With their album’ Cleopatra taking the number one spot in the UK, US and Canada, critically acclaimed, two-time Grammy-nominated folk  band The Lumineers are currently selling out venues across the US and Europe. Keeping everything sweet for the Colorado trio at the side of stage is Brad Galvin, mixing monitors on his DiGiCo SD5.

The Lumineers are Wesley Schultz, Neyla Pekarek and Jeremiah Caleb Fraites who are playing intimate, fan-friendly venues has around the world. Galvin maintains that is a treat to witness: ‘It’s a real breakthrough, as there’s always serious pressure with album number two, but they’ve knocked it out the park in my opinion. And the fans seem to love it,’ he says.

‘I was the fly guy for Dave [Matthews], and I would also mix monitors for the opening acts; we did an arena run with The Lumineers opening up, and that was that when [their hit single] ‘Ho Hey’ was really big. What struck me was that they were the only support act that attracted almost the entire audience when they went on.’

From there, a relationship formed, and by April 2013, Galvin was a permanent fixture on The Lumineers team. He’s one of only two remaining crew members from that time, and his console of choice is a DiGiCo SD5, provided by Sound Image in the US and SSE in Europe.

‘My last console did a job for me, but when it comes to input count and scalability as far as I/O or outputs go, DiGiCo has to be my go-to,’ he reveals. ‘You can also get DiGiCo boards anywhere around the world; and on top of that, if we do a TV show, maybe they can’t get me an SD5, but they can get me an SD8, or an SD10. It’s so easy to move between those consoles, as you can just take your show file and use it on any other console in the range. It’s the same core engine. I just use the SD Convert software, and tell it what console it’s going to.’

The Lumineers are very into their reverbs, Galvin explains, which was initially difficult for him, as there were so many audience mics to deal with. But, by using the internal effects within the console, everything is running smoothly.

‘The sound quality of the effects from within the DiGiCo console means I need zero outboard gear,’ he says. ‘I have 16 reverbs running, and there are no issues at all. The show itself is 72 inputs, but my show file is probably 98 with all the reverb returns and everything else. We expected it to be 56, so to make the jump to 72 is pretty exciting, and DiGiCo allows me to do that; the I/O really is a very big deal.’

And translating the sound of the new record onto the live stage has been a lot of fun: ‘It literally sounds like the album, so I even impress myself sometimes,’ he laughs. ‘We’ve been playing intimate settings such as Manchester’s Albert Hall and The Olympia in Dublin, which makes it tough on the one hand, as we have a full semi of production, but the band loves it, so it’s way more enjoyable for them.’

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The South Africa leg of US singer/songwriter Josh Groban’s Stages tour saw Mickey Beck and Chris ‘Cookie’ Hoff using DiGiCo SD10 digital mixing consoles, plus two SD-Racks for FOH and monitor positions.

The tour visited the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, the ICC Durban Arena and Cape Town’s Grand Arena, GrandWest with full technical requirements met by Gearhouse South Africa.

Beck has worked with Josh Groban for 12 years and Hoff for the past three. ‘The main reason we chose DiGiCo consoles for Josh’s Stages tour was its scalability and cohesive UI throughout the model range,’ says Beck. ‘There is no typical Josh Groban configuration – a show may be just Josh with a piano or a trio, which adds a guitar into the mix. There have been shows where Josh has sung with an orchestra, or orchestra and full electric band. This dictates that we needed to use a console that would allow us to move our work up or down in input list size without having to start from scratch every time.’

‘The DiGiCo platform helped us to achieve our goal with its straight-forward UI, ease of use, sonic quality, and scalability of input racks,’ adds Hoff. ‘We love the stage rack sharing ability, as it helps us meet our daily production/rehearsal schedule by allowing us to line check onstage while FOH is tuning. We know that if we have the input on stage, FOH will certainly have it as well.’

‘Our first real dive into DiGiCo was August 2015, starting with Josh’s PBS special recording,’ Beck continues. ‘We both use Waves MultiRack with our DiGiCo consoles, as well as a pair of Bricasti M7 reverb units. MultiRack is incorporated into the console using the DiGiCo/Waves IO with Waves Extreme Servers, and we send to and receive from our Bricasti units via the local AES IO on the surface.

‘Josh is a tremendous vocalist. His power and technique is in a class far beyond a typical pop vocalist. He cares about his craft and works very hard to constantly refine his abilities. This translates to an exceptional quality vocal for us to work with. We have great gear and great musicians, so we hide nothing.

‘South Africa is not a typical destination for most American artists. We feel very privileged to be able to travel to distant lands and put on our shows. We had great audiences, great local musicians, great weather and great gear to work with thanks to DWR Distribution and Gearhouse.’

‘The crew from Josh Groban are of the best in the world and that should say something about the equipment they choose to use,’ says Jakobus de Wit from Gearhouse South Africa who, along with Kyle Robson from DWR, was involved in the project. ‘This was a show of high standards, the system performed flawlessly and we all feel proud that we played a part in it.’

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Since its launch earlier in 2016, DiGiCo’s Stealth Core 2 software has seen more than 1,500 console upgrades purchased in the first few weeks alone.

Stealth Core 2 is a major upgrade to the Stealth Digital Processing for DiGiCo’s SD series of digital mixers, providing significantly enhanced processing from the audio core for both channel processing and functionality. Available as an upgrade option for existing users and shipping as standard on new consoles, Stealth Core 2 includes a new graphic interface on console screens, increased FPGA power on Dynamic EQ, DiGiTuBes and MB Dynamics on every channel and bus.

