Situated on the campus of the University of Warwick in Coventry, the 1500-seat Butterworth Hall concert venue of Warwick Arts Centre closed in 2008 for a £6.9m redevelopment, reopening in phases before unveiling its new look in time for the new 2009-10 academic year last October. Integrators Northern Light (under the project management of David Vandepeear), having won the tender to supply the new technology and associated cabling, had installed a brand new Soundcraft Si3 64-input digital desk.
Warwick Arts Centre technical director Howard Potts explained that the desire to upgrade Butterworth Hall’s infrastructure had begun nearly ten years ago before finally getting the green light.
“We gave Northern Light some basic sound desk parameters and suggested some brands — but we really wanted Soundcraft,” he said.
The Warwick Arts Centre has enjoyed a long history with the brand, which is distributed in the UK by Sound Technology Ltd. Since the Centre also houses a 500-seat theatre (and smaller studio theatre), cinema and gallery, there has been the need for portable racks and mixing surfaces. To facilitate this the University had already purchased a 32-channel Soundcraft MH3 analogue desk for FOH and a second portable 24-channel MH3, largely for use in the theatre — as well as a roving SM12, Soundcraft’s classic monitor mixer.
This time around they were looking for a digital/analogue hybrid, with discreet I/O’s — and no portability necessary, since the new desk would sit up ,in the control room above the retractable bleacher seating.
“We had made the decision way back that we would go digital because of the flexibility it offered — and coupled with that, with the budget so tight we couldn’t afford a new outboard rack,” admits Potts.
Their attention moved to Soundcraft’s new Si3 when a member of staff visited PLASA Focus in Leeds and was adamant he had found the solution.
Howard Potts had also been browsing the internet and reached the same conclusion. “On top of that we had conversations with visiting engineers and had looked at riders to see the equipment people are most happy with. In this industry brand matters — and Soundcraft is a good, recognisable brand.” The desk also had to meet the approbation of house engineer, Martin Medland, and the fact that the Centre technicians were already familiar with the Soundcraft topology helped.
Since the Si3 uses a combination of rotary encoders and OLED screens on every channel the engineer mixes at source, without recourse to a central screen. “The fact that there’s no central screen doesn’t bother anyone,” confirms the technical director, “in fact sound engineers like the individual screens on each module, which is a plus point. As for the onboard FX you are getting industry standard names like Lexicon, BSS and dbx, all brands that are recognised on tour riders.
“In fact the Si3 does everything you are expecting it to do. — it’s never been found wanting and In every respect it offers great value for money.”
Stage monitoring requirements are minimal — and at the Butterworth they will either send monitor mixes from the FOH desk or move one of their other Soundcraft desks into position if the requirement is greater.
Potts also praised the work carried out on site by Northern Light, in particular the flexibility offered by the new cabling infrastructure. New multicore, patchbay and tie lines form part of the cabling installation which Northern Light were responsible for.
Once complete, the new venue — which will expand to 1900 capacity with the bleacher seating removed — underwent two soft openings, firstly to accommodate its burgeoning third party conference business and secondly a concert by the University Symphony Orchestra, before eventually opening to the general public. And Howard Potts says he is delighted with the way the upgrade has been received.
