Warwick Arts Centre has upgraded its DiGiCo S-Series consoles with brand new DiGiCo Quantum range consoles, opting for two Quantum 225s and three Quantum 112s, supplied by HD Pro Audio, for use across this multi-space venue. Maximising its investment and future proofing the site was a key priority, with Technical Manager Tim Clare and Head of Sound John Hinks explaining why they continue to choose DiGiCo consoles.
“We continue to invest in our facilities, thanks to the Warwick University capital fund,” Clare explains. “It means that we can make significant improvements, not just to our mixing consoles, but also with projects like our moving lights renewal and infrastructure projects, and our backstage working lights and assisted listening features. When we started the procurement process for these sound desks, the Q112 hadn’t been announced, so we were speculating that it would be out in time for our replacement and luckily, it was!”
The Coventry-based Arts Centre benefits from a range of spaces across the site, from an art gallery to cinemas and live performance spaces. Every imaginable genre of live performance is possible with shows from the BBC Concert Orchestra and Bastille to stand-up comics like Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais, while the cinema welcomes both Hollywood blockbusters and independent art-house movies. Flexibility is key, as well as speedy and effortless workflow.
“We’ve got four main venues: a 1500-seat concert hall; a 550-seat theatre; a studio, which can be up to 190; and the Helen Martin studio which is used for rehearsals,” Hinks expands. “Our larger venues each have a Quantum 225 and the smaller two have the Q112. We also have a ‘floating’ Q112 that we can use in our other spaces. It’s a great console to mix on. Also, I am quite happy to use the app too, so there is no need to move consoles out of the control room. For something like mixing monitors from front of house, it’s great to be able to go up on stage and talk to the artists, to actually have a proper conversation and hear what they’re hearing, it makes you much more connected.”
The purchase of the new consoles was handled by HD Pro Audio Sales Director, Andy Huffer. He advised the team, listening to their requirements and making sure they got what they needed.
“We’ve supplied Warwick Arts Centre with multiple generations of analogue and digital consoles since the 1990s, so it was great to work with them once again on this project,” Huffer recalls. “The announcement of the Q112 was the icing on the cake, just in time for delivery. A fantastic console in general, but particularly for this venue.”
It was a process that worked well and, as Clare continues, with the option of part exchange also included in the process, the company was able to make full use of their funding.
“I’ve known Andy and the HD Pro Audio team for a long time. They are good at what they do, they listen and don’t over engineer anything to give you something that you don’t really need,” he says. “They really listened to our feedback and we were able to tweak our system design, so everything ties in really nicely.”
The Arts Centre has a team of full-time technicians that work across all venues on the site, they supplement the team with casual technicians, depending on the type of show happening in each space. Having a console that is easy to step up to and use is a must in these environments, as Hinks continues.
“We have a pool of casuals, so the intuitive surface design is really important,” he says. “What I like about DiGiCo is that it doesn’t force you into a workflow, it gives you confidence to make changes when other desks don’t. We are working towards making the building fully networked, so it’s great that the Q112 support Dante natively. We’ve got plenty of flexibility and have added an analogue DMI card to one of our Q112s. If we need more outboard or a different protocol, there is probably a DMI card already out there for that!”
Coming under the umbrella of the University of Warwick also means that the Arts Centre regularly welcomes student productions as well as working with students that are part of the many arts societies on campus. This includes the Tech Crew team, Opera Warwick, Drama Collective and Musical Theatre Warwick societies, giving students valuable experience of modern theatre practices.
“We host about nine or ten productions a year from the University societies, as well as external hires from other arts groups,” Hinks continues. “The students from Tech Crew get to do training with us on the consoles. They’re very ambitious, especially in the third year, where they really push the boat out in terms of techniques. You really need a console that can keep up.”
Such close ties to the University and the future professionals in the student societies makes Warwick Arts Centre uniquely placed within the community. Delivering outstanding performances across its venues and brilliant films in the cinemas means that the sound system must be able to take a huge range of styles in its stride. As Clare concludes, continuing to trust in DiGiCo has delivered exactly the customisable future-proofed solution they needed.
“The upgrade to the DiGiCo Quantum platform represents a significant investment in the future of audio at Warwick Arts Centre,” Clare concludes. “Reliability was a key driver for the project, and by replacing our existing consoles with Quantum 225 and Quantum 112 mixing desks, alongside a modern Dante network infrastructure, we have created a robust, flexible and future-proof audio system across our venues. Working closely with HD Pro Audio and our Head of Sound, John Hinks, we have delivered a solution that enhances day-to-day operations while providing the capability and consistency required to support the diverse range of performances and events we host each year.”