Anyone Digital??

[Inaki2]

Considering the everexpanding nature of our industry, I was wondering how many of you have adopted new technologies such as digital consoles or processors, how many actually use VCAs, etc.
Basically I'm trying to get ideas rolling that may help people who aren't seeing this as viable to see other ways to use it. And to have people who diss it to express why.

[The_Guest]

Use digital processors and effects processors, but other than that I wish I was using a VCA console. That is probably the biggest thing I'd liek to get a VCA console. But they're so expensive, you can only afford them with a the smaller configurations. Digital Consoles are very nice, I've messed around the PM1D, PM5D, and OV1.

[Inaki2]

I'm sooo waiting to get my hands on a PM5..I got a Digico D5 over here in FS and a Yamaha DM2000

[The_Guest]

Did you say digico D5, I've been dying to get my hands on one of those babies. It seems like it'd be a little weird to work with them, I'm used to seeing a full channel strip. Thats one thing that kinda fuses me with digital consoles is you don't have analog style where you can just react to the knob/fader. But these digital consoles are definitely the way to go with theater, have you ever seen the lion king. The cues in that show would be impossible to do by hand.

[Inaki2]

Yeah, thats the cool thing about doing lighting as well, you get used to the touchscreens and the different formats of consoles.
I remember that Seussical The Musical had a digital board that was actually just a control surface for Aphex preamps backstage. The saved tons of seatng by using that format. Albeit, the **** thing looked like an old Frankenstein movie, poor operator had stuff towering all over the place.

[RelativeMischief]

I use Ashlea Protea's for my monitor rig, and some digital effects processors for front of house, but beyond that I don't like the digital world for live sound. We rented a Soundcraft MH4 for one of the stages we're doing this weekend, it has VCA's and such but is still analog (it's pretty!).

[mixsa]

what is cool for theatre is a software program called
Q Manager, (www.hammerandtong.com)

Allows you to set up your cues, with all the appropriate samples, and just sit there and hit go, (even a lighting op could work it...)

and the full version allows midi triggering, etc.

very neat

[Inaki2]

Hey don't start with the lighting ops man!!! I do both lighting, sound and am a DJ..3 things that constaltly fight with each other!!!
I have seen tons of those kind of software and tested a buch. Some are really cool, and will allow u to trigger from all kind of sources, even relays to trigger CD players. Some suck...big time.
As for VCAs, coolest thing I've used are CADAC consoles which have a small display on top of every VCA master so you can write the name of whichever character is using the mic or what the group has, and it will change as u change the cues...really awesome stuff.

[PATech]

At my school we have a digital offboard processor/drive-rack unit in addition to our digital reverb and delay units. The only digital console I've touched was a PM-1D that I helped to move on my internship. I saw it being used and it was very cool. I'd like to get to use a digital or a VCA console and hopefully in time it'll happen.

[Inaki2]

Well, I'm noticing drive rack units have become the norm even at school theatres. Makes sense as most of them are great and not that expensive. We manage a theatre back in Argentina and we had a DR260 as a norm in mono, and we just added one to get stereo. There's also a Protea to manage delayed speakers. 5 rack units and more stuff you could fit into a whole drive rack!!