Specific features praised by Grimes include the onboard effects provided by the Soundcraft Vi Series Processor Card and the console’s Vistonics II control surface. “The ease of the interface really didn’t become completely apparent to me until I did a show with it. Then it was so easy,” he said. “Once I got into a show and I had gating and de-essing and EQ, everything was all right there above the channel. All the control line up with the faders and the displays are clear – and I love being able to dim the displays.”
The ability to save and recall console-wide snapshots of the control settings and routing is another feature that Grimes is keen to take advantage of. “It’s wonderful to be able to save the show settings,” he said. “That’s something I haven’t had the pleasure of dealing with before. On the nights when we have multiple acts it’s going to be wonderful to be able to truly have a unique mix for each band. It’s also a nice thing that it comes from the factory with a usable preset loaded in. You don’t have to do any set-up to get sound out of it, which is a plus.”