Calgary’s JSCH updates with DiGiCo Quantum
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While much has changed in recent years, the venue’s ongoing reliance on DiGiCo consoles at JSCH and throughout the Arts Commons complex’s other venues, has not. Jack Jamieson, head sound technician at JSCH explains, “I’ve been using DiGiCo since 2012. We started with a compact version of the DiGiCo SD8 in 2012 and we were so impressed with its reliability and flexibility that, in 2014, we upgraded from analogue consoles to DiGiCo digital consoles throughout the rest of the facility.”
JSCH is home to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Arts Commons Presents’ BD&P World Music, and TD Jazz. It’s a very versatile venue, hosting events ranging from TED talks to comedy shows and full-on rock concerts. “There’s an interesting dichotomy in this room in terms of the artists that play here and the audiences that attend shows,” Jamieson notes. “We have a symphony audience who want a very nuanced, quiet sound system that allows us to fold the amplified sound into the acoustic sound. And then there’s another demographic, coming to see rock and pop shows, and their expectation is an extreme amount of level.”
Given the wide range of programming, for the 2020 replacement of JSCH’s audio system, the venue installed a “double PA system” (consisting of Meyer Sound point source and line array loudspeakers), added the Quantum 338 console for monitors, two DiGiCo 32bit I/O SD-racks, and upgraded their pre-existing FOH SD5 to include Quantum functionality.
“In Arts Commons overall, we have an SD7T for our 850-seat Max Bell Theatre, SD9T for the 450-seat Martha Cohen Theatre, and two SD11i consoles (one in our 185-seat venue in the basement and one for Jack Singer’s lobby). Our SD8 is still available as an emergency console, but we’ve replaced that in the booth with our previous SD10 monitor desk."
When the latest project began in Spring 2019, future-proofing was a primary driver for the choice of equipment across the board, and in JSCH’s ongoing reliance on DiGiCo. Beyond sound quality and flexibility, Jamieson says: “One of the biggest selling points for DiGiCo is that there are upgrades available as their new technology comes out – more and better mic pres, I/O, and additional capability with Waves. So, you don’t have to sell your old console and buy a new one. With DiGiCo, you just move on to the next step in their product line.”
As for the Quantum upgrades, “One of the main advantages of the Quantum software is nodal processing, which allows you to - on any given channel or auxiliary - add an extra layer of compression and EQ just on that one channel.”
Additionally, Jamieson says, “Because the logic works the same across Arts Commons, operators can work in any of the rooms, on any of the consoles and find their way around easily and quickly once they have DiGiCo’s architecture down. So, for example, our original SD8 can still talk to everything from a vintage MADI rack to a product we bought, say, last week.”
