DiGiCo brings its wealth of experience to the broadcast industry and, once again, pushes the boundaries of digital mixing to the limit. The new SD10B is a broadcast specific console, boasting features and benefits that distinguish it from every other broadcast console on the market – and at a price point never before achieved.
The SD10B comes with all the refinements you would expect on any DiGiCo console, but with many exciting new options and a broadcast-specific feature set that delivers sophisticated digital mixing. The new console’s work surface is constructed from anodised aluminium and is , overlaid with polycarbonate panels to provide clear and concise user feedback. A large 15 inch, touch sensitive screen provides both information and fast control of all the main parameters.
The control surface features 37 x 100mm touch sensitive faders, providing fast access to the console’s large number of channels, which include 96 with full processing, 12 of which can be configured as full Flexi Channels – and outputs that can be assigned across the surface. All inputs have dual mono inputs for fast ‘Main’ and ‘Alt’ channel switching.
Multi-channel ‘folding’ under a single fader means users can configure stereo, LCR, 5.1, or up to eleven mono channels under a single fader strip that can be unfolded for individual control, or neatly folded up for convenience and efficient work surface use.
Smart Key Macros are provided, accessed via four layers of ten backlit keys. The user can program these to control any functions, simple or complex, that they want to recall at the push of a button.
Local I/O, positioned on the rear of the console, comprises eight mic inputs, eight line outputs, eight mono AES I/O, two MADI connections with redundant cabling connections, 16 GPI connections, for external triggering of any console function or functions, 16 GPO connections for machine start, fader start and relay control (with the option to expand to 32 GPI and GPO), MIDI plus Word clock, MADI and Optocore for synchronisation.
As you would expect from DiGiCo, the SD10B features extremely powerful processing. Standard input channel processing includes channel delay; single and multi channel presets; HPF and LPF with an industry leading 24db per octave; four bands of parametric EQ with band curve selection; compressor and date; dual insert points and access to all bussing.
Standard output channel processing includes output delay; eight bands of parametric EQ (previously only seen on the SD7); compressor and gate; dual insert points; groups with buss to buss routing, plus Auxes that have direct talk to output with dim control.
Dynamic EQ provides both expansion and compression on all four bands of parametric EQ. These powerful processors can be assigned to any of the input or output channels, whether stereo or LCR, with ten units being allocated as required. In addition, any input or output channel can be mastered via the multi-band compressors – perfect for managing complex in ear monitoring or difficult input channels – again, ten units can be allocated.
48 assignable busses can be configured as mono, stereo, LCR, LCRS and 5.1 busses, mono or stereo groups, or auxiliary busses. Mix Minus busses, one per mono channel, are also provided, while there is also a complete 5.1 monitoring matrix with a 48 x 6, source to speaker selection, highlighting the SD range’s renowned routing flexibility.
Insertable FX and graphic EQs can be routed, controlled and snapshot recalled for the most complex show design. The 24 graphics can easily be inserted and controlled from the work surface and 10 Stealth stereo FX units can be configured at any time from the palette of thirty-three Stealth FX. Integration with Waves plug ins offers yet more processing options.
Unlike all other Sound Grid platforms, DiGiCo provides complete control of plug in parameters, as well as recall of snapshots and single loading / saving, directly from the work surface. 16 stereo Sound Grid racks can be inserted, with up to eight plug ins in each rack.
Also provided are Back Stop PFL (over press), Auto PFL and Dual Solos for PFL and On Air soloing, user defined stem order selection and Audio Follow video implementation for up to 32 cameras. Like all DiGiCo consoles, the SD10B software runs on a standard PC or Intel-based Macintosh for offline preparation and remote control. One SD10B can also be linked to another, using a standard CAT5 crossover cable, providing 74 faders for control. In this configuration, the audio engine of the first SD10B provides complete redundancy for the other.
As if all this wasn’t enough, the SD10B offers even more expansion options:
- SD-Rack connectivity provides hot swappable I/O and 448 Audio channels on 14 racks for audio networking – formats will include Dante, BNC AES and HDSDI.
- Redundant optical and MADI connections.
- Five redundant consoles can share all inputs from the stage racks, and outputs on the system can be assigned in blocks of eight. For example, a single rack can provide 56 inputs to both consoles with 40 of the outputs assigned to the monitor console and 16 used by Front of House for feeds back to the stage.
- One console can even directly route outputs to another console on the loop, for convenient tie lines.
- D-Rack, SD-Rack, SD7, SD10 and SD10B can operate together at 96khz. The audio advantage here is clear, but also means just over 1ms of latency when routing an input through a channel and buss, with processing back to an output.
- Sound Grid Waves can be added, allowing full connection and control of a Waves Sound Grid. At last – low latency plug ins on a floating point digital console!
- Connectivity to the outside world isn’t restricted to just the D-Rack and SD-Rack. The SD10B comes with different I/O options because tailored DiGiCo systems and complex set ups are completely user configurable.
Finally, the SD10B also features dual hot swap, switch mode, PSUs as standard.
