At Prolight + Sound 2018, Cadac is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the launch of the new CDC five console – the smallest, most affordable of the touch screen CDC series, along with the new CDC seven-s, the company’s new flagship that replaces both the current CDC seven and the inaugural CDC eight.
With the launch of the CDC five, comes version 5 CDC Console Software, which offers an improved graphical user interface (GUI) with a redesigned console control screen. The GUI has evolved for the CDC five to include a swipe down feature on its sole 23.5-inch touch screen which brings up the control screen functions normally found on the separate 6.5-inch control screen on its larger siblings.
Version 5 CDC Console Software also offers a number of new features – including Cue Ripple and Cue Preview – and performance enhancements that will feature across the entire CDC range.
In addition to the 23.5-inch touch screen, the CDC five has 16 faders with dual banks of user assignable buttons providing a total of 40. The rear panel offers 16 analog inputs, to compliment the eight analog outputs and eight digital inputs and outputs, as well as an integrated 64 x 64 Waves card.
It also includes dual MegaCOMMS ports, enabling additional MegaCOMMS processing/interfaces to be connected, to form part of an extended audio and mixing console network. The CDC five runs 96 kHz/24-bit audio and is capable providing up to 48 inputs and 24 assignable buses, plus LCR and monitors in FOH mode or 30 assignable buses when operating in monitor mode. There’s one internal PSU with the option of adding a second redundant external supply (the current PSU 4800).
“CDC five is designed to appeal to a much wider customer base – the sub £10,000 console market,” states Cadac marketing manager James Godbehear. “With all of the features, performance capabilities and familiar form factor of the CDC six and CDC seven – plus a number of design enhancements – it will appeal to multi-purpose entertainment production and house of worship applications; as well as to the touring, installation and event markets.”
The CDC seven-s offers 128 inputs and 64 buses, of which 56 are assignable (62 in monitor mode). It also offers a number of additional hardware buttons, aimed at speeding up navigation.
Version 5 Console Software also greatly enhances the existing CDC six, not only with all of the additional new features but also from an increase in its input channel count, bringing that up to 80 input channels while maintaining the 48 assignable bus count. This will be available as a free download from the Cadac website at the beginning of May.
Cadac is also previewing its new medium-format I/O stage box, the first of a complete new series of CDC stage boxes. The CDC I/O 4016 is designed to provide greater flexibility of connectivity and redundancy than the current CDC I/O 3216 model. It comes with both analog and digital I/Os, and the option of optical connectivity to the console.
The 4U unit is configured with 32 analog inputs and eight analog outputs plus eight AES3 inputs and eight AES3 outputs. It has an LCD display that operates in conjunction with three surrounding buttons and encoders, to enable adjustment of incoming levels, mic gain and phantom power settings. An integrated headphone amp allows monitoring the inputs while adjusting gain levels.
The dual MegaCOMMS ports on the front panel, for redundant connection to the console, are complemented by redundant duplex optical LC ports for connection runs of up to 2 kilometers, and easier integration into optically based installation networks. The CDC I/O 4016 comes as standard with redundant auto switching internal PSUs.
Further expanding connectivity options within Cadac’s MegaCOMMS audio network, are two new optical bridge units. The 19-inch rack’mount CDC MC Optical-4 provides for four optical ports and four MegaCOMMS pairs, while the CDC MC Optical-1 is an all-new small free-standing unit, equipped with a single optical port and a single pair of MegaCOMMS connectors.
Also being premiered is the new NetCOMMS programmable PC control software for the CDC MC Router. Debuted earlier this year at ISE, NetCOMMS allows the user to create, save and edit custom maps within its clear and simple GUI. Its simple grid based patch system, utilising a ‘tabbed’ system for each unit, allows the user to patch either individually, or in blocks or 4, 8, 16 or 32; or even to patch all connections from unit to unit with a single click.
Previewing at PL+S is the new version of the CDC iPad App. Official scheduled for launch on the 30th April, this new version App is CDC five and V.5 CDC OS compatible. The graphical interface has been improved, as has the speed of operation.
