Australian Institute of Music Adds ETC Element Console The Australian Institute of Music, based in Sydney, has grown into a major player in education and training for the Australian music industry, performing arts, and entertainment management fields. Recently the institution purchased two ETC Element consoles: one for the Pilgrim Theatre Sydney, its dramatic arts program, replacing the Jands 48 channel ESP, and one for its multipurpose 220-seat auditorium in Foveaux Street replacing a Theatrelight Scenemaster 24. Jands, the supplier of the console, conducted a training day for the students, with Rod McKinnon at the helm, and students were amazed at how quickly they could learn to operate the ETC Element console. "The training day that AIM conducted was great," said Peter Loader, technical manager at AIM. "All the students and teachers that attended felt confident that they could operate and program the Element after the event. The Jands guys delivered a great teaching session which gave us all the confidence to be able to operate the consoles well. "The students love that they can record their programming steps in their show and then come back maybe three weeks later and replay it, or get any other student to run it just by pressing "go." So they program their cues with the house rig and then they can come back at any time and operate it quickly and simply." "The ETC Element saves staff a lot of time setting up each production by being able to recall programming or store programs without the threat of loosing any programmed work, and if an old rock dog/god like myself can program than anyone can," added Loader. "It has 40 channels, which I can operate just like an old JL24. I'm very confident in using it both as a manual desk on live or for programming up a show. Theatre students are programming up their recitals and saving cues and looks to memory sticks every day whilst contemporary students are rocking using the desk manually." The Element console has many features to facilitate the use of moving lights and programmable LED fixtures, a factor that was important when considering the purchase. "Since acquiring the console, we have purchased a stack of PAR64 LED cans and the plan is to purchase some moving head profiles and washes in the near future," said Loader. "One thing I especially like about the console is the two computer monitors showing what's live or what's next. If you are thinking of purchasing a new desk, forget the sales talk, come and play with ours for a while." 
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