La Jolla Playhouse Mixes Effectively With A Soundcraft Vi6™ Digital Console

La Jolla Playhouse selected a Soundcraft Vi6™ digital mixing for “Peter and the Starcatchers,” a new play presented by special arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theater at La Jolla Playhouse. The show is based on the best-selling book of the same name, written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.



Joe Huppert and Eric Stahlhammer, Co-Sound Designers for “Peter and the Starcatchers,” selected the Vi6 for its ability to simplify workflow and its capability for success in complicated theatrical events, such as “Peter and the Starcatchers.” Huppert states, “The VI6 suits our purposes well, making it very fast to develop and track
manipulations of a sophisticated theatrical design environment.” Stahlhammer says, “This show has really demonstrated to us how powerful the Vi6 can be in the theater as the desk has allowed our team to work faster, more intelligently and more productively. We have been able to do things in this show with the Vi6 that would not have been possible or practical with other consoles.”

La Jolla Playhouse’s Production Manager, Peter Davis, discusses the advantages of working on a Soundcraft board for both engineers and students alike. “This show is a great opportunity to experiment with the Soundcraft Vi6 and to see how applicable the desk is to our market,” Davis continues. “Being able to master the Vi6 in a few hours makes it a desired tool. In an industry where attention to detail is at its highest, it is a critical advantage that an engineer has the ability to execute the designer’s vision without overcomplicating things.”

The Soundcraft Vi6 digital console features a unique integration of Vistonics II technology that allows users to use the console quickly and intuitively. Sam Lerner, the show’s engineer says, “The Vistonics concept is great. Having all of your tools in front of you while you are mixing eliminates the need for paging and switching layers and lets me focus more on actually mixing.” Stahlhammer adds, “The intuitive nature of the interface is showcased in the fact that Sam had never used the console before this show and within a few days he was as comfortable with it as any other console he had used before. In theatrical applications such as “Peter and the Starcatchers,” the engineer needs the ability to be comfortable behind the desk and the Vi6 has been really easy to deal with.” Huppert was particularly impressed with the scene snapshot functions, “The snapshot functions allow for easy changes to particular parameters without worrying about collateral damage to other settings”.

The Soundcraft Vi6 Digital Live Console uses touch-screen color-coded TFT monitors with rotary controls and switches built in and around the glass, enabling direct access to all functions at all times and providing maximum information and visibility. Huppert notes, “The integration of display, touch and physical knobs is intuitive and clear. The lighting is my favorite part, not only is it honestly fun to look at but many functions are understandable without having to read anything, which makes it easy to know where you are, even in the dark and when your eyes are on a stage 100 feet away.”

For more information on La Jolla Playhouse, please visit www.lajollaplayhouse.org