Amsterdam’s Famous Melkweg Invests In Soundcraft Vi4

Leading Amsterdam music and arts centre, the Melkweg has purchased a multipurpose Soundcraft Vi4™ from Dutch distributors Audio XL. The technology company’s live sound manager, Jeroen van Keeken, confirms that the decision to purchase the Soundcraft platform for use in the venue’s 700-person capacity Oude Zaal (Old Room) was taken by head technician Richard Balk following extensive evaluation.

Van Keeken explains, “The Melkweg caters for many disciplines, including music, theatre, dance, cinema — and other media. So they needed a versatile desk.”

He adds that the investment forms the latest phase in an extensive upgrade of the venue, which will see an increase in capacity. “Richard and his team of house engineers looked at all the leading consoles, and visited other venues. But in many cases these desks were too complicated,” he says.

Richard Balk was already familiar with the Soundcraft digital topology. The Melkweg’s head of sound liked the intuitive Vistonics™ II interface — providing a fast-track learning curve for uninitiated engineers — as well as the 48-channel input capacity (on 24 faders). This provides the ideal footprint for the limited space of the second room, without the need for external outboard racks. Finally, he was impressed with the library of Lexicon effects and BSS EQ’s.

Richard Balk added that the selection of the Vi4 not only unanimously met the approval of the house technicians but also guest engineers, who have been delighted to work on the surface. The overall sound quality and the support he knows he will receive from van Keeken’s team at Audio XL clinched the deal.

In preparation for a further technical upgrade to their increased 1,500-person capacity main room (‘The Max’) Balk has also asked for CAT5 cables to be laid so that once the next phase is complete, they can patch between the two rooms.

Van Keeken says that the DSP expansion card on the Vi4 will give the venue access up to 72 channels via the outputs on the local rack. “Another nice touch,” he says, “is because Dutch sound engineers are so tall we are having special brackets made to elevate the desk, which will travel up and down over a distance of 20cm. This will ensure that their hands will always be at the right angle to the desk for maximum comfort.”

Teatro Campoamor Adopts Soundcraft Vi4

Soundcraft’s Spanish distributor, Earpro, has underlined the continuing success of the manufacturer’s Vi series digital desks, with the recent installation of a Vi4 at El Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo.

Roberto Alonso, technical manager of the 120-year-old venue, believes it is easy to pinpoint the success of Soundcraft digital audio mixers: “The Vi4 is very user-friendly,” he states. “After 20 years using an analogue mixer, the transition has been an easy one to make. In very little time sound engineers can gain the same confidence they had when using any traditional mixer.”

Sound quality is one of the biggest issues for sound technicians and engineers — and again, it is easy for Roberto Alonso to defend his choice. “There are certain applications where a particular technology or platform can be more suitable than another. In our case, the improvement in audio quality has been noticeable right across our programme of events. Due to the varied nature of our theatre programme many different technicians will mix shows through our sound system — and generally the opinions have been entirely positive. Our Vi4 has already been used in operas, zarzuelas, ballets and all types of event.”

Alonso also highlighted the importance of the integrated dynamics and effects processors within the consoles. “Some other brands offer integrated DSPs but only Soundcraft mixers carry the signature of BSS, dbx and Lexicon,” he said. “Thanks to the console’s quality and large provision of dynamics processing, we have been able to get rid of our external rack and cabling entirely, so now we have a much cleaner and more comfortable workspace.”

He also praises the mixer’s versatility in terms of sends and connectivity. “For many events we are not only responsible for the live sound of the theatre but also for its broadcast mix. In the past we would hire a traditional mixer for this purpose — but now we simply split the Vi4 workspace and each of us works with our respective equalization, levels, etc.”

Earpro is firmly convinced that digital audio is the gateway to the future and fully endorse the Soundcraft roadmap. “Soundcraft’s mission hasn’t ended with the Vi series — the new Si series proves that an ‘analogue’ method working is not incompatible with the digital era. This compact mixer features the major advantages of digital mixers.”

They are equally excited about the recent launch of the new Vi2 — offering a  Vi series desk in just 85cm of real estate.

Soundcraft Vi4 Digital Console Provides Freight And Salvage With A Foundation For Musical Success

As a non-profit organization with a mission to foster musical success around Berkeley, California, Freight and Salvage Coffee House has hosted a wide range of musical performances for more than 40 years. When it moved to a new facility at the beginning of the year, it needed a state-of-the-art audio system that had the flexibility to handle anything from rock and roll to soft acoustical shows, which is why the venue opted for the Soundcraft Vi4 digital console.

