Description
DiGiCo S21
Rewriting the Rule Book. 48 flexi-channels, Equivalent of 46 buses and 96kHz with no processing limitations from day one.
S21 MAIN FEATURES
- 48 Flexi Input Channels
- 16 Flexi Aux / Sub-Group Busses
- LR Master Bus
- 10 x 8 Full Processing Matrix
- 2 Solo
- 21 Assignable Dynamic Equalizers
- 21 Assignable DiGiTuBes
- 21 Assignable Multiband Compressors
- 8 Digital FX
- 16 Assignable Graphic Equalizers
- Optional Waves Integration
- 96kHz Sample Rate
- Optional (with DMI) Optics
S21 : Overview
DiGiCo’s world-renowned innovation, deep feature-set and flagship audio quality of our high-end digital consoles is within reach of everyone. How? Meet the S21 – a world-class DiGiCo mixing console at an astonishing price.
Step up to the S21’s worksurface, complete with dual P-CAP multi-touch screens, 48 flexi-channels, the equivalent of 46 buses and benchmark 96kHz performance, and this console’s heritage is clear – the S21 is every inch a DiGiCo desk. It’s also a revelation in terms of what an introductory digital console can deliver.
Based on the same pioneering design approach as the industry-leading SD series, the S21 boasts the same proprietary audio algorithms plus a new ARM QuadCore RISC processor which runs in harmony with the FPGA core. The result is faster processing with lower power consumption, all packaged in the workflow that the industry’s most respected engineers rely upon – now available to everyone.
Under the Hood
Familiar to the touch and built for the road, the S21 offers mixing without limits. The integration of a high power QuadCore SoC with high bandwidth memory, a low power 484-ball array FPGA and a fourth-generation control SHARC DSP offers unprecedented power today as well as the potential for a future processing upgrade path. The compact footprint of the S21 has no relationship to the scale of processing power going on under the polycarbonate worksurface.
The two touchscreens each provide 10 channel strips, giving not only clear visual feedback and control of 20 simultaneous channels for a single user, but also the possibility when mixing large shows for more than one operator to take advantage of the newly designed drag, swipe and drop feature that simplifies custom fader layouts.
Visual feedback is further reinforced by the HTL (Hidden Till Lit) functionality of the encoder rings, while parameters currently not in use are automatically greyed out, always drawing your attention to the right controls.
The dual screen concept aims to aid the new user learning curve and remove distractions by not only giving you more channels to view at any one time, but also allowing one screen to be used as a setup or master whilst the other is utilised for operation. Both touchscreens are responsive to EQ shaping, with fine-tuning available via the tactile and intuitive rotary encoders.
Altering the Channel Bank layout, and mixing and matching any channel, aux, group, control group, or matrix within a bank, is easily accomplished by drag and drop at the touch of a screen.
I/O
The S21’s local I/O section includes 24 mic/line inputs, 12 line outs, two mono AES/EBU, and two DMI (DiGiCo Multichannel Interface) card slots which interface to standard industry formats such as Analogue, MADI, Dante, Waves SoundGrid, or Calrec’s Hydra 2 Network.
The console connects seamlessly with the DiGiCo remote I/O D-Rack providing an additional 32 inputs and up to 16 outputs.
Get instant access to 32 fully integrated low-latency Waves stereo MultiRacks, each with up to eight plug-ins per rack, by fitting the DiGiCo SoundGrid DMI card linked to external SoundGrid or DiGiGrid servers, giving a total of 128 additional I/O.
How to make the step
To date, it has been the Tiger SHARC controlling the FPGA, but integrating these three technologies, along with networking capabilities, was a brand new challenge. Using the high power QuadCore SoC, associated with high bandwidth memory, S21 connects to a low power 484-ball array FPGA which in turn connects to fourth generation control SHARC DSP, capable of not only controlling the FPGA, but offering the potential for additional processing in the future. The compact footprint of the S21 has no relationship to the scale of processing power going on under the polycarbonate worksurface.
Two Touch Screens
Touch screens are now part of our daily lives, but if you go back to our digital beginnings, DiGiCo incorporated them in designs as long ago as 1997. Continuing their integration, with the advantages of speed of control and user feedback, meant that S21 had to bend the rules again. We utilised the latest P-CAP multi-touch screens for clear visual feedback and gesture control, but also did not limit the user to a single screen – by providing multiple multi-touch screens!
