“A couple of the engineers saw the broadcast version of the Studer Vista 5 and we immediately recognized that the interface would be just incredible for live work,” says Page. “We approached Studer about developing a dedicated live version and they were very responsive. They added fans, made the chassis more rigid and the rack that holds the DSP much stronger. We were able to explain to them that we require beyond a military spec because gear takes such incredible abuse on the road.”
Australia Plays Broadway, a show Page calls “one of the most complex I have worked on in many years,” was the kick-off of a four-day event celebrating Australian culture, art, business, trade, tourism, food and wine, and the organizers aimed for nothing less than to showcase the breadth and depth of Australian talent to an American audience. “We had rock bands next to opera singers next to a concert pianist next to a didgeridoo next to twin cellists, and we had to put the whole thing together in one day,” says Page, “ with
rehearsals running until minutes before doors opened to the public.”
Page noted to the delight of ticket sales folks, that at the Rose Theatre he took up so little space that they were able to put multiple lighting boards next to the audio console.
Studer has also responded to user requests in software updates adding features such as solo follow select, which Page says makes the SR “even easier to use.”