Kevin says: "When it comes to FOH, spec the right equipment for the job, not what is flavour of the month." Pruce himself has an arsenal of Focusrite gear at his disposal. "I have used the ISA 110 [mic pre and EQ], the ISA 430 [Producer Pack], the Red 3 [dual compressor/limiter] and Liquid Channel. I use them all for vocal processing and they are all superb, just so well designed and functional."
But he particularly picks out the ISA428 [multichannel mic pre front end] for praise for its "sound, interface and A-D conversion" and also because it's got "easy digital connection, has four preamps in one unit, and insert patch in the same rack to give me a better vocal sound." He's also quick to point out its essential features for use with today's digital set-ups: "Better A to D conversion and preamp section for crucial inputs like vocals are a must with some of today's digital consoles."
Recently, Kevin finished off some promos with Madonna and, at the end of last year, completed a tour with "good mates" The Human League. The biggest challenge is yet to come, however, as he has a world tour with Madonna lined up. One last word of advice from Pruce to would-be FOH engineers: "Keep an open mind to do things differently and learn from others, even after 23 years!"
(Lee Baldock)
