The Marvels of Saudi visited the Palace of Versailles with a 64-strong choir, with included 16 French and 48 Saudi Arabian singers and mix of traditional Arabic instruments such as the oud and French classics like the accordion. The event required more than 250 mix inputs and was broadcast live using DiGiCo Quantum 852 consoles for FOH, monitors and broadcast.
Formed in 2021 to champion Saudi Arabia’s cultural bonds with the rest of the world, the producion had previously performed with the Royal Philharmonic in London, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and at Tokyo’s Opera City.
In Versailles, the audio equipment was supplied by French rental company MPM, with engineers employed by audio solutions company Loud N Clear, a company that has a long history with the orchestra. Loud N Clear was brought into the project by Benchmark, one of Saudi Arabia’s most respected events companies.
Founded in 1985 by Roger Bou Farhat, Loud N Clear made a name for itself by delivering audio for all types of applications, and also provides technical training. The company owns several DiGiCo consoles, including SD8, SD10, Quantum 338, Quantum 7 and two Quantum 852s.
‘No matter the style of music, DiGiCo consoles just adapt, it’s what we love most about them,’ Farhat says. ‘One night we might be mixing a rock band, the next an electronic festival or a classical performance. DiGiCo consoles give us the tools to handle it all without compromise.’
Ellie Itief, has worked with Farhat for 24 years on a range of projects and mixed the broadcast sound for the Palace of Versailles performance, with Erick Deeb at front of house. The pair say that, although the shows vary greatly, their methods can remain similar thanks to the flexibility of their choice of consoles.
‘I’ve used many DiGiCo consoles and they are definitely my favourite,’ Deeb says. ‘When we’re touring, we can easily load our show onto any of them and the sound quality is always the same. I want the audience to feel the acoustic of room and the orchestra, so the PA has to feel invisible. Using DiGiCo consoles, I can prepare with the offline software because it’s similar to working with the console’s surface. As I’m travelling a lot, I can easily build my sessions between shows, which is a real benefit.’
For Itief, the broadcast sound is about recreating the feel in the room. The Versailles show had 16 cameras in the auditorium, so she also appreciated the opportunity to get into the finer details of the broadcast mix to fully share the experience with a remote audience.
‘The acoustic of this venue is incredible, we both feel so honoured to work here,’ she says. ‘We have huge amounts of inputs, so being able to configure the Quantum 852 exactly how we need it is a massive bonus. We don’t need any external gear, we can rely on the onboard processing, EQ reverbs and delays.’
‘The DiGiCo consoles have really proven their worth on this tour and for a company like ours, they just make sense,’ Farhat adds. ‘They’re reliable, flexible, and something engineers really trust. Whether it’s a small show or a massive international production, we know the sound will always be top-notch.
‘The flexibility makes managing an orchestra set-up smoother, and the reliability gives everyone peace of mind on the road. For a tour of this scale, that kind of consistency is exactly what we need. The tour has been amazing, the strong relationship and trust that we share with Benchmark is a real privilege and seeing the orchestra connect with the crowd for the first time makes all the prep and tech work done behind the scenes come alive. It’s honestly unforgettable and reminds us why we love doing what we do.’
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