Each room is offered with a Soundcraft 40-channel MH4 mixing console. "The rooms are aimed at four or five piece bands, perhaps a bit more budget-conscious than our current clients," explains Music Bank's Nunu Whiting. "All of us here believe that there's going to be a resurgence in the rock 'n' roll market, so we're getting ready for the new upcoming bands. Music Bank will give them a decent and affordable rehearsal environment, rather than the traditional black room with sticky carpets!"
East and West Studios have been designed by Music Bank's regular design-and-build specialist, Mick Fitzgerald of KFA, and equipped by Crystal Pro Audio. "We've got Soundcraft desks (SM20 and SM24) in the South and North Studios," says Nunu, "and we've always found them to be very acceptable to the professional engineers. We bought one Soundcraft MH4 console which we'll use on rotation between both East and West: we've already discussed terms with Crystal Pro Audio for a second identical MH4."
With a multi-purpose design topology that permits easy configuration for front-of-house, stage monitor, or mixed FOH/monitor duties the multi-purpose live performance console is ideally suited for touring applications. It features 20 auxiliary busses, new mic amp and EQ designs, eight VCA and eight Mute groups with snapshot automation, true LCR panning and outputs, and an integral 20 x 8 matrix. In monitors mode, each input also has a passive mic split feed to connect to a FOH console.
The paint had barely dried in the new studios before Music Bank's eager clients moved in - first the Dixie Chicks, followed immediately by Westlife.
(Lee Baldock)
