DiGiCo drives audio at Dollar Loan Centre
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The $80m-plus arena officially opened on 8 March this year as Covid began slowly releasing its grip on live events. AV systems designer and consultancy Anthony James Partners specified a DiGiCo S31 as the new arena’s front-of-house audio mix console, which was installed and integrated by C.V. Lloyde Audiovisual.
“I’d like to say it’s just cost, but the fact is that DiGiCo consoles deliver for both the budget and sonic quality,” says Jack Covert, director, audio and AV design engineering at Anthony James Partners. “In my opinion, DiGiCo consoles sound better than any other console at the same price.”
Covert says he’s noted how DiGiCo’s consoles have become the de facto standard in the touring sound business and believes they can become the same for the installed-AV sector, particularly for sports venues like the Dollar Loan Centre which need to accommodate a wider range of activities than ever. He cites the S31’s ease of use, operational flexibility, and above all, sound quality.
“DiGiCo is doing things that other consoles are not, so they’re at the cutting edge,” he says. “At the same time, in a venue like this, the console is going to be used by a wide range of mix engineers for sports and other applications, and ease of use and familiar operation are important on those counts, too. And while we’re using Dante to connect here, the S31 can interface with other systems in any number of ways. It’s not just flexible for users, it’s flexible for consultants and integrators, too.”
Stephen Morris, President and CEO of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois-based C.V. Lloyde Audiovisual, adds: “The owners of the Henderson Silver Knights also own the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, and they wanted consistency of things like operator training, system routing, and ease and intuitiveness of use between both this venue and the T-Mobile Arena,” where the Vegas Golden Knights play, even though there are different console brands in each venue. We knew that the DiGiCo was going to sound great, but it had to meet all of those other criteria, too, which it does incredibly well. The S31 was a perfect fit for all of that.”
