UK - The Magic of Motown celebrated its 20th anniversary at London’s Palladium in March 2025. The show is a feel-good musical extravaganza that is full to the brim with Motown classics.
FOH engineer Job Lewis handles monitors and supplies all audio gear through his company, JL Sound Reinforcement. Using DMI-Klang with his DiGiCo Quantum 225 has not only revolutionised how the singers and band interact, it has also freed him up to concentrate fully on the front-of-house mix, improving the audience experience, too. The robust and flexible system supports the demands of a busy touring show and offers an intuitive interface for musicians and performers.
“I am the entire sound team!” Lewis explains. “I have been touring with the show for two and a half years now. It’s a full schedule; we do nightly touring, usually at least three shows a week, but we do get the odd night off. The show is brilliant, it has a feel-good quality and no two shows are ever the same. It makes it great fun to mix.”
Lewis sets each 3D immersive monitor mix from his console, with each musician having access to the app, available via Android and iOS. They can make changes as they wish, giving them the freedom to adapt as required. DMI-Klang gives Lewis a level of control he couldn’t offer before.
“My workflow has massively improved with Klang, “Lewis continues. “I attended a training day with Phil and the team. On that day, I realised that there is no downside to the Klang system. Binaural mixes are absolutely the way forward and objectively superior to stereo in every way. It’s simply the next step forward in in-ear technology.”
Depending on the size of the venue, The Magic of Motown band can increase from a core band of four players, to a much larger ensemble. The special 20th anniversary performance included an extended brass section, additional percussion and special guest artists. DMI-Klang lets Lewis adapt quickly to any line-up.
“It’s not just the band, we also usually have seven singers, but this can increase to eight,” Lewis says. “Being able to space the singers effectively in their mixes has been brilliant. They can hear everything clearly to harmonise, but don’t overpower each other. When we first tried it, their reactions were instantly positive.”
Lewis has found that interaction with Klang varies greatly depending on the artist. Once his singers have experienced the improved clarity and spatial separation, they are happy for Lewis to set an immersive mix for them and it will stay very similar throughout the show. In contrast, the show’s musicians are more likely to play with the immersive features on the app, spinning the instruments around their heads in 3D mode and experimenting with mixes to fully personalise their IEMs during the show.
“The system is so intuitive that each person can interact with it exactly how they like,” he concludes. “For me, that independence was a key consideration when investing in Klang. I need to concentrate on the front-of-house mix, so knowing that my artists can take control of their mixes and have fun is great. I can still keep an eye on them all and if needed, I can make changes from the console, but it isn’t distracting for me. The workflow of DMI-Klang has been great. The Quantum 225 is JL Sound Reinforcement’s first DiGiCo console and it has been fantastic in terms of sound quality, workflow and manoeuvrability for navigating tight theatre load-ins.”
