Moving up from club circuit duties with London trio Stooshe, sound engineer John Delf has traded his Soundcraft Vi1 for a Vi6 and an FOH spot with Plan B on the arena circuit..

Part of a PA package provided by BCS Audio, the UK arena shows have been split into two sections, featuring Plan B’s 2010 album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks followed by the soundtrack to his hardcore London gangland movie Ill Manors – complete with harrowing visuals.

Supported by six projectors and three screens plus IMAG at London’s O2, where a DVD was also being recorded, Delf and system tech Dave ‘Boxx’ Cann were joined by BCS Audio’s Dave Shepherd for production management. In addition to the mix, FOH provided time code to sync to the screens, click tracks and recording to multitrack from the Vi6’s optical Madi onto hard disc recorder.

‘I have liked the Vi6 since the first time I used it,’ Delf says. ‘I know it’s a popular thing to say, but I am very impressed with the preamps. The Vi6 just gives a bit more crunch and edge, which suits this kind of gig more, particularly with the hip hop section. It has a real clarity to it. A creative sound engineer realises that not all desks sound the same – it’s like a guitarist choosing a Fender Strat for one type of sound and a Les Paul for another.’

In addition, Delf can get a complete visual reference of the 42 inputs used for the show across the top page of the console – particularly useful for the ten-piece ensemble, which includes percussion, acoustic guitars, drums, bass, keyboards, BVs and two rappers.

‘You can spend your whole time mixing with a mouse but, because of the Vi6’s 32 faders, your whole show is in front of you. I only turn to the second page once in a while.’

Most of the system dynamics are also internal to the console: ‘I use a subtle amount of reverb and a lot of EQ and some compression on the mix,’ Delf says.

The Vi6’s FaderGlow also proves useful: ‘With everything in front of you, it is possible to see what has EQ on it and what has compression, you can see if the inserts are on,’ he adds. ‘When you hit the graphic all the faders become EQ and change to red, so you know you are in graphic mode.’

Delf began his career in recording, and still runs Edge Recording Studios in Cheshire. His first tour of duty was with Mark Burgess and the Chameleons – and he’s not looked back since, working with many big names along the way, including Lily Allen and The Script. He landed the gig with Plan B after working with Eliza Doolittle supporting him at the O2. She was also asked to support American dates and Delf was asked to double on Plan B for a seven-day stint. ‘…but it turned into six weeks,’ he recalls.

‘The first gig was at Coachella [Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival] and I was thrown in at the deep end. Plan B (Ben Drew) is a perfectionist and wants everything to be right. He’s quite a dynamic singer but I was told to make sure his vocal was audible, with no feedback, because his in-ears are turned up really loud. It was a challenge.’

Delf does not use snapshot or scene recalls, but prefers to mix live over his show file. Via the multitrack hard disc, the sound engineer is able to use the console’s virtual soundcheck facility, but overall he says: ‘It’s the workflow and sound quality that make the Vi6 special; it’s as near to an analogue desk in layout as anything I have used.’

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