Rising Stars: Adam J Hockley

I have recently completed my second UK tour of Annie The Musical as sound #1. It was my first touring job and the first few months were a very steep learning curve for me; I'd gone from working in a college performing arts department, maintaining equipment and mixing student gigs and performances, whilst working evenings and weekends wherever I could, to touring  some of the biggest theatres in the country on a weekly basis, in charge of the sound department of a full production tour. It was mind blowing, but once I'd adjusted to the new workload I loved every minute.

I am now mixing Reasons To Be Cheerful, the Ian Dury & The Blockheads tribute musical produced by Graeae, a UK theatre company, which Ian Dury was a patron of that 'breaks down barriers, challenges preconceptions and boldly places disabled artists centre stage'.

Where are you based at the moment?

I'm enjoying home comforts and rural life back in Lincolnshire at the moment. The last few weeks have been quiet, generally catching up on admin after the tours, but I've been regularly back and forth to London for meetings with designers or to visit hire companies and play with any gear they will let me get my hands on for the day!

Which audio console are you currently using? And how many channels?

On Annie I was using Yamaha's LS9-32. We had 20 ways of radio mics (Sennheiser eW300 G3) and a seven piece orchestra on the show, which totalled around 48 inputs, so we had two Yamaha AD8HR Interfaces to give us the additional head amps for the band, shout mics, and CD L/R etc.

What decision process was behind the choice of this console?

The show had previously toured an M7CL, but considering the size and weight of the LS9, the punch it packs is very similar. It is also much more pleasant to carry to the mix position! The lack of touch interface didn't bother me as I was using the Yamaha LS9 StageMix app for iPad, which, as well as being able to use gestures to manipulate EQ's (which I really like) the iPad allowed me the freedom of walking around the whole venue during soundcheck to balance the system and adjust my mix from every level of the auditorium.

I also found it very useful for mixing monitors during soundcheck. As with many theatre productions, there was no need for a separate monitor engineer, so I could stand alongside the cast on stage and hear exactly what they were hearing, which enabled me to resolve any issues they had quickly, without trying to rely on vague descriptions such as 'ping', 'fog' and 'singing into cotton wool', which i've heard before.

Do you use any outboard effects/EQ, and if so, what are they used on and why?

An extensive rack of outboard effects was unnecessary for me on Annie, due to the show being set in the 1930's, so we kept things simple. We processed the adults and children's vocals separately through an XTA DP324 (SiDD). This allowed me to vary the compression and dynamic EQ between the groups which made such a difference when dealing extremely different dynamic range between the young girls who play the orphans, and the rest of the cast.

As far as other outboards go, I've started building effects racks in Apple's MainStage, however I've not yet had much opportunity to really make use of it in a live scenario; it's something I'll be trying to use more in the future. I think the technology nowadays means you can get some really great software effects and processing, with the added bonus that they weigh far less than physical outboard rack. You've just got to be aware of potential latency issues.

What is your console of choice?

Having toured it for the last one and a half years (and used regularly before that) I'm most familiar with the LS9. I got the chance to play with a Midas Pro2C last week, which I liked. It lured me in with this seemingly analogue interface, but then you look closer and realise it's all digital! I've also used the Allen & Heath iLive - T80 and T112 on a couple of occasions; the T112 was nice, I wouldn't mind using that again. I'd also really like to get more familiar with the Avid Profile, Digico SD8 and some other Midas desks though in the near future.

If you could tour with any band/artist who would it be?

I'd probably have to say Sigur Ros. I've seen them numerous times, their shows are breathtaking and I love every record they've ever produced. I just get totally absorbed and lost in their music and being part of recreating that feeling in the live shows would be fantastic.

For more on Adam J Hockley visit http://www.ajhockley.com/

To get involved in our Rising Stars column, whether you are an engineer who is new to the industry and would like to be featured, or an experienced engineer who would like to nominate a particular student/apprentice, please contact Audio Pro International editor Daniel Gumble on daniel.gumble@intentmedia.co.uk or 01992 535646.

Photograph: RickNunn.com