DiGiCo is the architect for Paloma Faith
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Mixing the Paloma show is no mean feat, it seems. The show's channel-count out front is at 75, which is broken down into drums and electronics, 20 lines of keys, guitars, vocals, and various drum triggers. The sheer size of the show meant a DiGiCo console was a must-have, says Paloma's FOH engineer, Andy Williamson.
“I could have done this show on an SD5, but we're using that on monitors [with James Neale], so I'm on the SD7; and I have to say, this show really is an exercise in chopping,” Andy says. “There is that much going on, it had to be a DiGiCo to make it work - and I have a comedy amount of Waves plugins on here, too. I have to use dynamic compression across the whole thing, and all the tracks are cut to hell; it's a bit of a noisy jigsaw, really, but it works well, and these consoles are always great sounding and super-reliable.”
Monitor engineer, James Neale, has been working with Paloma since 2014. He has built up a good working relationship with her, her trust in him making her feel more relaxed on stage. He started using DiGiCo consoles a few years back, whilst mixing Ellie Goulding, opting for them for the overall sonic quality the brand offers and because he needed more outputs for the show.
“I started out on the SD7 and have used most of the rest of the range over the years. The SD5 is a real favourite of mine; it’s available everywhere, I like the workflow and it has great functionality,” James explains. “The layout really suits the way I like to work, but it’s a close run thing between the SD5 and the SD7.”
Paloma's UK tour will continue into early September; and in November, she will head down under for a series of shows in New Zealand and Australia as special guest to four-time Grammy-winner (and fellow DiGiCo artist) Sam Smith.
(Jim Evans)
