Michael: When using an outboard mic pre or mic pre / vocal processor, do you send the output signal in the input strip through XLR input through the console strip mic pre? Or, do you return to the insert return, thereby skipping the strip mic pre?

Robert: No, to get the benefits of the outboard pre, you must return in into the insert return point. Otherwise you have taken your "superior" signal and sent it right into the "inferior" mic pre. In addition, the original mic pre is expecting to see mic level signal. You will be trying to send it line-level signal. Not optimum by any stretch.

Moderator: Perhaps Mr. Scovill could also tell us about the vocal processor he is using on this tour.

Robert: Yes Mr. Moderator! I am currently using a Manley Vox Box on the lead vocalist. I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. It is the coolest box I have run into in a long, long time. It is simply awesome and I have requested 72 channels of it. (Just kidding, but it would only be another, oh, 250 rack spaces. Big deal, right?)

Robert (continued): For my money (or anyone else’s, for the that matter), if you are going to drop a lot of coin at FOH, spend it on vocal quality. As Uncle Bruce used to say: no one ever went home humming the kick drum.

Randy Frierson: At your level, do you still tune the room (so to speak) or do you let system techs do it for you?

Robert: I do it, and I feel that to be totally effective in the process, the mixer should do it.
For this reason alone: one of the most fundamental, and most difficult, things to ascertain when doing a live gig is when something does not "sound right" ,you have to be able to assess where the problem is. For example, is it the source? Is it the mic? Is it the system tuning? Is it the console? Is it the room?

Robert (continued): If you are not the system tuner, then you have to add to that list: is it the system tuner? If you are the tuner and the mixer, you stand a much better chance of answering that question quickly and correctly. By having a second person involved, you have added another variable to a troubleshooting process already rammed with variables.

BruceN: What tools/toys do you use in setup and tuning a system?

Robert Scovill: I currently use SIA Smaart to do my system tuning and time alignments.

Kugster: What does your drive rack consist of?

Robert: Hey Kug! Eric Kuglin, ladies and gentleman. Currently it is an entirely BSS drive package. All BSS high sampling rate crossovers and Varicurves. I control the crossovers and the EQs from the Smaart transform window. Very cool, very slick. Love it to death.

Kugster: Are you going to be doing the Petty gig this summer?

Robert: Yeah, going to be pretty wild actually. I finish this leg of the MB20 tour on May 8th, and 12 hours later, I am 500 miles away with the same gear doing a Tom Petty sound check.

Kugster: Gotta love it.

Robert: The Petty tour lasts three-and-a-half weeks, at which time I fly with the front of house gear to the U.K. to do some MB20 dates, opening for Bon Jovi. Upon finishing that, I turn right around and come back to Petty for an East Coast swing. Then back to MB20 after three weeks of East Coast Petty. Ye-haw!! Ride ‘em cowboy! It was nice actually> The Petty camp booked the tour around my commitment to MB20. Wasn't that sweet?

Kugster: This is a V-DOSC system?

Robert: Yes, all VDOSC, with the exception of the Bon Jovi run. My bet is that this will be Clair, but I don't know that for sure.

Moderator: I'd like to thank Mr. Scovill for taking some time out of his only day off in a number of weeks to do this chat with us.

Chris Kathman: Thanks for your time, Robert. And sense of humor.

Robert: Thank you! If I'm in the same building as any of you, stop by and say hi!

chat.boy: On behalf of ProSoundWeb, I'd like to thank Robert for his sharing his time and knowledge.