Located in the heart of Berkeley since 1968, Freight and Salvage had been in the same building since opening its doors. When the decision to move was made at the beginning of the year, it needed to find a building that could provide a large auditorium for concerts, but also contain smaller rooms for its expanding educational program. Freight and Salvage relocated to an old building that was renovated to look like new; it now features a 440-person auditorium and six classrooms for practicing and teaching performers. The installation was completed by Pro Media / UltraSound, with Shalleck Collaborative contributing to the design work.

“When we were looking for a mixing console, we were really looking for something with a huge amount of flexibility, something that could handle a range of different types of music,” says Steve May, Technical Director at Freight and Salvage. “We also needed something that was easy to use, because we have a staff of 12 using the console on any given night. With the Soundcraft Vi4 digital mixing console, we were able to get the flexibility that we needed, with tremendous power and clarity and also with the ease of use that we needed.”

Another reason that May selected the Vi4 was the digital console’s ability to save digital presets, giving the crew the power to have specific settings for specific shows. With the Vi4, each member of May’s staff can have their own settings saved and ready to go at the touch of a button, and each show can be specially designed weeks before and saved to the console.

“A couple of the other competitors’ consoles seemed easy to figure out, but we just had to push so many buttons to find anything,” May continues. “The Vi4 had everything accessible right there, with each setting easily visible above each input strip. It just gave us incredible amounts of control.”

With such an array of different instruments at any given time, control is exactly what Freight and Salvage needed. For example, at the opening show, local singer/songwriter Barbara Hippy was playing with her band that included a piano, a saxophone, a base guitar, drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, and a ukulele, all in different combinations.

“At Hippy’s show, the Vi4 really proved to everyone that it was the best selection,” May says. “On that show and ever since, we couldn’t be happier with the consoles ability to handle even the most complex settings with ease.

For more information on Pro Media/ UltraSound, please visit http://www.promediaultrasound.com/

B&B Upgrades Digital Fleet With Soundcraft Vi4™ Consoles

Dortmund-based production company, B+B Veranstaltungstechnik, have added two new Soundcraft Vi4™ consoles to its inventory of digital mixing desks.

The investment follows the company’s policy for regular inventory upgrade, and although a multi-brand operation, the company chose the Soundcraft digital platform based on the impressive features-to-price ratio.

While these are the first Vi4’s to be added to appear in B+B’s rental fleet, the company’s Sebastian Müller-Eckhard has previously designed installation systems based around the Vi4 (at the local Konzerthaus), and a Vi6 in FZW, a 1,500-person capacity live venue.

“The Vi4 is all about the sound,” he says. “It’s one of the best sounding desks on the market and you don’t need any external hardware because everything is already in the desk — in fact the internal dynamics and effects are perfect.

“As for the GUI, we recently put a Vi4 out to a local festival and the headline band’s engineer had never worked on a Vi console previously. So I prepared a show file, sent him a link to the Virtual VI software and he was able to get an impression of how it worked straight away.

“We had 44 inputs plus effects and there was only a brief line check — everything went well, as it’s just so simple and intuitive.”

The new Vi4’s will be used for both FOH and monitor mixing. “In a monitor situation you are able to have direct access to 24 output mixes by pressing just one button — which is perfect. You also have a further eight busses for effects, etc.,” notes Sebastian. “Finally, the overall quality of the sound and the low latency make it ideal for monitors.”

As for the new V3.0 software, he says the automation has been hugely improved, making the Vi a very useful tool for theatrical productions, and he is now eagerly anticipating the next development … with fade-time possibilities.

In any case B+B themselves will shortly upgrade their new Soundcraft consoles — adding more DSP to give them 72-channel capabilities.

Summing up, Sebastian says that B+B’s sound engineers are thrilled by the acquisition. “Seeing other engineers, unfamiliar with the console, preparing their mix in just a few minutes was also very important in our decision making — plus the fact, of course, that Vi mixers are appearing on the technical riders of more and more artists all the time.”

