In 2006, The Esplanade purchased the new mixing desk from distributors E&E just in time for Baybeats where it was in use as a monitor board. But this year the Vi6 undertook FOH duties while it was joined by its smaller sibling, the Soundcraft Vi4 on monitors at the Nokia Arena.
The Vi4, which was launched earlier this year, offers similar functionality and facilities to the Vi6, but in a smaller, more compact footprint. Measuring just 1.5m wide, the Vi4 offers 48 inputs on 24 faders, with a total of 27 output busses available for use as masters, groups, auxes or matrices.
Having first considered using a Soundcraft MH4 on monitors, Robin Shuttleworth, technical manager for Sound at the Esplanade, decided that the Vi4 would be better suited for the job. "We decided to go with digital consoles (on both FOH and monitors) as it was an ideal setup for Baybeats, with five or six bands performing each night."
Setting up for multiple bands with a only a short interval between performances would normally be a daunting task for both FOH and monitor engineers, but the Vi4 and Vi6 proved invaluable in making the transition between bands go seamlessly. FOH engineer Simon Ng remarked that "the Vi6 definitely made things easier on us, and on top of that it sounds great! The headroom you get from the Vi6 is amazing and I much prefer the EQs on the Vi6 over some of the other digital boards that I've tried."
(Jim Evans)
