When sound engineer Michael Nöth joined the Art on Ice team in 2017, he was free to choose his mixing console, but Klang:konductor immersive monitoring was non-negotiable.
‘We operate on a very tight schedule, with limited rehearsal time and welcome multiple, high profile guest artists,’ he says. ‘From a technical standpoint, we have to clarify everything in advance to ensure our soundchecks are as quick as possible and don’t impact the artist’s rehearsal time. Using Klang gives our performers a greater distinction between each element, making it easier to handle the complex audio environment.’
Klang has also proved useful for reducing hearing fatigue – before using Klang, musicians often requested level changes later in the day, only to reverse those changes in their mixes the next morning. With Klang, Nöth finds that he doesn’t even need to explain that he is using Klang processing. ‘With long, exhausting days like ours, Klang is the only option,’ he says. ‘Klang helps musicians stay productive for longer and that’s essential for shows like this,’ he continues.
Nöth works for the show’s audio company, Widmersound, alongside owner Andy Widmer who mixes Art on Ice at FOH on an Avid desk. ‘Everything we do at Widmersound involves Klang,’ Nöth continues. ‘It’s a unique selling point for us. The flexibility and control that we can offer because of Klang is part of the reason bands keep coming back. The company is just two people, we always offer a complete support package and with Klang, everything just works.’
Marking its 30th anniversary, Art on Ice offers a high-octane mix of musical, dance and acrobatic performance, using multiple guest artists in a technically challenging environment. Klang has allowed Nöth to streamline his workflow to get the most out of his time.
‘We are running 16 individual mixes from our :konductor and I have complete control over them,’ he says. ‘There was one musician who liked to have the app open for peace of mind, but they have never needed to touch it. I have musicians on ice skates, on moving platforms, singing and performing in front of the PA; it’s a lot to keep on top of. It’s a tough show, and Klang just makes everything easier.’
Of his choice of mixing desk he says: ‘With Andy using an Avid at front of house, it keeps everything in the same ecosystem for the show. Integrating the Klang:app into this workflow has been very intuitive, too. I have used code to further integrate Klang into my console – I have a computer science degree and love to experiment. The support team at Klang are always really interested in my efforts and are super helpful if I need to chat anything through. It’s great to have that input.’
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