Before purchasing my i88x, i did a lot of research on several websites, forums and magazines. What surprised me was the amount of conflicting information i found regarding the i88x and mLAN in general. After using the interface for a few months, I decided to put this FAQ together based on my experience with the i88x and mLAN. Hopefully, having a comprehensive archive of info will be useful to anyone who is having trouble finding accurate information about the i88x or other mLAN gear. Please let me know if you have suggestions for the FAQ or if you find any errors in the info...

Last Update: 01/01/06

I88X

Q. What are the i88x specs?

18 simultaneous inputs and outputs (8x balanced analog / 8x ADAT / 2x SPDIF)
2 mic preamps (on channels 1 & 2)
Inserts (on channels 1 & 2)
+48V phantom power
Hi-Z instrument input (available on channel 1)
Master volume control (on front panel)
Input gain controls (on front panel)
Direct monitoring w/ volume and channel select controls (on front panel)
MIDI in / out
Two Firewire S400 ports
24bit/96kHz (supports 96kHz ADAT via SMUX)
20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
110dB standard dynamic range
External PA-5D power adapter (Input: AC120V, 60HZ, 30W - Output: DC12V, 1.5A)
Includes four VST / AU plugins: 01x Channel Module, Final Master, Vocal Rack and Pitch Fix

Q. Where can i download the i88x manuals?

You can download them here:
http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/...h/i88XEFG1.pdf
http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/...nth/mlane2.pdf

Q. Are there any reviews of the i88x?

Yes. You can find them here:
http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?secti...storycode=4652
http://www.musictechmag.co.uk/mtm/download/i88x
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan0...yamahai88x.htm

Q. Has the i88x been discontinued?

No. As of this writing (Jan '06), it's still a current product. Recently, some people outside the US have experienced problems finding the i88x at their local retailers. It appears that this has been due to temporary problems with Yamaha's distribution channels. I don't know all of the details, but here's what Geosync recently had to say about it:

Q. Is it true that the i88x has two DM2000 preamps?

Yes, the preamps in the i88x are derived from those used in Yamaha's upper-end DM2000 console.

Here are a few DM2000 reviews to see what others have said about them:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Nov0...mahadm2000.asp
http://mixguides.com/consoles/review...-console-1002/

Q. Does the i88x operate in standalone mode (without a computer)?

Yes and no. As an audio interface, the i88x doesn't allow standalone use of the AD/DA converters - you'll need a computer or another piece of mLAN gear for that.

On the other hand, you CAN use the i88x as a standalone 2-channel mic preamp. This can be done by simply tapping the signal at the insert points. This feature isn't documented in the i88x manual or Yamaha's product literature. Given the low price, the i88x could make a worthwhile investment even if you're only interested in the mic preamps.

MLAN

Q. What is mLAN?

The acronym "mLAN" (Music Local Area Network) is Yamaha's trademark for their extensions to the IEEE 1394 spec which supports digital audio devices (IEC 61883-6). The IEC 61883-6 standard supports up to 196 bit, floating point audio, and MIDI messages.

In basic terms, mLAN is a networking protocol which connects audio devices over Firewire. It's much more than a proprietary point-to-point "driver" which most companies use for their audio hardware. mLAN can handle the connections, routing, transmission and synchronization of audio and MIDI over a network of multiple devices from different companies.

Q. What are the minimum system requirements to run an mLAN network?

Mac:
OS: Mac OS 9.2 or Mac OS X 10.3.7
Processor: 800Mhz G3/G4 or higher
Memory: 384MB RAM
Hard Drive: 250MB free disk space
Firewire: Internal S400 Firewire port

PC:
OS: Windows XP Professional / XP Home Edition
Processor: Intel Pentium 1.2GHz or Celeron 1.7GHz or higher
Memory: 384MB RAM
Hard Disk: 250MB free disk space
Firewire: S400 Firewire port (see Firewire adapter compatibility list)

Q. Is there a Linux version of mLAN?

There is a Linux driver in development. You can download the latest build here:
http://mlanalsa.sourceforge.net/

Q. Where can I download the latest version of mLAN Tools?

You can find them here:
http://www.mlancentral.com/drivers.php

Q. Is it difficult to install the mLAN software?

In my case, installation (on Mac OS 10.3.9) was straight-forward and I was up and running within minutes. If you're on a Mac, just remember to repair your privileges before and after you install the mLAN Tools and plugins. If you experience problems installing the software, try the steps outlined in the "COMMON PROBLEMS / SOLUTIONS" section below.

