I have become interested in vintage (70s-80s) Yamaha mixers but am having a hard time narrowing down my options due to the large number of models produced. What I'm hoping for:

1) 6-12 channels.
2) per channel transformers.
3) inductor based eq.
4) inexpensive (roughly sub-500$).

What are my best options? I realize #3 above may be the hardest ask (when combined with #4

I've had fun with a PM430

Ironically, that is the one and only entry on my list to date!

They're cool and not a huge investment

One on Reverb right now. $1000

I think you can find it all but only in old RCA format mixer. Would have to re-cap it all. Would have an unbalanced mixer.

Yamaha old stuff was really good. But also consider Studer and Sony as you shop used.

I wound up with a Soundcraft BB100. Then I used a series of 8 ADM EQ's for the inductor sound. Sometimes inserted into the Soundcraft. Each was $4K a few years ago.

May also want to look at Kludge audio inductors.

In the arena of balanced mixer that uses inductor EQ's, not going to come cheap.

Best path I can think of is get a mixer that uses 500 format, add inductors over time. Start before the mixer getting 500 format and use a patch bay.

That's insane.
Everyone has lost their minds.

Plus $150 shipping.

Then caps...

Yeah, that's why I haven't gotten a pm-430...

There's an M508 on Reverb right now.
Looks pretty similar to the PM430.

I'd like to know from someone who obiously knows all the pro & cons and difference of all The little yamaha desks.
I bought a M 406 recently, i was quite happily surprised by the good quality of it. I have a MCI jh 500 sidecar, i'm not saying it's the same quality, but really I was shocked to prefered a guitar I was recording with a very 70's soul vibe on the yamaha over my beloved MCI.
So now i'm very curious about the other desks from Yamaha

I understad the PM 2000 is the top of the range,
but after that, tell me about:
- PM 1000
- PM 700
- PM 430
- PM 1516, 24, 32
- PM 1800

- M 916
- M 406

- MQ 0802, 1202, 1602

They all have mic pre transformers, that I know and main out as well
But let's say, what's the differnce between my 406 and a PM430 or a MQ 1202?
thank you

02R What are you guys using it for?

Actually Roland VM system was great!

https://www.roland.com/us/products/vm-c7200/

https://reverb.com/item/3129952-rola...7100-processor

Some of these are nice boards if you can find one for a couple hundred bucks. The prices are getting out of hand now though.

can you tell me more about the M 406?

And just to check, it's the 6 channel rack mount?

It is,
I was really surprised by headroom & the richness of the sound, really 70's style.

I see this thread is a little old. I just picked up a pm430 off marketplace for $400 . It has a couple issues, monitor 1/ echo out doesn't work.. that's OK though, I was expecting a little tlc required.
I set it up with my ufx and total mix so far.. one snapshot route through my piano and synths through the pm400 and another snapshot routes the piano and synths through my ssl6 and warm amps and compressors... honestly I'm blown away by the pm430. It really sounds pretty good darn good.
As far as not being a "pro" and having a bunch of outboard.. my stance is, the outboard is mine, one time purchase. Plugins unfortunately are payed through subscription plans now, so, it really demands an income on your investment for plugins more so than outboard gear. I plan to dabble for a life time, that will cost a fortune in waves sub fees.

Are you running out of the Yamaha into your ufx using RCA to TRS?

I also have an RME ufx

I made an 8ch snake, UFX out TRS to XLR ch inputs on the PM430. The pm430 doesn't use rca connections thankfully.
Rather itis more complicated, I have 3 48point trs patch bays. My interfaces and gear have been hooked up for a long time already (as in since September, last time re routed stuff). I got the PM430 just hooked up to the front of the patch bay s.. I had 10 outputs not in use, which gave me gear lust for a summing mixer or something to use them up.. UFX outputs 5-8 to pm430 in 1-4, Fireface400 outputs 1-4 to pm430 in 5-8. Ff400 outside 5-6 to pm430 sub in LR.. im currently taking the program A xlr outputs to ff400 in 1-2 .. and the M2 trs out is going to the patch bay, ufx input 8 for now..
I routed the ssl6 monitor out to the sub in on the pm430 last night. The ssl6 has a lot of routing that I like, it's all patched up with my pedalboard . Cue 1 through a blysky reverb, and cue2 through an alesis 3630 comp and boss dd20 delay pedal.. main insert is going through a pair of warm 73eq amps line in... all that just to play my old roland hp400 e piano .. lol 😆
Sounds awesome though, it's putting a smile on my face currently.

Current Yamaha mixers, even the little analog mixers, sound better than 40 year old Yamaha mixers. Nostalgia for old vintage gear is like meeting a celebrity idol in person..often disappointing.

I was recently, and briefly, in a band led by a rich guitar player (inherited his money) and his rehearsal space was outfitted with an old Yamaha console. It sounded noisy and gritty, just really bad. He said it had been restored by a tech and he loved it. I suppose it's personal preference. It sounded like ass to me.

Another person that wants to use an analog mixer into a digital interface. You're doing it all wrong! (according to this forum)

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

IF....you used an ancient digital mixer (or something other than an analog mixer)...THEN....you would be doing it kinda right. Who can bear it....using an analog mixer into a pristine RME interface. The thought of it is just awful.

Yeah, I was looking at current Yamaha mixers too. I'm not sold on a vintage mixer but sometimes they pop up for cheap and I'm handy with a soldering iron so I wouldn't mind recapping one.

The issue for me with new Yamaha mixers is that they seem to miss a few features I'm looking for like direct outs.

Oh yeah.. everything I do is wrong..I was much too concerned about doing things right, that i ended up not doing anything for a long time. So I decided to do it all wrong, and do it any way.
The rme is pristine.. and all I want to do is make noise... somehow, the rme captures this noise exactly as it was intended.
For my purposes, the rme is more about flexible routing. I have many interfaces, and when the interface causes intrusive noise, it pisses me off.. but when I record, proccess and route it all through a shitty old mixer , I love it .. and I'm going to recap the thing, to hopefully reduce some of its noise, and fix some faders and pots, so they don't pop while twisting them. Because, it's another aspect of my hobby that I enjoy doing. The Restoration of old gear.
I have a hunch, that tracks recorded in a pristine manner, end up heavily processed anyway.. so why not achieve the end goal sound to begin with, and not worry about this pristine capture to obsess over.

That entire post is facetious and meant as joke. Not a single word of it was serious.

Yeah, you don't say.
All jokes aside, I'm not offended.
I crave for the chance to explain my routing, my wife really dosen't care, and friends get lost.. here on the other hand, are at least a few people that get it, and might engage with a little interest. 🖖🤟

I started running some of my mixes thru the M508 and man oh man. Best $200 on eBay i've ever spent!!!! I usually track drum thru it as well. I read someone say on here to make sure you stay in the red and you will be good. I can attest they were not wrong : )