LOS ANGELES - March 2015 -- The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles has upgraded its front of house and monitor mixing consoles at Walt Disney Concert Hall to a fiber-networked DiGiCo digital audio system as the complex celebrates its 50th anniversary. ATK AudioTek of Valencia, CA supplied and installed an SD5 at FOH, SD10 at the monitor position, and shared SD Rack at the 2,252-seat Walt Disney Concert Hall, one of four venues that comprise The Music Center campus, which first opened in 1964.
The upgrade to DiGiCo consoles at the Concert Hall, which opened in 2003, was influenced by the purchase of a pair of DiGiCo SD7 desks for the Hollywood Bowl in 2014. Every year the LA Phil performs a 15-week series of summer concerts at the Bowl, returning to Walt Disney Concert Hall for the remainder of the calendar.
With our success at the Hollywood Bowl using DiGiCo, we considered the consoles pretty seriously when it was time to look at what we could do for the Concert Hall, explains Fred Vogler, principal sound designer and mixer for LA Phil. We wanted a desk that was easy to use, had good input/output flexibility, and provided future expandability. It also made sense for us to have the same type of consoles at the summer home of the LA Phil when we're at the Concert Hall during the winter season.
The 96 kHz operation of the DiGiCo consoles at the Hollywood Bowl played a significant part in the audio quality improvements at that venue, according to Kevin Wapner, the Concert Hall s head of audio/video, and assistant audio/video and monitor mixer at the Bowl. So the year before we made this latest purchase decision, we converted all our paths at the Concert Hall to 96k capability via Rocknet in preparation for moving in this direction, he reports. The transition was really smooth, going from the previous consoles to the DiGiCos and using the fiber loop between them. AudioTek's integration and their knowledge got us up and going it was seamless.
No less important are the matrix output capabilities of the SD5. While the clarity of the acoustics in the Concert Hall, designed by acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, rarely requires the DiGiCo FOH console to handle more than 40 inputs for non-orchestral performances, the SD5 enables granular control of the complex sound reinforcement system, which is deployed only when needed. Custom left and right main speakers on the stage fire forward, sideways, and rearward, as do the center-hung arrays. Front fills cover the first few rows of seating, and there are also ceiling speakers and balcony delays.
Everything is addressable, Vogler elaborates. You can change the level to the forward JBL VT4887 array the upper and lower portions are separately addressed as well as the sides and rear. You can also individually address the main custom ATC speakers. That was another factor in picking the DiGiCo console we needed something with excellent matrixing and routing. The EQ sounds great on this board and the routing is superb. It's a good tool for defining the sound and sending it where you want it to go. And the way you can arrange things on the console is very intuitive and comfortable.
The resident Concert Hall engineers, Randy Piotroski (FOH) and Leland Alexander (monitors), make extensive use of the DiGiCo system's snapshot capabilities, according to Wapner: We have starting templates, because the distribution of the PA is so complex, and we don't want to reinvent it for each show. Snapshot templates have been defined for the Concert Hall's Symphonies for Schools schedule; Casual Fridays, which includes a Q&A session between the artists and the audience; jazz and other amplified ensembles; choral and opera performances; and other events.
During LA Phil performances, which make full use of the hall's natural acoustics, the SD5 is moved on its custom stand, built in-house, to a booth behind the mix position for use as a recording console. Archival recording is by and large a stereo mix onto a flash drive, reports Wapner. It's usually five mics across the front left, right, and the tree and the audience mics. For broadcast recordings, a Merging Technologies Pyramix system tracks every microphone via Horus converters.
Equipment purchase decisions at the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall undergo very careful consideration, as Wapner explains. It's really high quality audio here, and there's a lot of critical listening. We always say it's like being under a microscope, times a thousand.
Whatever piece of technology you introduce into this environment is going to be scrutinized. The expectations of the management and the artists are extremely high, so sonic performance as well as how it looks and operates are a really big deal, says Vogler.
He adds, We really enjoy the sound, the performance and the ease of use. Everybody who works on the board comes away feeling like they had an easy time on it.
The Music Center opened on December 6, 1964 as a public/private not-for-profit partnership with the County of Los Angeles. The original complex was comprised of three venues: the 3,197-seat Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the 739-seat Mark Taper Forum, and Ahmanson Theatre, which offers flexible seating for 1,200 to 2,100. On October 23, 2003, The Music Center opened the Frank Gehry-designed 2,252-seat Walt Disney Concert Hall, expanding the campus to 12 acres. Walt Disney Concert Hall includes the 270-seat Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), the 300-seat William M. Keck Foundation Children's Amphitheatre, and the 120-seat Nadine and Ed Carson Amphitheatre. For more information, visit www.musiccenter.org.
DiGiCo Press Contacts
David Webster at DiGiCo
Tel: +44 1372 845600
Email: webby@DiGiConsoles.com
Chris Shuler at Public Address
Tel: +1 269 815 5055
Email: christophershuler@comcast.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
19/04/2024
Thank You for visiting us at NAB 2024!
Thank you for joining us at the ToolsOnAir booth during NAB Show 2024!
We were delighted to showcase our latest inno...
19/04/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: (L-R) John Early and Theda Hammel attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Stress Positions premiere at Library Center Theatre on ...
19/04/2024
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
19/04/2024
Pictured: Midnight Family
By Stephanie Ornelas
A great way to get to know a city as culturally unique and rich as Mexico City is to listen to the stories tol...
19/04/2024
St. Louis, MO - April 18, 2024 - Studio Network Solutions (SNS) announced today that MOD won three prestigious industry awards at NAB Show 2024 held this week i...
19/04/2024
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...
19/04/2024
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 19, 2024 - The Board of Directors of L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.16 per common share, payab...
