History, a 2,500-capacity live performance venue situated in the Beaches neighborhood in the east end of Toronto, recently invested in an XTA MX36 DSP-enabled switcher to address an increasing number of shows carrying multiple consoles.
Specifically, the MX36 is a four-bus device working across AES/analog/Dante, with switching done via the front panel. The input count is a 9 x 4 bus consoles across three formats plus a stereo line input and a mic input. The unit can be remotely monitored/switched by control software if required. When fitted in live venues it allows both house console and multiple touring consoles to be patched directly to the house system, and fruther, all inputs can be monitored/line checked from its front panel meter and headphone socket prior to routing to a system.
Dave Thiel, front of house engineer at History, explains, “Believe it or not, the MX36 came to our attention by way of a simple Google search. After the venue opened, we were quick to discover what lacked in the initial package — a simple way of connecting multiple consoles to the PA, an easy solution for house music outside of our consoles, and an emergency microphone connection.
“History’s technical director, Dave Gardner, and I conducted research into several products, ultimately selecting the MX36, which was acquired through a local supplier. The MX36 appeared as a solution to each of our problems in one intuitive package and was conveniently released just as we were looking for it. Interestingly, shortly after we acquired ours, we started seeing them roll in with tour kits as well!”
