SD8: The power, finesse and clarity of DiGiCo digital mixing with Stealth Digital Processing™

Stealth Processing™

The SD8 incorporates the highly innovative Stealth Digital Processing™, initially designed for the pioneering SD7. Based on a single Super FPGA combined with Analogue Devices Tiger SHARCS for an array of effects processing, it provides unrivalled audio quality, precision and processing power.

The future is Super FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) technology with floating-point processing.

Allied to the already powerful SHARC® processor, in use at the heart of every DiGiCo console, is the very latest Tiger SHARC® FX engine, all underpinned by DiGiCo’s Stealth Digital Processing™.

Super FPGA technology is literally two generations beyond the world of DSP and is a core component of DiGiCo’s advances in console design.

This potent combination provides a stunning level of instant controllability over multiple functions. It supports a comprehensive control surface with 37 motorised faders (or 25 with SD8-24), dedicated and multi-function control knobs and electronic labelling.

It also provides an extensive range of built-in, world-class effects, reverbs, dynamics, output matrix and more. Plus that huge, glorious interactive touch screen makes the SD Series a pleasure to mix on and, of course, the smoothest, cleanest and warmest digital console sound yet devised - at any price!

These facilities are constantly available across every one of the SD8’s 60 mono or stereo channels – the equivalent of 120 channels of full DSP processing. Thanks to the combined power of the SD8’s technologies, the number and quality of effects, dynamics or other functions available to all channels simultaneously is never compromised or reduced, no matter how you have the console
set up.

High Res 15" LCDs

One of the most striking features is the large 15-inch, super high resolution, touch sensitive TFT LCD backlit displays. This rich mine of real-time information is the SD8’s primary command centre and works completely intuitively with every other control of the console, automatically displaying functions that are exactly relevant to what you’re doing right now. Because speed of operation is high up the SD8’s design priority list, this approach continues throughout the worksurface. Look for menus and submenus, and you’ll look in vain as far as all major operations are concerned. A physical fader, knob or backlit electronically labelled button is either provided as standard for every major mix function, or can be programmed onto one of the user macro buttons.

Quality 100mm Faders

The 24 (or 12 for SD8-24) main channel faders and 12 assignable aux and master faders are smooth, top quality, 100mm long throw motorised types, accurate, durable and long proven. Touch sensitive fader caps put even more intuitive controllability right where you need it. Each bank of 12 faders can be instantly assigned as channels or masters, allowing all 36 (or 12 for SD8-24) main faders to control inputs or AUX sends if desired, while any bank of 12 can be assigned to the touch screen for fine tuning.

From Stage to FOH

The SD8 is much more than just a powerful worksurface. It provides you with a complete digital package from stage to your mix position.

Included with it is a dedicated SD8 stage MaDiRack, which serves as system input, digital/analogue signal splitter and MADI digital output, along with 100 metres of touring quality MADI digital cable. So it’s goodbye to the heavyweight analogue multicore and hello to 100% noise free, pure digital signal from stage to console – a significant cost saving too, especially for installed systems.

As a further touch, the worksurface boasts full Gain Tracking™, an advanced feature of all DiGiCo consoles. This allows FOH and monitor consoles to share inputs, yet have independent gain structures. The MaDiRack has 48 microphone inputs which are complemented by 8 analogue outputs as standard. A further 16 analogue, AES/EBU or Aviom outputs can be fitted to allow for any connection requirements, whether feeding a crossover digitally or for IEM.

The SD8’s dual BNC MADI connections are the key to another remarkable aspect of the package – the ability to make live multitrack recordings of rehearsals and shows straightforward and inexpensive.

While one MADI is used for the stage rack, the other is ready for use for live recording of all 48 inputs to any MADI compatible recording system. You’ll notice the SD8’s worksurface incorporates a convenient flat area at top left to hold a laptop – with sturdy steel locating pegs to keep your PC or Mac in place when the joint
is jumping.

Hook up a laptop running Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Samplitude, Reaper, Pro Tools or any other leading multitrack recording software to the dedicated MADI port on the console’s left side and you’re in business with an instant, low cost, studio quality 48 track recording and playback set-up.

Perfect, too, for fine-tuning scenes and settings at your leisure.

The worksurface itself provides more I/O – 8 mic/ line inputs, 8 line outputs and 8 AES inputs and outputs.

Finally, DiGiCo will offer an optical output option as a special
order item.

No Outboard Racks

A wealth of onboard effects, EQ and dynamics processing greatly reduces the need for external processing. 6 (8 with OverDrive software) onboard stereo effects are available at all times with a choice of reverbs, delays and more. 12 (24 with OverDrive software) graphic equalisers can be assigned across any of the busses or channels and the power of Stealth Digital Processing™ ensures that every channel, every buss and every matrix output is equipped with 4 bands of parametric EQ, 24dB high and low pass filtering (as on the SD7), along with a fully-specified single band compressor, gate and a delay offering up to 1.3 seconds per channel.

Snapshot Facility

Also familiar to D Series users is the SD8’s snapshot flexibility – a feature as vital today for smaller theatre and touring acts as it is for the largest productions. It provides such features as global scope, snapshot specific recall, scope and crossfade, plus the ability to take the console offline enabling snapshot editing without affecting audio. There are also eight, user defined Macros’ for fast access to key parameters. For users upgrading from analogue or a budget digital desk, the SD8’s snapshot and Macro facilities will open an exciting new realm of possibilities.

Built for the Road

Every inch an engineer’s console, the SD8 is designed for the rough and tumble of the road, the pressure of corporate events and festivals, the rehearsals and nightly changes of operator in the theatre world as well as the unique challenges of providing excellent, repeatable audio for houses of worship.

Powerful as it is on the inside, the SD8 is ready for everything the road can throw at it too. A sturdy steel chassis provides excellent rigidity, while the laminated worksurface is highly resistant to wear and tear. Every aspect of the worksurface and the MaDiRack exudes DiGiCo quality, from the perfectly weighted encoder wheels and faders to the durable silk screening and solid construction.

In the worksurface a dual, hot-swappable, integrated switch-mode power supply provides peace of mind and is designed for world-wide use.

Gain Tracking™

In a complete house-and-monitor DiGiCo system, Gain Tracking™, a world first for DiGiCo, allows a console operator to change any input gain without affecting the sound balance on either console - Gain Tracking™ is selectable on each channel independently on each console.