For the past two years he has supported the Yamaha digital platform, and like his colleague Fred Jackson (of Jackson Post) with whom he often shares mixing duties - their preferred supplier is Marquee Audio.
Last month Marquee supplied Plus 4 Audio with the new PM5D-RH - and Chaney returned from mxing the sound for Miss World in China to go straight into The London Studios on the South Bank, to join Jackson on the new board for ITV's Record of the Year show, where the full complement of internal pre-amps, FX and stereo returns were in use.
Chaney had been looking for a step up from the DM2000 for around a year on shows which required expanded facilities - such as increased outputs or a larger FX/matrix section. "Looking at our present workload, and the shows that are coming in this year it made sense to take the plunge," he said. "We looked extensively at all the other boards but nothing would do the job and integrate our current rental stock as well as the PM5D."
He was also aware that his engineers were familiar with the Yamaha digital platform. "The PM5D is similar technology to the other DM's and PM's, with the same routing and grouping protocols. It's simple plug and play - you know it's reliable and there's no external box to carry around."
With the PM5D, Marquee presented Chaney with a choice of two front-end configurations. He eventually opted for the more sophisticated PM5D-RH, describing the decision as a "no brainer". The PM5D-RH also includes 48 XLR analogue mono inputs with recallable mic preamps derived from the head amplifier design of the Yamaha PM5000, with four stereo inputs that will accept mic level signals.
The warm, transparent sound was just one of the criteria Chaney was seeking. "For TV it has to be right sonically and we needed versatility; there are huge space-saving advantages because everything is self-contained. And the way you can expand the DCA section to another set of inputs is a further advance so that it ends up being a big mixing surface."
But ultimately the decision was based on the PM5D's dual-mode attributes. "It was the flexibility we liked - the great DSP and EQ allows you to perform a comprehensive monitor mix - as well as FOH - with 24 mix busses making for 12 mono sends, six stereo in-ear plus the eight-way matrix." He also noted that the PM5D contains Yamaha's new REV-X algorithm.
So Yamaha's latest digital desk joins an inventory which includes DM2000's and DM1000's, allowing Plus 4 Audio complete integration and allowing them to cascade the PM5D-RH with the DM, DME and SPX2000 family. Among Plus 4 Audio's vast portfolio of shows is The X Factor, The Royal Variety Performance, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Mercury Music Prize - ideal territory for the PM5D as a space and cost-saving replacement for the H3000. "And for larger shows," says Chaney, "we will simply sub in a PM1D."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
