In recent years, Bruno Mars has evolved from talented performer to Grammy-winning
global megastar and, from his recent performance at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris
(formerly The Bercy), it is easy to see why. The 24K Magic World Tour oozes quality,
from the artist’s outrageous voice and musicianship to the show’s epic production
standards, the core of which is driven by two DiGiCo SD7 mixing consoles.
Bruno Mars has just completed a three-month European leg of his 24K Magic World
Tour. In that time, the crew has barely been able to catch a breath, explains FOH
engineer, Chris Rabold.
“We’ve been all over Europe, and that’s only the end of this part,’ Rabold smiles,
adding that “the US is next – and probably a couple of one-off shows and TV
performances will happen in between’.
The PA for this tour is the flagship Clair offering – the Cohesion system, which Rabold
is a big fan of; and when it comes to mixing the show, the only desk that can provide
the multitude of I/O he required is a DiGiCo SD7.
“There’s like, a million ins and outs, so the SD7 has been a default for me for several
years now,’ Rabold smiles. “The console is so fast, and everything is right there. It is
easy to program offline, and the speed at which you can move things around –
particularly in the rehearsal period when things are changing – is fantastic.
“The SD7 is also great when you’re in promo. It’s so often a super-intense, scrutinised
process, as Bruno will want ten things in five seconds, and the desk is just so fast with
regards to that. I use quite a lot of snapshots – again because it’s just so quick – and
that capability also really matters.’
Rabold is running his SD7 at 96kHz: “Systems are so much better these days, you
definitely hear the improvement running at 96kHz; there is so much working against
us engineers on a daily basis, so any little thing we can do to improve the source
helps. When you get into the lesser venues, it can be a little harder to discern, as
you’re essentially working in concrete barns, but why not use the 96kHz to add that
extra level?’
Rabold and monitor engineer, Ramon Morales (also on an SD7), have their consoles
‘pretty much packed out’, which shows just how big this production is.
“Input wise, it is a tonne of stuff, as it’s a pretty big band up there; and output wise,
it’s pretty extensive, too,’ Morales explains. “When I went to redo my session
structure, I had one channel left for DSP – I never thought I would get to this point,
but we are here. Like Chris, I am running at 96kHz, which takes up more DSP, of
course, but it makes such a huge sonic difference, so I always want to work there.’
Morales has very little outboard beside his SD7 – Mars’ vocal goes through an Avalon
737, ‘for a little warmth’, and aside from his Brascati M7 reverb and TC system 6000,
which he spreads across different engines, it is all about DiGiCo’s onboard effects.
“I’m using some of the reverbs and the delays,’ Morales reveals. “And on certain
inputs, I have been using the dynamic EQ and compressor, and it’s all working great.
The sound quality is really good, so it’s a fantastic combination.’
