Myles explains: "We looked at several desks within our price range and Congo was the one that fitted our needs and requirements. It offers us the ability to run generic lights for theatrical shows in a traditional way, while also enabling us to bolt on the moving lights when we do rock concerts. We also really like the fact that the software updates, which ETC brings out on a regular basis, are free of charge, so as a growing school theatre, we are confident that Congo will grow with us.
"ETC's Jeremy Roberts came to demonstrate the desk to us, and it was not long after we first took delivery that our 15 to 18 year old stage crew were flying around the desk at high speed, just wanting to know more and more about it, determined to push it to its limits.
"We are totally blown away by it. Every show we do, we discover more and more about the desk - it's so powerful and the pupils like the fact that they can personalise it - there are so many ways to do the same things, which is great for training individual students. The Congo does it all and more."
Board operator and programmer Tom, 15, says: "I like the fact that if you set up the palettes, you can easily light a rock concert without having to pre-programme everything." Meanwhile, 18 year old Ben, who is studying for his A-levels, adds that he likes the palettes on the direct selects, as well as smoother fading compared to their previous desk. "There is also the ease of setting up and using it for moving lights," he says.
(Jim Evans)
