Fabrizio is a long-term DiGiCo user, having started on the D1, not long after the company was founded. "DiGiCo consoles are my favourites," he says. "They go to places where other consoles don't. The automation is so in-depth and so easily editable that I can edit it during the show. Even at a really busy gig, I can still do really geeky things and make sure they work. It's very simple to do."
Fabrizio's choice of the SD8 has been based on a number of factors, all of which he believes the SD8 excels at.
"I love the SD8 for many reasons. Firstly it is a very clear, crisp, natural sounding console - the preamps are very clean and it doesn't colour the sound at all. It's also a very sexy surface - it just feels 'right'," he says. "The multi input channels and the dynamic EQ that you can dial in as and where you want are great. I also like the fact that it's all on MADI, which makes it very fast and easy to do virtual soundchecks. Literally one button click allows me to tune the room with the show file, rather than with some well recorded music from the 1970s or whatever."
The SD8 uses 53 inputs on the shows, which Fabrizio is outputting to a basic left/right mix. While Macdonald's guitar and vocals are the obvious focus, he also has to bring out the dynamics of her album recordings, which means he has to stay on his toes.
"I want people to see and hear Amy, but without her being overpowering," he says. "The production on the albums is very clever, there are lots of little melodies coming from different instruments - one second the piano has a really interesting melody, the next second the bass does a cool line, then a Hammond organ comes in, then a guitar...it's very dynamic. I have a Snapshot per song, but I am riding the faders throughout the show."
(Jim Evans)
