DiGiCo & KLANG solution for Oakville centre
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The Centre has also added significantly to its audio infrastructure over time, most recently with the purchase and installation of two DiGiCo SD12 consoles (one 72-channel for monitors and one upgraded to 96-channels for FOH) and KLANG immersive in ear monitoring software for the facility’s 485-capacity, AEG Liebherr Auditorium.
Another significant change, explains Andrew Moyer, coordinator of technical services, has been the increase of both community and professional programming - from roughly a dozen shows a year previously to approximately 70 professional and 230 community-based shows currently.
When Moyer began working full-time at the venue in 2000, one 24-channel analogue desk was deployed to run mains and monitors. When necessary, they augmented the system with rentals on a project-by-project basis. “It was all analogue,” Moyer says. “We had some BSS Soundweb processing for the PA, but that was the extent of digital equipment in the chain. We actually purchased our first digital console in 2010.”
The company has also added more full and part-time technical staff over time, which was part of what drove the choices and purchase of the SD12s from GerrAudio Distribution Inc in summer 2019.
“Typically, we all do everything,” continues Moyer. “I often do sound, but also lighting. We all do whatever needs doing and the SD12s are very user-friendly, so that’s a definite plus. I’d also been exposed to the consoles doing summer festivals in my off-time and understood the workflow, so when it came time to purchase here, DiGiCo was top of the list.”
Although Moyer had considered various personal monitoring systems, when GerrAudio suggested KLANG’s immersive in-ear app he was immediately impressed by the possibilities the free software offered.
KLANG’s interface allows performers to achieve a high degree of separation and ground-breaking spatial placement using iOS, Android devices, or computers. Its latest iteration, KOS 4.0, also provides a DiGiCo SD console link. Additionally, KLANG speaks to the challenges the facility’s diverse programming often presents and can be used with any in-ears or headphones for both large and small ensembles.
“I think there’s a lot of flexibility DiGiCo SD12s and KLANG offer,” Moyer sums up. “They’re high quality products that are easily used and really enhance the community-based and professional touring productions we deal with. So that definitely helps us meet our mandate.”
(Jim Evans)
