They Might Be Giants Tour with DiGiCo

News

Andrew Low Dec 5 2007, 8:00am

They Might Be Giants tour the US with a D5 and D1 package

They Might Be Giants embarked on a US tour in 2007 using DiGiCo’s D5 and D1 digital boards.

US-based SK Systems provided the DiGiCo boards. Due to a variety of small and large venues (500-3,000 capacity) included on the tour, they travelled with minimal gear, making the compact, digital mixers essential.

FOH engineer Adam Robinson used 72 inputs, 12 for the support act, with 8 channels of D-Tube preamps. He utilized the D5’s onboard effects with a TC Electronic Fireworx for added effects. He also brought along a Lake Mesa systems controller and four JBL VP7210/95DP powered speakers - two for side fills and two as front fills.

“As far as sonic quality goes, DiGiCo is really at the top of the game in the market,” Robinson continues, “In fairness, I did have preconceived notions about the roadworthiness, but once I got on one, those were completely banished. I've never had a major issue with our consoles.

“To be honest, everything is equally as valuable. Some things, like the benefits of the small footprint, vary with the size of the venues, but the snapshots have been a life saver. The band has several songs where the musicians switch instruments and there are obvious mix changes with that. Using snapshots has made the transition between those parts effortless.”

Each show was recorded and made available the next day via the band’s website.

Robinson explained: “We use eight analogue outs at FOH that feed a MOTU 828 digital audio/MIDI interface, which feeds a MacBook Pro running Digital Performer 5. The outputs are a mixture of two Neumann audience mics plus the four mono and two stereo stems which allow our lead guitarist to mix shows down quickly, so we can get them put up on the website as soon as possible.”

Neil McDonald mixed the on-stage monitors on a D1 Live. Five members hade in-ear monitors and JBL sidefills, totalling eight separate mixes. A three-piece horn section joined the band for certain shows, two with wedges and one with in-ears. An additional pair of wedges were positioned downstage centre enabling them to change positions during the set.

Traditionally, McDonald has used the D1 at FOH. Until this year he never used the D1 for monitor mixes.

“The band is extremely happy with the way the shows have been going. They Might Be Giants are sticklers for quality and really appreciate the superior results given by DiGiCo products,” commented Robinson.

“The D5 sounds great, is easy to use, it sets up and tears down quickly... what's not to like? It truly is the highlight of the tour for me. We're very excited about Version 4 coming out and adding more great features to an already feature packed system.”
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