Meet the 37th Annual TEC Award Finalists: Large Format Console

The TEC Awards “recognize the individuals, companies, and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, film, television, video games, and multimedia.” With award categories spanning 21 Technical Achievement and six Creative Achievement categories, the TEC Awards is considered the highest honor dedicated to the pro audio and sound recording industry.

TEC Awards finalists are identified through a three-step process starting with a “Call for Entries.” After the entry period, a panel comprised of industry leaders and professionals nominated eligible products and project submissions that “represent superior accomplishment in their respective fields.” Finally, in January 2022, pro audio, live event, and music industry professionals will vote for a finalist in each respective category, with one taking home the title of “Product of the Year.”

Large Format Console
This category includes mixing boards over 60 pounds used for recording, broadcast, or sound reinforcement.

Avid – VENUE S6L v7.0 Software: Avid says this product “delivers the unmatched processing power and sound clarity artists and engineers rely on to present the best show possible.” The console features direct AAX and Waves plugin support, 128 tracks of Pro Tools recording, full-system modularity, and 300+ processing channels. Pairing the “mixing efficiency, creativity, and flexibility you need to meet the demands of any gig,” the S6L now includes an expanded line of five control surfaces, three engines, and four I/O racks.

DiGiCo – Quantum 225: DiGiCo incorporates all the design features introduced with the Quantum 338 in the Quantum 225 to continue the Quantum legacy. The console features a 17-inch, 1000 nit, high brightness multitouch screen with a meter bridge and soft quick-select buttons for fast and intuitive operation. The Quantum 225 “merges tried and tested workflows with immense processing muscle, bold innovation, and all of the Quantum features, giving you the ultimate toolset.” DiGiCo reports that the “defining feature of the Quantum 225 is the ability to customize the left worksurface with the Mounting Bracket,” where users can mount a laptop for creative control or a KLANG:kontroller for immersive control.

Lawo – mc2 36 MKII: Marketed at an “all-in-one console at heart,” Lawo presents the mc2 36. Aiming to shrink the console's footprint while relentlessly upping its feature set, the product “completely redefines what a compact mixing console for theater, houses of worship, corporate, live and broadcast audio applications must deliver.” The sleek mc2 36 doubles the number of DSP channels, hosts all built-in industry-standard audio inputs and outputs, and is powered by Lawo’s latest generation of A_UHD Core software.

Neve - 8424: This console’s “slick design fits the needs of the modern hybrid studio” and features multi-DAW automation and all the connectivity needed for your favorite outboard gear. Neve reports that the “supreme sound quality is ensured by combining a modern and vintage Neve topology, including voltage mixing through Marinar® transformers.”

Solid State Logic – Duality Fuse: Often considered the industry standard for large-scale professional audio production worldwide, Duality Fuse “enables engineers and producers to work quickly and ergonomically, as well as delivering superior sonic results.” The hybrid approach combines a traditional analog path, signal processing, and exceptional DAW control and integration within a single hardware surface.

Yamaha – RIVAGE PM3: The RIVAGE PM3 is one in a series of five consoles that feature two DSP engines, two I/O rack units, and two network protocols. The PM3 also comes equipped with up to three bays of 12 faders each, touch-sensitive display panels, and the Yamaha Selected Channel Section. Yamaha “makes absolutely no compromises when it comes to quality. Sound, operability, and reliability must all be first-class and implemented in a way that allows engineers to concentrate fully on helping artists and performers deliver their message.” The RIVAGE PM series represents this ideal at its pinnacle, “connecting technology, art, and audiences with waves that encircle the world.”

For more information about the TEC Awards, including the entire list of finalists, please visit https://www.tecawards.org/.