Video, Attractions & Media
Rated 5/5

Amazing Board - Great for House of Worship

I can't say enough good things about this board. Don't get stuck mixing live music behind 16 faders...this 32 channel board is a dream come true. Everything you don't like about your old analog or digital mixer is done right here. iPad mixing, multi-track recording, large touch screen, customized scribble strip (color, name, and even pictures)...and you don't need racks of other gear because they are already built into the QL5. It works with an analog snake or upgrade and expand it to work in digital environment like a Dante network. It doesn't get any better than this for the right price and exceptional quality and durability.
Music background: Worship Minister

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What Do Our In-house Gear Experts Think?

Evan Mehre

Having worked in pro touring, I've mixed on this console a lot. Its user interface has tons of processing and features, but they're never in the way of my workflow. The insert effects are great, and the Automixing functionality is a huge help - even for veteran engineers - in applications where there are a lot of people speaking in turn.
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