Bond has purchased one each of the new Midas digital models for his rental company, IPB Audio. "I initially saw some drawings, and as usual, gave my feedback to (designer) Alex Cooper," he says. "One of the great things about Midas is that they always listen to people's opinions. The price of the PRO2 means that there's going to be a lot of people who can afford to have a Midas digital console and, importantly for me, people who can now afford to rent it. They can now have the same sound as an XL8 for a lot less money. It's going to shake things up a bit."
Bond has used his PRO6 extensively on FOH for Porcupine Tree, so it's fitting that the first job for the PRO2 is a solo tour with the band's guitarist Steve Wilson in the UK and US. "We're playing venues up to about 1,000 capacity, so it'll be great to have the smaller footprint, and I'm also doing monitors from FOH, like I did several years ago on a Midas XL8 with King Crimson," he says. "Steve's got an immense band, with six musicians and a lot going on onstage, and I'm confident I can give them the stadium-style PA and service they expect in the smaller venues we'll be playing."
(Jim Evans)
