Ronnie Reels, owner of ReelSound Productions, relied on his new Harman's Soundcraft Si Compact 32 digital console for numerous musical artists at the multi-day Muddy Roots Music Festival in Cookeville, TN. Reels used the Si Compact 32 as the front-of-house console for the event, for which he mixed 30 different acts.
The Muddy Roots Music Festival marked the first time that Reels used the Si Compact 32. Reels had been a longtime fan of Soundcraft and decided to make the transition to a digital system. The Si Compact 32 made Reels’ transition easy, as Reels noticed similarities between other Harman and Studer products that he had used before. After using the Si Compact 32 at the Muddy Roots Festival, Reels stated, "It's already my favorite console, I love it. The learning curve is very short for this console."
When dealing with large festivals with multiple acts, numerous transitions need to be executed within short periods of time. "The console worked wonderfully, the sonic quality was awesome and the pre-amps are not harsh even when driven hard," Reels said. "The compressors and gates sounded great, better than any console I've ever dealt with."
Other issues that posed challenges including temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit and heavy rain. The Si Compact 32, however, survived the weather. "Without the Si Compact, I'm not sure what would have happened," Reels said. "It ended up being a great weekend and I look forward to using it more and more."
