Twenty One Pilots’ Bandito tour has seen FOH engineer Shane Bardiau using a variety of Waves plug-ins, SoundGrid and MultiRack.
‘On this tour I’m running a DiGiCo SD5 at FOH with a Waves SoundGrid Extreme Server, two DiGiGrid MGB’s and a network switch,’ he explains. ‘The two DiGiGrid MGBs allow me to track all my inputs at 96kHz, which enables me to use virtual soundcheck with a MacBook running Waves Tracks Live. This has been quite a game changer…
‘I’ve got a vertical touchscreen running my Waves MultiRack/SoundGrid software, so I can easily access my plug-ins. I have to say that I am very pleased with my current set-up. I think of it as a digital rack full of all the best comps and channel strips, classics and modern.
‘Being able to use Waves plug-ins in a live environment has taken my mix to the next level,’ he continues. ‘The console alone is great, but when you add the whole Waves universe, you can expand your sound in so many different ways that you really get creative with the mix.
Regarding the Waves Extreme Server, he says: ‘Even though it’s only two guys on stage, we’re still at 78 inputs. The Extreme Server has enough power to run 28 rack spaces and all 33 of my plug-ins simultaneously while staying under 70 per cent capacity. This gives me confidence that I will not experience any issues during our show. Something I absolutely need in a live environment.’
‘Hands down, my must-have is the Waves C6 Multiband Compressor. I use this plug-in on a lot of different inputs, but having it on my master bus has been a huge advantage. Currently, I’ve got my vocal group side-chained to the middle band, at around 1k so that when Tyler [Joseph] sings, it punches a little hole out of the mix for his vocals to sit right on top, no matter how loud the mix is. I am also really liking the sound of the Waves SSL plug-ins.
‘I’ve currently got the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor on all my buses. Having it crush with quick responses on the parallel drum bus makes my drums have a huge sucking sound, giving them massive life. I am extremely impressed with the Waves H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb plug-in. I’ve listened to a lot of different plug-ins, as well as on-board verbs and nothing compares when it comes to the Waves in-box reverbs. MaxxVolume has done wonders in getting my vocal to pop. Not to mention its gate, which is so good for a vocal. It is sensitive and accurate.
‘Thanks to Waves, my mix has more dimensions than ever before, creating more space to work with. Vocals pop out and instruments are spread wider than I ever thought possible in a stereo setup, all making my job easier and allowing me to be more creative so I can focus on providing a unforgettable sonic experience.’
More: www.waves.com
