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[MikeHarris]

I agree Tim
It amazes me when I hear you need to put a Antelope Atomic clock (@$$10K) on a SD7 (@$$230K) to make it sound good.
One of my top local engineers and good friend does a major artist with 2xSD7's and a SD5...and carries a 7 & 5 as spares !

[Doug.Jane]

The interesting thing is that as soon as you supply word clock to a device, the device then has to use a PLL to generate audio clock. This introduces PLL errors. A mixer working on a straight crystal clock internally generated will always be better than being externally wordclocked. Its a shame those people dont know their engineering basics. Or do they like the sound of the PLL?

[Aisle 6]

FWIW  if Audiotonix had put a Digco badge on the dLive and double the price all the naysayers would be in awe 

Absolutely!

[brian maddox]

Yes and +1.

I didn't encounter very many Soundtraks mixers and I'm glad I didn't.  Every one of the had problems - intermittent channels, phantom power issues... whatever else they did when they adopted the DigiCo badge, it replaced a failing brand image with a new one.

The DigiCo apologists amaze me (they're like annoying Apple fanboys):  if ANY other brand did what the SD7 did (lock up and require a reboot just by *talking* about the issue) there would be massive and hysterical finger pointing, great wailing and gnashing of teeth and general disparagement about the "absolute shite of a console" being pimped about.

I can't think of another brand of audio console where you need to carry a fully appointed spare (maybe even hot and powered up in a vom) in case the FOH or monitor desk takes a dive.  Never seen that with a PM4000... spare PSU, yes.  Full console?  Nope.  XL250?  Spare PSU.  PM5D?  Nope.  Avid Venue series?  This level of failure, of a *flagship model*, should have raise the collective howls of end users and owners alike.  The apologists say "carry another $100,000 spare..."

^^this^^

My first experience with a Digico desk was the salesman demoing a D5 desk in the shop.  Managed to lock it up in less than 5 minutes and then tried to spin it as something great that it still passed audio.  So i asked him how we could regain control of the thing.  "reboot it", he said.  "Does it continue to pass audio while you reboot it?".  "Well, no...."

I know that was a while ago, but certain things stick with you.  And I've heard enough horror stories about later iterations to not feel any compulsion to hop on the bandwagon now either.

[Rory Maguire]

I know this is so far off topic and I'll try bring it  back but if I can speak briefly about Digico from my theatrical background. I've toured extensiy with many shows using many different consoles. Originally Cadac was the console of choice, and we went bumped them around various countries and they mostly worked how they should. We'd always carry a couple of flight cases of spare modules which did get used more often than we would all care to admit.

Cut to Digico which all the large shows I've worked on in recent years have been running on. I've yet to have an issue which has held up a rehearsal or a show. Never once had to hold doors or fly in an emergency console. Occasionally very occasionally I'll jump across to the B engine on an SD7 if I think I hear something out of the ordinary, but I've never had a failular of an engine or surface.

Perhaps I've been incredibly lucky. But at over 300 performances a year I'd be buying a lotto ticket if it was just luck!

I have heard stories and have had trusted colleagues have consoles do funny things and in some exceptionally rare cases stop or cancel performances

As far as console choice, we have it very different in theatre. Me as a mixer have next to no say as to what console a show goes out on. This is chosen by the designer based on what he/she knows and are comfortable working with. Provided that it meets the budget requirements of the show too that is! As far as my preference, I can mix a musical on whatever I find myself in front of. There are certain features which are nice to have. (Digico T Software) But as far as throwing faders up at the right time... The feel of the fader is more important to me than the GUI.

[Peter Morris]

I know this is so far off topic and I'll try bring it  back but if I can speak briefly about Digico from my theatrical background. I've toured extensiy with many shows using many different consoles. Originally Cadac was the console of choice, and we went bumped them around various countries and they mostly worked how they should. We'd always carry a couple of flight cases of spare modules which did get used more often than we would all care to admit.

Cut to Digico which all the large shows I've worked on in recent years have been running on. I've yet to have an issue which has held up a rehearsal or a show. Never once had to hold doors or fly in an emergency console. Occasionally very occasionally I'll jump across to the B engine on an SD7 if I think I hear something out of the ordinary, but I've never had a failular of an engine or surface.

Perhaps I've been incredibly lucky. But at over 300 performances a year I'd be buying a lotto ticket if it was just luck!

I have heard stories and have had trusted colleagues have consoles do funny things and in some exceptionally rare cases stop or cancel performances

As far as console choice, we have it very different in theatre. Me as a mixer have next to no say as to what console a show goes out on. This is chosen by the designer based on what he/she knows and are comfortable working with. Provided that it meets the budget requirements of the show too that is! As far as my preference, I can mix a musical on whatever I find myself in front of. There are certain features which are nice to have. (Digico T Software) But as far as throwing faders up at the right time... The feel of the fader is more important to me than the GUI.

Cadac consoles were originally designed especially for theatre, even their physically design was based on theatre seat / row dimensions, they were not as deep (front to back) as most other consoles and took up less space needing less seats to be removed – and every seat = $$$.

The first Digico I saw, a D5 didn’t make it to the endo of the demo; there were lots of issues, but now in 2017 I don’t see too many problems.  FWIW our dLive has been rock solid, and I’m not hearing of issues from other owners.

If you want to compare a dLive to Digico – it’s slightly more powerful than an SD10. 

[John durisko]

I find it so interesting that when an audio console "goes down" we tend to either cover it up and keep hush about it cause its our favorite console or simply never use it again. In the lampy department, they had the old High End Systems Hog III. That console would crash if you breathed too close to it. Those guys and gals went back to it all the time defending it. Some would claim that if you put a two way radio too close it made it crash. I know there have been a number of people that were hesitant to purchase a Hog4 because of the issues with 3. Im at the front of the line being skeptical. It took about 3 years for me to cave.

[Richsoper]

Clearly the original post guy has had some bad experiences and I think it’s fair to say A&H have in the past released some consoles that weren’t the best however dLive and SQ are a completely new generation- R & D wise they are achieving things in their consoles that no other manufacturer is capable of. I know damn well the size of some dLive gigs because I’ve been at them. Maybe a headline act at one of Europe’s biggest festivals (FOH & MONS) which is now permanent 1st choice on that acts rider isn’t big enough for him - or a 500,000 cap event run entirely on dLives isn’t pro enough or major stadium tours not high profile enough.... nearly every major rental house in Europe owns them now. In terms of reliability every brand has their fair share of issues and I know engineers that have had consoles from every brand fall over at some point, I also know of instances where dLive has saved the day on a tour because the big $000,000 console kept falling over. Wether the OP likes it or not dLive is holding its ground and steadily developing a good high profile user base and rider acceptance in a time where the accountants are questioning the ROI point on big expensive consoles or why the engineers want something half as capable for twice the price. Well done to them I say!!!


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[Tim McCulloch]

Clearly the original post guy has had some bad experiences and I think it’s fair to say A&H have in the past released some consoles that weren’t the best however dLive and SQ are a completely new generation- R & D wise they are achieving things in their consoles that no other manufacturer is capable of. I know damn well the size of some dLive gigs because I’ve been at them. Maybe a headline act at one of Europe’s biggest festivals (FOH & MONS) which is now permanent 1st choice on that acts rider isn’t big enough for him - or a 500,000 cap event run entirely on dLives isn’t pro enough or major stadium tours not high profile enough.... nearly every major rental house in Europe owns them now. In terms of reliability every brand has their fair share of issues and I know engineers that have had consoles from every brand fall over at some point, I also know of instances where dLive has saved the day on a tour because the big $000,000 console kept falling over. Wether the OP likes it or not dLive is holding its ground and steadily developing a good high profile user base and rider acceptance in a time where the accountants are questioning the ROI point on big expensive consoles or why the engineers want something half as capable for twice the price. Well done to them I say!!!


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I have no problem with Allen-Heath, the manufacturer.  Their USA distributor 10 years ago threw away a multiple unit order from us by dropping the ball on the promised demo consoles.

Eventually we purchased a combination of 5 Yamaha and AVID mixers.

In the advertising world there's a saying:  "Creative wins the client and account services loses the client."

[Justice C. Bigler]

I have no problem with Allen-Heath, the manufacturer.  Their USA distributor 10 years ago threw away a multiple unit order from us by dropping the ball on the promised demo consoles.

That's about the same period that I had my support troubles with Allen&Heath (about 12 years ago). I haven't given them much thought since.

[ProSoundWeb Community]