"I've used the D5 for three years now, with KT Tunstall, Mika, Alicia Keys and now Simply Red," says Hedge. "It has a very natural sound and all the artists I've used it with are primarily organic, live acts. I find the console very easy to lay out and operate intuitively; it's very much a mixer's console.
"I'm using one of Brit Row's Version 4 D5s and I use it very simply. On the current tour we have 48 mic inputs and, as well as the onboard FX, I have four engines of TC6000 and an SPX990 plumbed into it. The only external inserts are an Avalon 737 on the lead vocal and a Waves MaxxBCL. I use one stereo Toms group and four stereo matrices: one to an XTA448 for EQ and zoning, a spare, one for CDR and one to a distribution amp for media.
"We've been using a variety of different speaker systems and I save a show session file for each manufacturer, as there are slight, but crucial input EQ differences from system to system. I have a snapshot for each song, although only faders, cuts, FX, midi and aux sends are automated. A good number of inputs are completely 'safe'. The snapshots give me a basic DCA shape and any FX changes for the start of each tune and after that, I just mix."
(Jim Evans)
