BUENA PARK, Calif. (September 7, 2016)—The Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI) is a vocational public high school in Wayne, New Jersey that serves students in grades 9-12 from all parts of Passaic County. The school has just added a Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 Digital Audio Console in its 1,000-seat Frank D. Zaccaria Theater thanks in part to Washington Professional Systems (WPS), Wheaton, MD.
“WPS has been working with PCTI for a number of years, states Brian Grant, sr. account executive at WPS. Ruy Oliveira, the school’s communications technician, understands the importance of quality and is very particular about equipment. It must sound great, be reliable and be easy to use.” Grant said that Oliveira had been doing a bit of a digital console ‘dance’ and wasn’t happy with any of the current options. “After Yamaha had the RIVAGE PM10 dealer meeting in Nashville, I called Ruy and said, “This is the console you want”. I knew he would love it. It fits all three points: it sounds great, it is everyday reliable, and it is easy to use.””
Oliveira trusted Grant’s opinion on the quality but, even more so, the Yamaha and Rupert Neve Designs names. “This console sounds spectacular, Grant adds Actually, it can sound just about any way an engineer wishes it to sound, and as for the user interface, Yamaha has a long tradition of making digital consoles that are easy to navigate and use.”
Oliveira knew that the PM10 interface took the best bits from the PM1D, PM5D, and CL Digital Console interfaces. “PCTI is unlike most schools in that it prides itself on having quality equipment in all departments to insure their students get the highest level of learning, Oliveira says. With the number of events the theater accommodates, we knew we needed an extremely reliable console, first and foremost. I knew Yamaha has always had a reputation for making quality gear, and once I started there, the search inevitably led me to the PM10.”
PCTI has an active theater, from everyday assemblies to full on concerts. They host all forms of theatrical productions, plays, musicals, dance recitals, corporate meetings and events, and rents out the space to outside vendors looking to use it for similar events.
PCTI also offers a Co-Op program to its students. Every year they choose several students to “shadow” the audio/visual department. “Having top-of-the-line equipment makes a real impact on the students’ education, Oliveira notes. The Yamaha PM10 is one of the easiest, most user-friendly consoles I have had the pleasure of mixing on, and I have worked on almost ALL of them. To be able to make something as intricate as live sound pleasurable for students to learn on makes it that much more enjoyable.”
Oliveira cites high input counts, overall sound quality, and ease of use as mitigating factors to the school’s final decision. He also appreciates Rupert Neve Designs collaboration with Yamaha in features such as their plug-ins and Neve silk. “AHHHHHH, SILK…it makes everything sound amazing before I even touch an equalizer!”
“Everyone, and I mean everyone that hears it comments, usually something like, “what’s different” because it sounds awesome, says Oliveira. In the 25+ years I have been in audio engineering, WPS is by far the best vendor I’ve dealt with. Brian Grant, our sales rep, is a true professional. His input and guidance was instrumental in the purchase of the Yamaha RIVAGE PM10.”
For more information on Passaic County Technical Institute, visit www. https://www.pcti.tec.nj.us/.
For more information on Washington Professional Systems, visit www.wpsworld.com.
For more information on the Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 Digital Audio Console, visit www.yamahaca.com.
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PHOTO ID: L to R: Edward Dombroski and Ruy Oliveira, Communication Technicians, PCTI
