Last year saw the installation of a new Innovason Eclipse GT digital mixing console at the heart of a sophisticated and fully scalable EtherSound digital audio network, all supplied and installed by Innovason distributor and entertainment solutions provider MusicData. Less than 12 months later, MusicData, were back to install a second Innovason Eclipse GT.
The first Eclipse was installed in the control room. The second occupies what has been designated the 'Live Post' position - in other words, a traditional FoH position at the back of the auditorium. According to MusicData's Tomas Ourednicek, the time had come to upgrade the old analogue technology currently at the FOH position to bring it into line with the increasing demands of musical productions. "Investing in a second Innovason Eclipse GT was a logical step," he noted.
The new FoH Eclipse GT controls and transmits audio to and from of seven possible locations in the theatre complex, including of course to the main PA and monitor systems via the highly sophisticated EtherSound network (over a combination of Cat 5 cable and optical fibre) installed last year. This means that sound engineers can mix from the position best adapted to the requirements of the show, and on an identical console.
In addition to the new console, the EtherSound network has also been expanded with a number of new devices including additional Innovason SR-16 16-in/16-out stage boxes; the M.A.R.S. multitrack recording option on the Eclipse; and AuviTran's Audio ToolBox rackmount modular audio platform for audio network management. This brings the total amount of networked EtherSound equipment in the theatre up to a staggering 19 devices.
The result is a network solution that is so flexible, you can record any signal from any of the stageboxes in real time in the recording studio that is connected to the network. The studio - which also boasts a playback computer - can also add streams to the network, including to either or both Eclipse consoles, also capable of recording up to 64 channels of high quality audio, or directly to the monitored lines or indeed into the main PA system. In short, all inputs and outputs are available for all of the computers on the network. Finally, the sound engineers also use M.A.R.S. for virtual soundchecking.
(Jim Evans)
