Muse is on the road in support of Will of the People, the band’s ninth studio album. Comprised of Matthew Bellamy (vocals, guitar, keys), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass, vocals) and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion), this power trio has been putting on arena and stadium tours that excel in every department — musicianship, stage presence, lighting, production and top-notch audio. We spoke with Marc Carolan, the band’s FOH engineer since 2002, along with monitor engineer Matt Napier, monitor tech / crew chief Liam Tucker and system tech Matt Besford-Foster about the tour.
At FOH
Marc Carolan has been mixing on the Avid Venue S6L console since the band’s “Simulation Theory” tour in 2018. “The Avid is excellent sounding, I love the form factor and the GUI, and Avid has an excellent team behind it.” One tipping point for him with the Avid platform is the Control and Events section. “The endless possibilities of programmability is unparalleled in any other system, and it has allowed me to really expand my horizons as a mixer. It allows you to develop mix relationships way beyond what was previously possible.”
When he first started getting his first tours, mostly on the UK “toilet” circuit, Carolan would manage to get a little bit of budget to hire some extra outboard for “the big London show” or special gig. “I was doing a lot of studio engineering, and always wondered why no one used these units in the live domain. So some of these pieces, like the TubeTech LCA2B, I’ve used on tiny club shows, and they were worth it then, so they’re definitely worth it now!” Along with the LCA2B’s, Carolan has kept using other outboard gear since his first Muse tours almost 22 years ago, like dbx160a’s. “These units work for what I’m trying to achieve. I try various other units/plug-ins as I don’t want to be stagnant, but these still win out. Also, it’s nice to have a tactile relationship with the show.” Since Carolan moved to the S6L, things like the Rupert Neve 5059 and the Maag Audio EQ4 are notable additions, along with replacing all his BSS 901’s with McDSP AE600 plug-ins.
Carolan is still carrying some FX outboard — two Bricasti’s, two Yamaha SPX2000’s and the venerable Eventide H3000 D/SE, and some of these have been with him for years. “I bought the seventh-ever M7, without hearing it, for my studio, a gamble that really worked out. They really are sublime. I still carry these, and although some plug-ins are comparable, none have quite the same magic. Plug-ins wise, I rely a lot on McDSP for my dynamic EQ, vocal delays, etc. They have always been supporters of the S6L platform and make some beautiful plug-ins. “Arousor” from Empirical Labs is always in use. There is the new “Soothe Live” from Oeksound, which I helped beta test from its earliest inceptions. I also added a Live Professor system, running on a Mac Studio, which gives me access to the beautiful Softube plug-ins, as well as Fab Filter, PIA, Izotope, etc.”
The System
Carolan says the d&b audiotechnik GSL line arrays are a thing of beauty. “It’s such a fundamentally musical system. I think in the DSP-led P.A. world we live in now, that is not always a given. The d&b rig retains a beautiful spectral balance across the entire dynamic range, and given the nature of my mix, it’s great to have a system that can deliver that. I love how it feels over the duration of the show, it never fatigues me, or more importantly, the audience.”
Carolan leaves the initial tuning to FOH tech Eddie O’Brien and system engineer Matt Besford-Foster. “Eddie and I have worked together for many years. He has incredible ears, and a deft touch with delay. I’ll only get involved when they’ve finished, as I can be fresh with a perfectly arrayed and delay system and concentrate on the musical side of what we’re doing.”
Besford-Foster is responsible for the P.A. side of things — measuring the room, designing and deploying the P.A., etc., while O’Brien looks after the FOH control. “That said, we work very closely together when it comes to tuning the P.A.,” says Besford-Foster. “Eddie has a wealth of experience, he makes an excellent partner in crime at FOH, working together to hand over to Marc a P.A. ready for him to get straight into and tune creatively. During the show, I’ll walk the room and make adjustments accordingly. The P.A. system/audience/room acoustics can be a dynamic beast, so we’re always listening for ways we can make it that little bit better.”
The tour’s audio supplier is Skan PA Hire. Besford-Foster says Skan’s gear is always presented immaculately, and they’ve spent a great deal of time and money in making the gear work as efficiently and safely as possible. The tour’s d&b audiotechnik GSL / KSL system includes 18 GSL boxes/side on the main hangs, 16 GSL on the side hangs and 12 KSL on the 180 hangs, with SL Subs on the ground and Y10Ps as front fill. “We run everything in LR-LR-LR configuration. We can really get it to feel like you’ve got Matt’s guitar amp right there in front of you with the rest of the band around it.”
Monitorworld
Monitor engineer Matt Napier jokes that he stops counting input/output channels once it goes over a hundred or so, and that’s the beauty of the DiGiCo Quantum 7 mixing console. “It’s unlikely I’d reach capacity on it,” Napier says. “The monitor desk is also the comms hub for all the backline department as well, so I think last time I checked we were using about 133 channels. Output-wise, there are 14 stereo mixes for the IEM’s and 18 mono mixes for various FX sends and other ancillary stuff. The Quantum is a fantastic surface for monitors — the addition of nodal processing is game changing. It’s a powerful beast — no matter what additions or changes are made by the band, the desk will be able to cope with it. Up until this week, it was the only desk I’d feel really comfortable with on such a gig — although the recently announced Quantum 852 may be a new favorite! The combination of audio processing, sound quality and backup keeps bringing me back to DiGiCo.”
Napier says plug-ins are a tool to be used when required and only uses them when they add to the mix. “I always try and get as solid a mix possible while using as little EQ and plug-ins as possible. Good gain structure, mic choice and placement with correct HPF/LPF filters are my first port of call. Once I have that, I’ll then add compression and gates if and where it’s required. The Quantum Mustard processing is fantastic, but I also use 1176, LA3A and LA2A emulators if that’s the right tool for the job.”
