To fulfill the demands of a variety of events, Kevin Mignone, president of Albertson, New York-based KM Productions, recently purchased two Soundcraft Vi1 consoles. Mignone felt it was necessary to upgrade to more reliable, cost-effective consoles that could provide greater flexibility for his clients, which includes Vali, a high-end event band.
Vali, an exclusive performance band that typically plays at large wedding events weekly, including Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in July 2011, relies on KM Productions to provide its audio systems, and front-of-house and monitor mixing.
After using a demo model of the Vi1, Mignone was pleased with the results and purchased two consoles in order to allow one console to permanently travel with Vali.
“In venues of all sizes, it is great to have the flexibility and the option to do anything. Even lighting companies can integrate with the console easily,” explains Mignone. “There is so much capability in such a small package; it definitely is one of the more loaded consoles for the price point without sacrificing any features. The Vi1 has everything that we need and more, allowing us to be as flexible and reliable as possible.”
Some of the challenges when servicing high-end events such as weddings include providing the proper sound while being hidden from guests and viewers. It is extremely important that the technology be as discreet as possible. “The footprint is so convenient and is small enough that it can be used in a closet to be kept out of the way,” he adds.
“Overall the user interface is excellent,” Mignone continues. “Some venues can be unpredictable, and the Vi1 allows so much more instantaneous flexibility to do whatever is required to get the job done. It’s great that any engineer can pick it up so easily and be ready to go. Our purchase of the second desk not even a month after the first one goes to show how much we rely on it.”
