Founded in 2002, DiGiCo celebrates 15 years of manufacturing exceptional digital mixing consoles. Its first model — the D5 Live — established DiGiCo as a key player in the industry, while championing the digital mixing concept. The SD Series followed, delivering a powerful new way of working, with the flagship SD7 becoming a common sight on high-profile tours. In 2015, DiGiCo launched the affordable S21 (followed a year later by the S31), offering a new, modern workflow. In 2016 came Stealth Core 2 software, which increased the power of the SD range of consoles exponentially. Now, DiGiCo is delivering its latest creation, the new SD12.
Enter the SD12
The SD12 encapsulates the best features of both the SD and S Series. Utilizing the latest generation of Super FPGA, it is compact in size but delivers the power and capability synonymous with DiGiCo consoles.
Despite its reduced 44.25 x 31.3-inch footprint, the SD12 is no lightweight, delivering 72 input channels with full processing, 36 aux/group buses with full processing, a 12 x 8 matrix with full processing, LR/LCR bus with full processing, 12 stereo FX units, 16 Graphic EQs, 119 Dynamic EQs, 119 multiband compressors and 119 DiGi-TuBes, 12 Control Groups (VCA) and SD Series Stealth Core 2 software, making it compatible with all other SD Series sessions.
The rear panel is well-equipped, providing eight local XLR mic/line inputs, eight XLR line outputs, eight AES/EBU ins/outs, dual MADI in/out ports, two DMI card slots, optional dual Optocore loops, UB MADI 48-channel USB interface, 16 GPIs/GPOs, MIDI in/out/thru, BNC word clock in/out, overview monitor output (DVI), USB and Network ports and twin onboard 100-240 VAC redundant power supplies.
The UB MADI connection supports recording at 48 kHz; 48 tracks of recording are possible with the console clocking at 48 kHz and 24 tracks if it is clocking at 96 kHz. And virtual sound checking is right at hand.
Two slots for DMI cards support a wealth of I/O and expansion options, including a Dante module. A Waves module can also be fitted to take full advantage of the SoundGrid platform; and a huge family of DMI cards can plug into the SD12, all easily swappable for different projects or tours. The SD 12 also provides the capability to upgrade straight into the Optocore network with two loop options for interfacing with any Optocore-enabled SD product.
Features and More Features
One of the SD12’s more noticeable features is its dual, large (15-inch) digital touch screens — previously only seen on the SD7 and SD5 — which provide 24 channels in one view, dual-operator mode and the ability for the right-hand screen to be the Master, as well as advanced connectivity via optional DMI cards, yet the SD12 still maintains a familiar workflow to anyone working in touring, corporate, installation, house of worship, theater or live broadcast.
For fast access, EQ and dynamics controls are aligned next to both the left and right-hand screens, adjacent to the graphic representation you see when you assign an EQ. And not often seen in a console this compact, DiGiCo has included its popular Hidden Til Lit (HTL) technology, with two banks of 24 encoders featuring an RGB HTL ring, as well as an SD7-style channel strip with HTL EQ encoders. Also new is Dynamics metering on the channel strip and high intensity meters associated with the faders. The rotaries that sit below the screen indicate, by color, what parameters they are controlling to allow for fast operation; these are also HTL-enabled.
An important aspect of a digital console is the feedback of the metering. The Dynamics controls are where you would expect them to be, but with the addition of gain reduction meters normally only seen on the SD7 and SD5 and metering to show the action of the gates.
Also standard: an assignable master section on the bottom right hand side of the worksurface and two assignable faders with their own displays and metering, which can be assigned to be any of the channels whether input or output, or Solo Master controls. Dedicated RGB scribble strips, of which there are five, can be assigned to Macros with five banks giving a total of 25 Macros, and there is a Snapshot panel for quickly accessing and controlling the Snapshots list, as well as for firing the next and previous Snapshot.
The SD12 has a suite of remote control options, including the iPad SD remote app, which offers remote control, expansion and show control. Meanwhile, offline software allows for session preparation and online remote operation. There are OSC and Ross network protocols; 16-pin GPIO that allows for audio-follows-video and show control; Serial/MIDI in/out for MMC/MTC, MIDI remote and QLab; second console mirroring and redundancy.
Add-ons are numerous, allowing users to create exactly the console system that fits any production or venue requirements. Besides the previously mentioned huge array of DMI expansion cards, options include: the SD-Rack, SD-MINI Rack, SD-NANO Rack, D-Rack, UB-MADI, Waves SoundGrid Module, DiGiGrid MGB, DiGiGrid MGO, DiGiGrid SWI, Purple Box, Little Red Box, Little Blue Box and more.
Offering a cost-effective, compact and powerful surface, with the DiGiCo reputation for and reliability, the SD12 is well-suited to serious users requiring high-end performance in an intuitive, multi-screen package.
For more information, go to www.digico.biz.
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