David Wynn, who set up the Yeovil-based company in 2001 by amalgamating his long established Climax PA business with local lighting company Nite-Lite, considered the purchase carefully when planning his current inventory overhaul.
ESP Production services the south of England - in both the concert touring and corporate sectors. In 2004 Wynn purchased a 40-channel Soundcraft MH3 and followed this up with a secondhand 32-channel K3.
"I was delighted with both the MH3 and the K3 but needed a multipurpose board for house and monitors to enable the MH3 to function more permanently at front-of-house. When the MH2 came out it was a godsend - as a dual function desk it provided the opportunity to have 32 channels for monitors or front-of-house. It was the ideal footprint for the size of event we do, and of course I already knew the format from the MH3."
Wynn is highly impressed with the board's facilities. "I am blown away with the matrix ... it's useful for recording and you can send signals to any place you want in corporate and broadcast situations."
Yet despite his many years in the business, Wynn is a recent convert to the culture of Soundcraft. "Having always found Soundcraft desks musical the MH3 was the first board that really excited me sonically - it certainly had the edge over other desks I have worked with - there's much more focus on the EQ.
"The MH2 follows the same philosophy, and while it doesn't have the parametric mids, to all intents and purposes it's the same desk. It's a highly intuitive board."
Finally, Wynn has a special word of praise for Soundcraft dealer, LMC, he says: "This was my first dealing with the company and I was very impressed with Steve King, who literally went out of his way to ensure sure that the desk was delivered the following day."
(Chris Henry)
