Head of sound reinforcement at Radio France, Bruno Lompech, explained why he decided to go for another Eclipse. "I felt it was important that we have a back-up console that could be available quickly for the studios that are broadcasting every day, in particular Studio 106. Not that we expect to have problems - on the contrary, all of our Innovason consoles and especially Eclipse have proved to be extremely reliable, but it's good practice to have a spare.
"By the same token, we also needed a spare for the huge Radio France festivals that we host every summer in Avignon and Montpellier," continued Bruno. "The festivals are extremely large scale, complex events that require ALL of our consoles, so we really needed to have a back-up. However, that said, we will in fact be using the new Eclipse for recording purposes on the festivals, thanks to the integrated M.A.R.S. multitrack recording feature.
"Our decision to invest in a third Eclipse was also motivated by a desire to remain consistent in terms of our existing inventory and our user group, because, as I've already pointed out, the consoles aren't just used for mixing sound in a radio studio. We also use them for recording purposes on live events. It was already the case with our Sy80s, and of course now that Eclipse has M.A.R.S. on board, it's even easier."
Finally, Bruno Lompech noted that his relationship with Innovason was also a factor. "Innovason has always managed to come through for us, whatever the circumstances," he said. "I know that whatever happens, they are only a phone call away, and I can rely on them to find a solution. They may be based in Germany now, and the German team is great, but it's reassuring for us to know that the core of the French team is still here in France. It's the best of both worlds."
(Jim Evans)
