Musician Joe Ellis’ career is flying higher than ever these days—literally and figuratively. Ellis is a professional commercial airline pilot and a professional musician and audio engineer.
When he’s not flying, Ellis appears as a host on the TV show “The Aviators,” performs with his band under the moniker “Joe.e” and uses a Soundcraft Si Expression 3 console to mix live sound for a growing number of bands and events.
Like so many musicians, Ellis came to the point where he realized he needed to make the transition from analog to digital mixing. The artists and bands he worked with wanted it, and more and more he found that he personally requireda digital console for advantages like increased flexibility, built-in reverb and effects and other benefits.
Recently, Ellis found another reason to take his sound system to a higher level.
“Every summer the city of Wausau, Wisconsin does a series of weekly outdoor concerts called ‘Concerts on the Square,’” Ellis noted. “I was fortunate enough to be chosen as the front of house mixer for the series. However, that meant I had to buy an entirely new sound system. I’d been used to doing small to mid-sized clubs and didn’t have the gear the event required.”
Ellis realized this challenge offered the perfect opportunity to move up to a digital console. After looking at what various companies had to offer, Ellis chose a Soundcraft Si Expression 3. He had worked on Soundcraft Si Compact models before and liked their audio quality and ease of mixing and thought the Si Expression 3 would be a logical upgrade.
“What sold me on the Soundcraft Si Expression 3 was the sound quality,” said Ellis. “I was used to using very high-quality analog consoles and was not willing to compromise on audio performance. The sound I can get from the Si Expression 3 is as good—if not better—than anything I’ve used before, and its functionality and ability to do everything I need are perfect for me.” In addition to the “Concerts on the Square” shows, Ellis uses the Si Expression 3 for everything from club dates with his band to mixing local rock bands to mixing a 9-piece wedding band.
Summer is the busiest time of the year for Ellis, and now that he’s using the Soundcraft Si Expression 3, it’s getting even busier, and not just from his front of house role for “Concerts on the Square.”
Ellis works with a production company that subs work out to him and now that he has an Si Expression 3, he’s getting more business from the company.
“They appreciate the fact that I have a console that they know will sound great in any situation, and that plays well with their other gear,” Ellis concluded.