Q. Is mLAN stable?

In my experience, the current mLAN Tools are stable. However, others have reported problems due to factors ranging from outdated mLAN drivers / firmware, incompatible Firewire adapters and specific DAW software. As with any purchase, it's a good idea to do some research on your particular hardware / software before buying.

Q. How low is the latency in an mLAN network?

As low as 1ms, depending on factors such as your system speed and how you adjust your DAW's buffer settings.

Q. How many channels of audio / MIDI can I stream within an mLAN network?

The current ASIO driver supports a total of 64 channels (32 channels in + 32 channels out). In theory, current S400 mLAN hardware can support up to 150 channels of 24bit/48kHz audio and thousands of channels of MIDI. The biggest determining factor is the speed of the Firewire bus.

Q. I've heard that Yamaha are no longer supporting mLAN on their new pro-level products. Is this true?

That's not true. Yamaha's newest pro-level products (including the M7CL console, Motif ES synths and AW2400 workstation) all support mLAN via the mLAN16e or MY16-mLAN expansion cards. See the list below for all mLAN compatible products.

Q. What products support mLAN networking?

Apogee AD-8000 A/D Converter (via Apogee AMBus 1394 Firewire card)
Apogee Trak2 Preamp and A/D Converter (via Apogee AMBus 1394 Firewire card)
CME-Pro UF5 MIDI Keyboard Controller (via CME-Pro UF400e expansion board)
CME-Pro UF6 MIDI Keyboard Controller (via CME-Pro UF400e expansion board)
CME-Pro UF7 MIDI Keyboard Controller (via CME-Pro UF400e expansion board)
CME-Pro UF8 MIDI Keyboard Controller (via CME-Pro UF400e expansion board)
Genex GX9000 Digital Recorder (via upcoming mLAN expansion board)
Genex GX9048 Digital Recorder (via upcoming mLAN expansion board)
I/One mLAN Breakout Box
Korg Triton Studio (via Korg EXB-mLAN expansion card)
Korg Triton Rack (via Korg EXB-mLAN expansion card)
Kurzweil KSP8 Effects Processor (via Kurzweil KLMN8 expansion card)
Otari ND-20B Network Audio Distribution System
Presonus Firestation Audio/MIDI Interface
Terratec Phase 24 FW Audio/MIDI Interface
Yamaha 01V Mixer (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN or MY16-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha 01V96 Mixer (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN or MY16-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha 01X Mixer/Controller/Interface/Effects Processor
Yamaha 02R Mixer (via Yamaha CD8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha 02R96 Mixer (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN or MY16-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha 03D Mixer (via Yamaha CD8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha A4000 Sampler (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha A5000 Sampler (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha AD824 A/D Converter (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha DA824 D/A Converter (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha AW2400 Workstation (via Yamaha MY16-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha AW2816 Workstation (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha AW4416 Workstation (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha CS6x Synthesizer (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha CS6R Synthesizer (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha D24 Multitrack Recorder (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha DM1000 Console (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN or MY16-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha DM2000 Console (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN or MY16-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha DME32 Digital Mixing Engine (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha i88x Audio/MIDI Interface
Yamaha M7CL Console (via Yamaha mLAN16e expansion card)
Yamaha mLAN8P Audio/Midi Interface
Yamaha Motif Synthesizers (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha Motif ES Synthesizers (via Yamaha mLAN16e expansion card)
Yamaha PM1D Console (via Yamaha DIO8 and MY8-mLAN expansion card)
Yamaha S80 Synthesizer (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha S90 Synthesizer (via Yamaha mLAN8E expansion card)
Yamaha S90 ES Synthesizer (via Yamaha mLAN16e expansion card)
Yamaha SREV1 Reverb (via Yamaha MY8-mLAN expansion card)

