Has anyone had any luck using Yamaha DM3 or similar Yamaha product as a USB audio interface?
I don’t currently own one. I’ve noticed that the information available online suggests that a driver is needed for Mac which is usually a bad sign. However these types of device often work as a standards compliant interface, only missing some configuration features without the driver so I was wondering if anyone here had tried one?
I believe a driver is needed, I just set one up on a Mac here a few weeks ago and am fairly certain I had to download the driver. In part this is because as of v2.0 the DM3 can present itself as 4 different audio interfaces which I am fairly sure doesn’t fall under the class definition, but could be surprised.
Seablade
Thank you, I’m going to have to see if I can get my hands on one to test then.
If I can get some downtime in a couple of weeks I will pull it up and connect it to a VM and confirm if it works on Linux or not, but I wouldn’t hold my breath right now.
Seablade
Hi there Ben,
May 2023 I did send an email to Yamaha, with a few questions ; I did receive this reply :
We do not do actually tests with Linux operating systems, but the sentence "Installing Yamaha Steinberg USB Driver is required for communication with a computer. " let us think, that a none USB class compliant audio interface is used, but we cannot confirm that actually.
Regarding the second question, yes beside the Mackie Hui for the DAW Remote function, you can send/receive Midi Programm Change and Midi Control Change messages through the USB connection. This requires to use an suitable driver on computer side, which creates the virtual Midi ports on the computer.
We do not have an SPDif Output on the DM3(S) so you cannot do that within the mixer. If you find a matching Dante to SPDif converter, you can theoretically achieve that, but we do not have such converter in our portfolio.
For me this ( and the fact that Yamaha is close related to Steinberg ) was the reason I didn’t dive into this adventure.
Wish you succes and let us know if you can check a DM3 out.
Linux and Ardour forever !!
Kind Regards, Laurent.
Maybe take a look at an RME usb interface, over here since several years very happy with RME UCX unit on Linux.
Combined with a MCU or midi controller like JLCooper FaderMaster or Faderfox EC4 for controlling the mixer & plugins in Ardour, gives a workflow like a dream. Maybe not direct related to your question, but just want to let you know 
Also of course depends on your specific situation.
I did a bunch of testing and feedback to the ALSA Devs (primarily Takashi) a few years back which was focused on fixing the ALSA Implicit feeback with some device, particularly Boss and Yamaha.
There’s a fairly good chance the Yammy might work.
Cheers,
Keith