With a stage rig that includes 11 new and vintage keyboards, and four sound modules, Rick Wakeman is currently touring with singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Trevor Rabin as the band ARW. Central to the operation of the keyboard set-up is an Allen & Heath Qu-32 digital mixer.

Previously, an analogue console provided fixed mixing, routing and basic DSP services. Now, Qu-32’s scenes manage mixing and routing of specific keyboards on a per-song basis, sending the mix to the FOH desk. Engineer Erik Jordan manages Wakeman’s rig, using a custom a Sycologic M16 Midi Patchbay that acts as a master controller. As Wakeman performs, he uses a simple keypad to select a Sycologic setting. Each setting sends specific Midi commands to the keyboards and the Qu-32 ready for the next song.

Jordan notes that Wakeman may change settings on the Sycologic during a song triggering a Qu-32 scene change: ‘On any sound source and for any song, we may adjust the Qu-32’s input gain and signal routing, its EQ, gates and compression and three or four different effects,’ he says. ‘So it’s critical that the mixer respond quickly and smoothly and the Qu-32 does this very well.

‘The Qu-32’s internal DSP is excellent,’ he continues. ‘We’ve simplified Rick’s set-up by eliminating many external effects. Overall, the Qu is a phenomenal desk – it’s completely reliable and stunningly powerful. It feels like mixers that cost ten times more. It’s highly intuitive as well; I just turned it on and used it. The Qu is a major change in Rick’s rig, it’s a joy to use and it’s inspiring me to do more things with the sound.’

‘The Qu-32 has become an important part of my rig,’ Wakeman  confirms. ‘It gives me full control of the mix and shapes the sound like one of my instruments. This desk opens up new possibilities for my music.’

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