NASHVILLE, Tennessee - November 2020 - Australian-born, Nashville-based sibling duo for KING & COUNTRY are currently out on the road with A Drummer Boy Drive-In: The Christmas Tour in support of their first holiday album, A Drummer Boy Christmas. Performing 20 concerts between November 12 and December 20, Joel and Luke Smallbone's show is backed by six additional multi-instrumentalists on stage and the sound reinforcement gear and expertise of Blackhawk Audio, which is deploying a pair of DiGiCo SD12 96 consoles for FOH and monitors each night.
The Christmas tour directly chases up the four-time Grammy Award-winning duo's successful Together Again: A Drive-In Tour, which ran from September 10 through October 30. Maintaining the same socially-distanced drive-in show format that has become the norm for 2020, the current largely outdoor tour is stopping at a variety of locations across the southern US, including arenas, fairgrounds, and drive-in movie theatres, as well as iconic sites like Pasadena's Rose Bowl, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House, and Pensacola's Five Flags Speedway. And like the tour leg before it, for KING & COUNTRY's final trek for 2020 continues to carry the same DiGiCo consoles that FOH Engineer Ralph Rivera and Monitor Engineer Zach Escobar have been using all year.
Up until about four years ago, we were touring with another console brand, but then I finally got a taste of DiGiCo with an SD8 and I've never looked back, says Rivera, who has been with for KING & COUNTRY for eight years but has also worked with the Smallbone family for 23 years, previously running FOH for Joel and Luke's also-famous sister, Grammy Award-winning Rebecca St. James.
Blackhawk Audio has been our touring partner for five years now, and we've been on their DiGiCo SD12s for FOH and monitors for the past three of those, he continues. It would be hard for me to say any one specific thing that I appreciate about the SD12 because I appreciate everything about it, including how flexible it is to use and how great it sounds, even before any plug-ins are added. It's been a solid and reliable performer and keeps getting better, especially with the 96-input channel upgrade, which is helpful because we're typically running 84 physical inputs between the stage, tracks, RF, and program feeds.
Connected via fiber, both the FOH and monitor consoles are paired with SD-Racks, each loaded with seven 32-bit Ultimate Stadius Mic Preamp modules, five 32-bit DAC modules, and two AES output cards. A DiGiGrid MGB interface at the house console allows Rivera to connect to his laptop for live multitrack recording of all the shows for virtual soundchecks using the Waves Tracks Live platform. Similarly, the SD12 96 monitor console also is equipped with a DMI-WAVES SoundGrid expansion card for multitrack recording when desired.
Although there are eight musicians on stage, the input count is higher than might be expected because nearly every band member is a multi-instrumentalist. Everyone in the band pretty much plays every instrument, and four of them are also background vocalists, describes Escobar, who has been with the group since January of this year. Our guitar player will jump to the bass riser and play there for a few songs, then jump down to the synth station. Our drummer plays keytar for a song, and our bass player plays cello, mellophone, and marimba, so there's a lot of moving around on stage. There's also a trombone, a second drum kit, marching drums, and tube bells.
Because there are so many inputs and I need all the faders accessible quickly, I use the Aux to Faders panel religiously instead of the physical solo buttons. That allows me to keep my bread-and-butter layers on the desk at all times. I also reach for EQ and dynamics rotaries pretty regularly as well as aux pan rotaries. Then I keep my crowd mics in a CG with that fader assigned to one of the masters, so I can easily ride audience mics between songs and at special moments. I'm really pleased with the setup and everything's been working great.
Escobar is generating a dozen stereo monitor mixes-eight for the performers, plus four more for backline, playback tech, spare/guest mix, and himself-all of which are being heard on JH Audio JH13V2 PROs. Every mix for every member is different for every song, so the quicker I can get to a fader, the better, he adds. Because we're a one-truck tour where space is everything,' the SD12 puts a decent fader count into a small form factor that is good for me and great for our truck pack.
The DiGiCo consoles also get high praise for their pristine sonics. I hear multiple comments every night about how good the show sounded and how appreciative people are to be able to hear everything so clearly, especially the vocals, says Rivera. I love the SD12's onboard processing and use it on almost all of my channels and in conjunction with Waves plug-ins, which I use on vocals and drums to take the same sounds from the studio and vice versa.
Joel, Luke, and the whole band have also been pleased with the sound of the SD12, shares Escobar. They like that it doesn't color or tonally change what they're sending me. It's a true representation of what they're playing, which is really the ideal.
Both engineers go on to thank Production Manager Matt Brewer, Stage Manager Ezra Salmine, Blackhawk System Tech Cody Wayne Scott, and Tour Manager Chico, among the rest of the crew. These guys make the impossible happen-including building our own stage and PA towers every single day-and they allow Ralph and I to keep our minds on the mixes. This show couldn't happen without them, says Escobar.
Same goes for DiGiCo, Rivera adds. Ryan Shelton and Kyle McMahon at Group One Limited [DiGiCo's US distributor]
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Technology collaboration to validate AMPP and Lawo HOME orchestration integration, showcasing Dynamic Media Facility principles in practice.
