IT’S OFFICIAL - DIGICO SD8 IS A WORK OF ART
Less than a month after its acclaimed launch at PLASA 08, DiGiCo’s new SD8 console is already out on the road, bringing a new level of quality and sophistication to audio systems in the UK’s medium-sized theatre venues.
An SD8 is being used to mix monitors for Art Garfunkel and his band, currently in the midst of a 12 date European trek. Playing to venues of around 2,000 capacity, it’s a one truck tour so audio rental company AudioLease needed a monitor desk that was compact, but delivers the kind of quality a music industry living legend like Garfunkel needs.
“Being a one truck tour, space is at a premium,” says AudioLease’s Steve Sunderland. “With the SD8 we don’t need to carry big racks of outboard gear, it’s very compact and yet it still sounds awesome.
“To be honest I was amazed that there is now a DiGiCo console at a price that means we can use such a technically advanced desk in these kind of venues. It’s very difficult to justify £50,000 to £100,000 worth of console for tours like this so, with the SD8, DiGiCo has filled a vast gap in the market.”
The honour of manning the SD8 on its first tour goes to monitor engineer Mikey Osman, also working with Art Garfunkel for the first time. Having used the DiGiCo D1 and D5 at both Front of House and monitor positions with other artists, he found moving to the SD8 very straightforward.
“It’s a very easy transition to make, I’ve found it very intuitive,” says Mikey. “It works exactly the way you’d expect. You don’t have to go through pages of menus to get anywhere. You’ve got everything in front of you, it’s all just where you want it.”
Mikey is running nine monitor mixes, one on in-ears and the rest wedges. “It’s noticeable that the sound of the console is very crisp,” he says. “In fact sonically it’s incredible. It’s every bit as clean and pleasant sounding as the D series and the band are really happy.”
Apart from a tc electronic M5000 for Garfunkel’s lead vocal, the SD8’s internal effects are being used exclusively - reverb on drums, piano and acoustic guitar, plus 12 graphic EQs inserted across the aux sends.
“The internal effects are really nice and they work really well,” says Mikey. “I really am surprised that DiGiCo managed to squeeze so much quality into such a small, cost-effective unit.”
“So much touring takes place in these 2,000 - 3,000 capacity venues and costings are always tight at that level. I think having a DiGiCo console at this price with such advanced facilities is fantastic. It’s going to really raise the bar with what’s possible for a significant percentage of the touring market.”
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