Soundcraft is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com).
Harman International designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than 11,000 people worldwide.  The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®.  Harman International’s stock is traded on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

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B+B  sound crew (left to right): Olaf Oebels, Simon Kattwinkel and Max Kremse

Live Nation Expects To ‘Fillmore’ Seats In Charlotte With Soundcraft Vi4™

Two 48-input Soundcraft Vi4 digital live mixing consoles perform flawlessly in FOH and monitor mixing roles.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The Fillmore Charlotte, a 20,000-square-foot venue at the North Carolina Music Factory’s entertainment complex in Charlotte, North Carolina’s Fourth Ward neighborhood, stays true to the tradition of the original Fillmore theaters. The venue, which opened on June 19 with Georgia acoustic rocker Corey Smith headlining, has the Fillmore’s trademark red velvet draperies, ornate chandeliers, custom lighting and vintage concert posters. The building, once an historic Charlotte manufacturing site, was reinvigorated by Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, as the latest in its growing chain of clubs bearing the Fillmore name. And it also stays true to one other critical Fillmore legacy: great sound, thanks to the implementation of two Soundcraft Vi4™ digital live mixing consoles at front-of-house and monitor positions. These work in conjunction with a PA system using components from JBL, Crown and dbx, creating a perfectly scaled sound system that couples the Fillmore’s grand musical heritage with 21st century technology. The sound system for the Fillmore Charlotte, as with all club systems in the Live Nation chain, was designed and installed by Sound Image of Escondido, California.

The 2,000-seat Fillmore Charlotte has brilliant sound, with the Soundcraft Vi4 digital live mixing consoles at the center of the action. Both Vi4 consoles are configured identically, with 48 inputs on 24 faders, and a total of 27 output busses available for use as masters, groups, auxes or matrices. And the features of the larger Soundcraft Vi6, such as the highly acclaimed Vistonics™ II touch-screen user interface, Soundcraft FaderGlow™ fader function display and the unequalled audio quality, are all present on the Vi4. While it’s the largest club of its kind in the region, Rich Davis, Audio Engineer with Sound Image and who is supervising the sound systems installations for the Live Nation Fillmore and House of Blues venues, says that it’s nonetheless an intimate place. “There’s a lot of acoustical treatment in the room, which really reduces reflections,” he explains. “The Soundcraft V14 consoles are the perfect fit for a club like this. You have an enormous amount of control over the color and the volume of the sound. The Vi4’s interface is so intuitive that visiting engineers get the hang of it almost immediately, both at FOH and on monitors. And it’s a great-sounding console.”

The Fillmore Charlotte’s tight acoustics and low ceiling are handled exquisitely by a stereo PA system comprised of seven JBL VerTec® VT4888DP powered 3-way midsize line array enclosures per side, augmented by six JBL ASB6128 dual 18-inch subs powered by three Crown MA9000i amplifiers, and four JBL VRX932LAP powered side fill speakers. The stage monitor system employs 10 JBL SRX712M 12-inch stage monitors and four JBL VRX915M 15-inch stage monitors. A pair of JBL VP7215/64DPAN powered 2-way speakers and three JBL VPSB7118DPAN powered 18-inch subwoofers comprise the PA’s delay component. The system is controlled via a dbx Drive Rack 4800 processor, with a dbx 162SL stereo compressor and dbx 1046 quad compressor/limiter. Networking and management of the system is provided via Harman’s HiQnet™ System Architect™ platform. “A room like this can be a challenge,” says Davis, noting that less reverberant spaces like this often demand more power and more speaker enclosures, potentially impacting sight lines. “That would have happened without the JBL VerTec boxes. We were able to fill this room with far fewer boxes, and the system still has more headroom than any engineer could ever ask for. What a great system.”

The Fillmore Charlotte is operated by Live Nation, the largest producer of live concerts in the world, annually producing more than 22,000 concerts for 1,600 artists in 33 countries. The company sells more than 50 million concert tickets a year.

Soundcraft and Studer are units of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com).

Harman International designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

Harman HiQnet™ is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by engineers from across the Harman Pro Group and is coordinated by the System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Camp Digital’s Journey HD Truck Rolls On With Soundcraft Vi4™

The Soundcraft Vi4 has already shown its versatility and power for Camp Digital remote recording projects including the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards, Gospel Dream and the Country Music Association’s Fan Fest.

What sets Camp Digital’s new Journey HD truck apart from other high-definition video/multichannel audio remote vehicles is its emphasis on sound quality and functionality. With a target client base of music and entertainment productions, audio is a high priority in the Nashville, Tennessee-based truck’s technology complement. And at the heart of that is the Soundcraft Vi4 digital live sound mixing console, the latest addition to Soundcraft’s highly successful Vi Series of digital live sound consoles.

