Caudan Arts Centre invests in Yamaha DM7 with support from Stage Audio Works

Opened in 2018, the Caudan Arts Centre is a privately owned theatre and cultural hub in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis. Playing host to an average of 135 shows per year over 300 days, this busy 431-seater venue proudly offers some of the very best technical facilities in the country, always keeping ahead of the curve in order to cater for both national and international artists, productions and performers. Most recently, the Caudan Arts Centre made a significant investment in its live mixing technology with the purchase of a Yamaha DM7 console, supplied by Stage Audio Works (SAW).

“We have a beautiful, high-performance space here at the Caudan Arts Theatre, with excellent acoustics and an exceptional PA system,” comments Kooshal Dwarka, Technical Manager and Head of Sound at the venue. “Since the very beginning, we have worked closely with Stage Audio Works, who have helped us to design, install and maintain the entire AV system across our auditorium, and also several meeting rooms here at Caudan. When it came time to upgrade our front-of-house kit, I reached out to the SAW team right away.”

A testament to the ongoing technical partnership between the Caudan Arts Centre and Stage Audio Works, Dwarka sought their advice during negotiations on the mixing console upgrade. Whilst they had enjoyed a good experience with their hardworking Yamaha CL1 and CL3 for more than six years, the in-house team knew an upgrade would unlock new levels of control and creativity over their mixes.

“As I gained experience in mixing for different shows, from jazz and musicals through to dance shows and plays, I started to dream big in terms of our mixing potential here at Caudan,” continues Dwarka. “Through consultation with the Stage Audio Works team, the DM7 stood out as the right choice for us. It would have a lot of the features of the Rivage series, in the right size format for us and offered a huge amount of flexibility in terms of user controls and customisation.”

Making this purchase means that the Caudan Arts Centre is the first venue to own this console in Mauritius, setting a benchmark for other professional theatres on the island and maintaining the theatre’s reputation as a leading venue. Aside from the positive impact on the venue’s reputation and its appeal to international artists, it was the rich feature set of the Yamaha DM7 that sealed the deal for the Caudan team.

The new DM7 has quickly become a firm favourite for Kooshal and the team thanks to its combination of intuitive design and powerful feature set. The dual touchscreens are a highlight; highly responsive, comfortable to use and easy on the eyes even during long mixing sessions. The angled positioning of the screens makes for comfortable viewing, and the ability to customise the console lighting for different performances is greatly appreciated. The layout of the desk provides an at-a-glance overview of processing and routing, so users don’t need to waste time sifting through multiple menus. Extensive user-defined keys grant remarkable flexibility to tailor the workflow to each production’s needs.

Split mode is one of the most valuable features that Dwarka and the team rely on daily. Being able to divide the workflow into separate FOH and monitoring consoles within the same desk saves both space and resources. Fader response is another highlight, with adjustments translating instantly into audible results. Paired with the auditorium’s d&b audiotechnik audio system, a flown T Series line array with V-SUBs and a V Series centre cluster, the combination allows the Caudan Arts Centre to confidently handle a diverse programme of productions.

“One of the main motivations for me was the 120 inputs and 48 outputs in a compact console,” remarks Dwarka. “This really opens up creative possibilities in terms of routing and bus mixing, which we are increasingly experimenting with. Since integrating the DM7 into our system, I’ve also been amazed at the DSP. There is so much detail coming out of the PA. Plus, the huge library of plug-ins is a game-changer. For its size and price, you get an extremely flexible, powerful and elegant console that saves a lot of time in live event situations.”

The Yamaha DM7 not only meets the Caudan Arts Centre’s needs today, but will serve them well into the future, both creatively and technically. More international artists can have confidence in the capabilities of the Caudan Arts Centre now that it is proudly home to a DM7, and the scope of productions hosted at the multi-arts venue will continue to expand.

“Mauritius is a multi-cultural country, and our programme represents that,” continues Dwarka. “As well as visiting acts from abroad, we host a lot of local Sega, Indian folk and classical, and Chinese folk musicians, and music plays an integral part in our cultural heritage here in Mauritius. For this, you need the most natural-sounding processing to remain authentic to the musical heritage. The DM7 sounds very natural, especially in combination with our PA system. Since upgrading, we’ve noticed the difference in the satisfaction of audiences watching these performances.”

In addition to live performances, the Caudan Arts Centre also hosts various corporate events, and the Yamaha DM7 has proven its worth in terms of flexibility and support for diverse device setups. With a total of 64 channels, the Dan Dugan Automixer is easily accessible on each channel, allowing for instant application. Support for Dante and AES67 protocols enables audio routing from various sources, whilst near-instant integration of additional audio sources from visiting presenters is possible using Dante converters. Dynamic noise suppression plug-ins help ensure speech clarity during presentations, especially when working with worn omnidirectional mics that often capture unwanted stage noise.

The enduring relationship between the Caudan Arts Centre and Stage Audio Works ensures Dwarka always has trusted advisors on hand for advice. “Stage Audio Works know us and they know the venue. They will always help us find the best value solution for our specific requirements.”

The recent purchase of the Yamaha DM7 console has positioned the Caudan Arts Centre as a reference venue in Mauritius. The addition of the DM7’s rich, rider-friendly feature set empowers the venue to attract high-profile artists with the confidence that the console can handle any challenge that is thrown at it. “The DM7 meets our creative and technical demands, and gives us the high level of confidence we need when running back-to-back shows,” concludes Dwarka. “Supported all the way by Stage Audio Works, this purchase has truly helped us to level up. Yamaha really nailed this one!”

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