Norway - An annual fixture each December in Norway's Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. This is the climax of a series of celebratory events centred around the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize. 2004's recipient was Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace. As in previous years, Norwegian audio company AVAB CAC provided the sound system for the event, which featured DiGiCo D5 Live and D1 Live digital mixing consoles.

The event, which is also produced for television and distributed to 48 nations world-wide, is hosted by Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey, saw a stellar cast perform at Oslo Spektrum including Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Cindy Lauper, Joss Stone and Patti LaBelle. With three stages set across the arena, the artists performed alternately on the left and right stages, whilst the Norwegian Radio Orchestra was positioned on the centre stage.

"We used a combination of digital and analogue consoles across the three stages," explains AVAB CAC's Jan Terje Walmann. "We had a DiGiCo D1 Live handling monitoring for the main performers on the right hand stage and a D5 for mixing all artists FOH."

Both consoles were set up beforehand using the snapshot function, as rehearsal time was very limited. "We had several hundred inputs in the end, and quick changeovers between acts were essential," adds Walmann. "In these circumstances, the full recallability of the console is a real asset. The audience had a fantastic time and the DiGiCo's performed flawlessly."

(Sarah Rushton-Read)


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