DALY CITY, Calif. — Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw recently kicked off a series of concert dates in support of his second album. DeGraw’s FOH Engineer Erick “Otto” Celeiro is mixing the show on a Digidesign Venue system. The compact configuration comprises a D-Show Profile control surface, along with Digidesign’s newest Venue component, Mix Rack, a compact and portable front end that combines all stage and local audio I/O, plus DSP, into a single 11-space rack.
“The combination of Mix Rack and [D-Show] Profile is unbelievably powerful,” says Celeiro. “We’re doing a lot of festivals and one-off dates in smaller Venues at the moment, and the system is ideal. It’s quick to set up, portable and compact, and the Profile’s small footprint is really deceiving for a system so powerful. I’ve been mixing Gavin since the beginning of his touring career, and since I’ve been using the D-Show, I honestly feel this is the best he’s ever sounded.”
As Celeiro explains, the current dates are widely varied, and the Venue system’s flexibility is a tremendous asset. “Right now, we’re bouncing between radio festivals, TV appearances, and 1,000-2,000-seat theaters,” he says. “We’re headed to Europe for a couple of weeks, followed by two weeks in Japan. Then we commence a proper tour. The Profile is really the only system that’s flexible enough for me to work with across such a wide range of Venues.”
Celeiro also appreciates the Venue system’s integration with Pro Tools software and its ability to run TDM plug-ins natively within the D-Show Profile worksurface. “I’m loving the Smack! compressor in particular as well as the delays and reverbs. It’s great to have such a collection of powerful effects right in front of me. And the sound of the Profile is really unbeatable. I’d begun the tour using another console, and found myself spending a lot of time fighting the vocals. The Venue has such a nice front end; it’s fantastic for the vocals in particular. And with the Mix Rack, we’ve now got a system that’s both powerful and portable.”
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