Two Days of NEXO & Yamaha Training at MFI Pro
On September 24 and 25, we traded a couple days of installs and show prep for something a little different: two days of hands-on training with NEXO and Yamaha.
Bertrand Billon, Engineering Support at NEXO, traveled from France to work directly with our team at the MFI Pro shop. He was joined by Charles Rehill, District Manager for Yamaha Commercial Audio & NEXO, for a mix of technical presentations, software training, hands-on system setup, rigging, troubleshooting, and plenty of questions.
We already use NEXO and Yamaha equipment extensively across our live events and installations, so this wasn't really an introduction to the product lines. The goal was to dig deeper into how the systems are designed, why they behave the way they do, and how we can get even more out of the equipment we already use every week.
Starting With the "Why"
The first day was mostly spent inside digging into NEXO technology and system design.
Bertrand walked us through some of the design philosophy behind NEXO loudspeakers, including how different components, waveguides, cabinet designs, and other acoustic technologies work together. We also spent a good amount of time focused specifically on the STM platform, which has become a major part of our larger event inventory.
Getting beyond what button do I push? and into why was the system designed this way? gave us a much better understanding of how all of those pieces work together.
A Deep Dive Into NS-1
Several members of our team already use NEXO NS-1 regularly when designing larger sound systems, so this wasn't a basic introduction to the software. Instead, we were able to take a much deeper dive into how NEXO approaches system design and how to get more out of the tools already built into NS-1.
We worked through different ways of building venues, importing drawings and room geometry, placing arrays, and analyzing coverage throughout a space. From there, the conversation went deeper into things like array length, rigging height and tilt, shadowing from balconies, low-frequency behavior, directivity, and how the intended use of a system should influence the design.
It was especially useful to get more context behind what the software is showing us—not just how to make a prediction look good on screen, but why certain changes to an array or its position affect the system the way they do.
A concert, corporate event, auditorium, or arena might all use similar equipment, but that doesn't mean the system should be designed the same way.
A Better Way to Work With the Amps
One of the biggest hits with our team was spending more time with NEXO NeMo and network control of the NXAMPs.
We had already used NeMo on some of our larger arena events, but that setup had mostly been handled by a smaller part of the team. For most of us, this was the first chance to really dig into how it works, what the different operating modes do, and how to set it up from scratch.
Bertrand also showed us a number of shortcuts and workflows that make NeMo useful even on smaller shows with only a couple of amplifiers—situations where we might not normally think to network everything together.
From a computer, we can configure presets, organize amplifiers into zones, make adjustments across multiple channels, monitor the system, and quickly solo or mute parts of the PA while checking the room. Once we had a better understanding of how to set it up and use it efficiently, it became pretty obvious that this is something we can take advantage of much more often.
For larger systems with multiple amplifier racks, hangs, fills, subs, and monitor zones, it should make setup and troubleshooting considerably faster. But just as importantly, we now have a better idea of how to use it effectively on the smaller systems too.
We also spent time talking through amplifier output modes, crossover choices, presets, wiring strategies, and how those settings change depending on the system we're building. Some of it confirmed things we were already doing, while other pieces filled in those small gaps that only seem to come up once you're working with a real system.
An Early Look at the Yamaha DM5
We also got an early hands-on look at Yamaha's new DM5 digital mixing console, which had only been announced earlier in September.
A few of us had already seen photos and information about it, but getting to actually put our hands on one made a much different impression.
One of the most interesting new features was Yamaha's new glass key design. On paper, some of us weren't sure how the controls would feel compared with traditional physical buttons, but in person they felt surprisingly tactile and solid. The console itself also felt substantial and familiar to anyone already working in Yamaha's current digital console ecosystem.
Small Speaker, Surprisingly Big Sound
NEXO also brought along a pair of ID14s for us to listen to.
They're tiny speakers, but they put out an impressive amount of sound for such a small enclosure. Since most of the two days centered around equipment we already own, getting to hear something from another part of the NEXO lineup was a nice addition.
Getting Hands-On NEXO Training
Day two moved out of the classroom and into the shop. We spent much more of the day working with the physical systems: building arrays, going through rigging procedures, changing configurations, and giving people who don't normally spend as much time assembling the larger systems a chance to work through the process themselves.
That was particularly useful because experience levels varied across the team. Some of us have assembled and flown these systems plenty of times, while others were able to get much more hands-on time than they normally would during the pressure of an actual show setup.
Bertrand demonstrating up and down tilt rigging configurations using P-TILT
Bertrand set up several different rigging exercises to give the less-experienced members of the team a chance to work through the hardware themselves. One involved using the P-TILT with the X-BOW to create both up-tilt and down-tilt configurations, which was much easier to understand once we could actually build and adjust it in front of us.
Those kinds of exercises were really the theme of the second day. Newer team members gained valuable hands-on experience, while the rest of us still picked up plenty of small tricks and details along the way.
Training Turns Into Troubleshooting
The hands-on portion also gave us a chance to look at some of our own equipment.
While we were running through different system scenarios, Bertrand noticed some subtle differences between a few of our subwoofers. That led us into some additional testing and ultimately uncovered a few minor service issues that needed attention.
Instead of simply becoming a maintenance problem, it turned into another useful part of the training. We were able to work through the diagnostics together and get a better understanding of what to listen for and what to look at when something isn't behaving quite the way it should.
That's one of the advantages of having someone from the manufacturer standing in your shop: the conversation doesn't have to stay inside the training presentation.
There Is Always Something New to Learn
We use NEXO and Yamaha systems on a regular basis, from installed systems to large event productions. That familiarity meant the training could go well beyond the basics.
For team members who were newer to some of the equipment, the two days provided valuable hands-on experience with rigging and system setup. For those who work with it all the time, there were still new workflows, shortcuts, design considerations, and small pieces of information to take away.
The better we understand the equipment—from system prediction and amplifier configuration to rigging and troubleshooting—the better and more efficiently we can deploy it for our clients.
We're fortunate to have built a strong relationship with NEXO and Yamaha as our use of their systems continues to grow across New England, and having Bertrand and Charles spend two days working directly with our team was a great opportunity to strengthen what we're already doing.
Thanks again to both of them for making the trip, answering a lot of questions, and sharing plenty of useful information that we'll be putting to work on future projects.
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