Yamaha Design “Synapses” MGP Series

2012 / MIXER

Premium consoles combining analog and digital technologies.

Product site

Reconstruction

The MGP series is a new generation of hybrid mixing consoles that employs digital circuitry to overcome the limitations of analog mixers. Building upon the design heritage of previous of Yamaha mixer series, we have endeavored to offer innovative changes to the interface (including the knobs) and in the material structure of the body.

Intuitive

The new knobs used in the MGP series feature well-defined colors and indices to achieve a new, premium level of usability. Faders have been slimmed-down and given beveled edges, reflecting an attention to sensory detailing in creating an operational environment that allows the operator to concentrate on mixing.

Professional

The body utilizes a solid yet flexible construction to handle the broad range of circumstances these mixers may encounter in a professional working environment. By removing the screws, the sidepieces can be removed and then reattached in reverse, transforming the mixer from an easy-to-hold desktop configuration to one that will fit snugly into a rack for mounting.

Honest

The straightforward layout of the MGP series embodies the essential elements of a mixer. Select materials have been utilized for various different applications, with metal used in major areas that require rigidity or a pleasing texture, and plastic in those areas where two different regions meet.

Yves Plattard: Designer; Yamaha Design Laboratory

A new beginning for mixers.

The MGP series is a new generation of mixers that brings such digital technology as digital effects to the storied analog mixer, and goes even further by allowing control of DSP parameters via the "MGP Editor" iPod/iPhone app, and playback through an iPod or iPhone. Nevertheless, in terms of design, this series remains true to the essential concept of what makes a mixer a mixer.
MGP series mixers are intended for concerts and events, live music venues, stores, and a variety of other scenarios where they will encounter a wide range of working environments. Accordingly, MGP series mixers must be easy to recognize in any location, be easy to care for, possess a reliable interface that can be used free from error, and be tough enough to cope with being moved around and used in punishing environments. Furthermore, while these mixers may be used in desktop situations, they will also be used in a rack-mounted configuration, which is why the metal plates used as side grips can be reversed for use as a rack-mounting attachment. Usability, construction, and even the materials used-we designed every aspect of the series based on with "smart construction" in mind.
The same 3D software used by Yamaha’s product engineering teams served us well as we worked to construct a solution able to meet these conditions and provide the necessary functionality. The ability to share our data at every stage of the process from sketching through to blueprints, rendering, and prototyping, made communication rapid and accurate. I believe that the MGP series that was the result of these efforts directly reflects the intentions and desires of the designers.