Memphis Train Revue is a high-energy show band that plays a lot of private events. "One of the things we specialize in is making things efficient and seamless for our clients. Everything we do can happen within the boundaries of the stage itself. Eliminating the mixing console frees up a significant amount of floor space, and that can be the difference in getting the gig, whether it's a club, theatre or ballroom," says James Duvall of Creative Engineering & Solutions in Austin, who does both the house and monitor mixes for the band. "It saved us a lot of money, too."
Duvall's secret weapon is Allen & Heath's iDR-32 MixRack, which provides all the inputs, outputs, processing and routing for the band. "I love the fact that the iDR-32 gives me all that in a rack-mount box that I can literally hide under the stage. I don't carry any outboard gear at all, and there's no sacrifice in functionality," he reports. "When I was designing the system, I figured, why not push the envelope? Memphis Train Revue may be a cover band, but that doesn't mean this can't be cutting edge."
Duvall's core mixing setup consists of the iDR-32 and his 13-inch MacBook laptop. The MixRack case also contains the band's Audio-Technica M2 in-ear transmitters and a Furman power station, making the mix totally self-contained. The MixRack, which runs Allen & Heath's Version 1.43 firmware, is connected to the computer using a Linksys Wireless-N router via a Cat5e cable. "The router is actually Velcroed to the back of the MixRack, so I can set up anywhere. I can see all my inputs and outputs on the MacBook, color-coded just like I would have them on an iLive surface. And since I'm running untethered, I can set up anywhere; which is the whole point."
Generally, Duvall mixes Memphis Train Revue from offstage, in the traditional monitor position. When he ventures out into the house, he leaves his laptop behind, controlling it from his iPhone. "I run something called iTeleport Jaadu VNC, which is a virtual network control app. It's basically a remote desktop client that lets me access my computer directly," he says. "It's basically a viewer, but it also lets me ride faders and spin knobs. So when it comes to fine-tuning the room, I just carry my iPhone."
(Jim Evans)
