First Night is a free event held for the people of Auckland and staged at The Edge, Auckland’s central conference and performance venue. Incorporating art music and fireworks, the multi-room venue hosts up to ten thousand people during the evening’s festivities. This year’s event was made even more special with the addition of a DiGiCo D1-Live digital mixing console being used for the first time for this event. In fact, the particular DiGiCo D1-Live being used was the first DiGiCo console to be purchased for New Zealand’s production audio market.
Steve Coubrough from SPL – New Zealand’s first DiGiCo equipped production company
For the fourth year running Sound Partners Ltd. (SPL), the proud owners of the new D1-Live console, has provided production for this prestigious night of the year featuring many of New Zealand’s most popular acts. The D1-Live was eagerly anticipated for this gig in particular by its operators, due to the amount of changeovers required and the D1’s ability to recall settings, amongst other things. “For a multi-band event the recall settings on the D1 make for a welcome feature, as well as the ease of use for several operators” says Steve Coubrough, Director of Sound Partners Ltd… The DiGiCo console provided SPL with an easy-to-use mixing console with all the features and benefits DiGiCo has built-in to the desk to make the transition from analogue to digital mixing a breeze for any competent sound engineer. “The size of the system eases loss of seating in a packed venue and the over all quality of audio was well complimented by the Nexo Geo-S speaker system flown to cover the multi level ASB theatre” commented Steve. Monitor duty was handles by Nexo PS15 speakers and EF drum fill. “Clear and even coverage is what’s required at this concert and Geo never fails to impress”, he added.
SPL’s DiGiCo D1-Live ready for action for the first time in New Zealand
SPL has a busy summer ahead with many festivals and outdoor concerts already booked to make full use of the New Zealand’s newest (and indeed first ever) DiGiCo D1-Live digital mixing console along with its extensive Nexo/Camco inventory. Being the first owners of DiGiCo in New Zealand could also prove to be an extreme advantage for this growing production company in the new age of digital mixing consoles.