The compact dual screen design of S21 provides 10 channel strips per screen allowing the operator instant feedback and control on 20 simultaneous channels. This amount of instantaneous feedback offers total reassurance when mixing large shows, but the newly designed drag, swipe and drop channel layout system makes it simple for operators to move channels and busses across the surface to design their own custom fader layouts.
Whatever function you are using, there is an interactive meter where you would expect it, and helpful colour coding so you know which section you’re looking at, be it channel, aux, or group.
Visual feedback is all reinforced with the HTL functionality of the encoder rings, and anything not in use is automatically greyed out on the console so operator’s attention is drawn to the right controls.
The beauty of having two screens not only gives you more channels to view at any one time, but it allows you to utilise one as a setup or master screen, while still operating with the other. You are always looking in the same location, whatever function you have highlighted.
Touch the EQ screen, and you can choose to pinch, touch and drag your curves on the touch screen, or for a more tactile experience, use the rotary encoders to fine-tune your frequencies, then press to change function or switch on/off. It’s the same philosophy for all other processing functions within the console.
The new look screen designs are all developed under the flat designs philosophy, to aid the user learning curve and take away distraction from an operator. These new designs will still be familiar to existing DiGiCo users, but allow new operators to feel at home and ready to take advantage of the wealth of integrated processing.
Channel Bank Layout: as with all DiGiCo products, you can alter where the banks are located, and mix and match any channel, aux, group, control group, or matrix within a bank, with the ease of drag and drop, at the touch of a screen.
Interfacing
S21 comes complete with dual DMI (DiGiCo Multichannel Interface) option card slots, perfect for expandability, as it can interface with industry formats be it Analogue expansion, MADI, Dante, Optocore, Waves SoundGrid, or Calrec’s Hydra 2 Network. All bases are covered.
The following modules are available.
- DMI-DANTE
- DMI-HYDRA 2
- DMI-MADI-B
- DMI-MADI-C
- DMI-OPTO
- DMI-AVIOM
- DMI-ADC
- DMI-AES
- DMI-DAC
- DMI-SOUNDGRID
Construction
As an audio engineer, when you first stand in front of an S21, it looks and feels remarkably inviting. You want to touch and control the audio. This level of connection with the audio sources and their manipulation is something the world’s leading audio engineers experience when they harness the powerful SD7. From the aerospace graded aluminium extrusion, the durable polycarbonate overlays, the RGB LED Hidden Til Lit technology coupled with touch sensitive faders / encoders and integrated LED light bar, you know it’s a DiGiCo before you turn the PA on. The S21 redefines industry expectations at its price point.
Options
The following options are available:
- D-Rack
- Waves SoundGrid Module
- Little Red Box
- Little Blue Box
- SD-Rack (with solutions box or Optics)
- SD-MINI Rack (with solutions box or Optics)
- SD-NANO Rack (with optics only)
General Specifications
48 x Input flex-channels Mono/Stereo (equivalent of 96 DSP channels)
46 busses: 16 x flexi-busses Mono/Stereo (equivalent of 32 DSP busses), Stereo Master (2), Solo busses (2 stereo, 4 total), and 10 x 8 Matrix (8)
10 x Control Groups
1 x Compressor per channel and buss
1 x Gate per channel and buss (switchable to ducker, or compressor with side chain access)
16 x assignable 32 band Graphic EQs
8 x FX engines (reverbs, delays, w/modulation and enhancer)
21 x assignable DiGiTuBes
21 x assignable Multiband Compressors
21 x assignable Dynamic EQ’s
User definable Macros
An extremely high power headphone amplifier with 1/4 inch and mini jack socket
96kHz as standard
24 mic/line inputs
12 analogue outs
2 AES/EBU I/O (mono)
Word Clock I/O
1 GPI and 1 GPO
DVI out (for an external monitor)
2 DMI Card slots (up to 64 I/O per slot)
2 Ethernet connections for Networking
2 x 24 segment master/solo meters
Touch sensitive rotaries with integrated switch & HTL
2 x multi-touch screens
21 x touch sensitive moving faders
4 x layers of banks of 10 faders
Customisable bank and channel layout
Snapshots
Integrated USB2 Audio I/O interface for recording and playback of up to 48 channels