An engineer of more than 20 years’ experience, Jan Brandt is co-owner of 040 audio alongside Eike Brameier, who supply the audio equipment for Brandt’s current client, Max Mutzke. This year, they upgraded their set-up by adding a Klang:vokal immersive monitor mix processor to their Yamaha DM7 Compact console.
Brandt has toured with German singer-songwriter and TV personality Mutzke since he won TV total’s SSDSGPS in 2004, and has since released numerous chart-topping hits, including Eurovision Song Contest performances. For his latest tour, Brandt was looking for a way to elevate the band’s monitor mixes – and Klang had the solution.
‘I introduced the band to Klang, and they were all fascinated by the possibilities,’ he reports. ‘We’d worked hard on the monitor mixes and they were sounding great, but it felt like Klang was the next big upgrade achieving something no other products could do. After testing a demo, the improvement was undeniable, so we purchased a Klang:vokal system.’
On a busy tour, in-depth technical discussions can be challenging. But with virtual soundcheck, Brandt was able to showcase Klang’s benefits, without the need for complex explanations.
‘The band were all open to explore new technical options, so whenever we had a free moment, I would invite a musician to experiment with the virtual soundcheck,’ he continues. ‘We listened together, playing with placement and from this, I created individual mixes for the band. Standing together at the desk, they were able to fine-tune their mix, just with a finger on my tablet.’
Each musician took different improvements from the experience, but when working with the brass players, Brandt found the benefits particularly striking. Brass musicians, especially trumpet players create the tone of their instrument in their mouths, so the sound of their instrument will be centrally present for them.
‘The band’s trumpet player happens to be Max’s brother, Menzel Mutzke, who is a very accomplished player,’ Brandt says. ‘For him, Klang was a game changer and the best in-ear monitoring experience he has ever had. We positioned his trumpet front and centre, then positioned the other instruments to give him a much better experience and more space in his mix.’
For 040 audio, integrating Klang:vokal has been a major enhancement, elevating the experience for every artist they support. It is a compact solution that has opened up many possibilities for the company, as Brandt concludes.
‘Klang has been a fantastic upgrade. Paired with our compact monitor desk, it’s the perfect set-up; powerful, efficient and reliable,’ he says. ‘It has taken our mixes to the next level, and we’re already using it with our other clients. The vokal+ upgrades are definitely interesting too, if there is an opportunity to do more, we will always use it – the possibilities are truly exciting.’
