Staged at the Imperial Palace Compiègne in Paris, fourth annual Palais en Jazz was co-sponsored by Amadeus and Solid State Logic. The sponsorship saw all of the even’t performances mixed on an SSL Live. L500 console at FOH, and delivered using the Amadeus’ PMX, Diva and Maestro loudspeaker systems.

The former residence of the kings of France and Napoleon, the Imperial Palace Compiègne has been home to Palais en Jazz since its inception. Founded in 2012 by Emmanuel Starcky – Director of the National Museums and the estates of the Compiègne and Blérancourt castles, along with producers Hugo Brugière and Gaetan Byk – the festival aims to blend different jazz from times and cultures. This year’s event featured American jazz composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller on the opening evening, and kicking-off his French Afrodeezia Summer Tour.

‘I found the evening mesmerizing, intoxicating, all the emotions and vibrations of the music created a moment that was simply magical,’ Starcky says. ‘The close relationships that we maintain with Solid State Logic and Amadeus are fundamental, considering the acoustical and technical constraints of the Cour d’Honneur performance area. The quality of the solutions, services and technologies implemented makes this great sonic and artistic adventure also a technological one.’

‘The development philosophy of these two prestigious brands offers a parallel experience in live sound mixing and monitoring – but at a very large scale,’ says Olivier Olry, Palais en Jazz Festival sound engineer. ‘As a FOH sound engineer working at the newly-opened Philharmonie de Paris concert hall, I am lucky to work daily with a combination of the SSL L500 console and the Diva Series line array speakers.’

Grover Washington III, FOH Engineer for Marcus Miller, who has also worked with Missy, P Diddy, Danity Kane, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent/G-Unit and others, adds: ‘Mixing on the SSL was a first for me, but it was simple to get around on, especially with the help of two knowledgeable techs from both SSL and Amadeus. Combined with the Amadeus PA system the sound was warm, with great presence.’

‘The EQ was smooth and functional,’ Washington adds. ‘I was intimidated, at first, by the many ways to customize ‘your’ desk, but within a few songs I felt right at home. The on-board effects sounded great as well. I wish I could have this console for every show I mix, FOH or monitors.’

With Amadeus sound reinforcement systems used for the event each year, the Palais en Jazz could not have been a better indication of the capabilities of SSL’s L500: ‘The console is designed to help highly skilled operators deliver outstanding performances in the most demanding applications, and this festival is definitely an example of this,’ says SSL Director of International Sales, Philippe Guerinet. ‘The high calibre of the technical set-up and excellent on site team made it possible for us to reproduce these great performances with immaculate natural detail. I feel everyone, from the musicians and engineers to the audience and hosts, appreciated the quality of the event.’