The consoles have been installed into the Katuaq Greenland, the country's primary multipurpose arts centre built in the capital city of Nuuk in 1997 to strengthen cultural life in the country. Having operated with its main console for the nine years since it opened, the venue's technical staff felt the time was right for an upgrade, and following a Midas demo, the Legend 3000 was chosen. A Venice 240 was also selected for use at smaller events at the Katuaq.
"We needed a good replacement board because the venue gets a huge amount of use, with jobs ranging from theatre and dance to conferences and corporate events, which include different complex setups," says the centre's technical manager Kim Larsen. "We also have a strong musical programme which covers a wide range of styles from rock and hip hop to folk music and jazz. So there was also a requirement for a console which could be used quickly and easily by any sound technician working with the bands that play here, both from Greenland and from overseas."
The venue consists of a main and a smaller hall, plus a large foyer area. The large hall is used for cinema screenings, theatre, concerts and conferences, with a capacity of around 500 seated, or 860 with the seats taken out for. It also has a full orchestra pit. The smaller hall is used for smaller theatre performances, conferences and more intimate concerts, while the foyer can accommodate up to 700 people for concerts and also hosts art exhibitions and trade shows. All three areas can be connected to provide one large venue.
"We've been doing lots of research over the last two years to find out which board would be the best for their requirements, and looked at every mixing console brand in the market, both analogue and digital," says Larsen. "The common consensus was that Midas was the best as everyone can use it and it sounds really good. Ease of service and reliability were other important factors in our decision."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