‘The release of Stealth Core 2 to the SD line-up of consoles is further proof of the forward thinking of DiGiCo design,’ says Tom Butson, Senior ACS/Product Design at Clair Global/Lititz. ‘To see a digital desk we’ve owned for a number of years still expanding its channel, buss and overall feature set is amazing. DiGiCo sticks by its customers and listens to what they need. The architecture of the SD consoles allows DiGiCo the flexibility and expansion to meet those needs.’

‘The graphics are a lot cleaner on the dynamic and effects, the added channels and buses create much more flexibility on our larger shows,’ agrees Chris Bogg from event production company dBS Solutions. ‘We are finding that our SD9s are doing more and more work where the input count is huge and the FOH footprint needs to be as small as it can be and Stealth Core 2 really helps us there.’


 ‘Stealth Core 2 has made our substantial inventory, in some cases, double in channel capacity, providing added value and longevity,’ says Skan Audio’s Tom Tunney. ‘Skan has always been eager to be at the forefront of product updates and Stealth core 2 enables us to provide our clients with the latest console enhancements.’

‘I am new to the DiGiCo family, but was immediately convinced that I’ve made the right investment when the Core2 update was announced for the SD9,’ adds Frank Voet of Mono in Belgium. ‘Core 2 increases processing power, from the existing 48 channels and 24 buses to 96 channels and 48 buses, with multiband dynamics, dynamic EQ and DiGiTubes on all inputs and outputs. I appreciate DiGiCo’s philosophy of adding horsepower to existing products rather than changing the product line-up itself, which would devalue your previous purchase.’


‘The uptake on Stealth Core 2 has been astonishing,’ says DiGiCo MD, James Gordon. ‘We didn’t doubt that the benefits of opening up so much more capacity on our SD range of consoles would be obvious, but the level of sales has surprised even us.’

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Concluding a tour of UK theatres with three-time MOBO award winner Beverley Knight, FOH engineer Robin Tombs and monitor engineer Simon Panos can reflect of their use of DiGiCo SD10-24 digital mixing consoles for both roles on Soulsville.

Tombs and Panos have been working with Beverley for a number of years: ‘I first started working with her in 2011,’ volunteers Panos. ‘Her album Soul UK had just been released and she was looking to do a UK tour in support of it and I was introduced to the BK camp by Robin. We’d worked together for quite some time with a variety of artists and we work well together, so he invited me to mix monitors for Beverley on the tour. This is her first tour since that one, mainly due to her West End commitments.’

Tombs had also worked on several projects with Paul Timmins – General Manager of Capital Sound whos supplied the desks for Knight’s tour – over the past ten years: ‘He introduced me to Simon, and both of them indicated they had a desire to switch to DiGiCo consoles for this tour,’ Timmins says. ‘Knowing where the budget had to sit – and being a tour that needed to be budget friendly – I felt the SD10-24 would be the ideal solution, as they’re compact and offer the sizeable number of inputs and outputs wanted and the quality signal flow gave me the confidence that both Robin and Simon would just love them.’

‘Strangely, this is the first time I’ve specified and toured a DiGiCo console,’ Panos continues. ‘I’ve used them before on tours – an SD7 at FOH for Cover Drive supporting Kelly Clarkson, as well as SD8s and SD9s for various artists – but I always had a bit of a mental block with them because I hadn’t had enough time behind the console to get to know it properly, so I always specified something I knew well instead.

‘But for this tour we had two weeks of production rehearsals and my Capital Sound tech, Finlay Watt, is an experienced DiGiCo user, so I decided to get out of my comfort zone and learn something new.’

Tombs and Panos had heard good things about the SD10 and the fact that a lot of the big name tours Panos had seen recently, such as Pharrell Williams and Mumford and Sons, use SD7s: ‘The SD7 was out of reach for us on this tour and it would have been overkill,’ he says. ‘We played a lot of medium to large theatres such as the Newcastle Sage, Liverpool Symphony Hall etc. They’re all seated venues, so the more space FOH took up, the fewer seats the promoter could sell. Paul suggested we try the SD10-24, and he got it spot on.’

Tombs and Panos ran their two SD10-24s using a single SD Rack on an optical loop, with the monitor console as the analogue gain master, since Panos had been using it for two weeks in rehearsals, and the FOH console in Gain Tracking mode. In total they used 48 of the 56 SD inputs, with monitors also deploying eight talkback mics as the whole band (drums, keys, bass, guitar, three backing vocal, two brass and Beverley herself) all used stereo IEMs.

‘The four static musicians all had a talkback mic with an Optigate going to my cue mix, so they could ask for adjustments mid- song,’ Panos says. ‘There were also two tech mixes with their own talkback mics for communicating with the musicians, plus Robin and myself. Beverley was the only person on stage with wedges. The drummer, bassist and keyboard player all had Cole and Porter thumpers. All told, with effect sends and returns, I was running 12 stereo mixes, 12 mono mixes and around 64 input channels.’

Panos has enjoyed the flexibility of the SD10-24. ‘There’s nothing you can’t customise to make your workflow as smooth as possible,’ he says. ‘You can move channels where you need them, and create custom banks and macros that allow you complete one touch control. The scope of the user keys is ridiculous – we had keys assigned that allowed us to toggle Beverley’s input between her main mic, her radio spare or wired spare. Thankfully we never needed to, but having the option to do that at monitors is a luxury as normally all your user keys are assigned to GEQs, FX parameter pages, mute groups etc. Having 40 to choose from was a revelation. Gain tracking and the ability to share a single input rack is a rental company’s dream, not to mention the optical loop system. In fact, there are so many features that have just made it a next-level console for me.’

