DiGiCo workflow follows Dermot Kennedy into ANZ

ANZ:

Dermot Kennedy’s Weight of the Woods tour is heading into New Zealand and Australia, with a DiGiCo-based control package supporting the production as it moves between venues and configurations. Following its European run, the tour continues through North America before reaching Asia, New Zealand and Australia, with Solotech supplying audio. FOH engineer Will Donbavand is operating a Quantum338 Pulse, while monitor engineer Michael Fitzsimmons is using a Quantum5.

For a production that has grown substantially since Kennedy’s early club shows, the ability to move show files between DiGiCo consoles has proved particularly useful. Fitzsimmons said that the show has expanded enough that he has moved from the Q338 to the Q5 as channel requirements have increased.

“So far, it has been a raging success, the show has been very well received with 5-star reviews across the board,” he said. “Solotech have been great and our tech, Dominic Green, keeps everything running smoothly. Everyone onstage is really happy. I started out with a Q338, but we’ve added to the show and now I’ve run out of channels I’m on the Q5. The fact that you can just swap over your show file to a different console is a big plus.”

Donbavand has worked with Kennedy since 2017 and has used DiGiCo since the following year. He is using Pulse software, Con Sends for talkback and a Fourier transform.engine for plug-in processing, while shared racks help reduce the tour’s footprint.

“We got our first control package in 2018 and it’s been DiGiCo ever since,” he noted. “Sharing racks helps keep production happy and, as I am reaching the limits with channel count, I find things like the additional, zero-latency Con Sends very helpful, especially for talkback between us.”

The system has also adapted to larger performances, including a Dublin homecoming show which featured a 22-piece choir and additional guest artists, prompting Donbavand to switch to a Quantum5. The engineers are also making extensive use of DiGiCo’s onboard processing, including the Mustard Source Expander, as the tour prepares for its next run of dates.

“I have seen the show evolve from 200-people audiences in clubs to doing two nights in Dublin’s Aviva stadium, which is about 50,000 seat-capacity. It’s been a super nice ride and the whole production has evolved a lot,” Donbavand concluded. “DiGiCo’s ease of workflow means starting from scratch with another console has never even crossed my mind.”