On the Digital Edge

The topic of headphones for live engineers discussed in this column last month has generated a more detailed thought process in which I began to chronicle the various tasks accomplished each day at FOH using a set of headphones. It seems somehow ironic that at each show, I perform my work on a huge arena or stadium line array sound system, but I still spend much of my time behind the console inside the private world of my headphones. I then expanded those thoughts by touching on other current tools used for particular tasks that often come up daily.

This column rightfully devotes most of its allotted editorial space to discussions about the various configurations of speaker/amplifier systems, digital mixing console platforms, new and old microphones, recording interfaces and the vast family of audio software. But I have decided to devote this column to an unsung hero of the live mixing world. It’s time to give some well-deserved recognition to that trusted but often ignored pair of headphones that lives on a stealthy hook, faithfully hanging just below the right hand fader bay of my DiGiCo SD5 console. During the workday, these particular headphones take on the role of an audio multipurpose tool rather than remaining a portable private music listening environment.

After an all-too-brief six-day break, it’s time to head back on the road. This tour leg starts out in a somewhat unorthodox fashion. We begin with a show at AT&T Park in San Francisco, home stadium of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. It will, of course, be a very well attended event that will require a very large audio system. Our next show is two days later in Frisco, TX — 1,724 miles away.

Last month, I discussed first deconstructing and then re-imagining the input channel settings for one our touring acoustic guitars. That article focused on using the various tools available within the DiGiCo SD5 mixing system. I re-auditioned and modified the onboard settings for channel delay, tube emulation, parametric equalization and dynamic equalization and the Waves V-Comp compressor plug-in.

When the principal artist for whom one mixes live performances happens to be an iconic acoustic guitar player, the quest for more natural-sounding reproduction of that instrument becomes never-ending. Last month, I proposed an off-the-road project that I hoped would improve the acoustic guitar sound. I did actually record myself playing my 41-year old Taylor jumbo guitar. This was the first actual recording project had done at home using Pro Tools 12 with my new Apogee Element 24 Thunderbolt interface. The Element 24 performed flawlessly, and the Element Control software is very simple to use. I had the session up and running in minutes.*

So far, 2017 has been an interesting year. In just the first three months, my touring schedule has taken me to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. We’ve encountered a variety of P.A. systems and used three different console types at FOH. The Australian shows were mixed at FOH on a DiGiCo SD5; the shows in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brazil were mixed on DiGiCo SD7s; and the shows in Argentina and Chile mixed on Avid VENUE Profiles.

While watching last week’s Chelsea Blues football (soccer) match, I received a phone call from an old friend and colleague, Tony Blanc. He had taken over the mixing duties at FOH for Cher, a former client of mine. I was pleased to hear that, as Tony is a terrific mixer and will do an excellent job with that show. Cher shows are great fun for a FOH person and my memories from the three years I mixed her shows at Caesars Colosseum in Las Vegas are all good. As a Cher alumnus, I was flattered that Tony chose to contact me. We hadn’t spoken in a while and our catching up discussion ended up stretching out well into the second half of the game. Sorry, Blues!

All FOH mixers have their own preferences for the location and layout of the mix position. In the years since I moved onto digital mixing platforms, my layout preferences have become decidedly minimalist. I am down to a total of five cases for my setup. The DiGiCo SD5 console sits on a two-by-10-space rack that houses the system control hardware. To my right is an empty case that becomes a table for the two tablet computers running the Lake software. To my left is a second 12-space rack containing a 64-input Pro Tools HD recording system.

Mixing the Steve Gadd Band at the Catalina Jazz Club

It’s been a very long time since I worked a club gig. There have been many occasions when I have worked at club venues while on tour, but always using our tour audio FOH and monitor setups. So I am a bit out of practice. Still, I jumped at the chance to spend four nights at the Catalina Jazz Club (Hollywood, CA) mixing for my friends in the Steve Gadd Band. This fantastic jazz ensemble consists of Steve Gadd, drums; Walt Fowler, trumpet/flugelhorn; Jimmy Johnson, bass; Mike Landau, guitar; and Larry Goldings (now Kevin Hayes), keyboards. These men, of course, are each regulars in James Taylor’s All-Star Band and they are a significant part of my road family. I was extremely flattered when the guys had asked me to participate, and I was happy I could be there for them.

After literally shivering my way through the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington DC, I jumped into a rental car on the following morning and headed up I-83 North toward Lititz, PA. My final destination was the headquarters of Clair Global. Once there, I would spend two quick days in the shop prepping for an upcoming show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This holiday event was produced by CBS Radio and featured individual performances by Sarah McLachlan, Jimmy Buffett and James Taylor.

Three months after my shoulder surgery, it was time to go back to work. Physical therapy has been going very well, and the range of motion in my left arm has almost returned to normal. Believing I was strong enough to get back behind a console, I accepted a job mixing FOH for the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C. Having spent nearly all my career as a touring specialist, I have never been extremely comfortable doing this type of one-off special event, and I often decline when these positions are offered. There are many engineers who have far more experience in this specialty and may be better qualified to pull off these potentially chaotic productions. Then again, I had worked a couple of events for the production company that contracted me, and both experiences were very positive.