Panos couldn’t be happier and DiGiCo is now his first choice. ‘They fitted into the tightest of venues easily and I must admit it’s going to be hard to go back to any other brand of console. Its flexibility in terms of workflow is immense, and it sounds amazing.

‘This sounds odd, but I always detected a certain “smugness” about DiGiCo users. Having never been loyal to any one particular brand, it always made me wonder why they were so enamoured of their consoles? Now I know…’

‘The combination of DiGiCo SD10-24 consoles with rack sharing at the input stage, combined with our Martin MLA compact system and digital Dante returns, enabled us to present an incredibly compact and quality audio system for a one truck tour with limited budget,’ Timmins concludes. ‘The SD10-24 consoles offer compactness and quality at a price that works for the theatre touring market, something that is crucial for clients and rental providers in the current climate, where artists need to make money and audio suppliers need to see return on their investment.’

‘The intention was for the S31 – which is currently in its final stages of development – to perform on some shows in the real world before we announced its arrival to market,’ says DiGiCo MD, James Gordon.

‘But once some pictures arrived online, it didn’t take long for news of the console to go global, with prospective owners requesting more information from Europe, the US, Asia and Latin America. We even saw a picture of a very cleverly Photoshopped S11, which was exciting news for our R&D team who were not aware of its existence.’

The DiGiCo MD is explaining the rescheduled launch of the S31 – a larger version of the S21 with an expanded worksurface. ‘To set the record straight, the S11 is purely wishful thinking, but it may be a good product idea for us to evaluate for the future,’ he says. 

The S31 joins DiGiCo’s S-range, with an expanded worksurface offering ten additional faders for greater control and an additional 10-inch multi-touch screen for faster access and more visual feedback. It offers the same flexibility as the S21, with 24 mic inputs and 12 Line outputs on the rear of the console for straightforward audio connection. There are also two DMI ports as standard, as well as a UB Madi interface for DAW recording. The console is suited to applications where more instant control and feedback are critical to the operator. 

The S31 will start shipping in late September 2016, combined with the v1.3 software recently released on the S21. This is the biggest upgrade for the S21 since its launch, with future updates and upgrades already planned. 

‘This really has proved the power of social media in our touring business,’ Gordon observes. ‘We were in the final stages of testing, having only had the console out for a month, but we got busted almost at the end of the development process. It’s getting much harder to keep secrets, but we still have a few...’

More: www.digico.biz

Beyond being sound engineers, Peter Vandergoten of 4Ears and Frank Voet of Mono are both closely involved with their artists during production rehearsals, and both deliver a full kit of microphones, wireless systems and mixing consoles to the bands they work with. Currently, the Belgian production companies count Bazart, Adamo, Oscar and the Wolf, SX, Netsky, Absynthe Minded and Warhola betweene them.

With most of the acts, they choose is crucial for connecting with audiences – leading both companies to invest in DiGiCo SD9 mixing consoles, supplied by regional distributor, Amptec.

‘I was new to the DiGiCo family, but was immediately convinced it was the right way to go when the Stealth Core 2 update was announced for SD9,’ says Voet. ‘Stealth Core 2 dramatically increases processing power from the existing 48 channels and 24 buses, to 96 channels and 48 buses, with multiband dynamics, dynamic EQs and DiGiTubes on all inputs and outputs.

‘I also really appreciate the DiGiCo philosophy of adding horsepower to existing products every couple of years and not changing the product line-up itself, which could devalue your previous purchase. But the main reason I chose DiGiCo is the support, and clear and fast communication I get from both Amptec and DiGiCo.’

This is Vandergoten’s second SD9 purchase after decades of working with DiGiCo consoles. He has been a loyal user since the D5 and D1 were released, and values the fact that DiGiCo products are designed by actual sound engineers. ‘Both Amptec and DiGiCo have a Rock ’n’ Roll spirit and understand the demands of today’s live sound industry really well,’ Vandergoten explains. ‘I really like the SD Series’ ergonomics, which allows users to personalise the console layout, while DiGiCo’s macro system allows further customisation and fast operation.

‘Other features I rate highly are the extensive automation options, Snapshot system and the seamless integration of Waves Soundgrid for plug-in processing, and simultaneous recording and virtual soundcheck.’

Since Vandergoten works as a FOH or monitor engineer depending on the project, it is important to him that the SD9 is suited to both tasks. Voet, meanwhile, travels the globe with bands like Netsky, so it is not always possible to bring his own console.  

‘But DiGiCo consoles are available for dry hire all over the world,’ he points out. ‘And they allow no-brainer session transfer between all SD Series consoles,’ Vandergoten adds. ‘When you add all that up, they really are the perfect solution for us.’

More: www.digico.org

Dubbed Project Vulcan, DiGiCo has released the SD12 digital mixing console, combining features drawn from its SD and S Series desks, and using the latest generation of Super FPGA.

The SD12 features 72 input channels with full processing, 36 aux/group buses with full processing, a 12 x 8 matrix with full processing, LR/LCR bus with full processing, 12 stereo FX units, 16 graphic EQs, 119 dynamic EQs, 119 multiband compressors and 119 DiGi-TuBes, 12 control groups (VCA) and SD Series Stealth Core 2 software, making it compatible with all other SD Series sessions.

The SD12 features dual 15-inch digital touchscreens – previously only seen on the SD7 and SD5 – which provide 24 channels in one view, dual operator mode and the ability for the right-hand screen to be the Master. It also offers advanced connectivity via optional DMI cards.

