With the oldest of its five existing Yamaha digital mixing consoles owned by the Théâtre National in Brussels passing a decade and still giving reliable daily use, investing in two further Yamaha mixers was an easy decision for the theatre’s technical team.
Established over 60 years ago, Brussels Théâtre National de la Communauté Française de Belgique was the first French-speaking theatre in the country. In 2004, it relocated to a new building, where the decision was made to ‘go digital’. A Yamaha PM5D was the console of choice, working with the building’s Optocore network via an MY-series YS2 interface. The theatre subsequently invested in four further Yamaha digital mixers – a DM1000, M7CL-32, LS9-32 and LS9-16 – allowing it to handle a wide range of productions and performance spaces, both within and outside of the theatre. The latest console purchase is two QL1s, supplied by Brussels-based Riva Audio.
As well as the theatre’s own shows, hosted in a variety of spaces, it works closely with the city’s KVS (Royal Flemish) Theatre on a joint programme of productions and collaborates with six other pan-European theatres and festivals in the Villes en scène/Cities On Stage project. It has never had more demand for mixing consoles which are advanced, reliable and portable. ‘All the Yamaha consoles we have supplied to Théâtre National are still in regular use,’ says Riva Audio’s Frederic Vard. ‘Ever since we supplied the PM5D 12 years ago they have been really happy with the exceptional reliability of Yamaha.
‘Working with other venues means that the theatre is staging a growing number of productions in a variety of locations. Adding the two QL1s satisfies their demand for mixers that can be easily moved, yet have the latest facilities and flexibility which producers and audiences demand. And, being Yamaha, they are confident that they will be working flawlessly for many years to come.’
