The format was fitting for the biggest virtual band on the planet, Song Machine Live From Kong' saw Gorillaz deliver a full scale production blending exciting real-time performance with Jamie Hewlett's unique animation. Audio was delivered by the band's long-time engineers Dave Guerin, at his usual monitor position, and Front of House man Matt Butcher on the live steam mix, both using DiGiCo Quantum 7s provided by Entec Sound & Light. The 14-piece Gorillaz live band saw Damon Albarn joined in the room by virtual bandmates guitarist Noodle, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and frontman 2D, plus a stellar line-up of Song Machine collaborators including Leee John, Georgia, Peter Hook, Kano, Slowthai, Slaves, Robert Smith, Matt Berry and Sweetie Irie, while the likes of Beck, Fatoumata Diawara, Elton John, Jpegmafia, Schoolboy Q and 6lack joined via a stunning mix of blended animation and Augmented Reality effects.
We used two Quantum 7s, one FOH' and one for monitors, says Dan Scantlebury, head of sound for Entec. There's also an SD11i in the loop for playback, three SD Racks and an SD MiNi Rack located at FOH on a separate optical loop. Entec Senior Sound Technician Peter Eltringham adds: Now we have the Quantum console's additional processing, we have the power to run the monitoring systems at a 96kHz sample rate, delivering lower latency and improved sound quality. Dave Guerin has made an iPad app to enable some of the band members to do their own sub-mixes from his console.
The drummer and percussionists like to adjust their timing all the time, it's the important timing bit for them - so you give them that control and they can then also mix a bit of the kit louder, or whatever else they want, explains Guerin. My iPad app sends OSC (Open Sound Control) commands to the Quantum 7, the app has a set of faders which control auxiliaries or matrices on the desk; each musician has one of these. As the Quantum 7 only allows for one controlling device per protocol, I also wrote a router iPad app to pass all the data packets backwards and forwards.
If you're going to make a desk like that, then someone's got to use it, adds Butcher, who was driving a Quantum 7 for the first time. And someone's going max it out! Dave maxed out, and I was pretty close to that. The setup was impressive; the whole thing was amazing. Going in and switching on all that stuff, and then getting the four record machines going and checking the audio in and out - I was looking at the Audio I/O panel, and every light was illuminated - we were using every access point on the console.
A big evolution for the Gorillaz sound was the simultaneous recording of 128 channels at 96kHz, plus a further 48 channels from a C stage'. A second optical loop was fitted to the FOH console, to deliver sufficient channels, with the primary loop consisting of a massive 490 channels. The recording was used to facilitate extended sound checks, and to provide the option of a post-event multitrack mix if required. The recording system is also a useful tool if we heard something unusual during a performance, Butcher observes. We'd note what track it was in, and if we didn't find it on the spot, then we could go back the next day and go through forensically, find the problem, and isolate it.
With limited rehearsal time, the performance had the feel and sound level of a live gig on stage. At the broadcast end, Butcher found the main difference was a gentler monitoring level of 80dBA, mixed using a pair of Genelec 1031A studio monitors. Extensive use was made of the new DiGiCo Spice Rack on background vocals, with the six-band Chilli 6, which allows detailed control of envelope shaping for definable frequency bands, taming dynamics on the master outputs.
There is no doubt the Gorillaz sound team has made maximum use of Quantum's added power, with Scantlebury emphasising a significant challenge was to make this complex show, using cutting-edge technology, as resilient and road-ready as possible. The best thing is, it's all the same DiGiCo ecosystem, adds Eltringham. It still talks the same DiGiCo language. So you move over to this twice-as-powerful console - but there's no big learning curve.
Song Machine Live From Kong' could be a standard-bearer for socially-distanced live events, offering artists and technicians a model for the future. Hopefully this will set a precedent that it can be done, in light of the next six months being potentially locked-down as well, concludes Butcher. I think it is a viable art-in-media format. I'm lucky to work for such an interesting band, on such an interesting project. DiGiCo built a desk that's got this ridiculous spec - we've got an act that actually requires us to use it! I'm very happy with it.
[ENDS] Press Contacts:
Maria Fiorellino at DiGiCo
Tel: +44 1372 845600
Email: maria@digiconsoles.com
Web: www.digico.biz
Sarah James at Gasoline Media
Tel: +44 1483 223333
Email: sarahj@gasolinemedia.com
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
The format was fitting for the biggest virtual band on the planet, Song Machine Live From Kong' saw Gorillaz deliver a full scale production blending exciting real-time performance with Jamie Hewlett's unique animation. Audio was delivered by the band's long-time engineers Dave Guerin, at his usual monitor position, and Front of House man Matt Butcher on the live steam mix, both using DiGiCo Quantum 7s provided by Entec Sound & Light. The 14-piece Gorillaz live band saw Damon Albarn joined in the room by virtual bandmates guitarist Noodle, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and frontman 2D, plus a stellar line-up of Song Machine collaborators including Leee John, Georgia, Peter Hook, Kano, Slowthai, Slaves, Robert Smith, Matt Berry and Sweetie Irie, while the likes of Beck, Fatoumata Diawara, Elton John, Jpegmafia, Schoolboy Q and 6lack joined via a stunning mix of blended animation and Augmented Reality effects.
