SYDNEY — A new 500-capacity bar owned by Sydney Theatre Company (STC) may not have the most poetic of monikers, but the name is practical, with directions built-in. It’s called “The Bar at the End of the Wharf.” Head of sound Ben Lightowlers, who notes that STC already owned two DiGiCo SD8 mixers, opted for a DiGiCo SD9 for the venue.
More details from DiGiCo (www.digico.org):
Sydney Theatre Company’s new bar, aptly named ‘The Bar at the End of the Wharf’, is a busy little hot spot for Sydney’s inner city crowds in the know. As the name neatly implies, the bar is found at the end of the Wharf just past the Wharf 1 Theatre. It is now the proud owner of a new DiGiCo SD9 console.
With the 500+ capacity bar now being an extension of STC’s operations it is capable of hosting any number of acts and performances such as opening nights, season launches, media calls and monthly live gigs.
When the time came to choose the front of house console that could be utilized in both the bar and the Wharf 2 theatre, STC’s Head of Sound, Ben Lightowlers, was quick to go with DiGiCo, based on his prior experiences with the two SD8 consoles in use at Sydney Theatre. With both the SD9 and SD8 featuring the same audio processing and software interface, users could move back and forth between the venues with confidence.
“When the console first arrived, the Bar was still under construction. I seized the opportunity to take the SD9 with me in my capacity as operator for our touring production Bloodland, which was traveling to Adelaide Festival Centre and QPAC in Brisbane, so I could see how it stood up on the road,” says Ben. “Putting the SD9 up for use in Theatre mode really gave me the chance to embrace its full capabilities. It seems to be common practice that you’ll end up using all the available outputs, so it is handy to be able to tailor the number of Busses and Auxiliaries when setting up the board.”
With the SD9 capable of 48 stereo channels (96 channels total) as well as the ability to create up to 16 stereo busses in addition to the LCR Master buss, any number of different setups can be accommodated. That is in addition to the true theatre style matrix.
“Choosing the DiGiCo SD9 for this venue was rather easy,” adds Ben. “I was already familiar with DiGiCo’s versatility as we had just upgraded the 850-seat Sydney Theatre across the road with two SD8s, so I couldn’t wait for an excuse to buy one for the bar. Having the SD9 set up in this room also offers my crew more opportunity to train up on the DiGiCo console.”
