034 INTERVIEW
have protected in something of a bubble. James agrees. “It has survived better than most. “It’s probably because most of our customers are professional; they are buying a product to make them money. In associated industries it’s more disposable income, such as musical instruments, and these are the companies that have been affected. In our industry we are protected because coming out and seeing a show is one of the cheapest forms of escapism there is. It’s money into our industry and none of us can complain at that.” To the outside eye, it has appeared that DiGiCo has plumbed a generally trouble- free path, without too many IED’s threatening their progress along the way. But James Gordon says it has not always been a bed of roses - since they have often been prepared to fly close to the sun. “For instance, when we first developed the SD8, our first high volume product, that was a massive up front investment for us and the highest risk we’ve ever taken. “We were coming out of the high end and going into a new market with new price points and new technology. This was at the end of 2008 when the recession was starting to bite and all the component lead times went out the window. We were committed with the first production run and didn’t necessarily know where the components were coming from. But in May 2009 we looked at the shipments and realised we had done 500 pieces inside 12 months.” Having only launched the console at PLASA 08, this was a huge achievement and the DiGiCo team wanted to mark the occasion by putting something back into the industry. It didn’t take long to realise the best way to do this was to honour the contribution of two well-known engineers, John Roden and Jim Douglas, who supported DiGiCo. The special 500th commemorative desk was raffled and the proceeds given to their families.
SO WHAT EXACTLY does a company like DiGiCo expect from its investment partner? “You talk about where you want the company to go and how you want to diversify, and as long as it’s deliverable they will back you.” DiGiCo now intends to grow its core business while expanding more into broadcast, and are already out with several US broadcasters. They also had a significant presence at last month’s Broadcast Video Expo (BVE) in London. You can also expect them to move further into expanded plug-in options and small I/O modules like the recent UB MADI (launched under the DiGiCo Solutions moniker). This neat little device facilitates MADI connectivity by offering 48 tracks of audio in and out through USB2 instead of needing PCI or ExpressCard slots. “We showed it at NAMM this year and at 900 Euros list price every live engineer in the world would love it. It was further encouraging when all music producers at NAMM said it was great for their application. “It’s probably the lowest cost product we’ve ever produced. It’s branded with the icon and works with any MADI stream. We’ve never experienced phone calls like
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this before as no-one else has developed a product like it. The attention to detail and technology used are amazing. From its internal FPGA core to the extruded aluminium chassis with integrated rubber sliders, it speaks for itself.” Another module being developed by John Stadius is the DiGiCo Multichannel Interface (DMI) for their Stage-rack, which enables connection to a PC or Mac for remote control of the preamp down CAT5. This allows the user to control the pre- amp and record audio onto a laptop via any DAW. With their high quality pre amps this opens DiGiCo’s market areas even further. And don’t rule out diversification, perhaps via other vehicles. “If the right company came along and it had synergy we would buy,” states James. “Or if a small company came along with something cool we would look at it. But there is nothing in the immediate future and it’s not our intention to go on a buying spree. Our big interest is in solution stuff.” Finally, there may even be a ‘back to the future’ vibe in the offing. The Soundtracs name is still extant and the company markets the DS00 under the Soundtracs brand. “There are still a lot of post-production houses using our equipment and I wouldn’t rule out us bringing the brand back,” says James tantalisingly - adding that the company is permanently on the look out for new talented R&D engineers. But what the injection of new capital will enable them to do primarily is secure the financial risk and provide a comfort blanket. “It means we no longer have to worry about personal risk. We now have really good security to grow the business further and faster and expand into accessories.” So where does he expect to be sitting in 12 months time? “I’d like to think the world will be a better place and that I’m sat right here,” he says predictably. The intention is to keep the company privately held. “There’s a limit to how far we can grow as a console manufacturer but we can use our technology in other areas and we will look at entering into more strategic partnerships and working with companies with a similar background. “Independent companies can be quite flexible and agile - the relationship with Waves, for instance, has been phenomenal. SoundGrid lets you run Waves audio plug-ins directly from DiGiCo SD series consoles, perfect for front-of-house, monitor, broadcast, and theatre alike.” The closing words from James follow the predictable trope. “We all work really hard but the problem is that the public only sees us when we are having fun.” But surely that’s a good thing? Besides, the work hard / play hard ethic will always be its beating heart - the seam running through this company. This is exemplified by James’ breakneck schedule that by early February had already seen him embark on his fourth overseas trip of the year. In fact he won’t mind where he is on the day of his 40th birthday. “It’s March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day... no matter where I am in the world someone in an Irish bar will buy me a beer. Its not all bad.”
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