Additional info: http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/prod...uide/index.php

Q. Can I use more than one computer in an mLAN network?

At the moment, no. However, the Linux beta version of mLAN Tools features computer-to-computer streaming. Here's an excerpt from the mLAN/ALSA webpage:

"If you want to transmit audio over your Firewire network, and have no specialised 61883-6 devices, you can use this driver to transmit audio/midi between two Linux machines that are running this driver. Audio/midi can be patched from the alsa-amdtp driver to the ALSA driver for an existing sound card in the machine."

Whether this type of functionality makes it's way to the Mac and Windows versions is yet to be seen. If it does, it could make a viable cross-platform alternative to technologies such as Rewire, VST SystemLink, Wormhole and FXteleport.

Q. Do I need to have a specific Firewire adapter card to use mLAN?

Here's a list of Firewire adapter cards that have been tested and approved:
http://www.01xray.com/hardware/1394cardlist.html

Update: It's been brought to my attention that cards using NEC chipsets may be problematic for audio (including the newly revised Adaptec 4300 cards). TI chipsets appear to work properly, though. Thanks for the headsup, guttapercha!

Q. Can I use an external Firewire drive in an mLAN network?

Yes. It might be preferable to daisy-chain your devices in the following manner: computer->drive->i88x. That way, you can turn the interface on and off without having to mount or unmount your hard drive first.

Also, you should pay attention to how many devices are on the Firewire buss as it could affect audio performance. If you're connecting slower S200 mLAN gear (like the Presonus Firestation), it may be advisable to connect these at the end of your chain to avoid any bandwidth bottlenecks.

Q. Do I need to launch both mLAN utilities when using mLAN hardware?

The "mLAN Auto Connector" is a utility that establishes a connection between your computer and your mLAN hardware and allows you to set preferences. If you have one mLAN device, you only need to use the "mLAN Auto Connector". The "mLAN Graphic Patchbay" is only necessary when setting up the routing between multiple mLAN devices.

A good idea is to set the "mLAN Auto Connector" or "mLAN Graphic Patchbay" to launch on startup so it's ready to go when you power up your mLAN gear.

Q. How good is the mLAN wordclock?

Here are some comments that Geosync posted about the mLAN clock:

Q. Can I sync to external wordclock sources?

Yes, if you're on Mac OS 9 or Windows. However, the current Mac OS X mLAN Tools requires the Mac to be the clock master. A forthcoming update should address this issue for OS X users.

Q. Are there any tutorials on setting up mLAN with particular DAW software?

Yes. You can find them here:
http://www.01xray.com/01xpert/setups.html

Q. What is the mLAN Loyalty Program?

This is a program that offers customers of Yamaha's first-generation (S200) mLAN products an upgrade path to the current line of S400 products. More info can be found here:
http://www.mlanloyalty.com/

COMMON PROBLEMS / SOLUTIONS

Q. What steps should I take if I experience problems with my mLAN setup?

Here are a list of things to help in troubleshooting most problems:

General:
1. Read the manual. heh
2. Make sure your computer meets the minimum requirements.
3. Make sure your Firewire adapter is using a compatible chipset.
4. Remove all previously installed audio drivers.
5. Reduce the number of audio channels in the mLAN Auto Connector.
6. Try raising the buffers in your DAW software.
7. Remove all other Firewire devices from the bus (including hubs).
8. Try a different Firewire cable.

