Review: Digidesign Venue SC48
The next-generation digital consoles are entering the ring and analogue consoles are putting their glass jaw forward.
By Mark Woods
22 June 2009
The analogue versus digital debate is becoming more one-sided every day and from where I stand, the digital side appears to have almost won. The sound quality of the respective formats can be discussed all night without reaching agreement but it doesn’t really matter because they can both sound extremely good.
Analogue is still easier to use; even the audience knows this. Many of you will have experienced the punter leaning over the analogue console and asking the time-honoured question: “Hey mate, how do you know what all those knobs do?” Unless they’re particularly cute I usually just smile through gritted teeth and hope they go away without expecting an answer. With digital consoles I’m finding they take one look, shake their heads and walk away. If they linger, touching the screen or using the flying faders always works.
Analogue is better suited to live mixing because the audio controls are always at hand, leaving the operator free to listen and react instinctively to the performance. Sound people generally enjoy a good mental workout from time to time but not in the middle of a show. For new users, making changes on a digital console involves stopping listening, thinking about layers, functions, parameters and by then the question remains: “What did I want to do, again? This mental processing uses a different part of the brain to listening and this can be very distracting at times, but with the increasing familiarity of digital consoles generally, and individual models in particular, it’s now finally becoming possible to be ‘at one’ with the machine.
So why will digital win? After spending a short time with Digidesign’s brand new Venue SC48 I’ve seen the writing on the wall. It reads simply this: “Functionality and price.” Let’s look at the functionality first then, shall we?
A NEW TECHNICAL BENCHMARK
The SC48 includes a copy of ProTools LE software and a built-in ProTools LE Firewire interface. It’s all very well to have some analogue EQ and a few sends per channel but when you get to use plug-ins from your computer as part of the live show, you’re mixing at a different technical level. Shows can be recorded and later mixed as required. They can also be played back into the console/PA for a virtual sound check at another venue. Especially useful in big venues, this is a relatively new and very exciting aspect of live digital mixing. It lets the operator check channels and the mix (or mixes) in different parts of the system and venue in great depth using the band’s own sounds and in ways that simply aren’t possible if the band is there to do a real soundcheck. It also makes it easier for bands to not do a sound check and remain relatively confident that the operator has a good idea of what they will sound like in that venue come show time.
The SC48 is the brand new baby of the Venue range. It’s quite tiny at less than one metre wide, but while this might look a little emasculating to analogue Luddites out there, its space-age styling more than compensates. The overall layout and lighting are initially quite intimidating but inviting nonetheless. The encoders catch your eye and quickly bring a smile. Like little heads on stalks, or electronic mushrooms with multi-coloured LED rings around their bases, these encoders change the parameters of the EQ, dynamics and aux sends. They push to switch, turn to adjust, illuminate and flash; it’s actually hard to keep your hands off them!
More significantly, I’ve come to prefer the sound and finer control of digital EQ and dynamics over the analogue equivalent, and without doubt there are more control options on the SC48 than you could ever practically fit on an analogue channel. But if you want more you can always use your favourite plug-ins.
Despite the compact size, the SC48 contains all the connections needed for up to 48 analogue inputs, eight FX returns, 16 analogue outputs (expandable to 32), 16 auxiliary sends, eight groups and eight mono matrixes. There’s comprehensive routing and DSP on everything. There are 20 slots available for any combination of TDM plug-ins making it possible to bring the same effects and processing used in the studio to a live mix.
NEED TO KNOW
COMPATIBILITY & FAMILIARITY
The SC48 uses Venue D-Show software making it compatible with other Digidesign Venue systems so if you learn on one model you’ll know how to use them all. You can create and load show files on or from any Venue system as well as gaining access to system controls including I/O functions, patchbay, snapshots, filing, plug-ins and user options. There are 26 touch-sensitive motorised faders controlling 16 inputs, eight outputs, the main output and a Flex Channel that can be latched to any channel of importance like the main vocal, for example. The Spill function provides instant access to channels within a group or VCA by spilling them onto the faders when the group or VCA is selected. All clever stuff.
And then there’s the price. Digital consoles offer much better value than analogue equivalents and they’re getting cheaper by the day. Production supply companies appreciate this, plus there are other indirect savings to be made. Because digital consoles are smaller, lighter and easier to rig, not only do they replace the usually bulky analogue desk, but the racks of expensive and delicate outboard gear as well. And if you’re working in a space where seat number are at a premium, you can offer punters more of these as well.
The SC48 is an integrated package and when you consider what it will do, what’s included and what it replaces, it may just start looking like an absolute bargain. Designed for medium-sized venues, theatres or corporate events, the SC48 could easily be incorporated into an existing system or used as the basis for a recording studio. From my relatively short audition of the SC48 I couldn’t fault the sound quality. Sampling is at 48kHz, converters are 24-bit, internal processing is up to 48-bit, processing delay is only 2.3ms and the frequency response, dynamic range and noise figures are outstanding. The controls are pleasing to use, well placed and labeled, and I’m sure with familiarity the SC48 would be an enjoyable and exciting console for serious mixing.
The development of digital consoles is the biggest change in live sound mixing equipment since it began. It’s been somewhat hit and miss in terms of finding what works and standards are still evolving, but digital boards are not going away. Some shows, particularly rock bands, don’t require all the bells and whistles digital consoles invariably offer, and some mixers still like to slam the meters into the red. These engineers will be the last to abandon analogue consoles but most audio applications will only benefit from the outstanding functionality and value digital boards bring to the stage. The Digidesign Venue SC48 is state-of-the-art and the bonus of compatibility with other Venue systems could well lead to it being the new standard in digital consoles.
RESPONSES