Sean Busby-Little has used SiDDs as in-ear monitor control processors in the past, but working as FOH engineer on the Geldof tour needed a different approach completely. He explains: "I use each channel of the SiDD on Bob’s voice and guitar. Not only is his voice unusual, but he also plays a right-handed guitar upside down, so when he hits the top string first you can get too much top end. The SiDD gives the dynamics to get rid of the bits that I don’t like. Also, on the vocal, the compression gives warmth and depth and the limiter is great for when he plays the harmonica. I’m using everything that SiDD’s got on Bob’s voice - he has a very gravelly sound, so the parametric gives me total control which means I can smooth things out."
It also heralded one of the first uses of a line array system for a theatre tour, from Welsh PA company, Big Sound, a fairly new name in the industry, but one whose people have years of collective experience and some innovative ideas. Company director, Duncan Wild, commented: "We’re using an Adamson Y10 line array here. It’s the first time that it’s been used in a theatre tour, and it actually solves a lot of the usual problems associated with venues like this. The throw means that there are very few places where we have to use in-fills [in fact, they only used two of the installed Renkus-Heinz speakers to give a little reinforcement in the balcony area] and the sound is very even without having to crank up the volume too much, which is really good for a small space. Everyone’s been very pleased with the overall sound, and Sean once again did a great job."
(Lee Baldock)
