Richmond, Virg.-based Soundworks provides concert soundreinforcement for outdoor events. Recently, it added two Soundcraft MH3desks. Typically used as a pair, with one on FOH and the other onmonitors, Soundworks owner Steve Payne (pictured) reported that he’salready “putting the new consoles through their paces” this summer on amyriad outdoor shows.
Aside from recently being used on several high-profile artists,including Los Lobos and Delbert McClinton, Soundworks more frequentlybreaks out the twin desks for regional talent. “Quite a few of the areamusicians we work with are now using in-ears, and a number of them evencarry their own monitor consoles,” Payne said. “But we’ll show up for agig with our MH3 and tell them to try it instead. When they do, thebandmembers, especially the drummers, always think they’ve died andgone to heaven. Everyone busts wide open in grins loving it because itjust sounds so fantastic on in-ears.”
Payne is no stranger to the Soundcraft line of boards: “Like a lotof people, I grew up on Soundcraft consoles. I started out in themid-’70s on the Series 1-S—I had three! I’ve also owned a Series2, Series 3, 1600s and other early Soundcrafts. I loved their sound;they all had such character. When you twisted a knob, you knew you weredoing something and could find something you’d like. The MH3s haveeverything that I liked about those old Soundcrafts and none of thestuff I didn’t. The noise floor on the new boards is very low, and themic pre’s and EQs are really sweet-sounding. In fact, the MH3’s EQ cango from being very gentle and sweet to aggressively bearing its teethand digging in, depending on what you want to do with it. It’sextremely versatile.”
Soundworks, a fixture on the Richmond music scene for 26 years,specializes in providing concert sound reinforcement for outdoor eventsthat draw up to 7,000 people. These days, Soundworks counts InnsbrookAfterHours, Friday Cheers, Wednesdays on the Waterfront, and the annual102.1FM Chili Cookoff among its many regular clients.
For more, visit www.soundcraft.com.
