Trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have taken Avid Venue S6L on the road for their UK and European tour.

The decision to take the Venue S6L on tour in support of the band’s recent Ritual Spirit EP was made on the strength of their experience with the S3L-X in the summer of 2014. After working with top artists including Coldplay, Manic Street Preachers and Richard Ashcroft, veteran live sound engineer and senior specialist for live sound products at Avid, Robb Allan took the FOH role for Massive Attack.

‘The band is very experienced in studio work, so they’re always interested in every detail of the sound when we take their latest material out on the road,’ he says. ‘They really appreciate the Avid virtual soundcheck feature, which allows us to stand at FOH together and adjust every detail of every song to their liking, giving fans a live experience unlike any other.

‘Their live shows always feature a vibrant set that ranges from very calm, tranquil moments to very loud, dramatic atmospheric dynamics, so mastering the perfect live mix is essential. The Venue S6L gives me unprecedented control at the touch of a button, and puts me in the driving seat right from the FOH.’

With the Venue E6L engine integrated into the S6L live sound console, Massive Attack’s live production benefits from real-time processing engine handles all routing, channel and mixing functions, while the HDX-powered DSP engine manages all AAX plug-in processing.

‘The Venue S6L offers engineers the most accurate and professional live sound on the market and the greatest flexibility out on the road,’ Allan says. ‘This comes from listening to what the industry wants, and the console’s fluid integration with Pro Tools is something that many engineers are experiencing wonderful benefits from. The console’s compact size and light weight also give users huge cost savings on transportation and storage, which is vital aspect for any live production.’