[SML] Soundcraft Si Perfomer 3: any users? Thoughts?

[Jason Salvatori]

We own an Si Performer 3 and so far I've been quite impressed with it.
We installed it in September, so we're about 4.5 months in with it.
Generally very intuitive.  Select the channel, use the top area to
adjust parameters, move on to the next channel.  The scribble strips
are really useful.  Them and the VCA's make the Performer well worth
the extra $$ over the Expression.  The DMX is a joke, but I bought it
knowing it will never be used.  Some of the lowest level set up
functions are a bit awkward (the fader setup menu has some quirks, but
nothing that can't be figured out with a minute looking at the user
manual.)

With 2 expansion slots, there is some room to grow.  We have the 32 x
16 compact stage box, and that gives us 84 inputs x 32 out. (which I
believe is the maximum the DSP can take at once.)  If you're not using
the local I/O, I believe you can add a second stage box, but I can't
say for sure.  We also added an Si multi-digital card which gives
32x32 over USB or Firewire, plus an addition 8 ADAT channels.  I just
bought the card a couple of days ago, so I can't give a full review of
it, other than it was simple to install, and I had 4 channels of
playback from my PC going in less than 30 minutes (and most of that
time was dealing with Windows audio and mixer settings).  Some other
really useful cards are the BLU-LINK that let you use the DBX PMC-16
monitor controllers.
My one wish it that there was a 3rd expansion slot so I could have all
3 cards in at once instead of having to swap depending on the day /
client,

A bunch of features I find really useful:
Fader Glow.  I know this is a bit of a gimmick, but knowing if a send
is pre or post by the colour of the fader saves time over looking at
the menu.
Interrogate. Hold down a button (say +48v) and the select button on
each channel that has phantom applied lights up.  Hit select on other
channels to add it to them as well without having to select each one
individually.  Works for EQ, phantom, HPF, compressor, gate, and maybe
some others.
The copy paste function and scene management work really well too.
Saving shows is slow if you've got a ton of scenes, but using isolate
to record only the parameters you need to cuts down on files size and
time considerably.
iPad app.  So super useful, and works really well with very little latency.

Complaints:
The local monitor volume knob does both the booth monitors and
headphone out together.  I wish I could separate them.
I wish I could use an external USB keyboard for input.  The touch
screen is fine for almost everything, but gets tedious when labeling
30+ channels.

All in all, we're really happy with our purchase. I'd take it over an
LS9 any day.  I haven't had a chance to play with the QL series, so I
can't compare it to that.
Oh, and a last thought: shop around.  I got the console and stage box
for less than I see just the console advertised in a lot of online
shops.

Jason


On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Stephen Litterst via Stagecraft
<stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
> On 1/7/15 9:46 PM, Jon Ares via Stagecraft wrote:
>>
>> Yo, SML peeps.... any users or opinions on the Soundcraft Si Performer
>> 3 digital board? Good? Bad? Ugly? Ease of use? (Compared to Yamaha
>> LS9?)
>
>
> I have experience with the Si Expression line which is nigh-identical to the
> Performer line. (Performer has DMX output and LCD readouts on each channel.)
> I really liked the sound and ease of use.  It's a digital console with a
> user-interface that mimics a good analog desk. I've never used an LS9, but
> compared to the Yamaha QL1 the soundcraft boards are more intuitive and
> easier to learn.
>
> Steve L.
>
> --
> Stephen Litterst            Technical Operations Supervisor
> litterst at udel.edu           Mitchell Hall
> 302/831-0601                University of Delaware
>
>
>
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