Having completed a tour of Europe and with an extensive tour of the US next on the menu, FOH engineer Dave McDonald can reflect on the tour and his choice of mixing desk for American singer/songwriter Frank Ocean.
Beginning in Berlin, the tour visited a number of cities across Europe, with a mixture of venues and festivals dates: ‘I’ve been with Frank for 14 months now, starting off with club shows where there was a different console and different PA every night,’ he says. ‘For the tour, I’m travelling with my favourite mixing set-up – an iLive-112 and iDR10, which is flexible enough for what we’re doing.
‘We are using 64 channels, as on stage there is everything from modular synths to old EV1 bass guitars and concert drums, so it’s quite a challenge. Combined with the stage set and plasma screens, the production is currently touring with four trucks – the production manager likes me because iLive is tiny and slots in easily, so I’m no trouble…’
McDonald has previously toured using iLive with Adele, AIR, and Florence & the Machine. For Frank Ocean, the iLive system comprises an iLive-112 Control Surface with eight inputs/24 outputs, RAB2 ACE, connected to a modular iDR10 MixRack with 56 inputs/24 outputs, RAB2 ACE and Dante. There was an analogue split between the iLive and monitor console.
‘I believe in the flow of a desk,’ he says. ‘Mixing is half programming and study and research, and the other half about being artistic. As an engineer, you have to combine those two elements together. These days, a lot of boards have the technical side sewn up but don’t also have the flow like an Allen & Heath desk. In a live situation, when you have a spur of the moment idea, you don’t want to be searching through menus because by the time you get there that moment in the music is gone. With iLive, the flow is almost analogue, so you can jump on it straight away – that’s why I like to use it. Another reason is the size, and what you get in the box for the size is astounding. Also, the preamps are great, you can hammer them and throw what you want at them, they are really impressive.’
Frank Ocean commences an extensive tour of the US with the iLive system in autumn 2012.
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