Melbourne Recital Centre adds to DiGiCo inventory with SD11
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: The Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) recently purchased a DiGiCo SD11 console, distributed by Group Technologies, having previously invested in a D5 and an SD8.
Within the MRC are the 1,000-seat Elisabeth Murdoch Hall and the 132-seat The Salon, the latter which is home to the D1 and SD8. When a flexible and portable solution that mirrored the versatile design of The Salon was needed, the SD11 was agreed to be the most appropriate solution.
‘The SD11 was the logical choice for a multi-purpose console,’ said MRC's technical manager Jasja van Andel. ‘Its specs, size and weight make it a very easily deployable console for a wide variety of concerts, events and locations.
‘Even though the actual work surface is relatively small, the SD11’s capabilities, accessibility and flexibility combined with an excellent price point made it a very appealing solution,’ he added. ‘The fact that the SD11 seamlessly integrates with our other racks and consoles made it even more appealing for us.’
Mr Andel is an analogue trained engineer, but nevertheless finds the SD11 to be user friendly. ‘I rapidly found my way around all-important features the console has to offer. The fact that it has 16 local inputs as well as easy connectivity with the DiGiCo range of rack makes the desk easily deployable for a wide array of events.
‘I continue to be impressed with the SD11’s use in The Salon,’ he furthered. ‘Regularly we present contemporary amplified music in this space; it is very intimate and has an amazing natural sound, and it is an absolute delight to hear performers play in it. From a technical point of view, requirements can be demanding for the engineers mixing in this area. A relatively small sized performance space, hardly any separation between stage and audience, regular need of larger numbers of condensers and almost always monitors mixed from FOH combined with, at times, extremely subtle sound make it a demanding environment for an engineer.
‘Particularly because of its fast accessibility to functions and its audio processing options, the SD11 truly impresses in getting the job done. Alternating between various layers is fast and easy by use of the fader banks and the quick selection buttons enable fast access to the usual channel parameters.’