Director of music Tony Moore again utilized Harman’s Soundcraft consoles on three stages for the recent London FolkFest at The Bedford.
An event that crosses cultural barriers, the London FolkFest was created in 2011 to generate inspiration through music, culminating in an ever-expanding concept that is rooted at a beautiful venue.
The program offers spontaneous and varying styles of music, allowing for a maximum capacity of 500 people per day. The venue consists of a small theater, ballroom and acoustic space, able to accommodate 250, 150 and 80 people, respectively.
Each console was selected with simplicity and small footprint in mind: a Soundcraft Vi1 console was used in the theater, an Si Expression 3 console was the right companion in the ballroom, and an Si Performer 3 remained well out of sight in the acoustic space.
“Having a long and successful relationship with Soundcraft products, it made sense for us to use their consoles for the fourth year of the London FolkFest,” says Moore. “The secret to running this show successfully is to keep all the gear as simple and as invisible as possible. Bands don’t get a sound check, so they needed to get on stage, plug everything in and start. Because our engineers needed to work quickly and efficiently, we have come to love Soundcraft, which allows for instinctive and intuitive operation.”
The three Soundcraft consoles provide flexible controls and features like the Soundcraft FaderGlow, all of which are designed to complement creative hubs such as the London FolkFest. For example, the Vi1 was a convenient solution for the Elizabethan theater, taking care of both monitors and front of house positions while maintaining a low profile throughout the show.
“We wanted to make sure our base sound is very high in quality for everything that we’re trying to do here, and I’m glad we have accomplished that with Soundcraft,” Moore states. “We were sold out most nights, and all the artists as well as the audience enjoyed the experience. We asked for small footprint and amazing sound, and that is what Soundcraft delivered.”