Syntonic Design Group, contracted for the audio production portion of the concert, provided a DiGiCo D5 for FOH. Syntonic's staff engineer, Donnie Smith, chose the D5 based on his previous experience using it on other symphonic events, and the console's ability to handle the large input requirements and dynamic musical range. "The features of the D5, including compression, EQ, effects, made the workload really easy to manage," he said. "Everything is right there should you need it, and I took full advantage of that."
One of the biggest challenges for Smith and system tech Jim Hutchinson was managing the multitude of inputs - 72 from the stage including strings, woodwinds, brass, bass, piano, harp, various percussion, emcee mics, and video tape playback and announcements. "Getting that amount of microphone inputs into a manageable situation easily and quietly was the major task," he recalled. "Having the ability to put multiple stage racks on and around the stage and then have on a fiber loop helps made that task easy. Not having to worry about running copper away from power/lights gave us the flexibility to locate items where needed easily and directly."
The D5 also drove a stereo PA and all output processing (comprised of L-Acoustics dV-DOSC, JBL VerTech 4889, Meyer Sound 700-HP, and Mackie SRM-150 components).
(Jim Evans)
