Lukas Zilka, a freelance mixer for live concerts, press conferences, corporate events and national balls, recently added a Soundcraft Si Expression 3 mixing console to the inventory of his company, Live Productions–Event Services, based in Purkersdorf, Austria.
The console upgrade will assist him not only with his own productions, but also with the services he routinely offers to larger companies.
Zilka manages audio for some of the nation’s top balls, including the “Bonobonball” (Candy Ball) in Vienna. His previous experience with the Soundcraft GB8 analog console installed at that venue is what led him to grow his business with the Si Expression 3.
“Simply put, the value of the Si Expression 3 is unmatched, as other brands cost an arm and a leg for the same feature set that Soundcraft offers,” Zilka says. “I mix children’s plays for one of my regular clients, which is a local community church, and as the performance group expanded over the years and became increasingly professional, the small racks on the old Yamaha console couldn’t cut it anymore. I needed more outputs and more faders, so when I saw the Si Expression 3, I knew my search had come to an end.”
The Soundcraft Si Expression 3 offers 30+2 faders along with flexible onboard and expansion I/O options so that every one of the 66 input processing channels can be used. The console also includes the EMMA DSP processor as well as built-in FX engines that do not impact the mix regardless of load. The fader groups are illuminated with FaderGlow, which color-codes the motorized faders for an intuitive mixing experience.
“So far, I’m loving the digital experience,” Zilka notes. “I really like the easy handle on all channel parameters, as there is no need to jump into menus to get the effects I want. When I did a charity concert, I noticed the advantage of storable pre-amps, which was not present on my old mixer. I also enjoy using the ViSi app on my iPad for corporate events and press conferences.”
“Overall, Soundcraft delivered on every aspect of its name, providing me with an experience that cannot be found elsewhere for this price,” Zilka concludes. “The Si Expression does a perfect job and helps me create the exact sound that I want. Its ease-of-use features such as FaderGlow are revolutionary for this industry, which contains too many cluttered mechanics from other brands.”
