At Johnny D’s, a popular club and restaurant in Somerville, MA, a revitalized house sound system is anchored by a new Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital console that joins other Harman components in the upgrade project.
MJ Audio integrated the front end of the new system with Crown Audio amplifiers and BSS signal processors, while technical manager Dana Westover installed the Si Expression 3.
Johnny D’s stage hosts many touring bands and guest engineers in addition to local artists. Westover needs a reliable console that is not only within the venue’s budget and able to accommodate the various performers, but also one that is user-friendly for the engineers.
“We’ve been running analog mixers up until now, and have had a slow transition towards digital technology, because we get a lot of guest engineers who come from the analog world,” says Westover. “However, the Si Expression 3 is perfect as an upgrade, because it helps people transition to digital due to its logical layout and ease of use. For example, we had a guest engineer who has never worked on a Soundcraft board before, and within 15 minutes, he was ready for the show.”
The room housing the new equipment contains no parallel surfaces, thus leading to unique acoustics and an intimate layout of the venue. With the Si Expression 3 console, engineers can ensure that guests enjoy the distinctive sounding shows. In addition, FaderGlow illumination of the faders prevents any unwanted mistakes in the dark club environment that might hamper the experience.
“I think the audio quality is very solid, especially considering the price of the console,” adds Westover. “I’m very happy that we have a great sounding venue, and now we have a great sounding board that any traveling engineer can do well with. I especially like how FaderGlow allows me to identify everything clearly, but I can also adjust the intensity of the LED’s depending on the lighting of the venue.”