In the west of Florida, The Parker in Fort Lauderdale has been part of the city’s live performance scene for nearly 60 years. The1,200-seat venue recently completed a US$30m renovation that included the installation of a new d&b audiotechnik sound system and a DiGiCo Quantum225 console also supplied by Carlton Audio.
For much of its existence, it was the Parker Playhouse, a theatrical venue, and an affiliated venue of The Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Now, The Parker has become a main stop for top touring music artists and shows.
‘Over the past several years we’ve transitioned to becoming a roadhouse venue, and one that at 1,200 seats sits perfectly in this market,’ says Anton Foresta, Director of Production – Affiliated Venues at The Parker. ‘We really became the perfect rock and roll venue. Still a venue for community and educational programming but with a focus on live concerts at night, and for that, we wanted a rock and roll sound system and a rock and roll console.’
As FOH engineer for Arrival from Sweden, The Music of Abba he used a Quantum338, and now at The Parker says the vast majority of the touring riders crossing his desk are for DiGiCo consoles.
‘Our job is to fill that rider and give them what their first choices are – and nine times out of ten, the first choice on that rider is DiGiCo. So rather than renting a DiGiCo, we decided to buy one.’
Originally a fan of the SD12-96, Foresta was attracted to the Quantum’s slate of features, including the Mustard and Spice Rack processing. ‘We had thought maybe we should get an SD12 because of its 96 inputs, but I knew that the Quantum225 would eventually get the update to go up to 96 channels, and a few weeks ago they released the update.’
He adds that another selling point was the 32-bit processing for the console’s SD-Rack. ‘That was a game-changer,’ he says. ‘We really liked the preamps on that. They’re super clean and extremely fast. The other stuff that we really love about the Quantum225 is having the Mustard processing and the Spice Rack right on the console. It’s reliable, trustworthy and sounds fantastic.’
Chris Carlton owns Carlton Audio Services in Fort Lauderdale and also acts as sound designer and FOH engineer for Barbra Streisand. He supplied The Parkers desks, calling the Quantum225 ‘the desk that can do it all’.
‘What really sold me on the Quantum225 is how much it offers in such a small footprint, which is perfect for smaller venues,’ he explains. ‘That, and its sound quality, which is tremendous.’
Carlton is himself uses a Quantum338 console for his live work with Streisand. ‘I’m thrilled with what DiGiCo has achieved with the Quantum range,’ he says. ‘I’ve been telling all my clients it’s time to get onboard with it.’
See also:
Florida’s Artis–Naples installs DiGiCo Quantum225
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