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UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL ’ S ERIC DESCHENES & JEAN-MICHEL DUMAS
When Jean-Michel Dumas was looking for a new console for Université de Montréal ’ s music technology department , he opted for an Audient ASP8024 . The cost , feature set , reputation , and operating considerations , Dumas says , were the most important factors in the decision to choose the Audient desk .
“ The fact that the DLC module could be integrated to the board was what sealed the deal , since we needed a surface control , and Audient found a way to streamline the process with a great driver that Steve Flower even customized for us and great mapping options ,” Dumas says . “ Understanding the signal flow is easier in the analog domain since you can ‘ follow ’ the audio clearly … Our students also have to be ready for live sound where the analog paradigms are still used , even if digital desks are present .”
FOH engineer Chris Kaplinski recently tested out the brand new Digico SD12 console while mixing support acts Monster Truck and The Dirty Nil on Billy Talent ’ s 12-show Canadian tour that went from Abbotsford , BC to Halifax , NS in February and March 2017 . This was the first Canadian tour to use the SD12 , which was supplied by Digico ’ s Canadian distributor , GerrAudio . The rest of the production package was supplied by Solotech .
“ I used the SD5 with Nickelback and everything on the SD12 was the same – familiar and where it should be ,” says Kaplinski . Describing the user experience as “ wicked ,” he says the SD12 “ sounds exactly like the other SD consoles ,” which is what he was hoping for . He adds that since he ’ d never used the SD12 before , he debated bringing a backup console on tour , but because of the support he gets from GerrAudio , the backup didn ’ t even make it on the truck .
MGM Resorts International ’ s Park Theater is the latest attraction on the Las Vegas Strip , hosting shows by the likes of Stevie Nicks and Bruno Mars , and the city ’ s largest and most technologically advanced venue to address the latest trend in theatrical design : immersiveness . Hosting an audience of 5,200 in its standard configuration , the $ 90-million theatre can expand to accommodate up to 6,300 people at peak capacity . To make every seat sound like it ’ s front and centre , an L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker system was specified by Montréal-based Scéno Plus and integrated by Solotech ’ s Las Vegas division .
Scéno Plus specified a true LCR system with left / right stereo line arrays of K2 elements and K1-SB subs , with dialog / lead vocals routed through a centre cluster of Kara as its own channel . Created in Soundvision , this system design was deemed the ideal solution to offer an immersive , full-range audio experience evenly and consistently across every seat in the house thanks to the K2 ’ s PanFlex horizontal steering , which focuses the energy on the audience and away from the walls .
62 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
East coast audio technician and Professional Sound contributor Nathan Petrie recently reviewed the new TouchMix-30 Pro compact digital console from QSC . Petrie enjoyed his experience with the console so much that when he and some colleagues from Dartmouth , NS ’ Tour Tech East were tapped to work the Western Canadian dates on iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld ’ s early 2017 tour , he asked QSC ’ s Canadian distributor , SFM , if he could keep the desk for an extra couple of weeks and use it at FOH .
“ I had such a great experience with it , and considering things like size , ease of operation , and of course , sound quality , figured it would be a perfect solution for a stand-up comedy show ,” Petrie shares . “ Of course , with an act like Jerry Seinfeld , you ’ re playing in some of the top theatres and performing arts centres in the country and anything less than a phenomenal show just isn ’ t acceptable , so a sure-fire solution from QSC was a real confidence boost .”