BROOKLYN, NY – Melanie Renecker, head of sound and production manager at the Knitting Factory's new location in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, cited "space" as a key issue for the new sound system designed by John Michaels of Sonic Circus, which includes an Avid VENUE SC48 console at front-of-house.
Established as an East Village gallery and performance space before moving to a larger three-room space in Tribeca, then moving again to a more intimate space in Williamsburg, Renecker noted that at the new Knitting Factory location, "we've got less room to spread out here, and the SC48's small, compact footprint really helps to maximize the space."
Indeed, the mix position is relatively Spartan, with the VENUE system's onboard effects doing most of the heavy lifting, augmented by a small rack of outboard gear.
"With our previous console, I always had to make decisions over what to sacrifice," said Renecker. "We only had a few compressors, and I'd have to decide which instruments wouldn't get compression because I'd need them for vocals. With the SC48, I never have to make those kinds of compromises."
With anywhere from two to four acts on any given night, the VENUE system's snapshot automation is another valuable asset. "A lot of times we've got acts sharing the bill that are very different from each other," she said. "Being able to set up a basic mix, save it, and recall it later makes set changes a whole lot less stressful.
"The console is also really easy to work with. It's very intuitive, and I can get to pretty much anything with a minimum of button presses or menus. It's very immediate, very analog-like, and very functional. It makes my job that much easier."
For more information, please visit www.avid.com.