Mac:
1. If using Tiger, it may be advisable to perform a clean install of the operating system. Upgrading from previous versions may reset your system's Firewire settings and cause problems.
2. In System Preferences -> Energy Saver -> Sleep, set "Put the computer to sleep when it is inactive for:" to "Never".
3. In System Preferences -> Energy Saver -> Options, set "Processor Performance" to "Highest".
4. In System Preferences -> Network, click "Show" and select "Network Port Configurations". Uncheck "Built-In Firewire" and select the "Apply Now" button.
5. In System Preferences -> Processor, deselect "Allow Nap".
6. In System Preferences -> Spotlight, select "Privacy" and drag your music folders into the list of folders not to index.
7. Repair privileges before and after installing the mLAN Tools and plugins (highly recommended).
8. If you have problems with the installer, make sure your hard drive is not formatted with the "Case-Sensitive" option. If it is, you can work around the problem by control clicking on the mLAN Tools installer and selecting "Show Package Contents". Simply rename the folder called "Installers" to the lower-case "installers". Now close the window and the installer should run properly.
9. Try turning off any other unused networking (including Airport and Bluetooth).
10. Try turning off wireless devices such as mice, keyboards and other input devices.

Windows XP:
1. Remove any spyware from your system.
2. Try setting priority to "Low" in ASIO control panel.
3. Try turning off unused networking (including wireless, 1394 and Bluetooth).
4. Try setting "Background Services" to higher priority (Control Panel->Services->Advanced>Perfomance->Advanced).
5. Try disabling Hyper Threading.
6. Try turning off wireless devices such as mice, keyboards and other input devices.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Yamaha Pro Audio: http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/
mLAN Central: http://www.mlancentral.com/
01xray: http://01xray.com/
Motifator: http://www.motifator.com/
i88X: http://www.westexmedia.com/html/yam_i88x.html
Steinberg Users: http://www.steinbergusers.com/
EM article on Firewire audio: http://psbg.emusician.com/ar/emusic_playing_fire/
i88x thread on Expert Forums: http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/ultim...80.html#000000

junior, looks like you're the top i88x evangelist around here ...

Query... although a bit late (since I've already purchased one):

Will this work with Cool Edit Pro?

To add to mLan products list, Terratec apparently supports mlan as well now. http://audioen.terratec.net/modules....68c3f34badf0ea

This happened due to the popular BridgeCo firewire audio chipset starting to support generation 2 mLan protocol.

cool. i just updated the list... thanks for the headsup, macyu!

did you also catch the phase x24? it looks pretty interesting: 2 preamps w/ inserts, more analog i/o, optical i/o and cubase le for $359:
http://audioen.terratec.net/modules....article&sid=31

here's the entire text from the terratec website:

"Effective immediately, TerraTec Producer’s PHASE 24 FW now also offers data exchange capability via mLAN. Developed by Yamaha and based on FireWire, mLAN is an open protocol for the transport of audio, MIDI and synchronization data. This digital network for music applications employs and extends IEEE 1394, the industry standard high-performance serial bus more commonly known as FireWire. Many manufacturers have already joined the mLAN Alliance because mLAN was designed as an open rather than a proprietary solution.

This organization’s goal is to promote the development of mLAN-compatible devices that are easily integrated into the net and operated. A single driver and just one patchbay application support all mLAN-enabled devices within the network.

In practice, this means that the given audio software (for example, Cubase or Logic) addresses all devices simultaneously via a single ASIO or CoreAudio driver, just as if the entire setup was a single device. In addition, the MIDI and audio signal flow may be routed freely and data stored without reconfiguring cable connections. What’s more, mLAN-compatible devices may be connected to each other without the benefit of a computer, for example, in order to extend the number and types of ports on a digital mixer. To date, mLAN support has been limited to devices equipped with Yamaha’s FireWire Controller chips. TerraTec Producer’s FireWire audio devices are powered by the renowned Audio BridgeCo IEEE1394 line of controllers, so the PHASE 24 mLAN now brings to the table another chip solution. And the device offers users an additional benefit: The PHASE 24 audio system may be operated with proprietary TerraTec Producer driver and software support whenever mLAN access is not required.

