
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - July 2015 -- With four albums, nearly a dozen top 20 tunes and a fist full of number one country singles, Jake Owen has achieved a popularity that many in Nashville only dream of. And, while he stays busy all year with his own tour dates, he is also spending a good deal of this summer opening for Kenny Chesney on arena and stadium dates through the US. That kind of mixed schedule can be tricky when putting together an audio rig, but Nashville-based Morris Light and Sound recently purchased a pair of DiGiCo SD9 consoles to deftly answer the challenge.
We have a pair of SD10s that we purchased last year for Jake's headlining tour of mid-level arenas and Jake's team uses those for the dates with Kenny Chesney. But we needed something physically smaller for when he breaks off from the tour to do his own dates, said Morris GM John Schirmer. The SD9s were the perfect solution to the logistical issue of an artist who is both opening stadium and arena shows and doing his own dates in between.
Schirmer points to the ease of moving between various frame sizes and systems in the DiGiCo family as a big part of the appeal of the SD9. The engineers are already very comfortable with the DiGiCo work flow, and with the SD9, we get a reduced footprint surface with all of the same SD capability. They can load the same show files as they use on the SD10. It makes a smoother changeover between opening for the Chesney tour and being able to provide their own production without compromise for Jake's performances outside of the Chesney tour.
The audio quality of the entire DiGiCo family is beyond doubt at this point and is consistent from the biggest console down to the SD9 and even the SD11, which will fit in a DJ rack. We don't give up anything to get the size down, Schirmer said. The SD9s travel with the system to Owen's solo gigs, so the only things the engineers have to take out of the Chesney truck pack are a pair of Waves servers, making the SD9s extremely convenient in addition to sounding great.
While engineers will often cite specific features or abilities when explaining why they chose a specific audio console, as GM of a large sound company that is doing an increasing amount of business in the rental of gear for tours, Schirmer looks at thing a bit differently.
DiGiCo has done a really good job of keeping the infrastructure of their products consistent from one console to another, he says. If you have used an SD10, or a 9 or a 7, they are all familiar with a few tactile differences. This makes them ideal for a company like Morris that has acts of various sizes doing all kinds of gigs. The people at DiGiCo are really in tune with the live sound industry and the specialized needs there. That is really important and it shows in their products.
Once known as a company that serviced only the artists of its sister company, Morris Higham Management, Morris Light and Sound has moved aggressively into a more traditional rental company role in the past few years. The model of the company has changed. Two years ago, they pulled me off the road and we began to transition into being more of a full concert production company. And now it's not just Chesney and Owen. We work with Eli Young, Grace Potter, Chris Isaak, Chevelle, Old Dominion, Florida Georgia Line, Keb' Mo', and the list goes on and on.
As we move in this direction, it is crucial that we have the great gear available that tours are asking for. It needs to be gear that makes the phone ring. Increasingly, DiGiCo is at the top of that list.
When Jake's solo arena tour came around last year, we were looking for a system that was a little smaller, sounded great, provided a 96 kHz solution and was priced at a point we were comfortable with in order to get that tour out the door. The SD10 really fit our needs. And when we needed a smaller solution for these solo dates during the Chesney tour, the SD9 with the same great sound quality, stellar service DiGiCo provides, and interoperability of the entire SD line made it the obvious choice.
For more information on Jake Owen and his tour itinerary, visit www.jakeowen.net/events. Morris Light and Sound can likewise be found online at www.morrislightandsound.com.
DiGiCo Press Contacts
David Webster at DiGiCo
Tel: +44 1372 845600
Email: webby@DiGiConsoles.com
Chris Shuler at Public Address
Tel: +1 269 815 5055
Email: christophershuler@comcast.net
Images:
1) DiGiCo_Jake_Owen_SD9.jpg Jake Owen FOH engineer Greg Huffman (left) and monitor engineer Andrew Sullivan with one of Morris Light and Sound s new DiGiCo SD9 desks
2) DiGiCo_Jake_Owen_live1.jpg (photo credit: Max Sharp)
3) DiGiCo_Jake_Owen_live2.jpg (photo credit: Max Sharp)
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
10/01/2026
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
10/01/2026
This year, podcasts are making their Golden Globes debut with a new category honoring the medium's leading shows and creators. To mark the occasion, Spotify...
10/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
10/01/2026
Back to All News
Connection and Youth Defined: The Ramparts of Ice Brings a Hea...
09/01/2026
Rock-It Sports' Deron Brown & Laura Rowlands on Launching a New Brand, Suppl...
09/01/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's Chris Brown on the Broadcaster's First French O...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: CBS Sports Travels to Jacksonville With Packed Arsenal of Pro...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: NBC Sports Is Set To Roll Out New Scorebar, Insert Graphics T...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: Prime Video Production Team Caps Historic Season With Iconic ...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: FOX Sports Kicks Off Postseason Slate With Two-Game Wild Card...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: ESPN's Run Brings Monday Night Football' Flagship Op...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today introduced the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning...
09/01/2026
Globecast, the leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, today announced the appointment of Chris Pulis as Group Chief Technology...
09/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced several updates to its board of directors. As part of HPA s annual governance cycle, new leadership...
09/01/2026
SDVI, the leading platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, today announced that Simon Eldridge has been appointed chief operating officer. In thi...
09/01/2026
Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning ST 2110 and SDI signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initi...
09/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, announces that its market-proven ATSC 3.0 software stack is powering the broadcast functionality of ...
09/01/2026
Amino, a global leader in enterprise video and digital signage technology, today announced a strategic partnership with Xibo, a leading global digital signage s...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
RT Player has 157 million streams, up 10% year-on-year
An increase on 2024, RT...
09/01/2026
RT 2FM has today announced the highly anticipated list of 2FM Rising Artists for 2026, kicking off 2FM Rising week for the eighth year on The Tracy Clifford Sh...
09/01/2026
RT to Host the 2026 RTS Ireland Awards
Thursday, 16 April 2026 | Dublin Royal Convention Centre
The RTS Ireland Television Awards 2026 | Gradaim RTS 2026 | R...
09/01/2026
Every that was easy shopping moment is made possible by teams working to hit s...
08/01/2026
An evidence-based analysis on disinformation and information manipulation in Sudan's ongoing conflict is published today. (January 8th 2026).
Thomson Found...
08/01/2026
At CFP Semifinals, ESPN Again Flexes Its Operational Muscle With 20+ MegaCast Vi...
08/01/2026
SVG Students To Watch: Sophie Fowler, University of OregonThe Portland product has honed her skills as a producer, director, and TD at Quack VideoBy Brandon Cos...
08/01/2026
Follow the Money, Episode 3: Inside the Sports-Media Biz With Sam McCleery and K...
08/01/2026
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Qualstar's Jeff Sengpiehl on the Enduring Power a...
08/01/2026
Legendary February: Production Leaders at NBC Sports Pull Back the Curtain on Ol...
08/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
08/01/2026
On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify welcomed creators and press to a brunch cel...
08/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced several updates to its Board of Directors. As part of HPA's annual governance cycle, new leader...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Spain's national public broadcaster, RTVE, has upgraded one of its main television production facilities in Madrid with the installation of two Alfalite NEO...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Maxon's new release of Cinebench features performance enhancements and adds support for the latest Nvidia and AMD GPUs as well as Apple Silicon.
Maxon is t...
08/01/2026
Zixi, the industry leader in IP-based video transport and orchestration, today announced the appointment of Heather Mellish as Vice President, Global Sales.
In...