The Freilichtbühne open-air stage in Hamburg’s Stadtpark has been a regular venue for music fans since 1975. In charge of the event’s sound, production company Cobra Sound Light uses Yamaha digital mixers to serve the variety of pop, rock, hip-hop, soul and singer/songwriters performing.

Cobra Sound Light has been the season’s technical production supplier since 1981. Because of the variety of artists, production needs vary greatly. ‘All the different artists requirements can mean a lot of changes to the equipment used for each show,’ says Cobra Sound Light’s Trevor Wallace. ‘Luckily for us, Yamaha is at the top of most audio riders, a brand we have been using for many years.’

Wallace has been using Yamaha consoles since he began in the business in 2005, working for rental companies and as a touring engineer. For the Stadtpark summer season, international artists usually bring their own engineers and consoles, or specify a console (usually a Yamaha CL5 or QL5) from Cobra. However for the smaller acts – including most of the support performances – Wallace does the FOH and monitor mixes on a Yamaha QL1.

‘The stability and ease of use of Yamaha desks are big plus points for visiting engineers,’ he says. ‘I have yet to meet an engineer that doesn’t know their way around a Yamaha desk, while the Neve processing is also very popular. For me, it is great being able to use the StageMix app. I can take my iPad to the stage and quickly get monitors dialled in for the support act, in what is usually a very short soundcheck window.

‘With the festival season starting up once again, I look forward to my summer of Stadtpark concerts and the problem-free days that come with working with a Yamaha console. Whoever you are, there is always something to be enjoyed.’

More: www.yamahaproaudio.com