DiGiCo helps revitalise Powerhouse Theatre
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: The Brisbane-based Powerhouse Theatre has recently purchased two DiGiCo consoles, supplied by Group Technologies. A former power station, the building has been converted into a performing arts venue, hosting theatrical, musical, comedy, film, and visual arts performances, as well as a number of festivals each year.
The entire venue is comprised of the main 700-seat Powerhouse Theatre, the 200-seat Visy Theatre, the 800-capacity Turbine Platform, two restaurants, two terraces, a conference room, a number of rehearsal rooms, and several offices. A DiGiCo SD8-24, SD9, a DiGi-Rack and a SD8 Madi-Rack were chosen to meet the venues requirements.
Tony Childs – head of sound at Brisbane Powerhouse – reports that he required a setup that was ‘incredibly reliable and flexible’ considering the diverse range of applications the venue demanded. ‘We really wanted something that sounded exceptional,’ he stated. ‘We assessed several options, but DiGiCo was the clear winner. There's no question the console sounds excellent. It's very clean and there's so much headroom,’ he enthused.
Mr Childs continued, saying that he was impressed with the fact that ‘if you've learnt how to use one SD console, you can use any of them. Guys who had learned on an SD8 can use an SD9 instantly. Keeping console software the same is great for workflow - it just makes sense. Also, I love the way snapshots and complete shows can be saved in the console,’ he continued. ‘It has cut our setup time dramatically – it's so fast and simple.’
Mr Childs reports that engineers have been so impressed with the consoles that they have been offering to come in to work with them. ‘They know that a lot of the big acts use DiGiCo and they're excited to work. Also, I've had bands and managers approach me several times now commenting on how good the sound has been. It’s great to have that kind of feedback,’ he concluded.