VENUE Profile

The VENUE PROFILE SYSTEM was the second console released in Digidesign’s Venue family of live sound consoles. While there are currently four models to choose from (D-Show, Profile, Profile MixRack, and the SC48), I personally feel that the PROFILE console is the best, all-around configuration for any level of user. There is very little difference between the PROFILE and DSHOW systems. In fact everything is identical other than the mixing control surface itself. Not to be confused with the PROFILE MIXRACK system, the PROFILE SYSTEM and PROFILE MIXRACK do share the same console control surface---however PROFILE’s hardware (FOH RACK and STAGE I/O) is the same as what’s found in the DShow console. To help clarify it, let’s look at the chart below.

Because the only difference between PROFILE and DSHOW is the control surface, I’m just going to focus on those differences for this page of information.

CHANNEL SECTION

While the only major differences between DShow and Profile is the mixing surface itself, there are zero differences in performance and quality because (again) it is the same console. But the idea of Profile really is to make a smaller controller that offers a level of flexibility still beyond any other console while putting the engineer in the middle of ALL controls. With a smaller console comes less hands-on controls and visual feedback, but that absolutely does not mean that it has to be stripped down---on the contrary! Everything needed to run the show is right there in front of the engineer on Profile, but what’s not there is easily accessible and quite honestly---not needed during the show. Looking at the two channel-strips as you see pictures on the sides, DShow is really double of what’s there. Now that doesn’t mean it’s not there, it’s just not there. Got it? Seriously though....there is a second layer allowing the engineer (also known as YOU) to look at say PAN and CHANNEL GAIN or an AUX LEVEL and PAN, etc. While it’s nice to have two rows of data control and information available to you, it’s not exactly critical to every person’s needs. One reason for this is that navigating a Venue console, ANY VENUE CONSOLE, is lightning fast. There is no delay or latency in terms of operation. In other words you press a button and everything is there, instantly, no lag, no dropout, etc. Another main difference in the control surfaces is the lack of a compressor bypass option on the channel surface itself. STOP--that might sound like a big deal, but really it’s not. Have you ever needed to bypass a compressor in the middle of a performance? This is something you configure before hand, but in an emergency should you need to actually bypass the compressor---well you can do it on the screen display of the console or the center edit section. So why is this feature missing? In order to hit the form factor and price point, something has to give, right? This is a feature that really most would never know is missing, because from experience it’s something that just is never needed--or needed so rarely, it doesn’t matter. One other difference that really is minor is the scribble strip for the channel section edit selection. See the highlighted box with red box on the graphic to the right. Yes it’s cool---but again one can live without it.

DSHOW

PROFILE

CENTER EDIT SECTION

PROFILE

DSHOW

The center edit section is similar between Profile and DShow, but due to the size and design they are just located in a slightly different place and organized in a slightly different configuration. Again because the console itself is smaller, there are less physical controls---but all channels are available to the user quickly and efficiently. Looking at the EQ controls on the DShow they are setup the way you find on any traditional console, which is a vertical configuration where HIGH to LOW ranges from the top to the bottom of the strip. On the Profile console, the exact same controls are there it’s just arranged horizontally---that is the HIGH to LOW is right to left. Personally I do prefer this design myself as the visual waveform EQ matches up with the frequency control of the EQ controls themselves. Note the EQ graphic to the left taken from the Venue console, then notice the EQ controls above for the Profile console. And if you’re really sharp you’ll notice that these settings do not match. Hey, it’s a stock photo---what can I say! :) But either console although the controls are arranged slightly different---they are still the same. Again the Profile System is the DShow system but with a smaller, more affordable mixing surface.

Truly one of the greatest aspects of the Venue product family is the dynamics processing. The reason I say this is because of the use of TDM plugins that are available to me in the studio are fully available for live use! Some of these plugins include the Fairchild 660/670, Bombfactory 1176, the Vintage Series from WAVES, and so many others. These plugins add a whole new dimension to live sound and the tone of the mix, and well they are pretty serious sounding compressors as well. I have personally worked with much of the outboard gear that these plugins emulate and they are very close to the originals and is one of the many reasons why Pro Tools HD is such a standard in the recording world. Traditional analog consoles require traditional analog, outboard gear. However the cost just to do that alone can be prohibitive---not to mention finding space to store, move, and travel with it. Other digital consoles on the market have built in DSP dynamics but are often sterile. Of course, there are those digital boards whose built-in dynamics processing is quite good such as the iLive from Allen & Heath, Soundcraft’s VI series, of of course Venue---but the additional plugins add a whole new world and dimension to live sound processing. The graphic on the left is the DYNAMICS SECTION from the DShow console, however the section in red is a near

exact duplicate of what’s found on the Profile control surface. What is missing is an enable button, that’s in. The graphic below is the standard dynamics interface in the software. As you can see the knobs in the Compressor and Expander sections matches up perfectly to the knobs on the desk surface itself, on both the Profile and DShow desks. But should you wish not to use the internal dynamics processing, you can insert an additional plugin (up to four) if you wish. In fact, you can insert anything from an EQ to Compressor, a Gate, Reverb, Guitar Amp processing, Pitch Correction, etc.

The Venue Profile console can not be described in just a few paragraphs, there is so much more to it. If you are considering a live console for your house of worship, theater, touring production or whatever it is you are doing in live sound and have questions about what console to look at---The Digidesign Venue Profile is worth a serious look. To speak with a real world expert that can help you compare various boards on the market to help determine which one is best for you---then feel free to call me toll-free at (800)222-4700 ext 1362 and I’d be happy to speak with you.