Theatre Heilbronn's D5 configuration includes three racks with 104 inputs and 74 outputs and runs with 96 DSP mixing channels, plus internal effects and output processing channels. The theatre's head of sound, Frank Bürger, says: "Within a matter of days all our mixing engineers felt at home at their new working place which aids creativity and artistic performance rather than them having to worry about scrolling through menus and cumbersome technology."
Meanwhile, Theatre Duisburg had initially scheduled a complete refurbishment for 2004, but due to technical problems with existing equipment their console needed to be replaced immediately. After a short evaluation of two other digital products, the decision was made to install the D5. "It was both the flexibility of the workflow and the simplicity of the format that made the choice easy for us," explained Oleg Surgutschow, head of the sound department.
Other deciding factors included the extensive snapshot features and ease of use. The system consists of 88 inputs and 88 outputs and the installation, via optical and MADI cable, was done in a very short time. This was a big advantage as rehearsals for the next productions were taking place almost immediately. The D5, with 96 mixing channels, also includes the options for internal effects and insertable processing channels. Surgutschow reports that the whole sound team quickly felt comfortable with the use and performance of the D5.
(Lee Baldock)
