Minneapolis-based REACH Communications has become the first company in North America to take delivery of a new DiGiCo Quantum225 console, which was put to use for a livestread show by Yam Haus at Twin Cities music venue, First Avenue.
REACH’s former longtime lead audio engineer, Adam Bufis, now an independent FOH Engineer and Production Manager for The Revolution, SAINt JHN, and other artists, was elated for the opportunity to get in front of the new Q225 for a live show.
“I’ve been using DiGiCo consoles for a dozen years, including the SD12, SD7, SD5 and Quantum338, and I have to say that while the Q225 incorporates a lot of what I’ve always loved about DiGiCo, it’s also a serious game-changer,” said Bufis, who has mixed live shows for Kodie Shane, A Great Big World, and other A-list artists, as well as awards programs like the Billboard Music Awards. “After using the Q338 on a few shows, I knew that Quantum was the way to go in the future. So when I found out that REACH had gotten a Q225 into their rental inventory, I requested it for the Yam Haus show, and want it for whatever other shows happen this year as live music returns.”
Bufis’ first epiphany around the Q225 was how it made his existing show files sound. “I had to double-check that it wasn’t just in my mind, but everything really does sound better,” he laughed. “What DiGiCo has done with the summing engine and algorithms is spectacular, making it sound even clearer and more vivid.”
He’s equally effusive about how Mustard performs on the Quantum225. “The tube compression and EQ are also spectacular,” he said. “Waves is still great processing, but now that I have this as part of the Q225 package, I have less and less need for outboard processing. Now, it’s Mustard for all compression and EQ.”
Bufis added that the 100mm touch-sensitive faders, arrayed in two banks of 12 with an extra dedicated user-assignable master fader, have a great feel to them. “The resolution on them is excellent, and the same goes for the screens; I don’t have to squint. The angle the screen is set at is perfect, and the move to LCD metering is great. It’s helpful to be able to look down and see the channel name and meter next to each other, especially in a darkened room. It gives you an enhanced sense of control.”
REACH Communications recently sold its DiGiCo SD9 and felt the time was right to move further into Quantum territory, with the Q225 now joining REACH’s Quantum7, SD5, SD12, and two SD10 desks. “The Quantum desks are so flexible,” REACH Communications Co-owner and Event Services Manager, Dan Brown said. “Adam came in here with tracks and did pre-production for the Yam Haus show at First Avenue, then took the files back to the club and was ready to go. We’re excited to have another Quantum console in our inventory and we appreciate what DiGiCo has done with updates to the software. They’ve always taken great care of customers like us.”