Following a major upgrade in 2024, during which almost its entire complement of technical equipment was replaced, the La Salle Odyssée multi-venue arts and entertainment complex at the La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau in Canada has installed three Solid State Logic Live mixing consoles.
The venue’s in-house technical team selected the consoles to allow them to handle the wide variety of entertainment that passes through the venue annually. ‘We host all kinds of performances, ranging from local to international productions,’ says Technical Director, Joël Vaillancourt. ‘Whether it’s comedy, vocal performances, theatre, dance, circus acts or jazz, country, pop and symphonic music – and even live podcasts – we’ve got it all.’
‘At La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, we are committed to providing artists, production teams and audiences with an experience that meets the highest standards in the industry,’ says Executive Director at La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, Steve Fournier. ‘This investment not only allows us to maintain the technical excellence of our facilities but also strengthens La Salle Odyssée’s position as a premier destination for local, national and international productions.’
Vaillancourt and his technical team carried out their due diligence before determining that an SSL Live L550 Plus, L350 Plus and L100 Plus, along with a Live Remote Tile, met their requirements. ‘When it comes to choosing a piece of equipment of this importance, we never cut corners,’ he explains. ‘Beyond the SSL brand’s excellent reputation, we put the console to the test by comparing it head-to-head, in real-world conditions, with top-of-the-line models from five other major manufacturers. Our primary goal was to acquire tools that offered the best audio quality and the greatest DSP flexibility, while maintaining a user-friendly and efficient interface. It turned out that SSL products outperformed the competition across all our key criteria.’
Part of La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau’s ongoing commitment to providing artists and audiences with an exceptional live experience the consoles will cover a range of applications at the venue.
‘The SSL L100 Plus is for tight spaces and our small cabaret events, the L350 Plus is mainly for front-of-house due to its versatility and favourable power-to-size ratio and, finally, the L550 Plus is for when we need a monitor mix or for more demanding events,’ In the main Odyssée Hall, the console primarily drives the PA system in left/right or LCR configurations, and sometimes in surround sound, depending on the requirements, he says. ‘However, we also use smaller, more portable left/right systems, floor monitors and in-ear monitors.’
The desks’ onboard DSP capabilities mean that the venue has no need for outboard processing: ‘We’re perfectly happy with what’s included in the console. Every situation calls for a different tool, and you can always find what works for you among the available options.’
Using stems allows mixes to be structured more efficiently by grouping sources for quick and comprehensive adjustments. It also provides greater control and a more consistent sound, especially during complex live performances. ‘We use aux buses much less frequently than we did with our previous consoles,’ Vaillancourt says. ‘Sometimes less experienced users prefer to use them because the way they work is similar to what they’re used to, but for us, their use remains limited.’
The consoles each have three X-Light Bridges, three SB 32.24 Dante Analogue Stageboxes and two SB 16.12 Dante Analogue Stageboxes, and are connected to a Dante network reserved exclusively for audio. All the SSL equipment was supplied by Perfecson, a sales, integration and service company also located in Gatineau.