EQ and dynamics controls are placed next to both the left- and right-hand screens, so that they sit adjacent to the graphic representation seen when assigning an EQ. Unusually for a console this compact, DiGiCo has included its Hidden Til Lit (HTL) technology, with two banks of 24 encoders featuring an RGB HTL ring, as well as an SD7-style channel strip with HTL EQ encoders. There is also new Dynamics metering on the channel strip and new high-intensity meters associated with the faders. The rotaries that sit below the screen indicate, by colour, what parameters they are controlling to allow for fast operation; these are also HTL. 

There is also an assignable master section on the bottom right-hand side of the worksurface, as previously seen on the SD7 and SD5, and two assignable faders with their own displays and metering, which can be assigned to be any of the channels whether input or output, or Solo Master controls. Dedicated RGB scribble strips, of which there are five, can be assigned to Macros with five banks giving a total of 25 macros, and there is a Snapshot panel for quickly accessing and controlling the Snapshots list, as well as for firing the next and previous Snapshot.

On the rear of the console is a standard local I/O format. There are eight local mic/line inputs, eight local line outputs and eight AES/EBU in/out for local digital sources, as well as two Madi ports, plus a UB Madi connection for recording at 48kHz; 48 tracks of recording are possible with the console clocking at 48kHz and 24 tracks clocking at 96kHz.

There are two slots for DMI cards. Options include a Dante module, which can be plugged straight into the back of the console, alleviating the need to purchase an Orange Box. A Waves module can also be fitted to take full advantage of the SoundGrid platform. In fact, there is a huge family of DMI cards that can be plugged in the SD12 that can be changed between different projects or tours, depending on requirements.

The SD12 has a suite of remote control options, including the iPad SD remote app, which offers remote control, expansion and show control. Offline software, meanwhile, allows for session preparation and online remote. There are OSC and Ross network protocols; 16-pin GPIO that allows for audio follows video and show control; Serial/Midi in/out for MMC/MTC, Midi remote and QLab; second console mirroring and redundancy.

There is also the option to upgrade straight into the Optocore network with two loop options, allowing the SD12 to sit happily anywhere on a loop with any other Optocore enabled SD product.

‘The SD12 has already created an international impact, with over 30 of our distributors taking part in a surprise global launch, details to follow shortly,’ says DiGiCo MD, James Gordon. ‘The SD12 takes all the true DiGiCo values and installs them into a compact, cost effective surface with unrivalled feedback and control. It is ideal for operators that demand the best audio quality, combined with an intuitive and fast multi-screen worksurface.’

More: www.digico.org

American singer-songwriter Ben Rector has put out seven albums on his own indie label, Aptly Named Recordings, selling more than 450,000 albums and four million singles in nearly a decade of work – a large accomplishment for an indie artist. Jake Hartsfield, Rector’s FOH engineer and production manager, has brought a new weapon to his operation in the form of a pair of DiGiCo SD9 digital consoles.

Used for FOH and monitors, the SD9s give Rector and Hartsfield the power and performance to help stand out on the road, plus the economic effectiveness to stay out there profitably. ‘I’d read a lot about the DiGiCo consoles and many of the live mixes I’ve admired were mixed with them,’ says Hartsfield, who’s also mixed live shows for other successful indie artists such as Megan & Liz and Kidz Bop. ‘Spectrum Sound had SD9s available that were fully upgraded with the new Stealth Core 2 software and the Optocore fibre-optic loop that lets both consoles share the same SD Rack amp heads.’

Rector has been touring throughout 2106, and his schedule will see further headline amphitheatre and theatre dates in the autumn. Touring with the SD9 consoles, rented through Nashville’s Spectrum Sound, has offered Hartsfield and Brian Boggs, Rector’s monitor engineer, a new level of effectiveness and efficiency. Hartsfield has also found that the SD9 has virtually all of the EQ and dynamics processing onboard that he needs for live shows…

‘I put a bit of the Waves C6 multiband compressor plug-in on Ben’s voice for some polish,’ he says. ‘But everything else I need is right there on the console.’

The SD9’s power, connectivity, compact form factor and lightweight have helped boost the economics of touring for Rector and other indie artists” ‘We’re at that point right between a semi-truck and two trailers, so the compactness of the SD9 really helps there,’ Hartsfield says.

Yet, he emphasises, he doesn’t have to compromise any performance: ‘With the new Stealth Core 2 upgrade, I can have 96 channels,’ he says. ‘When we began rehearsals, we were right at 48 channels, so I have plenty of room for additional channels if I need them. I’m also very comfortable with the number of faders and worksurface.’

And the SD9 offers Hartsfield options that contribute greatly to Rector’s live show: Hartsfield connects the SD9’s I/O through Madi via the DiGiGrid MGB to a multitrack recorder, enabling him to record every show (Rector’s 2014 LP release was a live record), and playback from that routed back into both consoles via Madi enables him to do virtual monitor soundchecks at FOH and monitors.

‘The flexibility, the sound and the performance of the SD9 are all fantastic,’ he says. ‘It’s the best-sounding desk I’ve ever mixed on.’

The old stereotype of the ‘chimping’ roadie has been progressively replaced with that of a technical wizard, as live music production has become ever more sophisticated. Cinematic representations, however, get more mileage out of stereotypes… But Showtime’s new comedy-drama Roadies gets high marks for the authenticity of its setting – with a DiGiCo SD9 mixing console taking a key role.

