For more than two decades, the Knitting Factory has been an intrinsic part of the New York music scene.
From its early beginnings as an East Village gallery and performance space, to its larger three-room space in Tribeca, the club has had a long history as home to the most eclectic, genre-bending musical innovators.
Last year the club moved again, relocating across the East River to Brooklyn’s artsy Williamsburg district.
The new space is smaller and more intimate, and brings the club closer to its core audience of younger music fans.
With the new space came a new audio system, including the integration of an Avid VENUE SC48 console at front of house.
As Melanie Renecker, head of sound/production manager at the Knitting Factory, explains, the club selected the VENUE system for several reasons.
“The biggest issue for us was one of space,” she says.
“We’ve got less room to spread out here, and the SC48’s small, compact footprint really helps to maximize the space.”
Indeed, the mix position is relatively spartan, with the VENUE system’s onboard effects doing most of the heavy lifting, augmented by a small rack of outboard gear.
“With our previous console, I always had to make decisions over what to sacrifice,” says Renecker.
“We only had a few compressors, and I’d have to decide which instruments wouldn’t get compression because I’d need them for vocals. With the SC48, I never have to make those kind of compromises.”
With anywhere from two to four acts on any given night, the VENUE system’s snapshot automation is another valuable asset.
“A lot of times we’ve got acts sharing the bill that are very different from each other,” she says. “Being able to set up a basic mix, save it, and recall it later makes set changes a whole lot less stressful.
“The console is also really easy to work with. It’s very intuitive, and I can get to pretty much anything with a minimum of button presses or menus.”
“ It’s very immediate, very analog-like, and very functional. It makes my job that much easier.”