19/04/2024
PARIS Intel has announced that its plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will include using artificial intelligence technology powered by Intel ...
19/04/2024
LAS VEGAS Technologists working on all aspects of the 8K media production chain offered an optimistic update at the 2024 NAB Show on the state of 8K in video pr...
19/04/2024
OpenDrives New Software-Defined Platform Atlas Wins 2024 NAB Show Product of the...
19/04/2024
Grass Valley Showcases Next-Generation T3 Series 4K/HD Digital Recording and Pla...
19/04/2024
NiTRo's M-CUBE Studio Levels Up Esports Productions with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Esports' rapid rise to popularity can...
19/04/2024
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 19
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Major update adds new DaVinci Neural Engine AI tools, new color ...
19/04/2024
Sony Pictures Entertainment is reportedly in talks with Apollo Global Management to make a bid to acquire Paramount which itself is currently discussing a merge...
19/04/2024
Simon Wilkinson, head of VFX at 1185 films, talks about the technology behind the newly-released horror
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
Simo...
19/04/2024
The global electronics company is said to be considering joining forces with investment firm Apollo Management to bid for Paramount Global
By Jenny Priestley
...
19/04/2024
The report broke the economic footprint of EBU member sports broadcasting into three main areas
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
The report b...
19/04/2024
CBS Stations has launched CBS News California Investigates , with Julie Watts named regional CBS California correspondent. She will uncover and raise awarenes...
19/04/2024
MediaCo Holding, which owns radio stations WQHT (Hot 97) and WBLS in New York, said it acquired Estrella Media's Spanish-language video, audio and digital c...
19/04/2024
Netflix has ordered season five of fantasy drama The Witcher, which will be the final season. Production has recently begun on season four, and the two remainin...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream said it added eight more The CW affiliates to its lineup on Thursday....
19/04/2024
CBS has renewed Elsbeth for the 2024-2025 season. The drama, with Carrie Preston in the lead role, debuted February 29....
19/04/2024
With the Bears picking first, NBCUniversal Local's properties in Chicago plan extensive coverage of the NFL draft next week....
19/04/2024
PHILADELPHIA As government subsidies for broadband services come to an end, Comcast has launched NOW, a new product portfolio of lower-cost Internet, mobile and...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream has added more local CW stations for its streaming customers in Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hartford-New Haven Conn., Phoenix, San ...
19/04/2024
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES MediaCo Holding Inc. has announced that it has acquired all of Estrella Media's network, content, digital, and commercial operations....
19/04/2024
SAN JOSE, Calif. Adobe has announced that the all-new Adobe Express mobile app is available to all users, bringing features powered by Adobe Firefly generative ...
19/04/2024
LOS GATOS, Calif. Netflix reported another blockbuster quarter by adding 9.33 million new subscribers in Q1, 2024 as global paid memberships hit 269.6 million, ...
19/04/2024
The Current State of the Industry and the Future Impact of AI
Hillary Lewis April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The Entertainment Industry: How did we get here ...
19/04/2024
After Effects Tutorial Text Blur Reveal
Andy Ford April 18, 2024
0 Comments
Here's a way to do a quick blur reveal for your text layer. Start by...
19/04/2024
Hollyland Mars M1 Enhanced Wireless Transmitter / Receiver
Colin Smith April 18, 2024
0 Comments
This tutorial shows the new wireless transmitter rece...
19/04/2024
Resolve Fusion: Writing Expressions with Lua
Simon Ubsdell April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The answer to the very frequently-asked question: what is the pro...
19/04/2024
B+C and Next TV have announced the winners of Best of Show Awards for the 2024 NAB Show. The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts at the convention...
19/04/2024
Cate Blanchett narrates the Netflix series Our Living World, which premieres April 17. The four-part series looks at the extraordinary creatures around the glob...
19/04/2024
Apple TV Plus has a spinoff of For All Mankind in the works. It is called Star City and details the cosmonauts, engineers and intelligence officers working behi...
19/04/2024
Jacquie Walker, longtime anchor at WIVB Buffalo, will step down from the anchor desk. She has spent over 40 years at WIVB and her last day as an anchor is May 2...
19/04/2024
Bob Hearts Abishola will premiere in broadcast syndication this fall on such station groups as Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, Hearst Television, Tegna, E.W. Scr...
19/04/2024
Live With Kelly and Mark remains TV's top entertainment talk show as Kelly Ripa and her co-host and husband Mark Consuelo celebrate their one-year anniversa...
19/04/2024
Sean McLaughlin has been named VP of news for Graham Media Group. He had been senior VP of local news at E.W. Scripps. He will will be responsible for developi...
19/04/2024
Netflix has shared the first trailer from One Hundred Years of Solitude, a series based on the esteemed novel by Gabriel Garc a M rquez. The streamer is on boar...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 in Review: West Hall - SportsTech Buzz From AWS, Appear, Ateme, The Swi...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 Draws 61,000+ Attendees With More Than Half Attending the Show for the ...
19/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI support European OTIC in Berlin for O-RAN conformance ...
19/04/2024
Wuppertal April 19, 2024
Riedel launches Bolero Connect for seamless integration with PunQtum A pioneer in the field of digital intercom, Riedel has recently ...
LOS ANGELES - March 2015 -- The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles has upgraded its front of house and monitor mixing consoles at Walt Disney Concert Hall to a fiber-networked DiGiCo digital audio system as the complex celebrates its 50th anniversary. ATK AudioTek of Valencia, CA supplied and installed an SD5 at FOH, SD10 at the monitor position, and shared SD Rack at the 2,252-seat Walt Disney Concert Hall, one of four venues that comprise The Music Center campus, which first opened in 1964.
