Soprano while performing, French rapper and musician Saïd M’Roumbaba released three albums with Psy 4 de la Rime before they disbanded in 2010. Now a successful solo artist, he has released seven full-length albums and recently hit the road in support of his latest – Chasseur d’Étoiles (Star Chaser). Live sound engineer Pascal Rossi introduced him to the Klang in-ear monitor system during show rehearsals, whch he has adopted throughout the tour and beyond.
‘I first started working with Soprano over two decades ago and began mixing monitors for him in 2005,’ Rossi says. ‘During the early years, when Soprano was still part of PSY 4 de la Rime, and we relied on wedges for monitoring. However, as he ventured into his solo career, we made the strategic decision to transition to in-ear monitors. At that time, the set-up encompassed a typical hip-hop ensemble, featuring two DJs and two backing singers.’
Over the years, Soprano’s stage set-up has evolved significantly. ‘We now have an Ableton rig on stage, controlled by two musicians and a DJ,’ Rossi continues. The musicians play analogue synths, acoustic and electric guitars, and an SPD-SX, just like the DJ. Additionally, we have the constant presence of five singers on stage and, depending on the show, guest appearances.’
Rossi emphasises the importance of the audience’s interaction to the rapper, placing six ambiance microphones around the stage to ensure the singer can hear the audience clearly, as he often engages during his performances.
The remaining 35 channels incorporate a diverse range of elements such as click tracks, countdowns, instructions to the musicians, conversations betwwen the artists, and coordination with technicians. ‘All of this content is going through my DiGiCo console, allowing distribution across various domains within the stage set-up, such as lights, video and rigging,’ Rossi explains.
The introduction of the Klang system in brought a shift in the overall sound experience. ‘I was testing the Klang:fabrik during a festival tour and was immediately impressed by the enhanced clarity in the mixes,’ Rossi recalls. He further explains that this experience led him to switch to the DiGiCo console to fully integrate the Klang system for subsequent tours.
‘The integration of Klang was seamless,’ Rossi says. ‘For the Chasseur d’Étoiles tour, I used a DiGiCo SD7 and an Orange box with a DMI-Klang. We had 62 channels running through the DMI-Klang, distributed across 11 different mixes.’
This year, Soprano and his production team have embarked on 70 shows across France, armed with their DMI-Klang. Pascal says that the notion of reverting to traditional stereo mixes was swiftly dismissed, thanks to the resounding and unanimous feedback received from the entire crew.
‘It wasn’t an option for me to go back to traditional stereo mixes,’ he confirms. ‘Everyone is really pleased with the Klang system. It has provided Soprano and his musicians a much-needed sense of space in the monitor mix, resulting in a more natural soundscape. Why on earth would we ever change that?’
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