Buy a digital sound board only if you have the personal training and experience and/or other theatre staff to support it (the same goes for high-tech light boards). I'm going to be controversial in this post, I'm sure, but - there's no such thing as a user friendly digital sound board if you don't already know how to run sound and how analog boards work.
While I am pleased to see that it would seem more and more high schools are finding the funding to support their theatre facilities with the purchase of 'state-of-the-art' equipment, you also need qualified personnel to train the students in the use of the equipment, and also to provide ongoing mentorship for the students, as well as to operate (or supervise the operation of) it for all the events that use the theatre.
I'm a lighting geek – so who am I to talk! - but I also have had many years of experience in high school operations, and I've witnessed too many of my Drama teacher colleagues struggle with digital sound boards. I've primarily experienced that the need to have an easy to learn and clear to use analog board trumps the need to have the best "technology" when it comes to sound boards. This is because too many high school theatres are one-person operations, with the Drama (read: literature, acting, directing) teacher expected to know all aspects of tech. So this goes for anyone reading this who doesn't have the personal experience, or other theatre staff, at their school to train and support sound students.
The desire to be as state-of-the-art as possible in high schools these days is mostly because there is a school of thought that high schoolers should have the best technology available because they will soon go to a college or get a job where this technology is used. This is true, but not the whole picture. State-of-the-art is not always optimal in a high school theatre setting. All of the professional sound techs that I've worked with in high school theatres agree - ANALOG BOARDS ARE 'HANDS ON' AND BETTER TEACH THE STUDENT THE CONCEPT OF WHAT SOUND "DOES" AND HOW TO MANIPULATE IT. As George Ledo recently commented in a post, the students are often too eager to get their hands on the technology without having been provided an education about design theory and WHY they are doing WHAT they are doing. If education is your goal (as opposed to just needing a sound board op), students get a better 'sound' education on an analog board. Once they have a 'sound' education and have a concept of how analog boards work firmly planted in their brains, they can then go on to figure out a digital board, with all of its hidden multi-step functions.
But, as with anything there are pros and cons, and the choice depends on the primary functional use of your high school theatre. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHO WILL BE TRAINING, MENTORING AND OPERATING YOUR EQUIPMENT BEFORE YOU DECIDE ON AN ANALOG OR DIGITAL SOUND BOARD. Consider these questions which are excerpted from my book "High School Theatre Operations":
- What is the extent of your (the Drama teacher) own training and experience with running sound boards?
- Will you or other theatre staff be providing vocational training for students?
- Will the theatre be staffed by professional technicians?
- Who will train and mentor the students every year on the sound board?
- How many students a year will want to learn to be sound technicians?
- Will students be running the sound board for your shows, and will it always be the same student(s) or will you frequently be training new students?
- Will the theatre be primarily used by students who come and go every few years?
- Do a lot of other school groups (choir, band, meetings, variety shows) use the theatre?
- Are other school groups expected to be able to run their own sound?
- Who will train and mentor/supervise their students?
- Will other school groups students be permitted to use the theatre's equipment unsupervised?
- Will the theatre be rented to outside users?
- Who staffs outside events; professional staff, students, or you the Drama teacher?
- Will outside users be expected to be able to run their own sound?
- Will outside users be permitted to use the theatre's equipment unsupervised?
- Who will be responsible for restoring all of the digital settings back to a Rep (neutral) Setting each time in preparation for the next user (be they school, district or outside)?
The answers to all of these questions will help determine if you want an analog sound board or a digital sound board. (The same questions apply for when choosing a new light board.) If you are considering purchasing a new sound board, yes, you should purchase a "good" sound (or light) board, but that doesn't always mean digital. Only you know what's right for your situation.
Bottom line - if you don't know how to run a sound board and don't have someone on your theatre staff who can train and provide ongoing mentorship to your students (sorry Charles, but I'm going to disagree with you…) beware of digital sound boards that have more features than you will ever use and require YouTube tutorials to learn the features that you do need to use. I've also seen previous comments about digital sound boards, such as "unless you have really advanced tech theatre students" and "The learning curve wasn't too steep" and "If you have someone who can spend time with the students and show them the board" and "There are also plenty of online tutorials on how to use it if you ever get lost." If you are a Drama teacher who does not have the personal training and experience, or other theatre staff at your school, to train and provide ongoing mentorship to students in sound - take these comments as Red Flags.
(If you're experienced and totally comfortable with how to operate sound boards, and with teaching and running sound, and/or you have theatre staff who is – ignore everything I've just said, and kudos for providing your students with a vocational education! Would that all high schools provided students with the staffing for a vocational technical theatre education, instead of expecting Drama teachers to be a one-person-show! But that's another post…)
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Beth Rand, EBMS
Educational Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
www.PRESETT.org- LIGHTING INSTITUTE FOR THEATRE TEACHERS - ONLINE MINI COURSES (ask for complimentary syllabus)
- HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS ONLINE COURSE FOR TEACHERS (ask for complimentary syllabus)
- HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS BOOKS and COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE DOWNLOADS
- THE ECLECTECH SHOPPE
beth@PRESETT.orgWestminster, CO
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2019 13:04
From: James Kinney
Subject: Sound board replacement !
You're right, it is a big decision with lots of ideas about how to go forward.
As a preface, I personally own a Behringer portable system, so my opinion does have a certain color to it. But I like the option of an X32 as a replacement board. It does have some shortcomings compared to other systems, but fully satisfies all my demands.
The features I liked on the Yamaha CL5, for example, are beyond what we study in my Master of Theatre Studies program at Southern Oregon University. I can understand why a sound specialist would recommend that or some other consoles.
There was a discussion on this last month as well. it was titled, "recommendations for a mixing console."
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Jym Kinney
Tacoma, Washington
Original Message:
Sent: 01-19-2019 08:53
From: Jackie Martino
Subject: Sound board replacement !
Hi all !
We are looking to replace our 48 channel soundcraft sound board for our 450 seat theatre.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I guess the boards are digital now ? What is a great board .. but also user friendly ?
We know it will be a big investment!
Thanks
Jackie
Dept chair / King school