Know-how

Of Foreign Countries and People *

* From »Scenes of Childhood« by Robert Schumann (German composer, 1810 – 1856)

The 'Scenes' that romantic composer Robert Schumann once wrote as a series of etudes for young pianists have since become a part of the standard classical piano repertoire. Classical music from Europe is appreciated all over the world – from Paris to New York and even Sydney. In particular, this is true for Japan as the major musical stronghold outside Europe. There in Wakayama, a town some 20 miles from Osaka, you will find a CANTUS desk with a slave console and six NEXUS base devices. A system that has traveled as far as the music that flows through it.

Other Countries, Same Technology

Like similar halls in other countries, the new concert hall (officially known as the Municipal Hall) at Japanese industrial town Wakayama is used for all kinds of events: from traditional Japanese music to classical music, from the latest pop music all the way to conventions When the venue was refurbished, the city council decided it was time to install a sound-reinforcement system capable of coping with live events and with recording of such events in high quality – this is the difference to other concert halls! For that reason, it was decided to look into high-quality audio equipment that was both flexible and suited a wide range of applications.

Equality for All

For most events, just the main console in the control room is needed. Somewhat reminiscent of a crow's nest, this room is located high above the seats just under the roof. The control-room window provides just enough room for the main CANTUS console and its 36 channel modules (though admittedly only after shortening the console's legs by four inches – this was the only option which ensured the sound engineer retained visual contact with what is going on on stage).

The control room is also used for live recording and productions that require proper acoustic isolation from the hall. In contrast, sound-reinforcement applications are mixed directly in the auditorium using a second portable CANTUS console. This slave console includes 32 fader modules and a separate Central Control Unit – not something you would normally expect from a CANTUS slave console used in split mode. This is, however, a must to provide access to all signal sources for public-address applications and to configure completely separate mixes. The two consoles provide more than 100 channels using only one single DSP rack. Therefore, the DSP channels can be split and thus accessed individually from either console.

Special Requirements

It is not only the consoles that can be used in parallel. Auxiliary signal sources and recording devices can also be operated individually from either console. To this end, Stage Tec designed a special panel for parallel remote control of six tape machines.

Another personal touch is presented by the multicolored faders and pots on both consoles – the response to the client's requirement for a transparent user interface. Apart from this, the specs of the Japanese CANTUS are similar to those installations found elsewhere; citizenship and culture do not affect fundamental concepts such as a straightforward storage function for entire projects, superb audio quality and – especially important for live applications – a high degree of reliability of the Stage Tec components.

On Either Side…

Anyone who has been to Japan will tell you that the people and culture are fairly unlike anything they have previously encountered. Yet, once you start digging, you discover quite a few similarities that apply everywhere: the quest for quality, reliability, and flexibility. This may be the explanation for the success of CANTUS in every corner of the world.