HARMAN’s Soundcraft Vi1™ Console Wows Mount Baker Theatre

Upgrading its audio infrastructure to deliver a more immersive experience to its partners, the not-for-profit Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Washington, recently installed a HARMAN Soundcraft Vi1 digital console after a successful hands-on demonstration and in-concert run through.  After viewing the console at the LDI Conference in Las Vegas, Technical Director John Bauer immediately ordered a demo console and was surprised to see it waiting for him in his office when he returned.

The Mount Baker Theatre provides its guests with a variety of Broadway and off Broadway shows, local productions of Broadway shows, symphonies, local musical acts and dance recitals.  As a non-profit organization, the theatre works to enrich the culture and reinforce a sense of community within the region.

“The Vi1 is a console you can jump right on, whether you are a seasoned pro or a new user, which is why we were able to transition to the digital board so quickly,” stated Bauer.  “There were distinct improvements in the Vi1’s sound, so we are very happy with our console choice.”

Ensuring the building committee and crew members were ready to invest in the Vi1, Bauer brought them all in for a hands-on demonstration. The deciding factor, according to Bauer, was the easy-to-use interface of the Vi1.

“The transition to digital with the Vi1 was clean, clear and easy,” continued Bauer. “Tom Der let us hold onto the demo board until ours was delivered, which allowed us to jumpstart our projects without wasting time.  When our board came in, we took out our memory sticks from the demo and plugged them right into our new board.”

As a test before the final board was shipped to the theatre, Bauer assigned his head engineer to a gig, without prior warning that it was a 12-piece band.  With the Vi1, the engineer had the console labeled and channeled in five minutes – passing Bauer’s test.

“Several of the bands we’ve had in house have already expressed their excitement for the Vi1 and we expect to attract more parties into the theatre with our technological upgrade,” he said.

For more information on Mount Baker Theatre, please visit http://www.mountbakertheatre.com.