Unless you are a fan of Latino music that mixes traditional
mariachi elements with more modern pop sounds, you may not know of Pepe Aguilar. But the Mexican artist regularly sells out 10,000-plus-seat venues in the U.S. and tours through Latin America constantly, playing to enthusiastic crowds wherever he goes. Manning the FOH console for the past six years has been Victor Fernandez, a 26-year veteran of the Mexican music scene. FOH caught up with him as he was getting ready for Aguilar's participation in a tribute concert for the late Latin sensation Selena at Reliant Stadium in Houston. How did you get involved in sound and what was your big break?
I started as an assistant engineer in a small eight-track recording studio, and from there I worked in bigger studios… One day the main engineer got sick and I had the opportunity to do that day's session. Since that day I've been recording. A few years later a record producer said to me, "Our live sound engineer sounds really bad, can you do the next gig for us?" That's how I started in live sound.
What kind of system are you currently using?
I use Meyer a lot, or for big audiences I use NEXO, M3D or V-DOSC. I like a line array system because it gives me control of my mix. These arrays are very powerful and they still have the detail of what you do in the board.
Are there any unusual issues or challenges on your current gig?
I'm mixing a 90% acoustic band now. Everybody uses personal monitors, and we do a lot of center venues called "palenques," where the sound system is coming from the outside to the stage, like four side fills hanging in a big X. I know this is very unusual, but there's the way it is done here because it cannot always be flown in the center above the stage. These places are used for rooster fighting and they have a lot of reverb and all sorts of frequencies fooling around. We use a lot of sound pressure, around 105dB all the time, so the main EQ does a lot of work; I have to EQ against feedback so I can get the pressure I want.
Is high-end gear harder to come by on your gigs in Latin American countries?
In the '80s it was hallucinating to think that you could sound like you did in America. Even here in Mexico, bad equipment was the normal thing to use. We used to travel with backline, consoles, racks, everything! Now there are huge, very good sound companies everywhere in Latin America, with the same equipment you have in the U.S.
Any experiences of dealing with equipment problems on the road?
Sometimes the electricity is not very good, and the equipment starts to do strange things like muting.
What is the biggest challenge of mixing Latin artists?
I think that a good sound mix needs rehearsal, communication with the artist and good gear. The first worry to confront here is that the majority of the venues are not adequate at all for a good sound. Acoustics are very bad in most of the places and everyone in the act wants to hear it like in their home theater.
The other awful story is that not all, I said "not all," of the sound technicians here know what the word service means; it is frustrating to explain what you want, how you like things to be done and be next to them all the time.
Any tips and tricks for properly miking percussion?
I make a stereo subgroup for percussions with a stereo EQ, which I set to fit in the mix, and a stereo compressor or a limiter for power to make them sound bigger. I play with the pan-pot constantly, moving and placing instruments to suit the rhythm. I use 421s on Congas and Timbale, 57s for Bongos and 414s for toys and OHs.
Are you carrying any gear at all? When you get to a new venue, what do you expect to see in the way of console, mics and processing?
I carry some mics in all places; in my rider there's a Lexicon 960 or a TC System 6000 and two delays, and four or five extra reverbs like a TC M-One or Yamaha SPX. I like good consoles and DI boxes, some good compressors or combos for vocals and a few instruments. Now I'm jumping to digital consoles, PM5D if possible.
While many U.S. based artists are having trouble selling tickets, the Latin market still appears to be exploding. What can U.S. productions learn from their Latin counterparts?
In one particular case, another Latin star–Luis Miguel–he is something of a social phenomenon, he is like The Rolling Stones. His charisma and his career have moved him to be #1 in Latin America and sell out everywhere.
But for other artists, in the last two or three years, attendance to concerts has diminished by almost half. In some cities, they have other priorities more essential than going to a performance or to the fair to spend some money with their families. I think that show business here is cutting into production budgets to keep the artists working as usual,
and that the promoters have to bring down the tickets price a little to bring in more spectators.
Does the popularity of an artist like your employer mean greater job security for you or just more pressure?
I'm sweating all the time before the show! I think that it is an enormous stress to have to satisfy the audience, and lots of suffering to make happy an artist who is very serious about his sound. On the other hand, the more I know what he wants, the more confidence I have, and then I am more creative and energized.
