Lake of Stars offers first test for Pro2C
Published: MEA
MALAWI: Midas’ new Pro2C desk has been put through its paces in a real world environment for the first time at the Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi. The console was used at FOH and faced extreme temperatures, an abundance of sand and grit plus a severe fuel crisis, which meant power was only available 30 minutes before the festival opened.
‘I really love the Pro2C; it was very easy to get to grips with, and after just 30 minutes I could start the show confidently,’ said FOH engineer Craig Williams. ‘I’m more accustomed to the Midas Heritage series and the classic XL3, which I will always love, but the tiny footprint and low weight for a festival like Lake of Stars is perfect. Not needing a rack of outboard saves a huge amount in shipping costs to somewhere like Africa.’
Mr Williams was using the Pro2C for a host of international acts including Beverley Knight, Foals and Freshlyground, as well as Malawian music from Black Missionaries and Lucius Banda. An aspect of the desk he singled out for praise is the MCA groups. ‘The MCA groups are fantastic and make mix navigation much easier on such a small footprint console, especially with the hide unassigned channels in flip mode engaged,’ he noted. ‘My favourite feature of the desk is probably the daylight visible screen; even in the midday African sunshine I could clearly see the screen, something that not a single other digital desk can boast. The channel control panel is great and easy to use without having to hit button after button to get where you want, and the gain/trim feature is really good, giving the chance for example to drive a guitar, bass or kick drum the way I like to with an XL3 or H3000 then allowing some attenuation without digital clipping.
‘What I really like most about it is the way it sounds,’ continued Mr Williams. ‘It doesn’t sound cheap and grainy like many other digital desks, and the depth of field is beautiful.’
Despite this being the first use of a Pro2C at a live event, the visiting engineers were reportedly happy with the console. ‘The engineers for Foals and Freshlyground both used the desk and both loved it,’ said Mr Williams. ‘In fact, one of the band’s engineers liked it so much he’s interested in purchasing one for touring.
According to Mr Williams, the desk performed without a glitch for the three days. ‘This console wipes the floor with its competitors. It’s easier to use on the fly, sounds better, seems more stable and is generally more pleasant and straightforward to use, plus of course it’s a Midas and is laid out in the same familiar style as their classic analogue consoles.’
‘We are so happy to welcome Midas to our family of technical partners,’ added Lake of Stars founder Will Jameson. ‘We have always used Venice desks but to have use of the Pro2C is incredible. All the bands loved it and it coped well with the heat and sand of Malawi – it is also a good size and weight when it comes to being air freighted all the way from the UK.’