Marking a return to music-themed scripts, creator Cameron Crowe – whose 2000 film Almost Famous captured the ebullience of the early days of rock as it became an industry – and produced by JJ Abrams, Roadies takes viewers backstage on tour. But the music is quite real, featuring artists including the Head and the Heart, Halsey, Eddie Vedder, Reignwolf, Lindsey Buckingham and others, and they’re playing and singing every note live.

Bill Lanham is one of the show’s technical consultants whose own role morphed into that of its FOH engineer, monitor mixer and multitrack recording engineer, all on a single console: ‘The SD9 is amazing – it can do it all,’ he says. ‘I’ve used a lot of consoles and I can tell you that DiGiCo is the one that lets you decide how you want to work.’

Lanham manages what has turned into a complex role on the show by bringing the stage microphones into two stageboxes, totalling 40 channels, and then splitting from those, sending copper to the production audio recordist and taking a MADI feed from the stage to a DiGiGrid MGB interface in the DiGiRack and console. From there it goes over Ethernet to a MacBook Pro running Apple Logic Pro multitrack recording software.

‘The show does not use prerecorded tracks,’ Lanham says. ‘We usually pare it down to 32 tracks or less onstage and everyone is playing live. Having the SD9 gives me complete control over the audio coming from the stage, so I can mix it as though I was doing an actual FOH gig, but I can also send the band what they want to hear in the monitors and IEMs, and I can send submix stems to the production mixer. I can do all that easily because the SD9 lets me set the work surface the way I want it. I build it from the ground up. You don’t have to be an IT guy to run this console.’

Lanham says working a music show for television inevitably still puts the music secondary to the narrative: ‘There have been a few times where they’ll ask us to move the PA for a better camera angle,’ he says. ‘And the pressure is always on – the bands get maybe an hour to prep and soundcheck, and then they start filming. The costs are so high that everything has to work like clockwork. The SD9 has a lot of flexibility, so I had all my work-arounds all ready to go, if needed.’

DiGiCo’s broad acceptance in music touring has helped that – Lanham says that the FOH engineer for Halsey, carrying a DiGiCo desk on tour, was able to walk right in and set the console up from memory. ‘He didn’t even need to plug in a file,’ Lanham recalls.

Steve McNeil can attest to the SD9’s flexibility. A veteran engineer who coached Lanham on the SD9’s operation, he also took over Lanham’s multifaceted role when Lanham had to leave for another project. ‘I covered for Bill when he got called away on tour, and I was able to pick up instantly where he left off, mixing performances by Gary Clark Jr, Robyn Hitchcock, Eddie Vedder, and Nicole Allen,’ says McNeil, who adds that the SD9’s ability to be accessed remotely via an iPad was a huge advantage on the set.

The SD9’s sound gets plenty of airtime on Roadies (though an SD8 was brought to the set to act as a prop onscreen for one scene). But, like most of television’s technical wizards, the console and its engineer stay behind the camera. Except once… ‘On Episode Three they moved the band during the shoot, so I ran out and rearranged the microphones during the scene,’ Lanham explains. ‘They were waiting for me on the other side – with a release form they needed me to sign.’

More: www.digico.org

Offering wide-ranging event production services including equipment rental and merchandising, Croatia audio rental company Promo Logistika operates under the slogan is ‘everything is possible’. To this end, it has acquired a DiGiCo SD7 digital mixing console, purchased through DiGiCo distributor, MK Light & Sound. The consoles will be used across the company’s entire range of projects, from corporate events and concerts, to television shows and theatre production.

‘We wanted to have an SD7 because there wasn’t one in the region,’ says Promo Logistika’s Zoran Biškupić. ‘Although we already have a digital mixing console in our inventory, we wanted to be able to offer the very best and that’s the SD7.’

Effective immediately, German manufacturer DirectOut has extended the warranty on all audio connectivity products, networking and bridging systems for broadcast, studio live sound and installed sound applications to 36 months.

The announcement follows the company’s philosophy of using only high-quality components in its products - without exception. All devices are manufactured in Germany and pass a comprehensive test and quality assurance routine before delivery. This ensures products run reliably under critical operating conditions.

Supporting their innate reliability, many DirectOut products are also equipped with technologies such as SNMP or GPO, enabling remote monitoring of their operating parameters.

‘For almost ten years, the DirectOut Technologies brand has been synonymous with professional equipment in the pro audio and broadcast market – whether in demanding live situations, in the studio, or in 24/7 use in broadcast environments, customers rely on the high quality and the fail-safe operation of our equipment,’ says DirectOut Managing Director, Jan Ehrlich. ‘By increasing the warranty period from 24 to 36 months, we can demonstrate our confidence in our high-quality in-house production and the multi-stage test and quality assurance procedures to our customers.’

More: www.directout.eu

Following the launch of the Prodigy.MC, DirectOut’s new Prodigy.MP multifunction audio processor joins the company’s modular audio converter that introduced the Prodigy Series.

‘All the ingredients were already there,’ explains DirectOut Business Development Manager, Luca Giaroli. ‘For more than a decade, we’ve been offering unrivalled and highly reliable audio format converters with the highest quality sample-rate conversion and redundant backup technologies available. We felt it was the right time to take a quantum step forward and add innovative processing power to the package. The result is a device designed to be the central hub of any audio system.’

