Yamaha TF3 Mixer Review

Function: Digital Mixer

Price: $2999.99

Overview: Yamaha has always been on the forefront of digital mixers, and the TF series may be most user-friendly digital mixer yet. The TF3 is a compact console with 25 motorized faders, 24 channels and 20 aux sends, perfect for medium-sized venues. The TF3 mixer is setup for the easiest possible workflow for unprecedented convenience in a compact console.

Features: The TF3 has 24 analog XLR/TRS inputs equipped with Yamaha’s D-Pre fully recallable preamps, along with 20 aux sends, 8 DCA groups and 9 digital effects. Yamaha’s TF mixers are designed for mixing engineers with a range of experience, and are full of features that make it easy and fast to dial in a great sound for any source, including a touch screen and the 1-knob COMP and one knob EQ. One-knob COMP applies preset threshold and ratio to the channel just by turning a knob, while turning the one-knob EQ draws a curve that gets more dramatic the more you turn it and provides clarity and presence to the selected channel. GainFinder is another brilliant feature that shows you when console sees optimal gain from a source by turning green, similar to the way a digital guitar tuner works. Our personal favorite feature is the QuickPro Presets. Working with microphone manufacturers such as Audio-Technica, Shure, and Sennheiser, Yamaha has created gain, EQ, and compression presets for industry standard microphones on any source. TF3 has two iOS apps that allow wireless mixing including StageMix (a FOH mixing app) and MonitorMix, which allows up to 10 users to mix their own monitors wirelessly.

Application: It’s easy to see why mixing engineers are raving about the new TF series consoles with their gain, EQ and compression shortcuts that sound incredible. Whether you like to touch the screen to create EQ curves or use traditional knobs, the TF has it, and you can utilize presets, one-knob EQ, or GainFinder or fine-tune each channel the traditional way. We loved how the console provided traditional data in addition to the shortcuts, for instance, when you use GainFinder, you turn up the gain until the indicator turns green, but a numerical gain meter is located on the same screen, providing a great education tool for your volunteer FOH engineer. The Yamaha TF3 sounds great and performs wonderfully, but the real magic is in the way the interface lets you interact with the console, saving valuable time for your FOH staff.