With Finland now allowing live events to return within Government restrictions, the nation’s favourite country artist, Steve ’N’ Seagulls, are touring the country with the bluegrass reworkings of rock and metal anthems that won them YouTube stardom – all mixed from a super-compact Allen & Heath dLive Wings system.
Public events for up to 500 people are currently permitted in Finland, with larger audiences possible at outdoor events where there are several sections or demarcated areas intended for audiences. Indoor events with more than 500 persons may also be permitted in the country from 1 August onwards with special arrangements.
As on previous tours, engineer Antti Laitila has created a FOH and monitor mixing rig for the five-piece band of multi-instrumentalists based on a dLive CDM32 MixRack and a 19-inch C1500 Surface. Careful planning allows him to keep the size and weight of the system to a minimum, so the band benefits from a consistent, self-contained setup wherever they play.
A new addition for this run of shows is a portable DX168 I/O expander, giving a dedicated drum snake and future-proofing the set-up in anticipation of a full 2021 European tour to mark the release of the band’s fourth studio album in late November. The DX168 has already proved invaluable for accommodating guest performers and for splitting I/O to different locations when recording live videos. Safe in a Peli Air case, the DX168 can fly in the cabin with Laitila on future fly-dates, allowing him to up the channel count without increasing the number of checked bags.
Working with a compact A&H Surface and musicians that can play up to five instruments apiece, Laitila has refined his showfile for maximum efficiency: ‘I use a lot of DCAs and audio groups,’ he explains. ‘I love the DCA Spill function and I’m particularly happy with the addition of MCA [Mix Control Association]. I’m moving away from DCA groups based on instruments and changing to a musician-based approach. It makes more sense, because each artist only plays one instrument at a time, and it saves me a couple of faders for something else.’
Laitila has also made full use of the C1500’s 19 assignable SoftKeys: ‘When doing monitors from FOH, I assign each musician’s mix to a SoftKey, so I can access Sends-on-Fader mode quickly. I have all kinds of other things assigned to them: mute groups, tap tempos and Midi messages to mention a few. Softkeys can make your workflow so much more efficient.’
Another ace up Laitila’s sleeve is an IP8 remote controller, giving him an extra eight faders in six layers. Antti keeps his FX sends and returns on the top layers and uses the rest for aux masters and utility channels. The IP8 is also an insurance policy in case the C1500 has an accident on tour, allowing to keep the show running from the remote controller and a laptop running dLive Director.
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