Soundcraft Si-Performer

[Ynot]

Hmmm...

A cross-forum topic if there ever was one!!

 

Soundcraft have today officially announced the arrival on the market of the Si-Performer - a digital mixer with DMX capacity to control basic lighting built in!

There's a short LSI report here.

 

As they say ETC needn't worry about their market share, but it does look like a useful option (maybe) for small pub giggers.... (though it does seem a fairly over spec'd mixer for the pub market).

[Simon Lewis]

Be interesting to see if this is "the shape of things to come" and indicative of total system integration, or perhaps an evolutionary dead end. One suspects the former, but there may be some challenges in getting the HUI right, Canny move from Soundcraft though, who perhaps don't have such a large slice of the mixer market as they would like?

[RichM]

It's an interesting concept, but unless the price is anywhere near that of an X-32 plus basic DMX controller I can't see it selling very well.

[medina]

Sound guys have enough trouble getting sound cues on time, let alone adding LX cues into the equation!

[Shez]

At least the lights would always flash in time with the music

[Wilflet]

depending on what theyve done sound to light wise it could be really useful. If you can set chases timed off levels in certain chanels or groups/flash to a gate opening and closing small venues with a parcan rig could look well opped

[Stuart91]

Where it could really get interesting is if the DMX out on the Soundcraft is used to drive the DMX in on a lighting console. So on shows with one operator the Soundcraft snapshots could be advancing the stack, or you could have a lighting op there but still be getting tempo etc. in from the sound desk.

 

I'll definitely be interested to have a play with one, but can't see me buying one at the moment. I could see it being a great solution for small touring shows and cover bands that want to boot their production up a level without bringing additional operators along.

[indyld]

Where it could really get interesting is if the DMX out on the Soundcraft is used to drive the DMX in on a lighting console. So on shows with one operator the Soundcraft snapshots could be advancing the stack, or you could have a lighting op there but still be getting tempo etc. in from the sound desk.

 

That isn't really how DMX is used. We already have plenty of choice in other show control systems to drive cue stacks and I can't imagine a useful situation where a "proper" desk would require a published DMX personality itself in order to be driven by the output from another DMX outputting device.

 

Many desks have had audio beat detection for years and it has never really taken off with serious shows.

 

It sounds like the desk may be useful for single op shows, but then is it much easier than having two small desks sat next to each other and either pushing two buttons/faders or syncing using your show control protocol of choice.

 

All a bit gimmicky at first glance for me.

[Stuart91]

That isn't really how DMX is used. We already have plenty of choice in other show control systems to drive cue stacks and I can't imagine a useful situation where a "proper" desk would require a published DMX personality itself in order to be driven by the output from another DMX outputting device.

 

That will be true in many situations. I was thinking along the lines of a touring covers band with, say a Leap Frog 48 which has DMX in. The DMX input can be mapped so that channels trigger certain memories on the desk. The sound op changes snapshot on the Soundcraft, and at the same time triggers the "look" for the next song. I remember, years ago briefly experimenting using the midi capabilities of a K3 to advance cues on a lighting desk, but the big advantage of DMX is that almost every lighting tech out there knows how to make it work, so this could be far more "accessible" than having to learn a new or unfamiliar control protocol.

 

Again, I'm thinking of smaller, single op shows, I don't think it's about to put every lighting tech out of a job.

 

Many desks have had audio beat detection for years and it has never really taken off with serious shows.

 

I've had a couple of bands insist upon having a feed for beat detection, and it's always been problematic. Integrating it within the audio console might make it easier, who knows? It would certainly be interesting to try...

[Dave SA]

Oh Soundcraft. Could the si range get ANY more embarrassing?

[paulears]

With the advent of the cheap competition, this neat idea could have legs? Look at all the bands who post on here who want to have flashy lighting controlled by the band, or by sequencer or by the sound desk - it seems a niche others haven't yet found.

[Ynot]

With the advent of the cheap competition, this neat idea could have legs? Look at all the bands who post on here who want to have flashy lighting controlled by the band, or by sequencer or by the sound desk - it seems a niche others haven't yet found.

I'm personally not sure how much validity the idea has if I'm honest.

Let's face it, to do two jobs at once from the same console (and do both well) is a pretty tall order. I can't see it viably replacing the need to have 2 separate operators for anything more than general LX states or a bit of sound to light, but if that's the market it's aimed at then mmaybe it does have some legs. Just not very long ones... :)

[timsabre]

So how much does it cost? Surely it will be out of the "pub gig" price range - and that's the only useful scenario I can think of.

[cedd]

DMX aside, it looks to be a better spec sound console than the SI Compact range. Hopefully at a comparable price point too. 80 inputs to mix, 2 card slots, VCA's, LCD scribble strips, custom fader layers, . Seems like it fixes a lot of the shortcomings of the SI Compact range.

Assuming they're somewhere near the ballpark of an SI Compact (no doubt it'll be a bit more, but long as we're not talking leagues apart), regardless of the DMX capabilities, I think it looks a far better sound desk on paper than its' brothers.

[Alec]

Yup, I too see it as where the Si Compact needed to go, adding all the things Cedd mentions above to make it a far more credible mixer (other than *still* having 22/30 faders - grr! To me the DMX is an afterthought, but it could certainly help out in some venues, and doesn't seem to hamper the rest of the operation of the desk.

 

Pricing, look slike q £2k+ premium over the exising Si Compact models - hmmm...

 

Thomann are listing as follows:

 

Si Compact 24 - £3,836

Si Compact 32 - £4,634

 

Si Performer 2 - £6,154

Si Performer 3 - £6,953