TerraTec Producer aims to endow all legacy and future FireWire products with mLAN."

hi, s00p3rm4n. have you tried this yet? if not, i've heard that it should work fine. hope this helps... heh

man, these threads..

I was standing there staring at an i88x at the music store. 499 cdn. I think to myself, I want this.

Then I keep staring. I can't make a decision. Every thread, every post goes thru my head. Is it good? will it work? will I get support? blah blah blah 10 minutes later I leave empty handed.

Now I'm reading the posts again to see whether I should have bought it.

I need my secretary to make this decision for me.

Yamaha owes you some gear for typing all of that out.

I'm pretty sure it'll work just fine.

I will <3 Cool Edit Pro forever. It's outdated, but it works with everything and some of the plug-ins are surprisingly decent. Maybe I'll learn Cubase one of these days, but CEP is just easier to navigate for me for some reason.

CEP does not support ASIO, only WDM.

If this is correct (which I read it is anyways), then the i88x is going to very limiting as it just bearly supports WDM (2 channels out, I think).

Obviously I don't the answer exactly, but I think it may require some more asking around to be 100% sure. Man, I have some fond memories working with that program, and can understand why you want to keep it around.

OK, I read that here:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan0...yamahai88x.htm

It seems WDM support MAY be better whith Longhorn (Vista, whatever...)

Good luck...

Goddamnit! Would Tracktion or Cubase work better? I hate both of them, but have them at least...

Sad face.

I've used it successfully with Tracktion before. Cubase also supports ASIO so it's a pretty safe bet it works there too.

Is there any way for me to dump my Cool Edit Pro sessions into Cubase???
I don't want to have to re-record all the stuff I've done so far.

No need to re-record. If CEP supports Broadcast Wave files (I think it does, at least Adobe Audition) ... just drop the files into Cubase and they will be placed at the correct times.

If this fails, just extend all your tracks so that they all begin at 00:00:00 and then put them in Cubase. Yeah!

I will hetero<3 you for explaining this. How exactly do I extend the tracks to the start of the timecode? (I dunno if it's supposed to be called "timecode," I'm just used to AVID right now.)

You should still be able to use CEP to edit/mix, and use Cubase/Tracktion only for recording.

I'm afraid the lack of mLAN word clock sync (or indeed just syncing to the convertor's built in clock) on Mac OSX kills it for me- why would I want to lock my Trak 2 to the Mac's built in clock?

Hi Soop3...Great tits! Yes, mLan works perfectly with Mackie Tracktion (1 & 2) as well as Cubase. Pros and cons: Tracktion is dead easy to use, very intuitive. Cubase is a Steinberg product which was recently purchaced by Yamaha Jpn. and offers what is shure to be the best integration with your new i88x, congragulations (on the 88, not your tits). Cubase also offers Studio connections Total recall. Have not used Cubase myself (I'm 01X/i88x/Logic P7) but I'm shure it would be quite sweet indeed. MLAN FOREVER!!! Cheers.

Paul ... what's with your TIT OBSESSION? you should get out of the studio more often.

and s00p3r, what the hell do you mean by "I will hetero<3 you for explaining this"??

anyways ... about extending the tracks back to origin, I think I'm
not going to be of much help, since it's been a long time since I worked
with CEP, and I'm just too lazy to download a demo version to see
how it's done ... but let's see, this is a fairly common procedure. Do you know
how to rezise a track in CEP? if you do, just rezise it so that the beginning
starts at the origin (00:00:00.00) or ... if that fails, I think you can "merge"
a whole track into another one so that the new track begins at the origin.
Damn, I'm sorry for not being of much help, but it shouldn't be a difficult
procedure at all. Check your manual ...

Hopefully somebody with CEP will chime in ...

Ah! well, I know I was forgetting something.