Prodigy.MP is a multifunction audio processor that shares its 2U-high compact mainframe and modular design with the Prodigy.MC, but adds FPGA-based DSP for EQ, delays and summing matrices. This addition also offers greater flexibility in systems using mixed elements and independent clocking, by adding SRC capabilities. The unit has four converter slots for analogue line-level, microphone input and AES3 option modules, providing up to 32 local inputs and outputs. The hardware also supports two Madi and two Network Audio options. The Madi slots are available as BNC, SC optical and SFP modules, while two optional Network Audio boards can be equipped with Dante, Ravenna (AES67) or SoundGrid, increasing maximum channel capability to 416 inputs/420 outputs.

Both Prodigy.MP and MC can be controlled locally via a 5-inch touchscreen on the front panel, or via globcon, a unified remote-control platform that allows all DirectOut devices to be managed simultaneously. In addition, Prodigy.MP can be accessed via its integrated web server, with remote access via HTML and JavaScript-based user interface. Third-party remote-control protocols may also be added for increased system integration and signal management capabilities.

‘Flexibility and reliability are two of the main characteristics needed to make a device successful,’ says DirectOut CTO, Claudio Becker-Foss. ‘Prodigy.MP offers both, allowing it to accept and manage different audio formats and clock domains simultaneously, while enabling users to plan and configure their own clock redundancy strategy. globcon provides quick and efficient system management when Prodigy.MP is used as the core of a complex audio system – alongside other products from a multitude of well-known manufacturers.’

‘The audio industry, with its complex and diverse technology demands, is rapidly evolving,’ adds Giaroli. ‘But with the modularity of the Prodigy family, and with globcon quickly adapting and evolving, DirectOut is ready and very well equipped to meet these challenges.’

More: www.directout.eu

Live sound engineer, sound designer and producer Dirk Schulz is encouraging all the singers he works with to use DPA d:facto Vocal Microphones. Based in South West Germany, Schulz is currently at FOH for Swedish band Mando Diao, who are undertaking a series of European showcase gigs to promote their new album, Good Times. ‘Right now I am in love with the d:facto Vocal Microphone for lead vocals,’ he says.

‘Lead singer Björn Dixgård switched to the d:facto Vocal Microphone last summer after we conducted a blind A/B test with another microphone to see which he preferred. He loved the microphone and was amazed by how natural and rich his voice sounded through his in-ear monitors.

‘What I really like is the smooth but precise studio quality sound the d:facto delivers on a big PA system. I find it much easier to place the vocals into the mix and it also makes my vocal effect chain sound much more detailed. I can even imagine using the d:facto in a studio recording situation where a vocalist might feel more comfortable singing into a handheld microphone. I am sure that it would deliver equally great results.’

Schulz is also working with singer Michael Patrick Kelly, and has moved him to a d:facto Vocal Microphone, too. ‘It works equally well for Michael, even though he has a very different voice with much higher range,’ Schulz says.

‘In my opinion this microphone is a game changer because it delivers a very smooth response at all frequencies, including off-axis. This means there is virtually no distortion – and any spill that the microphone does pick up is not overbearing, so it fits in well with the overall mix. Quite frankly, it is unlike anything I have ever heard before when it comes to a live vocal microphone.’

Alongside the d:facto Vocal Microphone, Schulz also uses d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone to amplify musical instruments on stage: ‘I have used these microphones many times in the past and have always found them to be the most convincing sonic solution for classical string instruments in a live sound environment,’ he says.

‘The d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones sound very natural and precise to my ears. When Mando Diao was recording an MTV Unplugged session, we used d:vote 4099s on strings and acoustic guitar because we needed a microphone that wouldn’t pick up too much spill from the drums. The fact that these microphones can be positioned very close to the sound source makes them ideal on stage – and of course I trust them to deliver exceptional sound quality.’

Both d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones and a d:facto Vocal Microphone were recently used by Schulz to ensure perfect audio at Berlin’s Tempordrom where actor and director Matthias Schweighöfer was delivering his first ever concert as a solo musician. Best known for his film roles, Schweighöfer was appearing in Berlin to promote his début album, Lachen Weinen Tanzen. ‘The string section of about 20 musicians from the Babelsberger Film Orchestra were all amplified using DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones,’ Schulz reports. ‘It was a really successful concert and thanks to DPA the strings sounded the way they should.’

More: www.dpamicrophones.com

Allen & Heath’s dLive delivered all of the mixing requirements for opera baritone, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, performing in Barvikha Luxury Village concert hall in Moscow to commemorate the 71^st anniversary of the end of World War II.

Hvorostovsky’s performance was accompanied by the 60-member choir and orchestra of the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of Russia. The orchestra included strings, woodwind, brass, drums, accordions and rhythm section. Alongside the orchestra, the Quintet of Russian folk instruments, The Style of Five, from Saint Petersburg were special guests invited to perform alongside the opera star.

The dLive system used at the concert consisted of a DM64 MixRack and S7000 Control Surface. All 64 inputs of the DM64 were employed for stage microphones, and also a few inputs at the S7000 surface were used to connect audio players.

‘I was impressed by dLive’s usability,’ reports Sergey Rybchenko, the sound engineer for the ensemble. ‘All the key mixing functions can be accessed very quickly, and I am amazed by the outstanding musical sound of the system. Rich functionality, advanced design and comprehensive control make it a perfect solution for even the most complex shows and performances.’

More: www.allen-heath.com

The world’s northernmost festival offered an ideal opportunity for Swedish PA company Parashoot to put its new Allen & Heath dLive mixing system to the test.

