NEW YORK CITY October 2018 After a stint as a solo theatrical show on tour, St. Vincent roared back this year for a tour with a full band. This summer legs of the Fear The Future tour, in support of 2017's MASSEDUCTION LP, saw St. Vincent (n e Annie Clark) headlining the festival circuit, with stops at All Points East and End Of The Road, among other fests.
In tow were a pair of DiGiCo SD10 consoles for front of house and monitors, supplied by VER/PRG and operated by FOH Engineer Adam Jackson and Monitor Engineer Alex MacLeod. The desks were connected through an Optocore network, which also comprised a full DiGiCo SD-Rack at monitors, an SD-Mini Rack at FOH, and an Orange Box converter.
The SD10s give us the workflow we need for this kind of show, says MacLeod, who came on board the tour in March, as St. Vincent transitioned from solo shows using tracks to performances with the full band. In the Optocore loop, we were able to share head amps and share control of the gain. We used the same network to communicate using the text-chat feature on the DiGiCo desks, as well as having a talkback for each member of the band. Everything was well connected on this tour.
It had to be: MacLeod says that as creatively talented as Clark is, she is equally technically adroit. Some artists sort of know what they want when it comes to the live sound and kind of how to get it; Annie knows exactly what she wants and she knows how to make it happen, he says. She really knows audio, and she won't hesitate to call you out if it's not right.
Thus, Clark's voice and guitars were the most active parts of the snapshot recalls for each song, he explains, with the three-piece band behind her-each on their own 8 8-foot riser onstage-kept at a consistent level throughout the show. MacLeod says he's been using SD consoles since 2008 on a variety of touring artists, and knowing where everything is-because the SD's flexible routing and layout let him put everything exactly where he wants it-allows him to concentrate on the mix and not the console management.
Before the show, he uses the SD10's wireless remote app on an Apple iPad to go on stage and listen from each musician's perspective, and to generate pink noise for system tuning (he's doing his own system tech work on this tour). St. Vincent's performances are intense, and he says he has to remain constantly engaged throughout the show. An Optocore-networked talkback between everyone helps, as does the somewhat restricted movement onstage due to the risers; finally, MacLeod has an infrared camera trained on Clark so he can see her movements even when the light show is at its peaks. (In fact, early on in the tour he worked with the production manager to move the monitor position to stage right from stage left so he could see her more clearly.) That's why the SD10 is so important, he says. You have to stay on top of this show every minute, and the SD10 has the features that let me do just that.
FOH engineer Adam Jackson's tenure with St. Vincent extends back to the earlier solo portion of the tour, which also utilized a pair of SD10 consoles, and where the use of the Orange Box originated. The solo Clark was sonically cosseted with 32 channels of 96kHz backing tracks that played from MOTU's Digital Performer software on a MacBook Pro through the Orange Box as MADI stems, a role it continues to play with the band.
I first got the idea to use it like that when I was working with Sia and Demi Lovato on tour, he explains. With Sia, we had as many as 56 tracks coming out of the Box right onto the Optocore loop through an Optocore card in the Orange Box and then to the console. Combined with the flexibility of the SD worksurface, you can make even pretty complex workflows very manageable.
Jackson agrees with his colleague, MacLeod, that a St. Vincent gig can be an intense one at the console. But that intensity is mitigated by the SD10's automation and flexibility. Of all the things I like about the console-and I've been using an SD10 for five or six years now-it's having that screen in the center that's the best, he says. I never have to look this way or that over the console-everything I need is all right there in front of me. It really helps keep the focus on the show. And you don't need any tricks to get the SD10 to sound the way you want it to. We use a Shure KSM8 on Annie's vocals with just some Empirical Labs Distressor set at 4:1 with fast attack and release, the Empirical Labs Lil Freq, and a Bricasti vocal reverb. Everything else I need is onboard the SD10, so it's a very simple, reliable and great-sounding signal chain.
And like MacLeod, Jackson has witnessed Clark's sharp ear in action. On the few occasions we've had to hop onto to another console for a show, she'll let you know that she knows we're not on the DiGiCo, he says. It makes that much of a difference.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
25/11/2025
FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design said the Associated Press has completed the transition of its global video-editing platform to DaVinci Resolve Studio....
25/11/2025
Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris P...
25/11/2025
NEW YORK NFL and college football coverage, the MLB postseason and the new fall broadcast-TV season contributed to major gains for traditional media companies a...
25/11/2025
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. Tower Products, a manufacturer and distributor of pro video and audio equipment here, said President and CEO Jim Veltrie will retire from the c...
25/11/2025
Following last week's disclosure that it had acquired a 8.2% stake in E.W. Scripps, Sinclair has filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission pr...
25/11/2025
25 Nov 2025
VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM...
25/11/2025
UKTV has acquired a high-profile slate of US dramas from Paramount Global Conten...
25/11/2025
A symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance, boldly reimagined from Peter Shaffe...
25/11/2025
Article courtesy of Cinematography World
Read the article
FilmLight has finalised the prestigious 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards jury and welcomed award-winning...
NEW YORK CITY October 2018 After a stint as a solo theatrical show on tour, St. Vincent roared back this year for a tour with a full band. This summer legs of the Fear The Future tour, in support of 2017's MASSEDUCTION LP, saw St. Vincent (n e Annie Clark) headlining the festival circuit, with stops at All Points East and End Of The Road, among other fests.
