Situated opposite Brighton Pier, The Haunt has carried out a major audio upgrade to extend its scope from playback-only to become a flexible, 350-capacity circuit venue.
To provide the necessary versatility and high quality audio, the technical team opted to specify a Soundcraft Vi1 digital console, purchased from dealer Crystal Pro Audio and installed by experienced local production and installation company C3 Productions.
Regarding the specification of the Vi1, George Ridal, operations manager at C3 Productions, commented: “We wanted to offer the venue something superior to other mid-range, small format digital desks. It also needed to be a product aimed at visiting engineers and be something they would recognise.”
Although The Haunt’s new management was offered a choice of console brands, C3’s own recommendation was for the Soundcraft Vi1.
In addition to the Soundcraft console and a new house PA, the venue has recently invested in expertise, with technical manager Andy Goodwin arriving at the club to work alongside live manager Ade Dovey. The installation project itself was overseen by The Haunt’s new general manager, Rory Knapp, while the venue benefits from two house engineers – Zoe Martin and Vicky Elston – both of whom have extensive experience of the Vi platform.
“Because I do a lot of touring, and worked on the bigger Vi desks, I got into it straight away,” said Martin. “If you look at the surface you can see what’s going on without having to scroll through pages and pages – you can see exactly what’s in front of you. It has great functionality – and if you want to use external FX it’s easy to patch in, and easy to save and upload a file. It makes such a difference when engineers turn up here and see it’s a Soundcraft desk installed.”
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