It made up of two parts:

• DiGiCo-Control software. This allows control and set-up of SD Racks or D Racks via USB. When used in conjunction with the Dante DMI, it also allows control of the SD or D Rack via the standard Ethernet port on a computer. The software is free of charge.

• The Dante DMI (DiGiCo Multichannel Interface). This is a Cat5 solution which connects onto a high speed FPGA bus, allowing an SD or D Rack to be connected to a router/switcher, which can then be plugged into a computer (Mac or PC) Ethernet port. It not only allows control of the rack (including preamp gains and 48V phantom power) but access to audio data and interfacing with a DAW of choice for recording.

A dual rack option, for example, uses two D-Racks and would support 64 channels of audio to control and record to a laptop. Redundancy is also possible by plugging in another computer (with DiGiCo control and DAW software installed) to the router.

An added, but significant, benefit is the ability to control all functions of the rack using a building’s standard network infrastructure, without the need for any special equipment.

This is intended to establish ‘a fresh approach to multiple recording applications’, including broadcast, live touring, studio recording, rehearsal room and multiple fixed installation environments – with no need for a console or other large-scale interface.

‘This is a big move for DiGiCo,” says DiGiCo MD, James Gordon. 'We feel that it is a clear statement that we are not only a console manufacturer, but a digital solutions company.’

More: www.digico.org