In the Field: Allen & Heath

IN THE FIELD: ALLEN & HEATH

Keeping pace with British singer-songwriter, Lewis Capaldi’s FOH Engineer Andrew Bush takes some time out from his busy touring schedule to discuss his current Allen & Heath control package.

In a very short space of time, Lewis Capaldi has made the seismic leap from academies to arenas on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite this intimidating upward trajectory, the young Scottish singer-songwriter has retained many of the same core crew over the past year who have had to adapt to this new level of touring. Handling the singer’s FOH mix is Andrew Bush, who spoke to TPi about how he adapted to the demands of his employer’s success and the Allen & Heath desks that have been with him throughout the journey. “Lewis’ Tour Manager, Scott Smyth, contacted me in summer 2018 to ask if I could join as FOH Engineer for a few UK festivals,” recalled Bush. “My first run with Lewis started at Customs House Square in Belfast, followed by Reading and Leeds Festivals. We did a few more festival weekends in September and October 2018 and thankfully I was asked back for the sixweek Europe tour that ran throughout to the end of the year. I’ve been part of the crew ever since.”

With a busy 2019 schedule already taking shape, back in April, Bush and the rest of the production began pulling together a control package that would be able to deal with the fluctuating venue sizes that lay ahead of them. The result was an Allen & Heath package care of Glasgow audio company, FE Live. The new Allen & Heath setup marked a new chapter in Bush’s mixing career. “I hadn’t toured with Allen & Heath prior to April,” he revealed. “The decision to go down the dLive route came off the back of all the good things we’d heard about the audio quality. We also knew the desks and racks were easily interchangeable without any software or compatibility issues. We had a huge run of festivals over the summer and, for consistency for Lewis, band and crew, we wanted to use the same desks at every show, regardless of where we were.” Due to the size and weight, Bush and the team originally opted for the dLive C1500 for both FOH and Monitor Engineer Chris Smart’s surface, with both engineers sharing a DM48 stage rack. The advantage of this, as Bush

explained, was that the entire control package could be checked in as luggage for fly dates. “I found the dLive platform very easy to use,” stated Bush. “The fader layout is completely customisable so you can make it fit into your own workflow, instead of the other way around. Dialling in a sound is quick as the interface is intuitive, and the on-board dynamics and effects units are very good.” The engineer was also complementary of several of the features, such as dynamic EQ and compression being available on every channel as an insert, a wet and dry blend on some compressor units, and the scene management being comprehensive and easy to work with. As Bush’s busy 2019 continued, the engineer opted to upgrade and move to the large surface with the dLive S5000 along with two DX32s and a DM0 unit on stages. “I’ve added a few toys recently, including two UAD LiveRack units running via MADI at 96kHz. I’ve also added a few pieces from Rupert Neve including a 5045 Primary Source Enhancer, a Portico Channel and a Portico Master Buss Processor.” At monitors, Smart also used a S5000 with one UAD LiveRack with a DM64 stage rack. Bush continued to describe his goal with Capaldi’s mix. “His voice is unique and instantly recognisable,” he stated. “The show has always been about bringing his voice out over every corner of the room and trying to capture all of his nuances. Whether he’s using his quieter, crooner-like chest voice, his louder, punchier higher register, or chatting between songs. Our PM, Nick Lawrie, is fond of comparing Lewis’ vocal to a brass instrument and in terms of dynamics and range, he’s not wrong.” Bu sh was also keen to commend the musicians who have been on tour with the singer-songwriter for the past year. “They really expand the sound palate and add weight to the mix.” But Bush spoke candidly about some of the challenges with providing audio support for this rising star. “As his stock has risen, so has the audience participation at the concerts.

Thousands of screaming fans can rob the mix of clarity and of valuable SPL, especially in countries where dB limits are low and strict. The front few rows of screaming can even travel down the vocal mic – not ideal.” To deal with the changing live scenarios, the engineer explained how he had developed different show files for a variety of venues, from clubs to outdoor festivals. “It gives me a better starting point and takes the guesswork out of it.” He continued: “In terms of on-board processing, I find the DYN8 processor to be crucial. It allows four bands of dynamic EQ and four simultaneous bands of multiband compression. This is a great tool in shaping sounds without over-applying EQ. I use this sparingly on guitars and keyboards to take out any woolliness or harshness, whilst I use it fairly heavily on his vocal, reducing the low-end boom, the midrange around 500-600Hz, the raspier high-mids and some sibilance. I also find the DYN8 very useful for shaping the overall sound of the PA to achieve consistency from venue to venue.” To close, Bush reflected on the past year of touring with Capaldi. “In the past few months, I’ve really enjoyed each show and have relished each challenge,” he stated. “It’s always good to try new methods and sometimes even start from scratch to see if you end up in the same place – even if it’s just for your own sanity. Jumping from venue to venue, or field to field, is a good test of where your mix is at. If there are certain things that work in some scenarios and not others, I consider it a valuable lesson learned.” TPi Photos: Allen & Heath www.lewiscapaldi.com www.allen-heath.com www. fe.live.com