Once upon a time (probably before many of you were born), a really BIG console was analog, had 32 channels and seemed to weigh a ton, such as 1974’s Yamaha PM-1000, which had 32 channels, no onboard effects and tipped the scales at a hefty 308 pounds. And if there was an industry spec of pounds per input channel (PPIC, although no such spec actually exists), that would work out to about 9.625 pounds per input.
Clearly, things have changed over the years — especially these days, when the “simple” act of mixing a touring power trio may require more than 100 inputs.
For the past couple years, DiGiCo — a leading company in state-of-the-art console designs — has been working on its secret new flagship product (code-named “Stingray”). Finally, the word is out, as details of which were leaked a few weeks ago and set for the official public debut of the new Quantum852 console at this month’s InfoComm show in Orlando.
The next gen of DiGiCo’s large-format live audio production mixing consoles, Quantum852 has been designed from the ground up. The look and GUI is familiar, yet different, and with improved audio quality via enhanced algorithms, Quantum852 delivers a massive leap forward in processing power.
Speaking of power, the dual-engine, 384-channel Quantum852 has 52 physical (40 100mm long-throw and twelve 60mm) touch-sensitive, motorized faders. It’s neatly packaged with three 1,000-nit 21.3” LCD touch screens for full daylight operation and a newly designed worksurface, giving users the confidence that, true to the DiGiCo ethos, Quantum852 has been designed for both today and the future. Oh, and in terms of that theoretical PPIC spec, the Quantum852’s 264-pound weight comes in at a svelte 0.687 pounds per input channel, due in large part to its lightweight alloy construction — something your road crew will certainly appreciate. And while not compact, the Quantum852’s 69.5” x 42.3” (WxD) footprint is entirely reasonable, given the console’s considerable sonic horsepower and the uncrowded, easy-to-navigate worksurface.
Under The Hood
Quantum852’s tech spec is impressive. Featuring fully redundant processing, each engine is powered by five of the latest seventh-generation FPGAs and next-generation SHARC DSP processors. Beyond Quantum852’s input count of 384 mono channels, add in 192 aux / subgroup buses, plus the familiar LR / LCR / 5.1 master busses. Other standard perks include a 64 x 64 processing matrix, 36 control groups, two solo buses and 64 FX Rack slots. There are 48 graphic EQs, 384 nodal processors, 128 Mustard processors and 32 Spice Racks.
The magic continues with the Ultimate “Stadius” modular local I/O, with each of the three cards providing four Stadius Mic-Pres, four Stadius line outputs and two Bit Perfect AES I/O. With this massive leap in power, Quantum852 has clearly been designed not just for now, but for the future.
Seeing is Believing
On a first glimpse of the console, probably the most noticeable element is the three large display touch screens, which show the left and right worksurface channels strips plus an expanded channel control view showing all information about the currently selected channel. The center display is the master screen, which can also show channels strips or the expanded channel control view for the center faders.
All of these 21.3” screens have a 1,000-nit spec, making them daylight-viewable, and something anyone who’s ever mixed an outdoor show will instantly appreciate this attention to detail. A nit is a unit of measuring brightness, where one nit equals one candela (one candlepower, or cd) per square meter, expressed as 1 cd / m2. Now spreading out the brightness of a single candle over a square meter isn’t much, but increasing that figure to 1,000 nits makes a substantial difference. Typical LCD computer monitors (the type used in most consoles) tend to be in the 150-300 nit range. These are essentially useless in bright direct sunlight as monitors in less than the 500-600 nit range don’t really approach being “daylight viewable.” Certainly, the Quantum852’s 1,000-nit displays would be ideal for outdoor concerts or brightly lit indoor gigs.
There are also three 19.2-inch dedicated meter bridge screens, three dedicated 6.8-inch control screens for bank and layer switching, and 69 1.3-inch worksurface screens, all of which are touch-sensitive for channel selects and solos, for instant access and control.
Details…
The Quantum852’s attention to detail is impressive throughout. Sample rates of 48 or 96k Hz are supported and the internal processing is up to 40-bit floating point. There are two hot-swappable power supplies, and the internal engines are both redundant and removable. A MultiMode Optocore interface on each engine provides 504 additional audio paths at 48kHz and 96kHz.
Also on the rear panel are 12 32-bit mic/line inputs, 12 32-bit line outputs, 6 AES/EBU inputs (12 channels) and 6 AES/EBU outputs (12 channels). There are also two D-Sub37 GPI’s and two DSub37 GPO’s (32-in / 32-outs), two sets of MIDI in/out/thru, two sets of BNC video inputs, a BNC video out, a 4k DisplayPort output, 5-port 1 Gbps network switch and a set of SMPTE LTC I/O on XLRs. Expanding the effects and I/O possibilities, there’s a Waves SoundGrid port, two DMI slots, five switched Ethernet ports, eight sets of MADI I/O as four redundant MADI interfaces at 48k Hz (or four at 96k Hz), and two USB 2.0 and a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 socket. Sync choices are BNC word clock I/O, AES sync and video sync.
Options for customizing the Quantum852 for any specific installation or application are nearly endless. A second Optocore loop can be added to each engine, for an additional 504 audio paths at 48k Hz and 96k Hz. The Optocore interface can be upgraded to SingleMode. A Theatre Software option can provide Auto Update, Aliases, Players, Advanced CG programming tools and Matrix nodal delays. And the two DMI slots (up to 64 I/O’s per slot) support accessory cards for almost any type of input or output. Beyond that, an optional custom road case will also be offered.
The Future and Beyond
“Quantum852 truly is a massive leap forward in every way,” says DiGiCo managing director Austin Freshwater. “While it is completely new in its design and construction, it is still instantly recognizable as a DiGiCo. Its familiar workflow will make any DiGiCo user instantly comfortable, but its tremendous increase in power and speed will delight them. After an incredible 15 years of impeccable service, the Quantum7 finally has a console to look up to.”
For more info, visit DiGiCo online at www.digico.biz, or check out the Quantum852 in person at this month’s InfoComm expo in Orlando at booth #5760.
