We caught Depeche Mode on the band’s return visit through Northern California. DM’s Memento Mori tour started in the San Francisco Bay Area and just finished its third leg. They’re back out for 2024 for the final leg, a tour that has covered the world and will end in April. Dave Gahan (vocals) and Martin Gore (guitar, keys & vocals) have carried on, now in the bands 40+ year career. They brought out their all-in-black outfit fan base for yet another magnificent show. We spoke with the audio crew about the current tour.
At FOH…
FOH engineer Jamie Pollock, who is mixing the current Memento Mori tour, has always looked at P.A. design and system calibration as the most important steps in a successful sounding show. Accordingly, the importance of the relationship between the FOH engineer and system engineers can’t be overstated.
“There are many ways of approach when making tuning decisions, and I like to have the P.A. system match the decisions being made at the console level,” Pollock says. “I like to have my high pass filters set low on channels so that mixes being sent to other forms of media sound full. I also want to be able to boost certain frequencies and have that feel controlled in a PA system.”
When given the choice, Pollock always requests L-Acoustics because he loves the sound of their products and finds K1 to give the most consistent coverage throughout the array. “I can make a 0.5 dB change in a FIR filter at 300-feet and hear it. I can move a filter at a low frequency 1db and feel that change. It also lets the end user really tailor the system to how they want it,” Pollock says. “System engineer Terence Hulkes and I had initial conversations about system design and box counts before starting the tour. We went over a few Soundvision designs for the first few shows and I gave him my preferences, but wanted him to make the final day-to-day decisions.”
This is the first tour Pollock has worked with Hulkes, and Pollock says he really puts in 110% every day. “He has been absolutely fabulous in delivering a well-tuned system and understanding what I am looking to get out of the P.A. We are very consistent with our results, and I trust his ears and the decisions he makes. This show would not be a success without him, and I’m very grateful to have him at FOH with me.”
Pollock chose the Avid S6L 32D mixing console based on the demands and needs of Depeche Mode’s shows. He says most of the consoles on the market today all sound good, but when he’s touring and focusing on a single band, the Avid S6L system really works well for him. “I can drive the console a certain way and can really get a great sound out of it. I also like having a stock channel strip that can handle the workflow and prefer to go to the strip first before going to a plug-in,” he adds. “I love that all the plug-ins map out to encoders, so I don’t have to use a screen or mouse to adjust parameters. The way Pro Tools interfaces with the S6L by linking snapshots to location markers is like no other on the market. Another reason I chose this desk is because of the automation and event programming. I can do some very clever shortcuts that really let me set up the console like an instrument. It’s very intuitive to me.”
As for plug-ins, Pollock tends to stick to the same ones once he finds something he likes. “The whole McDSP bundle is a must, it has great precision. My favorite is probably the AE600 dynamic EQ. It’s a monster when it comes to tone shaping and control. My other go-to’s for plug-ins are Soothe Live, Empirical Labs Arousor and Crane Song Phoenix II. As far as effects, it’s the Sonnox Oxford Reverb, McDSP Futzbox and EC-300. I also use some of the Avid plug-ins — Black Op Distortion, LoFi, Revibe and EP Tape Echo.”
Pollock’s outboard rack gear focuses on bus processing and effects. He chooses a DirectOut Prodigy.MC to handle this conversion, and it also does the management of the primary and backup consoles. “The converters are part of the sound to me, and it’s important to optimize the calibration between analog and digital,” he continues. “My stereo bus has a Tube-Tech SMC-2B and a Chandler Curve Bender into a Neve Master Buss Converter. The Tube-Tech really rounds out the bottom of the mix and can help soften the high end if needed. The Curve Bender is my favorite equalizer and helps me shape the mix. It just adds a really nice color and I only boost with it. The MBC is my master AD and love the way the transformer sounds when you get into it. I also like having the silk control at that final stage.”
For vocals, Pollock has Neve Shelford Channels and 5045 Primary Source Enhancers. On guitars, he uses an Overstayer Modular Channel and a GML 8900 Dynamic Range Controller. On loops and sequences, he has a Neve Master Buss Processor, mostly using it for the SFE controls to add some width to the image. “I use an API 2500+ for acoustic drums and a UBK Fatso for electronic drums. I also have a Chandler TG-1 Limiter for a pair of drum overheads as well. The API is just classic, and I like the UBK for the saturation circuit. Dramatic Audio Obsidian compressor is on synths, and I like it for the width it adds. I also have some outboard effects: a Bricasti M7 for adding depth to Dave Gahan’s vocal, a TC System 6000 for reverbs, an Eventide H3000 D/SE for Dave’s Harmonizer and an Eclipse for some specialty effects.”
Pollock has a lot of things going on for specific songs with vocals and instruments. “There are things that I do that might only be used for one song, and I think that keeps things interesting throughout the length of the show. I play a lot with making things sound more lo-fi or hi-fi. I like to process drums in different ways, depending on the song. There is a wide range of songs in the Depeche catalog, and there might be a time when I am side-chaining white noise into a series of effects to give the snare drum a more drum machine feel, then times I am using multiple parallel paths to achieve a bigger crushed drum sound. I think live shows should sound unique when compared to studio recordings, and we have tried to make them stand on their own. It was important for me to understand the song and the relationship of the instrumentation, but the fun part about live is being able to play with these things and create something new.”