“There was a niche we saw developing in the entertainment market: the need for HD video coupled with high-resolution, multichannel audio recording in a single package at a price that was affordable,” explains Tom Gregory, Vice President of Business Development for Camp Digital. "A lot of companies are loading up their HD trucks so they can do any kind of work, and obviously you pay for that whether or not you use it -- when you're in one of those trucks you see a lot of equipment that’s not even turned on. The vast majority of the work we do is music and entertainment, so we wanted to build a truck that was more in the budget range of a flight pack and that would fill a gap in the marketplace between a $30,000-a-day 53-foot HD production truck and a flight pack."

That’s precisely what they accomplished with the 36-foot Journey HD truck, which was commissioned last December. Its video technology menu is formidable, including Sony HDC1500L cameras, Fujinon lenses, Sony HVR1500a VTRs and an Echolab Overture 2MD multi-definition switcher. But its audio capabilities are just as impressive – the Soundcraft Vi4 digital audio console is coupled with a 64-track Pro Tools HD system and a Harris Panacea 8x8 digital AV router. “The Soundcraft Vi4 is the keystone to the Journey HD’s audio design,” Gregory explains. “It has a small footprint, which lets us put a lot of power into a smaller space.” In just under 1.5m/5 feet of length, that power includes access to 72 inputs on 24 faders, with a total of 35 output busses available for use as masters, groups, auxes or matrices. And the features of the larger Soundcraft Vi6, such as the highly acclaimed Vistonics™ II touch-screen user interface, Soundcraft FaderGlow™ fader function display and the unequalled audio quality, are all present on the Vi4.

Gregory says that the Vi4 performed flawlessly at all of the major events that the Journey HD truck has been used for, including the Dove Awards show and the Gospel Dream event, as well as the show at Fuel nightclub that kicked off the CMA Fan Fest and featured country music stars Kelly Pickler, Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley that will be broadcast on the ABC network on August 31. “These are all major broadcast events, and the engineers who recorded them are all A-game audio guys, and all of them have loved working with this console, praising its sound and its ergonomics,” says Gregory. “They like the way it integrates with the stage box at shows, which makes connections solid and simple, and we had one engineer download the software so he could pre-assign all of his groups ahead of time and he saved tons of time on location. In fact, every time someone sits down at this console, they find something new and useful. I’d say this truck and this console have both found their niche with each other.”

The Soundcraft Vi4 offers all the functionality and facilities of the Soundcraft Vi6, but in a smaller, more compact footprint more suited for space-conscious applications such as theatres, OB vehicles, Houses of Worship and venues or clubs with space-limited mix positions.

Audience Engaged By Soundcraft Vi4™ While ‘Waiting For Godot’

To keep the dialogue intimate for this production of the stage classic, all the components of the sound system had to be invisible, and the Vi4’s ultra-quiet operation assured success.

NEW YORK, New York – The recent revival of the stage classic ‘Waiting For Godot’ was as brief as the play itself is famously cryptic, running only from April 3 through July 12. But in that time, the production won widespread critical acclaim and garnered Tony Award®, Drama Desk Award® and Outer Critics Circle Award® nominations for Best Revival of a Play for the as well as Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actor, Best Costume Design, and for three of four of its cast members: two-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin and Tony Award winner John Glover, who joined Golden Globe winner John Goodman to round out the sparse but powerful production. The play is intensely intimate and dialogue-driven, making the quality of the audio critical to its success. That quality was assured by the 48-input Soundcraft Vi4™ digital live mixing console that was installed in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54 venue. The latest addition to Soundcraft’s highly successful Vi Series of digital live sound consoles, the Vi4’s compact frame offers tremendous processing power, amazing sound quality and, so crucially for ‘Waiting For Godot,’ incredibly quiet operation.

Tony Award-winning Director Anthony Page wanted to create a profoundly intimate ambience that would deeply engage the audience in the 1,500-seat theater. Thus, Sound Designer Dan Moses Schreier encouraged Page to use lavalier microphones hidden on the four actors, as well as strategically placed foot microphones.

“There was a lot of emphasis placed on the sound being as transparent as possible so that no one in the audience could tell the show was being amplified at all, so I needed a system that would keep a low profile--visually and aurally,” Schreier says.