Grass Valley and ...
09/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced that Axel Springer SE, international media and technology company, has deployed Playe...
09/06/2026
LiveU, the global leader in live IP-video solutions, today announced a landmark deployment with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) that has brought Video ...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Two Alumni Win Tony Awards Mike Morris and Cedric Leiba Jr. won awards for Best Orchestrations and Best Play, respectively.
June 8, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
...
08/06/2026
The two execs discuss the goals and the challenges of building a huge multi-cult...
08/06/2026
This industry legend has been a road warrior since the early '90s and is, today, a lynchpin on College GameDay
The sports-production industry continues to ...
08/06/2026
DAZN has agreed a multi-year rights partnership with Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), expanding its global combat sports portfolio.
DAZN will broadcast EFC...
08/06/2026
As fans move across broadcast, streaming, social, mobile and creator-led platforms, and they expect every angle, in real time, TVU Networks has released a new e...
08/06/2026
Infront has further strengthened the 2026 Diamond League's international bro...
08/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced the appointment of Sam Craig as Vice President, Global Pre-Sales. Based in the United States, Craig will lead Grass Valley's glob...
08/06/2026
SMPTE has announced its summer 2026 education lineup covering IP networking and SMPTE ST 2110, including two standalone courses, a 13-week boot camp, and a hand...
08/06/2026
Sportradar Group AG has announced a multi-year global agreement with Kalshi, a p...
08/06/2026
FIFA and Gamefam have announced the launch of a FIFA World Cup 2026 event on Roblox, running June 5 through July 31, 2026. The event centers on FIFA Super Socce...
08/06/2026
A collaboration of NHL Productions, Monumental Sports, and Michael Levitt Produc...
08/06/2026
CBS Sports production staffer Bryce Adair has died at the age of 31 after sustaining injuries during a car accident on Wednesday while in Ohio working the the P...
08/06/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
08/06/2026
WMT Digital today announced the launch of WMT Fan Intelligence, designed to unif...
08/06/2026
The Heat are the seventh NBA team to air their games over-the-air next season...
08/06/2026
Paramount and UFC have announced an expansion of their media rights partnership making Paramount the exclusive home of UFC Numbered Event main cards in Canada ...
08/06/2026
The Qatar Football Association (QFA), in cooperation with Sponix and broadcaster...
08/06/2026
Project B has announced the appointment of Host Broadcast Services (HBS) as Offi...
08/06/2026
The Buckeyes now produce and stream upwards of 200 sports events annually with a...
08/06/2026
At Spotify, our commitment to the LGBTQIA community is year-round. Through GLOW, our global music program, we celebrate and amplify the contributions of queer ...
08/06/2026
Get Hands-on With Keyboard & Synth Brands
GearExpo UK wouldn't be complete without some synth action, and we've got some of the industry's most ...
08/06/2026
50 popular in-ear monitoring system profiles added
The latest update for IK Multimedia's headphone-correction system has just arrived, and introduces ca...
08/06/2026
Manny Marroquin signature cans upgraded with SLAM Technology
The flagship model in Audeze's Manny Marroquin Signature Series has just been treated to an...
08/06/2026
Air domain supremacy redefined - New counter UAS, space solutions and directiona...
08/06/2026
he BBC and BritBox have announced that Edward Bluemel (We Might Regret This, My ...
08/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/06/2026
Dante interfaces, intercom and control systems for modern AV environments
Glensound will showcase a focused range of networked audio and intercom solutions fo...
08/06/2026
Bminty is proud to celebrate the first anniversary of T18, the new free national French DTT channel launched on June 6, 2025. This symbolic milestone also marks...
08/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Used For Global Collaboration on Tony Foster Documentary
Brie Clayton June 8, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cl...
08/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/06/2026
Plus, 20% off TVs ahead of kick-offMonday 8 June 2026
Sky introduces Real Time...
08/06/2026
FOX Secures Live NFL Game Package in Mexico Starting in Fall 2026 Agreement Features Thursday Night Football, Sunday Games Package, Thanksgiving Day Games, al...
08/06/2026
FOX One, FOX Sports and Indeed Name Austin Franklin and Kevin Akoto as FOX One C...
08/06/2026
Meet us on the show floor
Stand #286310 Discover Nara, the media management tool used by major facilities including Harbor and Molinare.
Nara v2 introduces re...
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - November 2020 - Australian-born, Nashville-based sibling duo for KING & COUNTRY are currently out on the road with A Drummer Boy Drive-In: The Christmas Tour in support of their first holiday album, A Drummer Boy Christmas. Performing 20 concerts between November 12 and December 20, Joel and Luke Smallbone's show is backed by six additional multi-instrumentalists on stage and the sound reinforcement gear and expertise of Blackhawk Audio, which is deploying a pair of DiGiCo SD12 96 consoles for FOH and monitors each night.
