Developed and managed by Jan Ceulemans, Exclusive Strings is an all-female string quartet that plays a mixture of classical and contemporary music using Yamaha Silent Strings instruments. Their shows also now call on a TF1 from Yamaha’s new TF series of mixing consoles.
Freelance sound engineer Kevin van Lieshout of Advanced Music has been working with Exclusive Strings for the past five years. The group performs all over Europe and the Middle East, sometimes with backing tracks, and often with a contemporary band or a full orchestra. This not only requires a flexible mixing console but one that is compact, as van Lieshout tours his own equipment and the performances are often part of larger events.
Yamaha Silent Strings instruments provide the sound and feel of an acoustic instrument, with the portability and low maintenance of an electric one. ‘I use a wireless transmitter pack for each of the Silent Strings instruments– two violins, viola and cello – while one of the girls (Melissa Schaak) has a wireless lip vocal microphone, plus there’s a spare pack,’ van Lieshout explains. ‘Backing tracks are from a multitrack hard drive, while all four ladies have wireless in-ear monitors, each with their own mix. I also have a talkback mic, so I can communicate with them all quickly and easily.’
The first time he mixed Exclusive Strings on the TF1 was in late June, at an event for 2,000 children in the Brussels Cirque Royal. After plays and other performances, Exclusive Strings ended the show with a set, aiming to inspire the children to take up a musical instrument.
‘After only the first performance I found the TF1s whole way of working very quick and professional,’ van Lieshout reports. ‘The girls all commented on the quality of the sound, I think it sounds great and the reverbs and effects are excellent. It was a highly successful performance, by the end we had 2,000 kids standing on the chairs...’
Vvan Lieshout regularly works with Amsterdam-based dealer and rental company Audio Electronics Mattijsen. When the TF range was launched, he was attracted by its facilities and compact footprint, as well as the layout and touchscreen. The TF1’s TouchFlow interface makes it very straightforward for van Lieshout to set the console up, with the TF StageMix iPad app making it simple for him to remotely line check all the input and output channels before the performance.
