Monitoring and Systems Engineer Oliver Waton speaks to us about using RME MADI devices and the Ferrofish A32 in designing the playback rig for Scottish artist Emeli Sandé
Touring Monitor and Systems Engineer Oliver Waton (pictured right) has worked with a number of well-known UK artists including the likes of Jack Garratt, Tinie Tempah, and most recently the MOBO and Brit-Award winning artist Emeli Sandé. He was kind enough to speak to us about what he looks for when designing a live rig, and why he regularly chooses hardware from RME and Ferrofish.
“I’ve found a weird niche role devising and building MIDI-control and Audio systems to shake up the live music scene. In 2015 I began working with UK Artist Jack Garratt, designing and building his multi-instrumental stage rigs and their associated audio systems. Since then I’ve built playback rigs for artists from Tinie Tempah through to Emeli Sandé, and worked with a host of others in devising new ways of triggering and manipulating pre-recorded samples live, in order to break away from the standard ‘press-play’ backing track style of touring.
Generally my requirements when I build a rig are quite simple in theory, but difficult in practice. I need low-weight and small-form factor items, so that I can build a complete A/B failover playback system that can be packed inside a foam-lined Peli-Case, which can be thrown into the hold of an aircraft and flown between venues in a hurry.
Compounding the issue, recently artists’ requirements – when it comes to channel count – have been increasing too. For example, Jack’s Ableton system not only spits out 48 channels of audio to FOH, Monitors and Broadcast, but also has around 20 channels of ‘live’ audio returned to Ableton from the stage for live effects.
If I were working with analogue audio this would be a heavy and cumbersome rack of Radial SW8 Switchers and copper cabling. With MADI devices from RME I am now able to get a 128-channel A/B Failover system into 3U of rack space, something which has never before been possible.
“With MADI devices from RME I am now able to get a 128-channel A/B Failover system
into 3U of rack space, something which has never before been possible.”
Most of the rigs I build don’t require quite such an impressive channel-count though, and in general I will pitch for the RME MADIface USB as the interface of choice – it’s small, it’s light, and its capabilities in terms of standalone format-conversion and external sync have proven invaluable in many situations in the past.
I tend to have two MADIfaces running into a synchronous MADI switchover unit (from Direct.Out), but I have the option to sync the devices with incoming MADI of different flavours or indeed from External Word-Clock.”
Ferrofish A32 – MADI Optical & Coax Conversion
Along with RME, Ollie is also a fan of the Ferrofish AD/DA converters, which have become an increasingly popular choice for the live and touring rigs of . The 16 in / 16 out Ferrofish A16 MK-II remains a popular choice for live work, with One Direction, Lily Allen and Disclosure all making use of them in their touring rigs. We also recently spoke to Will Sanderson, engineer for Ellie Goulding, about using the Ferrofish A32 for Ellie’s live show.
“For ease of use at festivals and TV and promo gigs, a lot of the systems I build need to be capable of delivering the outgoing audio in an analogue form too, since whilst MADI may work beautifully for a touring rig, most festival, radio and TV slots won’t be able to accommodate a MADI stream as easily as a couple of dozen XLR lines. This is where the Ferrofish A32s become worth their weight in gold – format conversion of Optical or Coaxial MADI – 32channels in 1U: Ideal!”
“This is where the Ferrofish A32s become worth their weight in gold – format conversion
of Optical or Coaxial MADI – 32 channels in 1U: Ideal!”
RME MADI Devices
Ollie also told us about some of the larger setups he’s been involved with, and why RME devices are the perfect choice for live rigs.
“For larger touring rigs, I’ve used the RME MADIFace XT (pictured right) before to double my channel count. Keeping a 128-channel switchover system (so four MADI Universes) sample-synchronous presents its own difficulties, but the options on the XT make it easy. Additionally, when I do use the XT, my MIDI Interfacing is processed in the same unit as the audio. This gives me two advantages: fewer separate units to fit in the box, and also, computationally, I can option the MIDI Commands to exist in the same processor thread as the audio, which has some benefits in terms of timelines and Audio Vs MIDI Sync.
I’ve used RME devices since I can remember; all the way back to my research days at the University of Surrey, RME kit is everywhere in Television and Broadcasting sound because it just works, the firmware is solid, the hardware is robust and reliable and the range of products makes life very easy when I’m planning these systems.
“I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been asked to overhaul playback rigs,
and the first thing I always do is put the existing interface in the skip and start again with RME.”
I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been asked to overhaul playback rigs that are being flakey out on tour, and the first thing I always do is put the existing interface in the skip and start again with RME. So many manufacturers use cheap toroidal switch-mode power-supplies (that just break) or write unstable buss arbitration codes that gets the audio thread confused when the computer tries to ping or query additional processes: I simply don’t get that with RME kit.
My clients consistently come back to me with glowing feedback for the systems I’ve built, and any system can only be as reliable as its least reliable part. That’s why I pitch with the best kit I can get. With kit from RME and Ferrofish, I’ve yet to come across a brief I can’t fulfil!”
Ferrofish recently released the Ferrofish A32 Dante, allowing users to easily integrate the A32 into existing Dante networks.
Our thanks to Ollie Waton. If you’d like to get in contact with Ollie, you can send him a message here, or visit his website here.
To keep up to date with Emeli Sandé, visit her website here.
If you’d like to know more about any of the products mentioned in this article, give us a call on 01727 821 870 to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo.