I have had great sucess with the 01v96/03D setup I got such great help here making work.
There is a chance I will purchase another 01v96 and I if I do I have ambitions of acheiving the following:
1). Hooking up the second 01v96 to my exsisting 01v96/03D setup. As of now I use the 03D to remote control the audio groups(buses) and stereo returns of the 01v96 (no audio needs to pass through the 03D). I would like to keep this feature, but additionally use the second 01v96 to remote control channel faders 17-32 on the first 01v96 (the one actually handling the audio). I’m thinking strict remote control duty here, but in addition to remoting channel level and on/off as I do now, I would love to remotely “select” channel, also.
2). Placing one 01v96 next to the stage with all audio running through it and using a second 01v96 at FOH to just remote control the other mixer.
It is doable, but unfortunately there is no NRPN for the buttons on the 01v96, except “on/off”. Maybe you can achieve something through the “Cascade Link” function, but I think not. The 01v96 uses desk specific SysEx messages for “select” and you will need some way of sending them from a separate controller or from one desk to the other. When the desk produces these messages they do not appear at the Midi-Out connector, only on the USB to a computer for use by Studio Manager, even though they can be received and understood at the Midi-In connector. Please have a look at this PDF which gives a few clues about effective garbage in garbage out using the Yamaha digital desks.
The message you want to be able to send - select (for ch17) is F0 43 10 3E 0D 04 09 18 00 00 00 00 10 F7 (and for ch18 the end is:) 11 F7 …etc.)
I am probably going to update this page a few times. If you set the Studio Manager connection in DIO setup to use the Midi connectors (instead of USB) then I think that the desk will send and receive only SysEx on the Midi connectors, and for every parameter. Do the same for the second desk and connect their Midi-In’s to their Midi-Out’s and they should then talk exclusively Sysex and each one should follow the other in every respect. They would need to have the same ID number. It works between a desk and Studio Manager, so I think it must work between 2 desks! You would need to make sure that they hold the same data before you start work by doing a bulk dump from one to the other.
I like the idea of using an “old” 03D as a remote control of a small console like a 01V96. I guess using MIDI and NRPN is a good way to go if faders and ON-buttons is enough. Of course changing EQ and COMP needs the potis on the audio-console, so changing layers is necessary.