{"id":9,"date":"2026-04-26T01:13:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T23:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mixingconsoleexpert.com\/en\/?p=9"},"modified":"2026-09-26T14:17:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T12:17:50","slug":"digico-quantum-sd-series-live-consoles-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mixingconsoleexpert.com\/en\/digico-quantum-sd-series-live-consoles-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"DiGiCo Quantum and SD series: live sound flagship guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the upper tier of touring live sound, DiGiCo<\/strong> is the dominant brand. Founded in the UK in 2002 as a spin-off from Soundtracs, DiGiCo built its position progressively through the SD series (SD7, SD5, SD10, SD9, SD11) and consolidated it with the Quantum series launched in 2018. Today DiGiCo desks are found on a very large share of major arena tours, festival main stages, and high-end corporate events at both FOH and monitor positions. The reasons are technical: FPGA-based Quantum processing, deep modular routing, mature Optocore networking, and a console design philosophy that prioritizes engineer workflow over feature count.<\/p>\n

This guide covers the Quantum and SD series from a professional FOH\/monitor engineer’s perspective.<\/p>\n

The Quantum series: Quantum 7, 5, 338, 225<\/h2>\n
\"DiGiCo
Photo: DiGiCo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Quantum 7<\/strong> (launched in 2018) was DiGiCo’s flagship until the arrival of the Quantum 852<\/strong> in 2023, and remains one of the most specified consoles on major arena tours. It is a dual-engine console with 256 input channels and 128 aux\/sub-group busses with full processing, a 48 x 48 matrix, 52 physical faders and three 15″ touchscreens, built on seventh-generation FPGA processing that delivers far more channel-count headroom than the SD-series engines it replaces. Pricing is on request and depends heavily on configuration; full touring systems with SD-Racks, Optocore loop and redundant engines sit well into six figures.<\/p>\n

Quantum 5<\/strong> (launched at NAMM 2020) is the smaller-format flagship \u2014 Quantum FPGA processing with up to 256 input channels and 128 busses, 37 faders and three 15″ touchscreens, aimed at theater, mid-size tours, and broadcast OB applications where Quantum 7’s footprint is excessive. Pricing is typically quoted on request, in the high five to six figures depending on configuration.<\/p>\n

Quantum 338<\/strong> sits below Quantum 5 \u2014 38 faders (three banks of 12 plus two assignable), full Quantum processing, 128 input channels. Quantum 338 is the natural choice for mid-tier touring acts (theaters, festival second stages, corporate events); pricing depends on configuration and is typically in the upper five-figure range.<\/p>\n

Quantum 225<\/strong> is the entry-level Quantum \u2014 25 faders, same processing core, 72 input channels, aimed at small theaters, regional touring, broadcast TV, and high-end corporate AV. Pricing typically sits in the mid five-figure range depending on configuration.<\/p>\n

The legacy SD series in 2026<\/h2>\n

Many SD-series consoles remain in active service in 2026, particularly on rental fleets and second-tier touring. The SD7<\/strong> (now superseded by Quantum 7 but still common on rental inventories), SD10<\/strong>, and SD12<\/strong> continue to deliver excellent sound and reliable session recall. Used SD-series consoles trade widely on the rental and used market, at prices that vary strongly with model, age and I\/O.<\/p>\n

For a touring engineer, the practical implication is that a show file built on a Quantum will run on most SD frames with appropriate console version conversion \u2014 a meaningful advantage when arriving at a venue with whatever rental house console is on the floor.<\/p>\n

Quantum processing and the DiGiCo processing philosophy<\/h2>\n

What separates Quantum from SD-series and from competitors is its processing platform, built on seventh-generation FPGA devices (the SD series runs DiGiCo’s Stealth Core 2 software). The practical implications:<\/p>\n