INDEX
The Appeal of Analog Consoles: Insights from the Three Experts
To get back on track, “Dub PA” seems to require not only the basic techniques and knowledge of PA, but also a musical sense. It’s about applying effects in real-time to the band’s performance, creating acoustic effects.
Sasaki: Exactly, dub itself wouldn’t exist without analog consoles. With an analog console, moving the knobs and faders makes the sound change exactly how you envision it. There are actual effect devices within reach, and you can experiment with sound. But with digital consoles, once you press a button and select something, that’s often all you can do. So when you try to do dub on a digital console, it’s like applying pre-set effects during the song. I don’t think that’s dub. Dub is about doing things on the spot, things that you can’t anticipate.
As the times have changed, fewer live houses maintain analog consoles, and now digital ones take the lead. The reasons include the number of inputs and outputs, the integration with speakers, and the convenience of maintenance, among others.
Sasaki: Yeah. So when I did PA at WWW, I was actually a bit excited. The Heritage 3000 at WWW is an analog console.
Uchida: Nowadays, when I need to do dub, I bring my own 16-channel analog mixer to the live house. With only a digital console, I can only use two or three effects at a time. I set up the part I want to apply effects to on my analog console, and return about 8 channels of effects. The equipment I bring to the venue has increased, but it’s becoming a standard setup.
DMX: The other day, I went to do PA at Star Pine’s Cafe in Kichijoji, and they had a SOUNDCRAFT analog console, the MH4. As soon as I walked in and saw it, I thought, “Wow, I didn’t expect so many knobs!” While fiddling around, my fingers started to hurt (laughs). And sometimes while operating, I’d forget which knob I turned up, and think, “Is there too much reverb?” That’s the thing with working with analog consoles, it’s fun, even with the accidents.
Uchida: Yeah, but they’re still really easy to use. What I look for in a PA console is ease of use and clarity. It’s really helpful when you can easily do what you need to do.
Sasaki: That’s the most important thing. Then there’s the sound quality. But as long as it has the minimum sound quality needed, that’s fine. There aren’t that many different kinds of consoles out there. When it comes to PA consoles that professionals use, in broad terms, it’s SOUNDCRAFT, MIDAS, and YAMAHA for analog desks. Each brand has its own characteristics, and it’s about finding which one works best for you.
DMX: There’s a debate about sound quality differences between manufacturers, but I’ve never really cared about that.
Sasaki: Yeah, me neither.
DMX: For me, ease of use and weight are more important. When you’re on a tour or something, you start to think that lighter is better. When you’re setting up a console in a hall, there are times when you can only carry it to the aisle, or even not that far. Then you end up having to carry it all the way from the front of the stage to the back of the audience. It’s a nightmare. So, for me, it’s all about the weight. Honestly, I can handle a console with 16 faders if it’s light enough.
