Quantum delivers flexibility for The 1975
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Monitor engineer Francois Pare states, “I don’t think I’ve used any other desk since 2016. Nowadays the shows are so involved, there aren’t many desks that can handle the number of channels we need. On The 1975, we have an eight-piece band, and the show is quite theatrical, there’s a lot going on effects wise on stage, so it all adds up.”
At front of house, Lee McMahon’s comments, “Building this show has been an amazing journey; the band really care about sonics and how to interpret album production elements in the live domain. That’s something I take very seriously. I want to present their craft in the best way possible, sometimes pushing the boundaries of what is traditionally achievable within occasionally hostile acoustic spaces. It’s been a lot of fun bringing this show to fans all around the world. I’ve toured with SD11i, SD12, SD10 and SD5 consoles at different times over the years, but the Quantum processing has given me a lot more room to do things the way I want to.”
Touring the world for 18 months is a mammoth undertaking and having a strong team behind you is essential. Demands are high on equipment and personnel.
“DiGiCo support has been fantastic worldwide,” says McMahon. “Anytime I’ve had a question or needed assistance with anything to do with the console or infrastructure, they’ve been super helpful.”
“The desks are really, really reliable and that’s why we all use them, but if anything fails there are a bunch of people you can call, they’re all in my phone,” Francois adds. “You just have to think, what time-zone am I in? Then grab the right number.”
“Sharing racks makes it all much more streamlined,” Pare concludes. “Our production manager loves it when we say we can cut down on equipment and transport costs. That’s good for everyone.”
