
DiGiCo SD12 delivers familiarity and flexibility for Music Bank live streams posted: 24/01/2021
Over the past 25 years Music Bank has established itself as one of the premier rehearsal and backline hire facilities in Europe. Top touring artists and productions have long-standing relationships with Music Bank's team, and know they are always going to get a great facility and great service when they come to rehearse or hire equipment. In recent months, Music Bank's director Jimmy Mac has been busy modifying the studios to create a state-of-the-art live streaming space, allocating its DiGiCo SD12 to mix duties to ensure familiarity and total flexibility for visiting engineers.
We knew people would want to use Music Bank as a streaming location for the same reasons they use it for a rehearsal space, says Charlie Bryson, monitor engineer for Rod Stewart's band and long-time DiGiCo user who started his career at Music Bank and has returned during the pandemic to look after all things audio for the live streams. The new studios offer huge, great sounding, well-serviced rehearsal rooms with a plethora of backline and instruments available to hire right across the hallway.
This, combined with a recently upgraded 1Gb symmetrical internet connection and its collaboration with neighbour, Colour Sound Experiment, to bring in modular/scalable LED walls and a lighting package for each room, makes Music Bank a logical choice for a streaming performance space.
After that, all that was left was to get a great camera and broadcast setup together and we had an awesome streaming operation that artists could come in and design however they liked! Bryson continues. Initially, I think a lot of artists saw an opportunity to do something different or something they hadn't done before with these live streamed / lockdown performances. Something new and exciting for the fans to make up for the lack of energy experienced at a live showWith that in mind, I needed a console that was very versatile and flexible and able to handle any new idea that might arise halfway through a rehearsal.
Having worked almost entirely on DiGiCo consoles for the last five years - they are always Bryson's go-to choice of console - and as the SD12 was already part of Music Banks studio stock, it made perfect sense to use it for these performances, knowing that it would cope, whatever was needed.
You develop a way of working fast an efficiently with whatever console you spend most time with, he says. But in my opinion, the DiGiCo operating system really is the most logical, intuitive and user-friendly option out there.
DiGiCo's Mark Saunders has been an integral part of the relationship between Music Bank and DiGiCo, adds Mac. Before the pandemic we had so many artists in with DiGiCo packages, Mark basically had a second home here! It's been extremely productive to have developed such a close relationship between the two companies and I'm sure it will continue for long into the future.
As soon as the initial period of lockdown ended, Music Bank was set up and ready to go and has been doing streams on a regular basis. All genres and scales have been catered for, from intimate Punk Rock shows with The Professionals [Steve Cook from The Sex Pistols], immersive DJ performances with the likes of Jonas Blue, to Melanie C's global album launch performance. More recently, Trevor Horn and his all-star session band recorded a Live Session Special with artists including Seal and Stewart Copeland dialing in via Live Link to perform with the musicians in the studio in London from their own studios in the US.
Artists have the option to bring in their own audio package or use Music Bank's in-house systems. So far, it has been a mix of both; The Professionals was a full Music Bank package, whilst the Trevor Horn performance was a mix with the SD12 for the FOH / broadcast mix, with audio partners SSE suppling an SD5 at monitors. If the house system is chosen, Bryson acts as a tech for all things audio and mixes both broadcast and in-house monitors if required.
Having been a freelance engineer and audio tech for the last 10 years, it has been nice to see some familiar faces coming in and out, he concludes. From an audio point of view everything has gone extremely smoothly so far! I think this is testament to the DiGiCo being so versatile. You can put it in the room with any kind of band, artist, performance or production and know that no matter how complicated the outputs get, or how many inputs you end up with, you'll be able to work through it quickly and efficiently. We also benefit from our SD-Rack being fully kitted out with the 32-bit cards in and out, so not only is it easy, it sounds exceptional too!
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Innovative three-band soft synth introduced
UVI's latest synth takes an interesting approach to synthesis, offering a trio of synth engines that each op...
15/06/2026
Applications now open for 2026
The Oram Awards have returned for 2026 to celebrate the unusual, unique and unfiltered creative worlds of women and gender-di...
15/06/2026
New intelligent auto-fader plug-in revealed
PSPaudioware's latest release offers automatic level adjustment and provides more detailed control than many...
15/06/2026
Greater Manchester Police installs Rohde & Schwarz security scanner for custody ...
15/06/2026
Insights from NAGRAVISION's latest industry webinar featuring One Hungary, Liberty Global and Media Press Group
In this blog, Laura Rognoni explores the k...
15/06/2026
Monday 15 June 2026
Sky News takes viewers inside Minab in new film investigati...
15/06/2026
Fox Corporation to Acquire Roku, Inc. Combination Creates a Scaled Media and Technology Platform with Superior Reach, Engagement and Monetization Capability
...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
11/06/2026
As podcast formats evolve in the streaming era, podcasting needs updated, transp...
11/06/2026
As Spotify's global RADAR program enters its sixth year in Italy, a new class of artists is stepping into the spotlight. Today, we're announcing the six...
11/06/2026
Pride Month is a time for celebration, reflection, and amplifying the diverse stories and perspectives from the LGBTQIA+ community that enrich our world. To hel...
11/06/2026
First in new line of muted string libraries
VSL have just announced the launch of two new string libraries that represent the first two instalments in a new...
11/06/2026
New colour option for 61-key Launchkey MK4
At Superbooth 2025, Novation introduced the Launchkey Mini 37 White and Launchkey 49 White, bringing an additiona...
11/06/2026
Larger, but still compact!
Arturia's popular compact MIDI controller keyboard is now available in a, well, slightly less compact version! The new MiniLa...
11/06/2026
Eurosatory 2026: Rohde & Schwarz shapes the new-generation battlefield Rohde & Schwarz unveils next generation SIGINT/EW and CUAS solutions on uncrewed system...
11/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz unveils NEMACS - Directional, ultra secure connectivity for the ...
11/06/2026
Thursday 11 June 2026
Daisy May Cooper rallies the nation ahead of ICC Women's T20 World CupTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options and...
11/06/2026
Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 Jun...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
09/06/2026
Last month, Spotify hosted PURE FLOWERS LIVE, a special event celebrating the re...
09/06/2026
Last month, RADAR U.K. artist Skye Newman took the stage in East London for a sp...
09/06/2026
Company to cease operating on 30 June 2026
Australian loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer Wayne Jones Audio have announced that after much consideration,...
09/06/2026
Increases low-end weight and character
The latest plug-in release from Sheffield-based fedDSP aims to offer an all-in-one solution for users in search of mo...
09/06/2026
Introduces AI Studio Assistant, Moises Studio integration & more
Fender Studio have just announced the launch of a significant update that brings an array o...
09/06/2026
The BBC has found its Hercule Poirot.
After Deadline revealed last month that t...
09/06/2026
Filming to take place in Holmfirth
9th June 2026, London: U&GOLD is heading bac...
09/06/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Offset360 to Modernize Color Control Across Existing Pre...
09/06/2026
09 Jun 2026
VEON Appoints Serkan Ozturk as Chief of Staff & Strategy Officer Dubai and New York, June 9, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital oper...