The CEP mix engine.

Yes, the engine of that cheapo CEP.

I'm one of the few that thinks that the mix engine of CEP sounds great.

Better than Nuendo? yessir.

Feel free to ignore these comments, as they are too damn subjective.

The only DAW sounds better (for me) than CEP is SAWStudio, which
I encourage you to check out! The basic version is $300 ... you can't
go wrong with it, really ...

I'm also kinda drunk, so feel free to ignore all this.

thumbsup

Much as I'm thinking of mixing outboard when I finally get around to that time, I really couldn't agree with you more on CEP's sound quality. People complain about the "digitalness" of digital recording, and make no mistake CEP is digital. But it doesn't sound off to me at all - it doesn't sound tinny. Get my drift? This is from a relative newbie to recording (less than 3 years at it), but I'm listening back to things I recorded a year ago with one crappy condensor microphone straight into the sound card and they still sound like music.

"Hetero<3" as in love you heterosexually-speaking. Platonically, in the way that only a ****** can love someone who gives him cake. And "hetero" because I'm a gay man, and I wanted to clarify so as to not frighten you or make baby Jesus weep for the internet...

Which brings me to my last point: I have wonderful tits. And this is a Jawa

heh thumbsup

lol, everything's cool here heh

I was thinking that there's something that has to be added to that FAQ, something that I didn't find on the manual either.

I am talking about the wordclock master thing on PCs.

First of all, I don't understand how a computer can feed a reliable clock signal to a converter. So, when you set the PC as a worldclock master, what the hell is happening hardware-wise? does anybody here know? what about jitter and all that nasty stuff? ... If nobody has a technical explanation, can somebody say what sounds better? making the PC or the i88x the master? if so many good things have been said about the i88x clock, I have to suppose that making the i88x the master is better. I haven't been able to notice any differences in sound quality in the small tests that I conducted.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If I set the PC to be the master, the only clock light that is on is the mLAN master clock light (steady). But if I set the i88x as the master clock, the INT light goes steady and the ADAT light starts blinking. How do I make that blinking light go away?

here's a thread that discusses the mlan clock:

http://www.sninety.com/forums/showfl...lapsed&sb=5&o=

hope it helps...

Crying Game scene from bathtub. I thought it looked a bit masculine but I was holding out hope for the human race...my mistake. I'm outa here. ***!!!

Junior or anyone else in the know, would this work?

I have a small room with an amp closet I would like to use for tracking electric guitar. The main DAW is in the control room. I would like to connect the tracking room to the control room with only a pair of ADAT optical cables.

I want to split the guitar out three ways. Run the first split to the i88x channel one. Run the second split to a guitarport which is run by a secondary laptop there in the tracking room. Have the same laptop running MLAN connected to the i88x. Patch the guitarport's stereo outs into channels 3 and 4 of the i88x.

Run the third split into an amp and mic it via the i88x's channel 2 pre.

Route the four channels (1 direct, 2 mic'ed, 3 and 4 guitarport effects) out of the i88x via the ADAT lightpipe connected to the control room on the other end.

Send a headphone mix from the control room to the i88x via ADAT.

Clock the i88x via the ADAT in.

This would allow a lot of flexibility in tracking the guitar and would require very little wiring between the rooms.

Here's an image of the proposed setup...



Thanks guys

hi, rockum. your idea sounds great except for one possible snag: connecting both the guitarport and the i88x to your laptop simultaneously. i assume you'll only be connecting the guitarport to your laptop for editing patches, right? if that's the case, everything sounds like it should work the way you've planned.

btw, cool diagram. how did you make those cable connections?

Well the guitarport actually runs the effects off the computer it is attached to although it doesn't seem to hit the processor too hard...

It pretty much turns the pc into a glorified stomp box... Mono in stereo out.

I did it with Inkscape which is free and very nice. I'm also going to take a look at this one.. DrawPlus 4

Thanks by the way

cool. thanks for the headsup. heh