DiGiCo SD7T keeps the Phantom alive
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Melbourne-based production company System Sound is using a DiGiCo SD7T digital console for front of house on Love Never Dies, a theatrical sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera that is currently running at the Melbourne Regent Theatre. An EX-007 expansion console and five DiGi-Racks are also being used alongside an SD8 console for monitors.
Pro Audio Asia previously reported on the use of DPA microphones for the production, which takes the character of the Phantom and transports him from 19th Century Paris to an early 20th century showground named Phantasma in Coney Island, New York. The Phantom of the Opera is widely considered the world’s most successful musical, having been seen by over 100 million people globally, taking more than US$5 billion at the box office.
For the sequel’s front of house mixing, the SD7T and EX-007 expansion are connected via Ethernet, with the EX-007 utilised as a side-car to provide an additional 24 faders to the SD7T’s existing 52. Local I\O as well as a DiGiCo Mini-Rack have been configured with four AES bi-directional cards to handle all playback from automated special effects and outboard equipment.
Meanwhile, three Digi-Racks are located behind the stage. The first is dedicated to the performer’s radio mics – most actors carry a redundant mic pack as backup. The second handles the orchestra while the third is dedicated to the system feeds. A fourth rack has also been supplied for additional orchestra inputs. All of the racks are connected to the SD7T via a redundant optical loop, while the first two also connect to the SD8 console via Madi.