The Polar Jazz Festival takes place in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, on a Norwegian archipelago extending into the Arctic Ocean. Established in 1998, it attracts well-known artists from across Scandinavia. This year, Parashoot managed the sound requirements for Swedish singer Ane Brun’s headline set, using a dLive C Class C1500 rackmount surface with CDM32 MixRack.

‘This must be the furthest north a dLive has ever travelled,’ says Parashoot owner and engineer, Oscar Söderlund. ‘Our new compact set-up was easy to transport and load in/out – which was very important given that the temperature was -13°C.

‘We have several dLive S Class touring systems but for unusual or fly in gigs like this – I love the fact that I can now have all the features of dLive in a carry case. The dLive range, with its new C Class addition, is just making it more clear that dLive is becoming a classic mixer and workhorse.’

More: www.allen-heath.com

DPA Microphones has added the Linear Vocal Microphone to its d:facto Handheld Microphone range.

Claiming an extremely linear frequency response compared to the original d:facto Vocal Microphone (which features a boost at 12kHz), the new model offers uncolored sound for more freedom in EQ. It uses a new capsule with an isolation-optimized supercardioid polar pattern that is designed to augment the human vocal range, and combines the best of cardioid and supercardioid directional characteristics with SPL handling of up to 160dB.

The capsule can be removed and replaced with any other d:facto capsule to suit different recording or performance requirements. DPA’s adapter system allows the microphone to be transformed from a wired version with a handle to a handheld wireless microphone, capable of integration with wireless solutions including Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, Wisycom, Lectrosonics and Line6.

 ‘The addition of the linear capsule to the d:facto line will provide even more opportunities for engineers to attain the quality sound they’re looking for,’ says US Marketing Manager, James Capparelle. ‘The d:facto has become the go-to choice for many industry professionals.’

More: www.dpamicrophones.com

DPA Microphones’ has introduced the GSM4000 Gooseneck Shock Mount Accessory and MMP-G Modular Active Cable for MicroDot to its d:dicate Microphone Series, offering both wireless and wired options.

A clip at the end of the GSM4000 mount accommodates the d:dicate capsule and preamp, along with an MMP-G Modular Active Cable for wireless or MMP-E Modular Active Cable for wired operation. With an integrated shock mount, the GSM4000 is available in black, has a length of 11.5cm and allows the microphone to be set up in different positions thanks to the flexible gooseneck.

The MMP-G Modular Active Cable uses active drive impedance balancing to reject induced electrical interference, and enables modular d:dicate capsules to be connected to wireless systems via the MicroDot connector – which works with the wide range of DPA adaptors available for professional wireless systems.

All d:dicate capsules can be mounted on the MMP-G. The MMP-G is available as the MMP-GR, with the cable extending from the rear, and MMP-GS, with the cable extending from the side.

More: www.dpamicrophones.com

FOH engineer Pete Johnson is currently using DPA’s d:facto Linear Vocal Microphone on tour with British indie rockers Glass Animals. ‘At points in the set [vocalist] Dave Bayley sings quite softly while at the same time we want the show to be big, punchy and powerful,’ he says. ‘The d:facto Linear has excellent feedback rejection and lets me keep the amount of surgery I need to do to a minimum. We’ve used it in all different settings, from tiny clubs to football stadia. It’s taken all the stress out of achieving a solid vocal sound.’

Johnson has been an FOH engineer for 15 years and has worked with an impressive list of artists including Bonobo, Coldcut, Laura Marling, Leftfield and Django Django. He’s been mixing Glass Animals since May 2016 and is currently touring with the band whose live schedule takes them through the end of 2017.

‘I started working with Glass Animals when they needed someone for their second album tour,’ he says. ‘They had enjoyed a Bonobo festival show that I had mixed a couple of years back. Listening to their music and then meeting them we realised we’d be a good fit, both sound-wise and personally.’

An English indie rock band from Oxford, Glass Animals released their debut album Zaba in 2014 – the first release on producer Paul Epworth’s Wolf Tone label. Their second album How To Be a Human Being was released last year and the band have since toured internationally, including appearances at Glastonbury, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Bestival.

Johnson specified a d:facto Linear Vocal Microphone for the tour after experimenting with a number of different microphones and realising that the d:facto best suited Dave Bayley’s voice. ‘I had previously used and really enjoyed the original d:facto but switched to the Linear version after UK distributor Sound Network lent me both the original and the Linear for a few shows. The Linear mic just suited Dave’s voice that bit better. I’m also a fan of boosting really high frequencies rather than cutting if I do have to EQ – the boost takes the air up with it, rather than closing it in.’

As well as being the main vocalist Bayley is Glass Animals’ songwriter/producer, and an engineer in his own right: ‘He has a great ear and could be a brilliant FOH mixer if he fancied it,’ Johnson says. ‘Over the years he’s tried many different vocal mics, and is very happy with the d:facto Linear.’

Although Bayley is incredibly mobile on stage, Johnson is using a wired version of the d:facto because he and the band prefer the aesthetic of a wired mic.

‘Dave often takes off around the venue and into the crowd mid-set and has to be reeled back in, but the d:facto has proved really hardy and we love it,’ he says. ‘The audio quality is fantastic. In live sound, and especially with a softer singer there is always going to be a level of stage spill from drums, etc. Some vocal mics have responses that cause spill to really interfere with what I’m aiming for from the other instruments. Spill down the d:facto Linear sounds great.’

The Glass Animals tour also incorporates DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones on tom-toms. Johnson is expecting to add more to cover the rest of the kit.

