Soundcraft Si Performer

Silas Pradetto

Graduate Student
So, I think I'm the first one to get one of these? It showed up here today, I got a Soundcraft Performer 2, a Cat5 MADI card plus a Soundcraft Compact Stagebox running Cat5 MADI, plus an additional Optical MADI card for 64-track multitrack recording. On top of that I picked up an SSL MADIXtreme 64 to pipe it into the computer.

After one day of playing around, I have a few thoughts, but no time to post now. I'll put together some pictures and a list of issues I see and positives soon. Just figured I'd start a thread so we can keep all the Performer info in one place.
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

Great Silas,

Hope you can post some info. I would also like to know the similarities between this console and SI-Compact (if possible).

Also the list of availaible fixturesthat can be downloaded to the console.

Thanks,
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

The world waits.... I am supposed to be getting a Performer and an Expression for a day early next month. This thread hasn't turned into the Behringer love fest. Silas, what are your thoughts on the Performer?
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

=Soundtracs

You can know the brand, from the former (not so popular) analog consoles. 8O~8-O~:shock:

Thanks for catching the spelling error. Proper noun and all that....

Yes, the Soundtracs mixers sucked. I was very surprised they gave birth to DiGiCo and that the new brand would be accepted so quickly, based on the pedigree.
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

Did you ever get around to posting your opinion on the Soundcraft Performer?

Well, I don't have an official opinion yet. I got the board too early in the game and there were a few issues with the firmware that had to be sorted out before I could really use it. Unfortunately, the timeline for addressing the issues was not known so I couldn't chance sitting on the board and waiting.

I do have word now that many of these issues were addressed, which was faster than anticipated.

Sorry for being so vague, if anyone needs more details, they can PM me.

Thanks!
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

Hi Silas,
I had dismissed this product off hand when I saw it marketed as an audio console with built in dmx lighting control. A true bar bands dream come true, but not my market segment. With the introduction of the Expression series consoles, I took the time to reexamine Soundcraft's lower end digital offerings. Perusing the manual and watching the online videos (and for me, ignoring the lighting control :), the Performer seemed to have a lot of solid features and a very intuitive layout. The one thing that has me smacking my forehead with the butt of my hand is a design that presents 2 less input faders on the surface than mic pres available? Across the lines this equates to 14/16, 22/24, 30/32. Except in the rack mount Expression 1, where physical size is a real constraint, I can see absolutely no reason for the designers choosing to always have the last 2 input channels fall onto the 2nd layer. Am I missing something? At any rate, i would be very interested in your hands on experience when you have the time to post. Thanks.
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

I had a friend of mine try one of these consoles out earlier on in the series (the first soundcraft digital as we know it today).... Do they have a custom layer that you can create (ala Yamaha), or do you have to switch betweeen banks to address levels of effect retruns, etc... That was one of his complaints at the time.
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

I had a friend of mine try one of these consoles out earlier on in the series (the first soundcraft digital as we know it today).... Do they have a custom layer that you can create (ala Yamaha), or do you have to switch betweeen banks to address levels of effect retruns, etc... That was one of his complaints at the time.

There is no custom layer because the entire console is custom. Any strip on any layer can be anything you want. There is no fixed architecture on these.
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

Hi Silas,
I had dismissed this product off hand when I saw it marketed as an audio console with built in dmx lighting control. A true bar bands dream come true, but not my market segment. With the introduction of the Expression series consoles, I took the time to reexamine Soundcraft's lower end digital offerings. Perusing the manual and watching the online videos (and for me, ignoring the lighting control :), the Performer seemed to have a lot of solid features and a very intuitive layout. The one thing that has me smacking my forehead with the butt of my hand is a design that presents 2 less input faders on the surface than mic pres available? Across the lines this equates to 14/16, 22/24, 30/32. Except in the rack mount Expression 1, where physical size is a real constraint, I can see absolutely no reason for the designers choosing to always have the last 2 input channels fall onto the 2nd layer. Am I missing something? At any rate, i would be very interested in your hands on experience when you have the time to post. Thanks.

Steve, yes, you're missing something: the fact that these mix 80 channels. There is no real relationship between the number of faders and the number of XLR inputs on the surface. Many consoles have even less faders, like the Midas Pro1 with only 8 input faders but it mixes how many channels?

With the Performer, Expression, and Compact, any fader can be anywhere so it's not a big deal to set up the console completely custom to match your workflow.
 
Re: Soundcraft Si Performer

Silas, I totally understand that these consoles are capable of processing a large number of channels and they can be arranged in any location and on any layer you wish. I got it. I am saying that, if the console design offers x number of built in preamps as a starting point (and probably ending point for a lot of buyers), it seems strange to me that they chose to have the surface offer x-2 channels of control per layer.