Back in 1991, Ahmedabad-based Indian pro audio supplier Bestt Sound System was one of the first professional audio companies in India to embrace digital audio technology. Since then, the company’s commitment to digital has progressively increased, culminating in the purchase of a DiGiCo D5 Live console.

“Other big players in the Indian market settled for different consoles, mainly due to financial constraints. Indeed, we also looked at other consoles which were much cheaper, but we couldn't convince ourselves to make such a compromise,” says Bestt Sound System founder Amiel Best.

“Looking at all the options, the DiGiCo D5-112 Live EX won hands down, because it is widely used, features fibre optic connectivity, is extremely flexible and, most importantly, user friendly. We also purchased the D-TuBe remote digital tube mic preamp module to add a further dimension to the console’s flexibility and sound quality.”

Live music is a staple of Indian culture and, since its purchase, the console has been used on a wide range of events - proving that the D5 is a true all-rounder.

Recent uses have included the Daler Mehndi New Year Extravaganza in Mumbai, a Qatar Airways launch featuring Bollywood singer / actor Sonu Nigam, a festival headline slot by rock band Parikrama, the launch of the Mercedes Benz C class, college music festival Chaos and Ahmedabad’s famous International Kite Festival.

“The great thing about the D5 is that is any engineer who has worked on a good analogue board finds the layout and patching so easy to figure out,” says Amiel. “And using the console is so much faster and more flexible than an analogue board.”

He adds, “The effects are simply awesome. When we were using analogue consoles on such events, quite a few outboard effects processors didn't shy from adding a good bit of distortion to the sound and they would also clip nastily.

“The D5 has done away with all of that. It offers a choice of graphic or dynamic EQs, but it also adds 32 channels of processing - effectively adding parametric EQs as well as gates, compression, delays and virtually anything else you will need. And setting up the effects is very straightforward.”

Amiel comments that all of the events that the D5 has been used on have been huge successes, but he reserves special praise for the console’s performance at the Daler Mehndi New Year Extravaganza and the Chaos festival, headlined by Bollywood singer Krishna Kumar Menon (aka ‘KK’).

“The star studded New Year show was one of the biggest outdoor events ever staged in Mumbai and was a real test of the console,” says Amiel. “But it was the D5 that was the true star of the show. Daler Mehndi and his band couldn't stop raving about the sound afterwards. It complemented their great range and power perfectly, the delay and reverb that we used were technically perfect.”

Meanwhile, 15,000 fans approached delirium in Ahmedabad’s Louis Kahn Plaza, as the D5 mixed KK’s headline performance. “Ahmedabad had never experienced a concert quite like it,” says Amiel. “KK sang some of his famous ballads and sounded like he was crooning right in front of you. And the rock numbers had the audience swinging as though they were in a trance.

“Was it the clarity? Was it the transparency? Was it the smooth and seamless reverbs and delays in the vocals that were bringing this star performer’s voice out so beautifully? It was, unquestionably, the magic of the D5.”

As you would expect, Bestt Sound System has absolutely no regrets about investing in the DiGiCo D5. Indeed, the company is currently looking forward to adding an ADK 112 channel MADI recorder, in order to capture some of the audible excitement that the D5 has helped to generate.

“When we landed in London to purchase the D5 we did have certain fears because, while we knew we were investing in a great product, we operate in a market that is price sensitive rather than quality conscious,” Amiel says. “However our belief that quality always pays off in the long run has been completely justified. We have always wanted the best and the D5 is truly in a class of its own. Settling for anything else would have been a compromise.”

He concludes, “Every concert where we have used the console has featured that very special dimension which makes the audience feel that the performer is standing right in front of each of them. The purity of sound simply reassures us that the D5 is currently unsurpassable - and probably only will be by the SD7!”