NineTai Group Delivers the KKBOX Music Awards with RIVAGE PM10 Systems

KKBOX Music Awards is an annual live-performance event that attracts as many as 5 billion views each year. This year’s successful event was the 12th in the series, supported by two Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 Digital Mixing Systems operated by the NineTai Group. The NineTai Group engineers and staff who were responsible for sound at the event were deeply impressed by the sonic quality, versatility, ease of use, and vast potential offered by the RIVAGE PM10.

NineTai Group

The NineTai Group was established in Taiwan in 2006, and in 2013 built the largest rehearsal studio in the country. NineTai Studio was designed to be a versatile venue that could satisfy a wide range of large-scale live rehearsal and recording needs. The group has adopted Yamaha digital mixing consoles and high-end musical instruments since its establishment, in order to provide the best possible sound and service for all customers.

KKBOX

KKBOX

KKBOX is Asia’s benchmark cloud-based streaming service. The annual KKBOX Music Awards has become so popular that it regularly draws 5 billion views, effectively elevating KKBOX to leading status in the Asian music industry. The organization’s ability to host the KKBOX Music Awards live while simultaneously providing Internet broadcasting is an indication of its technical capacity and value.

Mixing the KKBOX Music Awards with RIVAGE PM10 Systems

Mixing the KKBOX Music Awards with RIVAGE PM10 Systems

The NineTai Group chose the Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 digital mixing system to mix the 12th KKBOX Music Awards for broadcast because of the higher sampling frequency and live mixing I/O capacity it provides. The smooth, high quality sound and signal processing capabilities of the system allowed KKBOX to set new standards for live streaming audio during the 3-hour show.

According to NineTai Group engineer Mr. Tsai: “For this music award show we used two RIVAGE PM10 systems. The show and award ceremonies were handled by two mixing engineers operating individually while also providing backup support for each other. I noticed that although engineer Mao who was responsible for mixing the show was using the RIVAGE PM10 for the first time, the clear displays and intuitive interface allowed him to operate it easily without hesitation.

My own experience with the system has revealed some outstanding features too. First are the microphone preamplifiers. Even as a long-term Yamaha user the mature VCM technology and SILK processing originating from legendary designer Rupert Neve were revelations to my ears and eyes. Full data transmission and power redundancy, 128 channel multi-track recording at 96 kHz with Dante HY144-D cards, top-quality plugins, 72 mix busses, and a 36-channel matrix all provide the performance, flexibility, and reliability that the NineTai Group needs for large-scale events of this sort where errors and accidents must be avoided at all cost.

Other features that left a strong impression are the clear, comprehensive displays, intuitive operation, and the feel and response of the encoders and faders. The RIVAGE PM10 quickly becomes an extension of the user, rather than demanding that the user spend time and effort to master it. These, from a user’s point of view, are perhaps the most impressive aspects of this remarkable digital mixing system.