DiGiCo consoles are known for their intuitive system layout and flexibility, making them the perfect choice for the Tallinn College of Music and Ballet (MUBA) in Estonia. The consoles are indispensable to the staff and students of the college, not just as teaching aids, but also for concerts and gala performances at the college.
As Andres Olema, Sound Studio Manager and Rene Keldo, Lead Music Teacher explain, whatever is asked of the Quantum consoles, they shine in performance.
MUBA was opened in 2022, teaching children from age 10 onwards. Children learn a variety of skills, from dance and music to technical skills and music technology.
The audio system is fully networked, to allow connectivity throughout the school.
The staff at the college are able to utilise the existing S31 mixing console that can be wheeled wherever it is needed, opening the whole building up as an impromptu performance space. The college also utilises wireless microphones and Bluetooth speakers, to fully explore every possible opportunity for staging.
“Our new Quantum 338 and 225 consoles are mobile, so connectivity via Dante is really important to us,” explains Andres Olema. “Most of our digital ecosystem is built in Dante, so the ability to instantly transport signals all over the facility between the consoles and other equipment is mandatory.
“I also really enjoy the broad configurability of the consoles, especially the layout. I have used a lot of different consoles and I really appreciate the way I can make my layout exactly what I want with a Quantum. It particularly shines on big gala concert events where layout configurability and ease of use dictates how smoothly the broadcast or FOH mix will be.”
The school benefits from a large music studio, black box theatre and a large concert hall.
Children can board or attend as day students. There are even gyms and a pool, to ensure they are able to remain fit while studying. As Rene Keldo adds, no two days are the same, so the academy requires the ultimate usability from its Quantum range consoles.
“Somehow DiGiCo has managed to create one of the best and most easily usable console manuals for its Quantum range that I have ever read,” explains Keldo.
“You read it once and everything becomes clear. If you forget something, you just need to read the right section, and everything is clear again in few minutes. In a school setting, this also helps us to cultivate the skill of helping oneself with available materials in our students. I hope that this achievement by DiGiCo, while easy to overlook, will never be underappreciated.”
Tiit Terask, Director of Audio Sky and supplier for the MUBA refurbishment, offered the DiGiCo Quantum 338 and 225 to the academy because of their rider friendly reputation. It was also this factor that made them excellent teaching tools, learning on a DiGiCo console ensures the students will enter the professional workforce with knowledge that can stand the test of time.
“We chose DiGiCo because, it is very important to teach students modern technology, not history lessons!” Terask explains. “Our new consoles are one of the best and most flexible platform choices for a mixing console available.”
“When we were first looking to install the consoles back in 2022, we had issues with global supply chains, but DiGiCo could not have been more helpful,” Terask concluded. “The Dante DQ racks were delayed, then there were issues with fitting them into MUBA’s existing systems, but the DiGiCo technical support is excellent and helped us through that, so now the students have the perfect system.”