“It’s unusual for a play in this sized venue to use lavalier microphones – it would usually go with just foot microphones or none at all,” explains David Gotwald, Production Audio Engineer, who mixed the play. “But Anthony Page wanted to be able to have the actors speak in a normal tone and the audience be able to catch all the nuances of the dialogue and their delivery.”

With the decision to use a PA system, the choice of mixing console became critical – it would be the hub of an entire sound system that would need to be reliable, flexible and most importantly, invisible to the audience’s ear. The Soundcraft Vi4 proved itself more than up to the challenge.

“The decision to use the Vi4 began with my use of a Studer Vista 5 console on two prior shows: the new Stephen Sondheim Road Show and the current revival of ‘West Side Story,’” Schreier says. “I had very positive experiences with that console, so when the time came for us to look for a console for ‘Waiting For Godot,’ I learned of the Vi4 and saw that it shared many of the same qualities as the Vista 5, particularly in how logically the board is laid out.”

“The Vi4’s digital operation was totally silent,” says Gotwald, who has also mixed Broadway legends including ‘The Producers’ and ‘Fosse.’ “The pre-amps are completely transparent – there is no color whatsoever to the sound. When the actors speak, you hear them and nothing else. The sound was completely natural and there was nothing to distract the audience. They never even knew a PA was there.” Gotwald listed the Vi4’s other advantages in this setting, including its compact size, high degree of flexibility – “The number of matrixed group and aux outputs is very useful,” he says -- and the fact that all DSP is done onboard and software-based. “I had access to excellent processing, like the highly consistent compression from the console, and all of that power didn’t add any noise to the system,” Gotwald says. “You could see the audience leaning forward in their seats, totally engrossed in the play, hearing the actors, not the system. That was a real success.”

In just under 1.5m/5 feet of length, the Soundcraft Vi4 digital live sound console offers access to 72 inputs on 24 faders, with a total of 35 output busses available for use as masters, groups, auxes or matrices. And the features of the larger Soundcraft Vi6, such as the highly acclaimed Vistonics™ II touch-screen user interface, Soundcraft FaderGlow™ fader function display and the unequalled audio quality, are all present on the Vi4.

“One of my many hesitations about digital consoles was the feel that you are mixing on a computer display and that you have to go through a number of screens to make changes,” Schreier says. “But the Vistonics surface provides a very successful emulation of an analog desk in a digital world.”

Camp Digital Mobile Production Company Hits The Road With Soundcraft Vi4™ Digital Mixing Console

Nashville based television production company, Camp Digital, has included as the centerpiece of its audio capabilities a Soundcraft Vi4 digital console into its new JOURNEY HD mobile production truck. Providing state-of-the-art High Definition production around North America, JOURNEY HD has recently provided video and audio support for a wide range of productions, including the television special ‘Feel That Fire’ for Great American Country starring Dierks Bentley, the 35th anniversary DVD of the band Kansas and a DVD featuring Christian comedian Chonda Pierce.

JOURNEY HD is the first in a fleet of vehicles operated by Camp Digital, who is developing mobile production solutions to fit an ever-growing production market in need of high quality production resources at an affordable price.

Commenting on the Soundcraft Vi4 installation into the JOURNEY HD is VP of Business Development Tom Gregory. “The 72 channel Vi4 has tremendously expanded our audio capabilities and is the perfect solution for JOURNEY HD as the footprint of the board fits comfortably into our truck.” Gregory continues, “As we work in a mobile environment, it is essential for all aspects of production to be as fast and efficient as possible. The Vi4 is accountable for streamlining our production from start to finish, and we have seen an incredible increase in productivity since we installed the Vi4.”

Tom Davis is one of the production mixers for JOURNEY HD as well as a consultant for the design of the audio side of the truck and he discusses the advantages of mixing on a Soundcraft Vi4 console. “The sound quality of the Vi4 is outstanding and the routing capabilities are extensive and straightforward. The Vistonics™ II interface is highly functional and extremely easy to use and the entire desk can be controlled at my fingertips without the hassle of digging through several menus,” Davis concludes.

Camp Digital is a partnership formed nearly two years ago by a group of Nashville video production professionals with the mission to create for themselves and others a sensible solution to the acquisition and production of music and entertainment events for television, home video, and non traditional media through the internet and other handheld/wireless devices. Camp Digital has nearly 100 years combined experience in the field of television and video production, and already has an additional vehicle, Passage HD, which will soon become part of their fleet.

For more information on Camp Digital, please visit http://campdigital.net