Developed and managed by Jan Ceulemans, Exclusive Strings all perform with Yamaha Silent Strings instruments, whose compact designs, detachable frames and high quality electronics provide the sound and feel of an acoustic instrument, with the portability and low maintenance of an electric one.
Freelance sound engineer Kevin van Lieshout of Advanced Music has been working with Exclusive Strings for the past five years. The ladies perform in any of three live packages - with backing tracks, a contemporary band or a full orchestra - so Kevin needs a flexible console, but one that is compact as he tours his own equipment all over the world and the performances are often part of bigger events, which mean he can't always occupy conventional mix positions.
Kevin regularly works with Amsterdam-based dealer and rental company Audio Electronics Mattijsen. When the TF range was launched in April this year, he was immediately attracted to the fact that it has every facility he needs in a very compact frame, a fast and intuitive layout and excellent touch screen... all at a remarkable price point.
The first time he mixed Exclusive Strings on the TF1 was in late June, at an event for 2000 children in the Brussels Cirque Royal which rounded off the 2014-15 school year. After plays and other performances, Exclusive Strings ended the show with a powerful set, aiming to inspire the children to take up a musical instrument.
"I use a wireless transmitter pack for each of the Silent Strings instruments - two violins, viola and cello - while one of the girls (Melissa Schaak) has a wireless lip vocal microphone, plus there's a spare pack," says Kevin. "For a performance like this, the backing tracks are from a multitrack hard drive, while all four ladies have wireless in-ear monitors, each with their own mix. I also have a talkback mic, so I can communicate with them all quickly and easily."
The TF1's TouchFlow interface makes it very straightforward for Kevin to set the console up, with the TF StageMix iPad app making it simple for him to remotely line check all the input and output channels before the performance.
"After only the first performance I found the TF1's whole way of working very quick and professional. The girls all commented on the quality of the sound, I think it sounds great and the reverbs and effects are excellent," says Kevin. "It was a highly successful performance, by the end we had 2000 kids standing on the chairs!"
(Jim Evans)