‘My first experience of DPA microphones was some years ago when I used d:fine 4066 Headworn Microphones for theatre and corporate work for various PA companies,’ he says. ‘I have always used d:vote 4099s on strings and woodwinds too – nothing else I’ve tried works as well. For the final show of the Bonobo’s The North Borders tour at Alexandra Palace we had around 20 string players all on d:vote 4099s. That was an absolute joy.’

More: www.dpamicrophones.com

The past three-and-a-half decades have seen saxophone legend Bill Evans graduate from his time with Miles Davis Group in the 1980s, through stints with Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and Mick Jagger among many others. Recently, these have been supported by his use of DPA Microphones’ d:vote 4099S Instrument Microphone.

‘I was introduced to the d:vote 4099S by my sound engineer, Richard Leutner,’ says Evans. ‘I used it for the first time this past summer on my tenor and soprano saxophones for 26 concerts in Europe, and it sounded great. I was interested in doing some further testing of the mics, and while I was in New York several months later, Gabriel Antonini [National Sales Support/Business Development Manager at DPA], brought in several mics for me to try. I haven’t looked back.’

Evans likes the compact, lightweight form factor of the d:vote 4099S mic, as well as the sound it delivers: ‘It is very easy to use and packs up easily in a small bag with other things I bring on the road with me,’ he elaborates. ‘In this day and age, we have to travel light and DPA is perfect for this as well. I now use it on every performance because it replicates my exact acoustic sound in a wireless microphone. The sound on soprano in particular is amazing. It matches the warm and personal sound I prefer on the soprano by miking the body of the horn and not just the bell, which was Antonini’s idea coupled with input from [DPA Global Sales Support Manager] Bo Brinck. The team at DPA is world class when it comes to sound. The fact that the microphone sounds like the acoustic sound, but amplified, is truly awesome.’

Eveans unveilled the Bill Evans Band in 2015 – a hard hitting montage of jazz, rock, instrumental and vocals – and is supporting the 2016 release, Rise Above.

More: www.dpamicrophones.com

Formed under the artistic direction of cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 2000, The Silk Road Ensemble of distinguished performers and composers from more than 20 countries recently completed a world tour. Exploring contemporary cultural and musical crossroads, the sound was in the hands of Audio Engineer/Designer Jody Elff.

A long-time user of DPA Microphones, Elff used 13 mics on all strings, as well as on a gaita, shakuhachi, sheng, pipa and piano. ‘A great example where DPA microphones excelled was for miking the shakuhachi ,’ he says. ‘Our shakuhachi player travels with several instruments for  different keys, and will sometimes switch instruments in the middle of one piece.

‘Playing the shakuhachi is a physically dynamic act, so the performer is in motion while he is playing. If I were to use a conventional stand-mounted mic, either the performer would have to modify his playing style to stay on-axis of the microphone or I would lose his instrument as he moved in and out of the pickup pattern of the mic – neither of which is desirable. By putting a DPA d:fine 4088 Directional Headset Microphone on the performer, he is able to switch instruments freely and move comfortably during his performance and I always have an excellent sounding mic in a perfect position.’

Elff notes the benefit of placing the arm of the headset mic on the upstage side of the player’s head, making the it is virtually invisible to the audience: ‘I don’t know of any other microphone that would perform as well and solve the challenge as elegantly in that particular application. We have performed to near sell-out audiences in many of the great summer venues across the country. The mics have performed reliably and excellently night after night.’

For Elff, starting with good source material is key, and having a mic that captures that source material accurately is critical. ‘In many cases, the only EQ I need on the instruments miked with DPA is a bit of high-pass filtering,’ he says. ‘If my PA is well managed and the mics are good, very little EQ is necessary. I will absolutely continue to use DPA mics on The Silk Road Ensemble performances as they are a perfect fit. I carry a variety of DPA models in my microphone kit and will continue to call on them regularly as new projects emerge.’

Elff traces his fondness for DPA to a microphone ‘revelation’ during a recording session many years ago. He set up a number of microphones on various instruments along with a pair of DPA d:dicate 4006A Omnidirectional Microphones for ambience. As he cued up that channel, he realised that it was the first time he had heard a channel of audio where he couldn’t ‘hear’ the microphone – all he heard was the quality of the room, clean and uncoloured. Ever since then, DPA microphones have been among Elff’s go-to mics for recordings.

As part of his daily operation, Elff today uses on a selection of DPA microphones including the d:screet 4061 Omnidirectional Microphone, d:vote Instrument Microphone, d:fine 4088 Directional Headset Microphone, d:fine 4066 Omnidirectional Headset Microphone and d:dicate 4006 for studio recording, field recording and concerts.

‘While there are many fine microphone choices from other companies that have been around for a long time, I’m always happy to see DPA’s as an option, and will often spec them for projects that I’m working on,’ he says. ‘DPA microphones provide a fantastic balance of sonic excellence with practical, physical utility. Many of the DPA miniature microphones occupy a unique place in the audio industry, being so small and versatile while still maintaining excellent sonic quality.’

Elff works frequently with artists who bridge the worlds of classical and modern/commercial music – such as The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma. While it’s common and accepted to see a microphone on a stand in front of an instrument or amplifier for a pop artists’ performance, it’s much less common, and sometimes even distracting to the artists and audience in a ‘classical’ context.

‘One of the greatest advantages of DPA mics, aside from their fidelity, is that they are nearly invisible from the audiences point of view,’ Elff adds. ‘This allows the audience to enjoy the music rather than be distracted by the technology, and frees the artist from feeling “trapped” by a physical relationship to a microphone on a stand. For a live performance situation this is enormously liberating.’

More: www.dpamicrophones.com