TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
Soundcraft Si Expression 3
DIGITAL CONSOLE
An intuitive, aesthetically colourful mixer specifically built for live touring and installed audio, the Si Expression Series is affordable, compact, feature-packed, intuitive, and fully professional, writes Will James.
SOUNDCRAFT HAS been kicking around the production business since 1973 – about as long as I have. The company enjoys a reputation of being one of the finest console manufacturers, historically known for fat-sounding, warm, and responsive workhorse analogue consoles with notably fantastic EQ. Today, Soundcraft builds digital consoles, too; the Vi6 – considered by many to be one of the best sounding digital consoles out there – is packed with elements borrowed by Soundcraft’s more affordable desks such as the Si Expression Series mixer that is the subject of this review.
FEATURES
One of the most notable features of the Si Expression Series is FaderGlow, a tactile colour-coding for parameters such as inputs and sends. The colours are assignable, allowing users quick reference as to which of the four operational layers they are in. The unit I reviewed, an Si Expression 3, offers 24 assignable channel faders alongside the permanent L/R stereo master faders and sole mono master fader. Intuitively scroll through the layers and colours will change, marking such parameters as faders as they each perform varying functions. To access any of the 14 master sends, a strip button above the fader section numbered 1 to 14 depresses, allowing any mix fader to become the preferred mix send. Each of the 14 sends
46 December 2013
“If you are in the market for an affordable digital console that offers superb value and sound, I give the Si Expression 3 my highest recommendation.” Will James
features a graphic EQ and stereo latch capability for stereo IEM mixing; a button near the master L/R fader provides a 30-band BSS graphic EQ to every aux and master on the console. The mixer’s internal Lexicon effects are accessed through four additional master access buttons; with the depressing of any of the effects master buttons each mix fader changes colour – as it is now a send to that effect – and can be globally assigned as pre/post. The effects section is actually four sections of onboard Lexicon 550 Effects Processors, offering a multitude of options in reverb, delay, pitch shift, and other effect types. Above the fader bank resides
a universal channel strip, accessed by the Select button per channel. The universal channel strip has a full range of crucial ingredients: Soundcraft’s famous parametric EQ, an extensive compressor/ expander section, gate, input trim, and pan. The gate and comp/expand processors can all be run simultaneously with separate thresholds and gain parameters. The mixer’s system menu
can be fully accessed via touchscreen, though a rotary scroll button is available, too. A wide variety of commands are
handled here: restoring default settings, accessing prior mixed shows via the USB connection, re-patching fader locations and plug-ins, reassigning fader function, and colour, etc.
IN USE The Si Expression 3 arrived at Atlantis Audio just in time for a semi-trailer load-in, as we were headed to a road date with Country music artist Colin Raye, providing audio, lighting, and staging at an out-of-town casino’s ballroom. I was to be the FOH engineer on this particular gig. We plugged in our analogue snake system to the Si Expression 3’s rear panel XLRs – a total of 32 inputs, 14 aux/monitor busses, and three L/R/Mono channels. Additional TRS connectors provided four external line-in locations and a connector port for an external word clock. During sound check I ran
the console through all the universal channel strip features. I was very impressed with its sound quality and ease of operation while providing fairly deep parameters on all the functions. Its four- processor onboard Lexicon reverb is superb, providing full parameter control. Depressing the bus master button allows instant access to the
multiprocessor; the mix faders glow blue, acknowledging it is in post-fader mode. To return to the mix, I just pressed the processor’s master button again; I was back to mix mode (or whatever layer I was previously in). Next, we employed the Si
Expression 3 as a monitor desk for Country music legend Marty Stuart at an outdoor show. The console was superb as a monitor console, offering up to 14 separate mono monitor mixes; six of these masters can function as stereo mixes for IEMs. For this particular show, we used conventional wedge monitors and were able to globally change the sends to pre fader, allowing each channel to access each mix by depressing the mix master key. The Si Expression 3 delivered excellent sound quality at very doable levels; it never maxed the outputs.
SUMMARY The Soundcraft Si Expression 3 is a superb, well-built console that handled Atlantis Audio’s road gigs for many weeks, functioning perfectly in some
INFORMATION Feature set
• D.O.G.S (Direct Out Gain Stabiliser) – prevents manual change of a mic gain control affecting direct out levels
• Personal monitoring interface • FaderGlow colour-coding • Assignable and customisable fader layers • Instant access keys for store, recall, next, mute 1-4, tap tempo, and more
www.soundcraft.com www.audiomedia.com
fairly adverse conditions. The Si Expression 3’s moving faders are very smooth, its menu is highly accessible, and its sound quality is excellent; it clearly benefits from the noble characteristics it inherited from the Vi Series, most apparent in its high-quality mic preamps. The one issue I had with the console was that unless I left the touchscreen in Input mode, I still had to use board tape to label channels. For the price, however, I’ll live without the name strip to get a console with so much quality, features, and I/O. If you are in the market for
an affordable digital console that offers superb value and sound, I give the Si Expression 3 my highest recommendation. And I am putting my money where my mouth is; I’ll be acquiring a few of them for my own company as they are everyday useful.
THE REVIEWER Will James
is a veteran live sound engineer and the owner of Atlantis Audio, an Arizona-based full audio, lighting, and staging firm.
www.atlantisaudio.com
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