Napier is using a combination of Waves and UAD plug-ins. The Waves integration with the DiGiCo keeps the workflow easy and the latency is super low at a real-world measured 0.9 ms. “With monitors, latency is something you have to keep in mind at all times. The UAD is real high-end and is mainly used for the vocal FX. Muse has a very particular approach to vocal sounds, with layers of distortion. The subtle distortion is achieved by overdriving a UAD Avalon 737 and the more extreme is via a Tech-21 SansAmp. We are also using MainStage and Isotope Vocal Synth for the vocoder FX.” The only outboard Napier has is the SanAmp PSA 1.1 that he uses for the distorted vocal sound. “To date we haven’t found an ‘in the box’ solution that sounds as good. There are a few plug-in versions of it, but the original unit has something the plug-ins are missing, so we stick with that.”
Napier says Neumann’s KMS 105 mic really suits Matt’s vocals. “He really works with the mic, especially when he digs into it when we are using the overdriven Avalon sound. When Matt performs in front of the P.A., he switches to an Austrian Audio OD505, which has great rejection and keeps the vocal sound as clean as possible. Chris is on a Shure Beta58a, which really suits his voice. He’s got great mic technique. All the vocal mics are Shure Axient AD2 wireless with Ambient Audio ring adapters for the Neumann capsules.”
The band members are all on Westone Audio UM Pro 30 generic in-ears. Napier notes they all have different reasons for wanting to stay on generics and not switch to custom molds. “To be honest, as long as the generics seal well, which they do with them, the Westone’s sound great, are clear and punchy, and the backup and support from Westone has been fantastic. Paired with the Wisycom IEM transmitters, everyone has been happy.”
When he started with Muse, Napier’s biggest challenge was getting his head around the vocal FX routing with regard to the distorted vocals. “Previously, a lot of the routing had been analog via Midas XL8’s, but switching to the internal Matrix on the DiGiCo gave me a lot more flexibility and the security of knowing the levels were exact.”
Looking after the RF is a challenge Napier actually enjoys. “With the support bands, we were running at about 100 carriers. I use a TTi handheld scanner and Professional Wireless IAS software to get the coordination done during load in. We have a great backline department and an audio team who have been with Muse for a long time. When I started, I bombarded them all with questions and they were great at helping me out. I have to say a huge thank you to Liam and Marc; those two really helped me settle into this camp. I also have to thank DiGiCo, Wisycom, Waves and Westone for all the support. Just knowing those companies can come to your aid when required is hugely beneficial.”
Monitor tech Liam Tucker started with Muse in 2012 and now wears many hats on this tour. “As a crew chief, when it’s our own show and not a festival, there are things like rigging and P.A. to consider as well as the control package, then you have the support bands and the power/space they require, advancing things ahead of time, logistics for my teams and things like truck packs, air freight splits, etc.,” Tucker says. “On a daily basis, I’d say my role is 50% people management and 50% audio.”
Tucker notes that “this time out, the Muse stage is especially interesting, thanks to the creative. The whole floor is made of Plexiglas with lights under it, so all cable runs and anything that is generally hidden has to be especially neat, as it’s all exposed. We have two B6 subs under the drum riser to add a bit of audio weight and feel on stage.” Tucker notes “there are no miked cabs anymore, the band has moved to Fractals for all the guitar and bass inputs. As well as all the fractal outputs, we also take a clean split of the instruments. There’s still a live Marshall cab on stage, but this isn’t miked — it’s only there for Matt to play around with, but it’s fed from the same source that we take, rather than being ‘fake.’”
Tucker notes that all the little details are immensely important to the production as a whole. “This starts at the very beginning, when the audio package is being put together. Chris Fitch and Matt Vickers at Skan are the backbone for me being able to do a good job out on the road. Tom Tunney and Alvin Russ are absolute legends and are my go-to guys when prepping.”
He also feels the team on this tour is probably the best they’ve ever had. “We all have a great working relationship, and working together certainly makes for an easier day.”
On the Road Again…
The North American Tour, which started off with shows in Mexico before moving on to the U.S., Canada, and back to the U.S., ran from mid-January through early May. The band is currently doing its European leg, which runs through mid-July in Italy.
AUDIO CREW
- Sound Company: Skan PA Hire
- FOH Engineer: Marc Carolan
- Systems Engineer: Matt Besford-Foster
- FOH Tech: Eddie O’Brien
- Monitor Engineer: Matt Napier
- Monitor Tech: Liam Tucker
- Guitar Tech: Chris Whitemeyer
P.A. GEAR
- Main Speakers: (18) d&b audiotechnik GSL mains/side; (16) GSL side hangs; (12) KSL 180 hangs.
- Ground Subs: d&b SL Subs
- Front Fills: d&b Y10Ps
FOH GEAR
- FOH Console: Avid Venue S6L
- Hardware Outboard: dbx160a, Tubetech LCA2B, Rupert Neve 5059, Maag Audio EQ4, (2) Bricasti, (2) Yamaha SPX2000, Eventide H3000 D/SE
- Plug-ins: McDSP; Softube; Fab Filter; Focusrite PIA; Izotope Vocal Synth (vocoder)
MON GEAR
- Monitor Console: DiGiCo Quantum 7
- Processing: SansAmp PSA 1.1; 1176, LA3A, LA2A emulators, Waves, UAD plug-ins
- Vocal Mics: Shure Beta 58A, Austrian Audio OD505, Neumann KMS 105
- Wireless Mics: Shure Axient
- IEM’s: Westone Audio UM Pro 30,
- IEM Hardware: Wisycom MPR50-IEM Transmitters
More Muse 2023 tour photos by Steve Jennings:
