Audio specialist DeltaLive has supplied and installed two DiGiCo SD12s as permanent house consoles at The Roundhouse in London, UK.
The Roundhouse is a legendary cultural venue dedicated to nurturing creative young talent, and presenting a diverse line-up of the biggest names in live music, theatre, circus and new media. The Grade II listed building, which began life as a railway engine repair shed, is known for hosting musical giants such as David Bowie and The Rolling Stones. The Roundhouse played a major role in the birth of punk, survived temporary closure in the 1980s, was the site of illegal raves in the 1990s, and was reborn at the end of the 20th century with an 11-month residency with Argentinian theatre company De La Guardia. In the mid noughties it reopened once again, quickly establishing itself as one of the capital’s leading arts venues, hosting a plethora of productions and musical artists.
Following a tender process, DeltaLive was contracted in 2019 as the in-house sound supplier and tasked with delivering the consoles ahead of events that were booked at the venue in April that year. The consoles were to be used in the venue’s front of house and monitor positions.
“It was quite a whirlwind at the time, as we just had three-week’s notice to support the events that were already booked at The Roundhouse,” recalled DeltaLive’s account manager, Cara Smith. “We were planning to purchase two desks to go in there, but because of the time constraints, we had to take the majority of equipment from our hire stock.”
The team used DiGiCo’s SD5 consoles for the first couple of months. “It was really useful getting the DiGiCo consoles in there so quickly, as we could get an understanding of what bands and corporates wanted – as well as how much power and how many channels are needed,” Smith continued. “The SD5s were great for some events, but for most they were more powerful than was needed. Also, because a lot of artists tour their own desks, it became apparent that a smaller footprint console would be an advantage.”
Offering suitability in live touring, corporate, install, house-of-worship, theatre and broadcast environments, DeltaLive’s team had their eye on DiGiCo’s SD12 multi-application console due to its compact size and extensive feature set. “Based on our experience with the SD5, we knew SD12 would be perfect as the footprint is smaller, but the capabilities would cover every single event that came through,” said Smith.
Whilst DiGiCo’s SD12 consoles suit about 95% of The Roundhouse’s events, for larger events DeltaLive can add a DiGiCo SD5 or Quantum 7, “and because of how things link up. It’s really flexible and easy!” Smith explained.
“The SD12s mean we are fully ready for the new season,” said Smith. “The schedule looks really interesting, with a great combination of live performances and private events. The SD12 consoles have been very well received and are extremely versatile and rider friendly. We are really excited about 2023 and the new opportunities it will bring!”
