WHITINSVILLE, Mass. – The upcoming U.S. concert tour by legendary rock band Foreigner will feature veteran engineer Don “Dodger” Dodge using an EAW UMX.96 digital console, revisiting the successful formula employed during the band’s 2007-08 world concert tour.
“Things could not have gone better with the UMX.96 during the dozens of shows we did all over the world on the previous tour,” states Dodge. “I utilized the console in the scorching heat of North America sheds in summer and the deep freeze of Eastern Europe in winter, but flawless performance remained a constant.
“I had previously not been a fan of digital boards, but the UMX is so good that it erased that viewpoint. This console is not just competitive with others – it’s a clear winner,” he continues. “It has an analog mix feel, while the intuitive, comprehensive digital design cuts my workload in half – no more tape layouts of input mods, labeling outboard racks of comps and gates, or routing of verbs and effects. And, every setting can be stored and instantly recalled at the push of a button, which is also extremely helpful.”
Foreigner kicks off its U.S. tour in California in late May, performing across the country for several months. In addition, Dodge also expects to utilize a UMX.96 for house mix duties for Bryan Adams and his band when they join the tour as a featured act over the summer.
The news comes on the heels of EAW announcing that production models of the UMX.96 are now shipping. First shown in prototype form in late 2005, the console has been in a consistent refinement process, yet it has retained its original design tenant of presenting mix engineers with a comprehensive integrated live sound environment.
The UMX.96 includes a 3 x 12 system processor, a 16 x 8 Matrix, and the first console integration of the EAW Smaart tuning/analysis platform. The other primary design tenant of engineer comfort and familiarity was maintained as well, with the console’s surface including all 48 input channel faders as well as a master section bringing together a 15-inch touch-sensitive color LCD with a rotary encoder (“Big Knob”) that changes its "feel" depending on the parameter selected.
“The 48 channel layout of the UMX.96 puts every channel at my fingertips, and unlike most digital consoles that cram a ton of information on a tiny screen, the very large LCD screen is extremely easy to read and use at a glance,” Dodge concludes. “The mic preamps sound fantastic, and the console as a whole has a very warm, pleasing sonic quality.”
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