Digidesign Announces D-Show Software 2.6 Mixing Console Upgrade

Sep 10, 2007

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Digidesign announced the concurrent release of two important upgrades for their VENUE live sound environment. Available for both the D-show® and D-Show Profile™ mixing consoles, the D-Show 2.6 software upgrade adds several key new features including support for AVIOM Pro16 Series™ personal monitoring/mixing devices via Digidesign's new ANO A-Net Output Card.

"Were very excited about the release of DShow 2.6 and the ANO A-Net output card," states Digidesign Live Sound Market Manager Robert Scovill. "D-Show 2.6 offers many new workflow and setup enhancements aimed at making a live sound mixer's job even easier, as well as making the system engineer and contractor's task simple when dealing with numerous VENUE systems. Our ANO A-Net product offers some never before seen hardware features and software integration that AVIOM users are sure to find very appealing."

About the ANO A-Net Output Card

Among the most exciting new options available for VENUE D-Show systems is the new ANO A-Net Output Card. Fully compatible with D-Show or D-Show profile mixing console that are running the software version 2.6, the optional ANO A-Net card enables direct compatibility and unprecedented integration with AVIOM A-Net devices, including the popular Pro 16 Series of personal monitoring/mixing systems.

Designed to be housed in the VENUE Stage Rack, the ANO A-Net card provides access to all critical A-Net parameters right from the D-Show's software interface. Critical functions such as auto and manual stereo linking of adjacent channel pairs, as well as a test mode that allows for easy set up and test of all Aviom Personal Mixers, are all within easy reach.

System maintenance and troubleshooting are also greatly simplified with the VENUE's new AVIOM interface. The ANO A-Net card is the only A-Net console interface that provides signal present LEDs—which offer instant visual feedback right on the card itself. In addition, both hardware status and signal presence at almost any point in the network is easily viewable from the D-show interface.

Overall, the Digidesign VENUE implementation of the AVIOM's A-Net protocol provides a much higher level of control over AVIOM networked audio devices than is available from any other A-Net console interfaces currently available.

About D-Show 2.6

In addition to providing support for the new ANO A-Net interface card, D-Show version 2.6 software also enables faster plug-in load times, improved workflows, expanded signal routing possibilities, improved forward and backward compatibility with other D-Show software versions, as well as several enhancements to simplify the configuration and specification process for operators and hire companies.

Some of the more critical updates include:

• Safe from Banking: This feature allows operators to temporarily fix one or multiple input channels and/or FX Returns to their current position, thus ensuring that the selected channels remain in place even when the fader bank is changed to a different layer of inputs. As a result, key channels (lead singer, special FX, etc.) are accessible at all times on the top layer of the console while the operator still has access to channels on other fader banks.
• Insert Blank Input Strips: This feature allows the user to insert or remove blank channels on the console in order to create a fully customized console layout (to a maximum of 96 input strips regardless channel configuration). For example, a console configured w/48 processing channels can have another 48 blank strips added—all without the need for additional processing power. This customized layout can be used to create logical divisions between instrument sections or to avoid collisions between channels when the safe from banking feature (above) is used.
  Additionally, the blanks strip is automatically inserted any time the Make Stereo operation is used, thereby avoiding the confusion that could result from having the console layout suddenly "ripple down" to fill the blank channel left by the Make Stereo operation. The user's layout is now preserved after a Make Stereo and they are free to leave the blank strip in place or remove it, causing the channel layout to "ripple down" as before.
• VENUE System Export: This feature allows system information to be exported directly from the console or standalone software to a USB key disk. The resulting HMTL file can be read using any Internet browser and emailed directly to the equipment provider for inclusion in the formal rider spec.

Digidesign expects to release the D-Show 2.6 software upgrade on September 14. Customers will be able to purchase the upgrade for $149 US MSRP. Customers must provide the serial number of their FOH Rack to qualify for the upgrade.

The ANO A-Net interface card will be available to purchase on September 14 for $2,496 US MSRP.

For more information, visit their web site at www.digidesign.com.