Chris Kathman: Welcome to our PSW live chat with David Morgan!

David Morgan: Good evening, gentlemen.

Chris Kathman: I will ask David - were you a product of the bars or did you have schooling?

David Morgan: Bars. I majored in American History.

Chris Kathman: General rock scene or any variations?

David Morgan: I was a guitar player/singer. Started playing for money at 14.

Chris Kathman: Good man!

David Morgan: Later I had the van and the PA.

Chris Kathman: And what were the components of that first PA?

David Morgan: Kustom 6 Channel head and 2 Traynor co-axials.

Chris Kathman: Traynor rocked!

David Morgan: The silver tuck and roll on the Kustom was pretty cool.

YSM: What era of Paul Simon did you mix? How has his rig evolved over the years?

David Morgan: I started with Paul in 1986. I have done every tour since Graceland came out.

In 1987 we used MSI. In 1989, we switched to Clair Bros. We have used MSI HiPack/LoPack, Clair S-4’s and Clair I-4’s.

Dean: Hello David, what is your favorite mic pre combination?

David Morgan: I use the Amek/Neve 9098. I like it in combination with a TubeTech CL-2A.

Chris Kathman: You have told me how you are going to use two 02R's for percussionists, in addition to a 4K, for Paul Simon's upcoming European dates. How do you approach so much percussion, in terms of mics and separation?

David Morgan: Leakage management. Correct mic selection and placement is mandatory. You have to choose patterns and frequency response characteristics that will complement the others.
Distance from the sound source is an important consideration as well. Each percusionist has 15 - 16 inputs. The mics can get pretty dense.

Chris Kathman: That is VERY dense! Plus 30 or 40 from the other desk. Quite a challenge.

David Morgan: I use the 02R's so I can turn off as much as I can for each song.

Ryan Wilson: Do you have more specifics? i.e. Conga mics and distance?

David Morgan: Hi Ryan. Yes. I like MD 409’s on congas. I place the Mics about 3 finger widths from the head. 409’s work well because they can be focused down, and not be in the player's way.

Chris Kathman: Those are the original gold 409's or the newer black plastic ones?

David Morgan: I don't think the 609s have the same sound.

Chris Kathman: Copy that.

David Morgan: I love the old gold ones.

Chris Kathman: As do we all!

David Morgan: I used them on toms before I discovered the SM98. I like MD 421’s on djembes. I use a C414 on timbales.

Chris Kathman: I used 98's on congas with Luis Conte once, and really liked it. How do you attach a 421 to a djembe, or does the player walk up to the mic in a stand?

David Morgan: I use the 421’s on rack or stand djembes. I use a SM98 on a knee held unit, with a Beta 52 behind it.

P. Tucci: If I recall right, you used the Gamble early on with Paul Simon. What made you change? I still love that console.

David Morgan: Hi Paul. Ergonomics. I am 6'4" with big hands. The buttons on the Gamble are too small, and nothing lights up. I love the way they sound too. I did the 1990-92 “Born at the Right Time” Paul Simon tour with the EX.

P. Tucci: How do you keep yourself fresh when working with an artist that long? I don’t mean tour length, I mean years of service.

David Morgan: Paul keeps it fresh. He always re-arranges the songs in the most artful ways. I am in awe of his talent in many ways, but he is a truly outstanding arranger.

Ryan Wilson: I have used the O2R in television and grew quite fond of it. Are you using any onboard DSP?

David Morgan: I don't understand the question.

Chris Kathman: I think he means gates, comps, and effects ... rather than external inserts ...

David Morgan: Oh, absolutely. Compressor on every drum. Gates where necessary. I like the little desk very much. I can't wait to hear the new one. I use both the onboard reverbs as well. But it is the scene switching that I most rely on, to make all those inputs work.

Chris Kathman: Do you use a master switching device that changes the 02R's and other things all at once for each scene?

David Morgan: I have a little black box with a keypad.

Chris Kathman: I took the PM1-D training recently, have you used one yet, like on any awards shows? How about the Innovason?

David Morgan: I used the Innova Son in 2000 for the VH-1 taping of the Divas and Men Strike Back shows. I have not used the PM1-D. The Innovason was invaluable in its application at the VH-1 show. It was a perfect use for its capabilities.

Dean: Have you ever used any other console, such as the d8b or DMX-R100 for live applications?

David Morgan: Hi Dean. No, I have not. I have heard the DMX-R100 and it sounds great. I worry about a touch screen console outdoors in the bright sunlight. I have not heard a d8b.

YSM: What's the largest outdoor venue you've worked in? How have you worked around inclement weather?

David Morgan: The largest show I have ever done was Paul Simon, Central Park, 1991. Attendance was set at 700,000+.
One gets used to working under plastic in the rain. It's never fun.

Chris Kathman: Any performance highlights from the Olympics? Any gear there that worked especially well for you? (Please tell the folks at home exactly what your gig was there ...)

David Morgan: I had the privilege of being the A1 at the Medals stage in Salt Lake this winter. Assisted by Paul Tucci, I did the audio for the medals ceremonies. I thought the V-DOSC PA supplied by PRG performed admirably. Conditions were very harsh for audio components.

I think our consensus favorite performers were the Barenaked Ladies. BNL did a show for the Olympics... about the Olympics... topical, funny, well-played, well-mixed.