XTA’s MX36 console switcher earns its place in History

Situated in the Beaches neighbourhood in the east end of Toronto, History is a state-of-the-art 2500-capacity venue. Run by global entertainment giant, Live Nation, its packed programme of events sees a wide variety of artists from all genres pass through the venue, with bills often featuring multiple acts.

As is the case at festivals, these multi-band events present audio challenges all of their own. Often, each band on the bill will bring its own mixing console which requires patching into the venue sound system for each soundcheck and between each set. Technicians are only too aware of the pressure points that this can create, so to meet the demand for a solution to potential disruptions in this area, UK manufacturer XTA created the MX Series of DSP-enabled console switching systems.

The team at History recently invested in the MX36 to address the ever-increasing number of shows carrying multiple consoles.

The MX36 is essentially a 4 buss switcher/mixer working across the aes/analog/Dante, which makes switching as easy as ABC – effectively, all from its front panel. The input count is 9 x 4 buss consoles across 3 formats, 1 x stereo line input, 1 x mic input. The unit can be remotely monitored/switched by control software if required. When fitted in live venues it allows both house console and multiple touring consoles to be patched directly to the house system. It allows all inputs to be monitored/line checked from its front panel meter and headphone socket prior to routing to a system – an invaluable feature on a festival stage.

Dave Thiel, front of house engineer at History explains: “Believe it or not, the MX36 came to our attention by way of a simple Google search. After the venue opened, we were quick to discover what was lacking in the initial package – a simple way of connecting multiple consoles to the PA, an easy solution for house music outside of our consoles, and an emergency microphone connection.

“History’s technical director, Dave Gardner, and I conducted research into several products, ultimately selecting the MX36, which was acquired through a local supplier. The MX36 appeared as a solution to each of our problems in one intuitive package and was conveniently released just as we were looking for it. Interestingly, shortly after we acquired ours, we started seeing them roll in with tour kits as well!”

On a recent visit to Toronto, XTA’s Richard Fleming called in at History to talk shop with its technical team and take account of the MX36 in a real-world situation:

“I was in town having a catch-up with David Gardner at Supreme Media – a different Dave Gardner! – and we went down to History to check out the venue and meet the Dave Thiel and the team there. On the day we visited, they were preparing for a three-band touring show, and as is now becoming more and more common, each band had its own console. As Dave pointed out, this was the venue’s principal motivation behind investing in the MX36. As if to reinforce the value of the unit, while we were taking a look at the setup for the event, there in one of the racks was another MX36 – it turns out it had been spec’d for the tour by the production company!”

Since its launch in 2019, allowing for the intervention of Covid-19, the trajectory of XTA’s MX36 is sharply upwards, as rental companies and venues alike tap into the advantages it offers in delivering hassle-free switchovers in often challenging environments.