"We just wanted to go for the best sounding board we could, and to me that is an XL4," says Privet. "This is a classic, straightforward blues-rock gig and it's all completely organic, there are no scenes or midi; Sound quality is the only criterion.
"The XL4 is in standard configuration, mono inputs 1 to 44, stereo 45 to 48. There are around 30 inputs, which includes 14 channels of drums for Ginger Baker, four channels of bass for Jack Bruce who has two bass rigs, a Warwick and a Gibson, and four channels of guitar for Clapton, two clean and two on his Leslie. There's not much point in over-complicating things they're not your average regimented band so VCA presets and automation would only confuse the issue. Although the set list is the same each night, the solos, the lengths of the songs and even the basic arrangements can vary hugely. It¹s all about the vibe, and going with what they feel. I listened to a lot of old tapes and I just wanted to make the band sound as they were remembered by their fans. The drum sound particularly, had to be bright and open, almost jazz."
Although Privet has worked with Clapton in the past, he describes this as "the gig of a lifetime. We had three weeks of rehearsals to settle in, and once the three of them started playing together it just started getting better and better. The atmosphere at the shows has been electric and the band have sparkled. 'cream' is dead right."
Among Privet¹s rackmounted armoury was a pair of Klark Teknik DN360 equalizers. The system was run in mono via the DN360s, which was then distributed to multiple zones of the PA system.
On stage, Chris Wibberley took care of monitors at the helm of a second XL4. Wibberley also has a long history of working with Clapton, but the Cream gig has proved to be a real highlight of his career. "It¹s every engineer¹s dream to be offered a gig like this; the last four weeks have been amazing," he says. "Whoever does three weeks of production rehearsals anymore? There was a very natural development of the sound on stage over this period, and as Privet was experiencing front of house, the whole thing evolved very organically. It was quite stripped back, and a case of allowing things to become what they wanted to be."
Wibberley selected some original and vintage equipment for the monitor setup, and the XL4 was the only console that would do justice to the sound required on stage. "It had to be a Midas; nothing else would do. I¹ve been sold on them for the past 18 years," he says."
With tickets allegedly changing hands for up to £2,000, the Albert Hall in May 2005 was definitely the place to be. And for the lucky thousands who witnessed the reunion, Midas and Klark Teknik ensured that Cream sounded just the way they were meant to.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