A Different Approach to Drum Miking
Drummer Christian Eigner and Pollock have some specific preferences with microphones. They both prefer Austrian Audio mics, and Eigner was the one who wanted to have the four overheads over the large drum kit. “I took the approach to use the rear overheads more like a set of room microphones you would have in a studio,” Pollock says. “The front set is used as a more traditional set of overheads. The rear pair are not always used, and I am sending them to a Chandler TG-1 that is absolutely crushing them with compression. I think it’s important to start with the microphones in the best possible position, and I was able to experiment with this in the studio. The overheads are all equal distance to the main snare drum, and I think that keeps a better stereo image. I use the rears on the bigger songs, and it really adds excitement into the mix. I also use MADI to send my effects to monitors, so that the band can hear these and it keeps the performance tighter.”
Pollock has a lot of analog gear in the studio that he would love to have on the road but says they’re usually old and unattainable for a sound vendor to source. “I try to choose things that are newer so I know that they will stay in calibration longer, which makes them more roadworthy for the tour. My choices in equipment are also based on personal equipment so that I can work on things when I’m not on the road. I am still a fan of the hybrid approach, and these items help me achieve my sound and give me a wide range of color options.”
Pollock adds that “I do think the reason I was hired here is because I was able to put some of my creative decisions into these performances.” He had a good amount of time in the studio with the band working on these things. “The drummer [Christian Eigner] and I spent a lot of time laying out a playground of options with effects. He’s really pushed me to think outside the box, and everything is tailored to the dynamics of the song. Martin Gore has just been fabulous, and we are very much in sync as well. It’s been nothing but a joy being around such talented brilliant people, plus we all just laugh and joke around, which sets the tone and makes things very comfortable.”
According to Pollock, all of the touring crew members have been on top of their game, and he says that it has been a real pleasure to be around a team like this. “Mike (Gibbard, monitor engineer) and myself are also really in sync when it comes to overall sound. He understands what is happening with the P.A. and what the room is doing, and I understand what the band needs to hear to make sure it translates to the house. It’s been a really wonderful experience for us and the band.”
The Systems Approach
Systems engineer Terence Hulkes says consistency is the main key regarding the system design and tuning. “From show to show, we need to be landing in a similar place each day so that the mix translates to the system as expected. We have a process that we follow that works well and produces very consistent results, which means that during showtime we only usually need to make minor adjustments to compensate for changes in atmospheric conditions or some broader shaping adjustments in details.”
Initial measurement of the P.A. system is done with the L-Acoustics M1 measurement suite in the P1 processor. “Once all the location shots are recorded, the EQ shaping can be referenced against the stored traces, and this gets things in pretty decent shape to start off before the system gets fired up.” After this, Hulkes walks around the venue with a tablet, making minor adjustments. “I do this for problem room frequencies, or other summations between arrays that are harder to interpret during the measurements process. I also make sure the sight angle/azimuth of the P.A. is correct and the system coverage is as expected in all areas of the audience.”
Hulkes considers the P.A. for the tour to be a pretty standard L-Acoustics arena package that is being used, very similar in terms of configuration that he would take out on other arena tours. “The enclosure count is selected to enable a consistent coverage across the varied styles of venues for the seats sold, which in this case is around the 220-degree mark requiring a third flown array. The main thing about the package I like is that we fly our amplifier carts up in the roof with the cable bridge. This enables the speaker cable runs to be a lot shorter, which greatly increases the responsiveness of the system. It also greatly reduces our equipment footprint on the floor at the sides of stage, which helps out all departments as floor space can get really tight in some venues.”
In Monitor World
Monitor engineer Mike Gibbard is mixing the tour on a Solid State Logic L550 Plus, and he credits the desk for having the best sounding preamps and summing on the bus. “In my opinion, there’s nothing that comes as close to analog as this console,” Gibbard says. “I’m using 128 inputs including FX returns. Outputs are at 44 for the monitoring end, then an additional 32 in and out on my UAD system via the fiber MADI.”
Gibbard’s effects include two UAD systems running at 96k, and his go-to for drums are the 1176 SE’s with SPL’s Transient Designers. “I use the Manley VoxBox for Dave (Gahan) as well as one on Martin Gore’s guitar bus. Then I use UAD’s Oxide tape machine plug-in a fair bit for saturation on various channels. Reverb duties are the EMT 250 and Lexicon 224, plus I use additional ones on the SSL console. For delays, I like the Korg SDD 3000 as it keeps the delay clean in the in-ears. I also use a fair bit on the desk — the [SubGen] subharmonics, the G Bus Compressor and the Dynamic EQ. I use the onboard comps/gates, as they’re pretty amazing. I do a lot of automation with these as well as different EQ’s on songs.” Other gear Gibbard uses includes two UAD Live Racks, three Neve 5045’s, a Neve 542, a Shadow Hills Gamma and an API 550a.
