The theatre hosts everything from seminars, AV presentations, one-man shows and Christmas pantomimes to full-blown rock concerts, so the console had to be both flexible and easily configurable. Sliman Maouchi, the convention centre's technical coordinator who was responsible for the refurbishment, including the sound system, comments: "We'd already heard Innovason consoles performing at external events, so we were keen to try out the new Eclipse, but we tested it against two other well known digital consoles in a similar category before making our decision. The Eclipse was simply better in every respect - far better sound quality, and the ergonomics of the desk are truly amazing."
Sound engineer Christophe Bardin, who is the main operator for the Eclipse, adds: "I love the fact that any fader can be anything, and the colour-coded LEDs mean that you can see at a glance what you've put where. There is direct access to just about every feature the desk has to offer, which makes operation incredibly quick and easy."
The onboard M.A.R.S. recorder was another definite plus for Sliman and his team. "A recording of the conference is part of the service we offer to clients hosting their events here," says Sliman. "Previously we would record directly onto a CD or a DVD, but we had no way of keeping records, so if the client lost the CD or requested further copies after the event, there was not much we could do. However, M.A.R.S. records onto an integrated hard disk, so we'll be able to keep records for a period of at least three months after each event, and of course the client can have as many copies as he needs."
(Jim Evans)
