With a string of sold-out performances ahead of them, Bremen-based folk/neo-medieval band Versengold knew their current sound set up needed to improve – a more transparent monitor mix was required to allow them to re-engage with larger audiences, along with a mix that would allow them to hear the larger audiences without over-powering the acoustic instruments that are key to the six-piece ensemble. Klang was the chosen solution, and the man behind implementing it was Tjado de Vries.

Choosing Klang:konductor for the band’s biggest tour ever meant they could enjoy effectively spaced monitor mixes while still maintaining the clarity they need to communicate with each other as they perform.

Moving from a small, self-contained rig, where band members were in charge of their own monitoring during performances, Tjado de Vries is now able to work on their monitor mixes – an improved experience for all.

‘The audio set-up at the time was fairly simple, with a DiGiCo SD9 at front of house,’ De Vries explains. ‘Monitoring was provided by the band itself with one of the backline staff supporting them. I was originally FOH engineer but, with the small monitor desk maxed out, I was doing guest monitor mixes, too.

During the 2022/23 season there was a shortage of staff, so de Vries ended up on stage covering the backline. ‘I realised the monitor mixes needed tweaking, so I got stuck in, riding the audience mics, adjusting a few things,’ he recalls. ‘The band noticed the difference and that was enough for them to realise they really needed a dedicated monitor engineer.’

De Vries had tried a Klang:vier system with another band, and was impressed at how the system had dealt with big distorted guitars and loads of backing tracks. ‘The mix needed much more space than a tight stereo mix could provide,’ he says, ‘and using Klang gave each instrument the room to be a comfortable listen.’

De Vries persuaded Versengold band members to try out the Klang demo on their phones and iPads. Giving them the chance to experience the system firs-hand meant they were easily convinced that the planned upgrades to their equipment should include a Klang system. They went with Klang:konductor because of the flexibility it afforded them. After the arena shows there was an album release tour in much more intimate clubs. Regardless of the venue size, Klang gave the band the consistency they needed to perform at their best.

‘After the demo, the band were excited to hear what Klang could do for them,’ De Vries says. ‘The system was easy to use right from the start, it was pretty much plug and play. We were using peripherals that weren’t part of the Klang or DiGiCo family so we had some minor clocking issues, but the team at Klang were still kind enough to help me iron out our teething troubles.

‘The band really appreciate the wideness of the mixes, especially the violin and nyckelharpa [Swedish key fiddle] players,’ he continues. ‘It had an enormous effect on their stage relationship, improving the accuracy of their intonation from the first rehearsal.

‘For me, the app is a real bonus. Having the screen at eye level means that I’m not looking down at the desk and getting distracted. I can keep my eyes on the band and respond to their needs pretty much instantly. Using Klang also makes it a lot easier to get a transparent mix at lower volumes. I don’t have to use compression or drastic EQ as I might have done before.’

The band have their sights set on international touring in the future and their Klang system will be the perfect ‘fly-in’ travel companion, giving them the option to just tour the FOH desk and Klang:konductor as the main monitor desk.

‘They know that Klang is the solution,’ de Vries concludes. ‘It will take them to the next level and continue with them as they build on the success of their chart-topping albums Was Kost De Welt (How Much is the World?) and their most recent album Lautes Gedenken (Loud Remembrance) released in 2023.’

More: www.klang.com