Purple Group, one of the country's leading rental facilities, already owned three SD8s and increased that number to no five at ISE. The company is a long-term DiGiCo user and, when asked to supply equipment for tours by top Dutch acts VanVelzen and Kane, the decision to invest in further SD8s was a straightforward one.
"For VanVelzen we use a double SD8 setup, a standard console and SD8-24," says Purple Group's Robert de Loey. "In venues with small Front of House position, the 24 channel console is used at FOH with the standard console on monitors, while in venues with small stages the consoles are swapped over."
Taking full advantage of the SD8's recording facilities, an RME Madiface is used for virtual soundchecking, integrated with the RME MADI bridge.
Leading Dutch rockers Kane have also chosen the SD8 for FOH duties, with a D5 at the monitor position.
"Being able to soundcheck before a band arrives makes touring so easy," says de Loey. "The great sound quality, flexibility and small footprint of the SD8 is the ideal way to work for our engineers. The DiGiCo family continues to grow at Purple Group and these latest purchases are definitely not the last."
Haastrecht-based Klaproos Cultural Support also invested in an SD8, plus a 56 input Digirack, at ISE. The company specialises in musicals, choir events and corporate parties, but is also well known in the Dutch contemporary music industry. It was the SD8's combination of high specification in a small footprint, which made it the ideal addition to the Klaproos inventory.
"The amount of channels used in musicals gets higher and higher, which means mixing consoles and racks of outboard also have to get proportionally bigger." says company managing director Teun Oskam. "But with the SD8 we can do more mixing, have more FX, dynamics and EQs that we ever dreamed of... and all in a much smaller footprint."
(Jim Evans)
