Deacon Blue. December 2013. (Non College)/Midas PA Console

Had the opportunity to not only go and see Deacon Blue but to chat to the lighting technician and take pictures of the lighting and sound desk, which blew me away, as after working in the tech box for the Panto, the show desks were so much more complicated looking.

 

The large picture above is of the sound desk. I did not get to speak to the sound engineer but the desk blew me away with its size and the amount of monitors it had.

I was informed that the PA Desk was a Midas XLX and the cost of it was £170,000.00!! Beats the value of the desk at college.

After coming home and doing some research on Midas Consoles I couldn't find a XLX but did find a Midas XL8 which to me looks like the Console I took a picture of. Apologies to Midas and anyone in the know if I am incorrect in saying this.

I decided to give some information here about the LX8 but do take a look at www.midasconsoles.com for any more information, as this is where I have gained all the information I am about to write. Most of it in my own words :-) 

Midas Consoles are used for many major world tours and the company have been in business since early 1970.

The LX8 is used for live performances as the easy-to-use control surfaces have been designed to allow for fast navigation when required without the need to hunt through "layers" or "pages". The user navigates the system and identifies channels by colour and groupings which the user themselves create. This allows an individual approach to mixing, rather than working within hardware dictated numerical limitations.

The Midas daylight viewable screens ensures that the user never needs to mix blind no matter how bright the ambient light is.

I watched a short video clip of a sound engineer called 'Big' Mick Huges that works with Metallica and he was enthusiastic about the XL8 saying it has time saving plots and is only restricted by your imagination. He went on to agree with the interviewer that if using an analogue system when you reach the capacity it can then limit you to what you can do from that point on.

He enthused how the XL8 offers endless possibilities and did not agree with what some engineers claim to believe: that it takes away the creative decision making. He felt the analogue system was limited and that there was no limitation using the XL8.

He said some people would say that you can't get a decent rock guitar sound but he disagreed and felt that he could hear the individual guitar strings and says if anything digital gives too much intelligent ability and gives endless possibilities and that it is down to the engineer to use it to its full advantage.   

 

 

 

The above picture shows the lighting desk which had a touch screen. On the right side monitor was a list of the songs that were in the show, in sequence that they would be sung.

I struggled to hear the lighting technician as I was speaking to him during the sound check before the show plus also he had a Scottish accent that I had difficulty understanding.

The desk was quite cool, sadly I am not technically minded so am not the one to explain it the best.

 

Just some pictures of the show - showing the lights.

 

 

Just had to take a picture of my parking ticket for the evening (bottom right picture), it's the cheapest concert parking I have ever paid. £1 for the whole evening and in the car park directly next to the venue. Guildford Borough Council you rock!!!!