Alpha Testimonials

"The Alpha is more focused on broadcast use than any other consoles available. MBS especially liked the fact that operation does not rely on a PC, and that analogue users feel comfortable with the desk.
"MBS also liked the Alpha's user-friendly operation such as the ease of path transfer, bus assignment using the Interrogate mode and input assignment on the I/O Matrix. The layout can be easily changed and unnecessary functions can be omitted from the desk. It is the most appropriate console for broadcast."
Mr. Ohkawa, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Japan

"Our first experience with Calrec was the Q2. The desk proved so magnetic for clients and operators that when we initially planned this HD unit, the Q2 was in the design.
"However, after reviewing our client’s requests and our available options, it was clear the Alpha was the desk we wanted.
"The Calrec user interface makes getting shows on the air a simple task, despite the Alpha being an extremely sophisticated mixer. With the addition of TFT displays, our choice became crystal clear - the operators love the displays."
Chad Snyder, Account Manager, Lyon Video, USA

"The Calrec Alpha represents the current state of the art in a live, digital mixing desk. It had the horsepower we needed for the biggest possible events and is backed by the proven history of reliability and serviceability that comes with owning a Calrec mixing desk.
"I think the greatest benefit is operational rather than technical. Large, recurring events are enormously complex for the Audio Operator. Often, they find themselves managing (literally) hundreds of audio sources all of which must be routed and grouped through the console for processing and control so that any given source can be available on a moment's notice as required by the progress of the event. Setting up the mixing desk to manage all this, week after week, show after show, is a time-consuming, laboriously detailed process.
"The great benefit a digital console brings to such an event is the ability to store all the intricate details of the console set-up so the operator can recall it the following week even when the truck has been used for a different event in the meanwhile. Technical Directors running video switchers have long been able to store their complex panel set-ups and automate their transitions but this ability has always been outside the reach of audio operators running analog mixing desks.
"The Calrec Alpha brings a superb level of control to the audio environment; finally equalling that available to TDs with their video switchers."
Mike Mundt, Senior Vice President for Engineering, NCP, USA

"In raising the bar for building our HD mobile units, we studied long and hard to find the right mixer. It seemed to us that there was only one digital mixer series that would give us the performance that we were seeking and that was the Calrec digital series. After several months of using the Alpha in Tango, our first HD unit, we were finding that there are very few questions asked by our audio engineers as they first sit behind the desk. They all find the architecture to be very well thought out and seem to easily find their way around the control surface."
Paul Culler, Senior Audio Engineer, Trio Video, USA

"The Alpha has been greatly received. Operators are quite comfortable and enthusiastic about the console. Working with the Calrec folks is always a pleasure. No problem is too big to work out. Calrec is a great, personable company. They are able to work out console configurations that fit our needs and budget."
Jack Walsh, Managing Partner, Trio Video, USA

"MPT decided to pursue a mostly digital infrastructure to prepare for DTV broadcasting, part of which was to employ digital audio consoles and video switchers. We began looking at large format digital audio consoles three years ago.
"The Alpha is specifically designed for live TV broadcast applications; it has built in redundancy and is very intuitive, which means a low learning curve for freelancers.
"When one is mixing a live show for a network like PBS the last thing you want to worry about is having a DSP board stop functioning thus taking your whole program down with it. I like the fact that Alpha has a very quick boot time while no critical functions or audio passes through the PC; in fact, one can boot the desk without the PC.
"I also like the fact that any of the faders can be assigned as either mono or stereo and that modules can be switched with ease after the console has been manufactured."
Jim Bigwood, MPT Audio Supervisor, USA

"The Alpha was chosen for a number of reasons. Important factors included: price, functionality, ease of operation and suitability for purpose. Confidence in product, support mechanisms, fail-safe signal paths and inbuilt redundancy were also vital. The Calrec scored highest when assessed against this criteria.
"This coupled with a excellent track record of service within Granada Media plc's studios across the UK, made the Alpha the only realistic option."
Guy Lewis, Granada Media plc, UK

"For NEP the Alpha continues the tradition of Calrec as the right choice - elegant intuitive user interface, superior sonic quality, rock solid reliability, strong mechanical construction and unwavering after sales support.
"The desk is a perfect fit for the space previously occupied by the original Calrec S Series analog desk installed in 1996 - in fact we found we could actually reduce some of the cabling and patch field requirements due to the Alpha’s inherent routing matrix. We wanted to maintain the Calrec user interface and reputation for superior sonic quality and rock solid reliability, while taking advantages of the control features of the Alpha desk."
George Hoover, NEP, USA

"The Alpha is a pure broadcasting product and has features as standard which on other consoles count as extras. It is very much a hands-on console - for example, the routing system is very simple and we can change the position of a channel with no cuts or clicks during its use. We are able to copy controls such as EQ, pan, aux and dynamics onto a channel and transferring that channel to all the channels saves us a lot of time.
"The sonic quality of the pre-amplification is very good, as is the versatility of the EQ.Commands are also very well indicated, which is a great advantage for an operator working in broadcast. We are obliged to guarantee a 24 hour, seven days a week service so we cannot afford to worry about a console breaking down, particularly as more than 20-hours a day is live output. We have had none of these worries with the Alpha .
"All the operators speak very highly of the Alpha; it is easy to adapt, easy to use and extremely complete. The Alpha is very elegant as well as being very robust and ergonomic and has been prepared very well for working in broadcast, and it has proved itself to be the perfect choice."
Daniel Bekerman, SIC, Portugal

"Although the general layout of the desk is excellent and very intuitive to use, one of the features I particularly like on the Alpha is the flexibility to change the layout of the desk even after it has been installed. Having 20 aux sends is a must for multi outgoing cleanfeed remotes, and having all 20 permanently available gives you greater flexibility and control.
"Also, the fader width is narrower than on any of the four other desks we looked at. Most mixers will tell you that in a live environment, as opposed to post production, the more faders you can control with one hand the better!
"No other desk manufacturer could offer all of these facilities - the Alpha is the best digital desk around. We looked at all the available desks, and the Alpha is the only one I was comfortable with ordering. In fact it was the only desk that I could say has been solely designed for broadcast use, and was the only one I have enough confidence in that any of our freelance sound mixers can come in and use after a relatively short training period.
"No other manufacturer would let us do anywhere near as much to their desks...one would not even let us clear a memory down! On all our visits to the Calrec factory, my colleagues and I have all been really impressed by the dedication, commitment and enthusiasm for the Alpha project from all of the Calrec team. Calrec actively encouraged us to do anything we wanted to the demo desk, including hot swapping the cards, pulling them out of the rack, and turning the desk off - they had absolute confidence in the backup redundancy of the desk, which further convinced me of it’s suitability for live production."
Rob Eggelton, Channel Four, UK