At the recent InfoComm 2015 show in Orlando, Harman‘s Soundcraft spotlighted the new Si Impact digital mixing console, which is designed to be as simple as an analog mixer but with workflow enhancements and DSP power for both live sound and recording studio applications.
The 40-input Soundcraft Si Impact offers live sound digital mixing with ViSi iPad control and built-in Stagebox connectivity for I/O expansion. In addition to its live sound components, the Si Impact has a 32-in/32-out USB recording and playback interface that provides multitrack recording and playback directly from a DAW. Right out of the box, you get a free download of Ableton Live 9 Lite.
The fully motorized faders come equipped with Soundcraft FaderGlow illumination technology and LCD channel displays or ‘scribble strips’ for visual feedback and easy operation.
The Si Impact provides 32 mic/line inputs, 40 DSP input channels (32 mono inputs and four stereo channels/returns) and 31 output busses (all with full DSP processing and GEQ) with 20 sub-group aux busses and four mono/stereo matrix busses. Eight XLR/quarter-inch combi-jacks are available for line inputs and instruments, while a 4-band fully parametric EQ is available for each channel and bus. The Si Impact also offers studio grade effects and dynamics from Soundcraft’s sister companies BSS, Lexicon and dbx.
The Si Impact supports up to eight VCA masters and eight Mute groups, plus 26 motorized input faders and LR/Mono (fully motorized with four fully customizable fader layers). The console also features a 5-inch color touchscreen display for access to show setup, patching, FX, and security.
“The Si Impact is the first of its kind in that it truly combines analog workflow with digital flexibility at a lower price than ever before,” said Sean Karpowicz, product manager, Soundcraft. “Most importantly, the Si Impact features the absolute best sound quality of any product in its category, on par with consoles many times larger and costlier. And thanks to the USB interface, it’s equally at home in the studio or on the road.”
