"Madonna likes her live sound to be as close as possible to the album," says Napier. "To accomplish this, Sean focuses on mixing her vocal effects and delays, which are then bussed to the FOH console so - in theory, at least - the audience hears exactly the same vocal sound that she does."
Madonna is an artist who still likes to push the boundaries with her live production, and an arena tour features many elements that can present several challenges.
"Every Madonna tour has its unique aspects," Napier continues. "The main one for monitors on the Rebel Heart Tour is that she spends a large proportion of the show 110ft (34m) in front of the PA. As she gets further into the PA, the sound of the spill through her vocal mic means what she needs to hear in terms of pitch and timing constantly changes.
"It's the first time I've run a show using timecode, which I've done partly to mitigate this. Having multiple snapshots per song, all fired automatically via timecode has freed me to concentrate on the aspects of the mix that I need to adjust in compensating for the effect of her moving along the catwalk.
"We rehearse Madonna shows for a long time, 112 days for this tour. That time allowed me to automate the constants and to focus on the variables. The timecode has also been really useful when we have the occasional - inevitable - problem, because it allows me to focus on that and not worry so much about missing a cue.
"Madonna always likes to put on a great show and the production on this tour is really dynamic," says Matt. "In terms of the technical production it has tested us, but it is never a bad thing to keep us on our toes! The DiGiCo SD7s have taken it all in their stride and helped to ensure that audiences across the globe are enjoying shows that look and sound really impressive, yet to them seem effortless and seamless."
(Jim Evans)