The Crew Chief’s Role
Audio crew chief Alex Hore starts his day by unloading and distributing all the audio equipment along with stage technician Megan Clement, making sure everything is sent where it needs to go.
The tour includes three trucks dedicated to audio equipment. “One is all speaker cabinets, which are L-Acoustics K1, K2, KS28, Kara and A15. The second truck is mostly cabling, amplification and remaining speaker cabinets. This truck is usually unloaded first, as we need all the power infrastructure, amplification, cabling, trusses for cable bridges, etc. first. As we are flying our amplification, this needs to be installed and flown along with the speaker cabinets.”
“We are using a European system, so we carry transformers to convert from 110 VAC US power to 220 VAC to run everything,” Hore adds. “The third truck contains all our control equipment, stage monitoring and all the backline. After the two P.A. trucks are done, we distribute this around the venue. Most of the time we have a rolling stage, so Megan [Clement] sets up everything on stage at the far end of the room when this is done.”
When the P.A. is flown, Hore can then install the monitor system on the floor stage left. They also fly some side fills – d&b KSL80 – so they send that up with the P.A. “Once the stage is rolled into position, we can then connect everything, which takes a couple of hours to completely install the monitor system.”
Hore notes a fairly standard setup regarding RF – they have 12 channels of Shure PSM 1000 IEM’s for band and crew and six channels of Shure handheld radio mics. “Dave Gahan has a Shure SM58 capsule on his vocal mic, and Martin Gore has a KSM9 capsule on his. We have four channels of guitar and bass RF (one main and one spare for each) using a Shure AD4Q Receiver and QLXD1 transmitters handled by Jez Webb, our guitar tech. Then I use Shure Wireless Workbench to do a scan and find frequencies for everything.”
During line-check, Hore tests out all the frequencies and packs to make sure he has no interference and everything is clean. “We have backup packs and mics for the band, but that’s just as much for the possibility of mechanical failure as it is for radio interference. You’ve always got to have a Plan B, right? As the band generally don’t sound check, we must have everything show-ready for when they walk on stage. Mostly this involves just paying attention to what’s happening during the show. I’m then basically on hand to help Mike (Gibbard) out if he needs anything, but that’s a rare occurrence. There are a couple of times during the show I go on stage to set and strike a mic stand for particular songs where needed, the rest just looks after itself… It’s a well-oiled machine.”
Depeche Mode Memento Mori World Tour
AUDIO CREW
- Sound Company: Britannia Row Productions
- FOH Engineer: Jamie Pollock
- Systems Engineer: Terence Hulkes
- Monitor Engineer: Mike Gibbard
- Audio Crew Chief: Alex Hore
- Stage Tech: Megan Clement
- Tour Manager: Tim Lougee
- Production Manager: Tony Gittins
- Stage Manager: Toby Plant
- Programmer: Kerry Hopwood
- Drum Tech: Iain Robinson
- Guitar Tech: Jez Webb
- Keys Tech: Martin Roberts
FOH GEAR
- Consoles: (2) Avid S6L 32D
- In-Console Effects, Plug-ins: McDSP Everything Pack; Soothe Live; Empirical Labs Arouser; Crane Song Phoenix II; Sonnox Live Bundle
- Conversion: Neve MBC A/D; DirectOut Technologies Prodigy.MC; (2) RME MADI Router, RME M32 DA
- Outboard: Tube-Tech SMC-2B; Chandler Curve Bender; (2) Neve Shelford Channels; Neve 5045; Overstayer Modular Channel; GML 8900; Neve MBP; Chandler TG-1; API 2500+; UBK Fatso; Dramatic Audio Obsidian; (2) Neve 5211; Eventide H3000 D/SE; Eventide Eclipse; Bricasti M7; TC Electronic System 6000
- Near-Fields: (2) L-Acoustics (2) X8, SB18, P1 Processor, LA4X
- Misc: (2) Avid Pro Tools Ultimate Systems; TC Electronics Clarity M; Schoeps MSTC 74U, (2) Schoeps Cmc6 with MK4 capsules
MON GEAR
- Monitor Console: SSL L550 Plus
- Outboard: (2) UAD 2 Live Racks; Connectivity mio xl; (2) MGB’s; (3) Neve 5045; Radial 500 series power strip; Shadow Hills Gamma pre; Neve 542; API 550a
- Vocal Mics: Shure SM58 and KSM9 capsules
- IEM Hardware: (6) Shure PSM1000 transmitters, (20) P10R+ beltpacks
- Wedges: (16) d&b audiotechnik M2s, (2) B6 Subs
- Sidefills: (4) d&b KSL80 flown/side, (2) d&b SL G-Subs/side
P.A. GEAR
- Main Hang: (16) L-Acoustics K1 + (4) K2
- Side Hang: (12) L-Acoustics K1 + (8) K2
- 270 Hang: (16) L-Acoustics K2
- Subs: (12) KS28 flown; (24) KS28 ground
- Front Fills: (10) A15, (8) KARA II
