Yamaha MD 8 Welcome to the MD8

Welcome to the MD8

MD8—Owner’s Manual

Welcome to the MD8

Thank you for choosing the Yamaha MD8 Multitrack MD Recorder. The MD8 uses the

MiniDisc format for 8-track multitrack recording, with superior sound quality and quick

search capabilities.

To take best advantage of your MD8, read this

Owner’s Manual

thoroughly.

The mixer section features eight mono input channels, two stereo inputs, and four groups.

• Input channels 1 through 8 feature phone jack MIC/LINE inputs and continuously vari-

able GAIN controls, which can handle both microphone and line-level signals with ease.

• Input channels 1 and 2 also have XLR-type inputs, switchable +48 V phantom powering

(for use with condenser microphones), and inserts for patching external processors.

• Musical three-band EQ (High, Mid, Low) with sweepable mid on input channels 1

through 8 offers ﬂexible tone-shaping capabilities.

• Two AUX Sends for use with external effects processors.

• Dedicated Cue level and pan controls on input channels 1 through 8 mean that cue sig-

nals can be monitored in stereo or used as additional inputs.

• Channel FLIP switches ﬂip the channel and cue signal source between MIC/LINE input

(recording) and disc track (mixdown).

• The CUE MIX TO STEREO switch provides eight extra sources in addition to the eight

tracks for a total of 20 inputs during mixdown.

• 2TR IN connection for conﬁdence monitoring and playback with a master recorder.

• Flexible monitoring of group, CUE, stereo bus, or 2TR IN.

• Track direct outputs for connection to another mixer.

The recorder section features an 8-track recorder based on the MD DATA audio format,

which has several advantages over tape-based multitrackers. With a tape-based recorder, for

example, you have to keep at least one track free for ping-pong. With the MD8, however,

you can record on all eight tracks and then ping-pong (i.e., eight-track playback with

ping-pong). This is because the MD8 can simultaneously play and record on the same track,

providing greater creative freedom when planing tracks. Although the MD8 uses a 4-group

mixer, up to eight tracks can be recorded simultaneously by assigning the input channel sig-

nals directly to the tracks.

• Four recording modes: MONO, 2TR, 4TR, and 8TR.

• Recording times of 18 minutes for 8TR, 37 minutes for 4TR, 74 minutes for 2TR, and

148 minutes for MONO.

• Mono or 2-track recording and playback with regular audio MiniDiscs.

• Ping-pong even when all eight tracks have been recorded.

• Superior sound quality and negligible sound degradation after repeated overdubs and

ping-pong operations.

• Zero wow and ﬂutter and pitch ﬂuctuation.