The Canada: Centre in the Square

Sy80 digital live mixing console takes pride of place at state-of-the-art theatre.

November 2003 - The Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada has installed an INNOVASON Sy80 digital live mixing console in its prestigious Raffi Armenian Theatre, one of North America's most expansive, acoustically superior halls. The first of its type to be installed in Canada, the Sy80 console will be used to mix a wide variety of performances.

Despite its compact size the Sy80 packs a huge feature set that includes 80 faders, 48 mix buses, 80 inputs and up to 80 outputs. Every channel has a full set of signal processing devices including delays and this saves further space by reducing the need for outboard gear. And with complete resettability, the time saved moving from one performance to another contributes greatly to the efficiency and reliability of the operation.

The Sy80 console was selected to replace a vintage analogue console at The Centre in the Square for a combination of reasons, as Chief Engineer Bob Luffman explains: “The space occupied by the console is in the midst of the seating which is at a premium; the Sy80 has a much smaller footprint and for many events has freed up a number of seats for paying customers. The physical compactness is also important as I need access to console functions without a lot of physical movement that might distract patrons around me. We regularly put on shows with a rock band backed by an orchestra and need the full 80 inputs. The auditorium’s sound system is designed for zone coverage which requires a console with a large matrix output capability. Also the versatility of the console is important to us because we do so many different forms of entertainment.”

“The learning curve was very quick and the digital console can do so many more things than an analog console. ‘Expanded Faders’ is a fantastic design implementation; for large shows, the whole mic layout is within my immediate reach. Things like ‘copy / paste, ‘Overram’ and working off line are other great features which save a lot of time. A lot of the local shows we do have the same basic setups from year to year, so the time saved in being able to recall shows is invaluable. By setting up templates to cover many different situations, it is very quick and easy to organize an event.”

The Theatre/Auditorium is home to the highly successful Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony whose 52 member orchestra presents 70 concerts each season. Performers enthuse about the stage acoustics while audience are amazed at how the sound has the same warmth and brilliance in the back row as in the very front. All 2,047 seats enjoy clear unobstructed views of the stage and the acoustics can be adjusted according to the type of production being staged.

The theatre is designed to be able to handle Wagner's Ring Cycle (140 piece orchestra plus chorus) as well as a variety of other events from rock through Broadway shows to one-man stand-up shows. Recent shows include a Saturday Night Fever musical, David Copperfield’s magic act and an evening with Eric Idle of Monty Python fame. Coming later this autumn are a series of concerts by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony; Halo, a play by Josh MacDonald, and Power Ballads and Metal Classics. The Sy80 was the first to be supplied and installed by Sennheiser Canada, who have already sold more than 20 INNOVASON digital consoles in the country. “We are very excited about the prospects for the Sy80,” reports Marc Vincent, VP Sales & Marketing for Sennheiser Canada. “Four years worth of market feedback has been incorporated into the new console but what’s so great is that the Sy80 retains the simplicity and ease of use of the earlier consoles despite the increased feature set. We are at the dawn of the digital console revolution in live sound but things are really starting to accelerate now and the Sy80 is set to do extremely well.”

Link : Centre in the Square: http://www.centre-square.com/.

Bob Luffman, Tel: 1 519 578 5660; e-mail: bluffman@centre-square.com.

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