All Access: Modern Audio For A Classic – Crosby, Stills and Nash 2009 Concert Tour

Inserts include Manley Electro-Optical limiters on lead vocals, including Nash’s piano vocal, with a BSS DPR-901 dynamic equalizer on Crosby’s vocal.

A Summit DCL-200 compressor/limiter is used for the vocals of keyboardist (and Crosby’s son) James Raymond and drummer Joe Vitale.

There are also a half-dozen dbx 160A compressors and three Drawmer DS-201 dual gates.

Meanwhile, on monitors, 32-year veteran Rance Caldwell mixes monitors on a Midas Heritage 3000 positioned stage right.

His outboard consists of seven Klark Teknik DN360 stereo graphic EQs, five Yamaha SPX990 digital multi-effects processors, three Drawmer DS201 dual noise gates, and a BSS DPR-404 four-channel compressor for inserts.

The floor monitors are mostly single- and double-12 proprietary Sound Image wedges, with a stereo pair of their single-12 carbon-fiber A.C.E. “G2” wedges for Stills and a d&b audiotechnik M2 double-12 for Crosby.

Stephen Stills’ tweed Fender Twin and Vibrolux amps with Audix D3 mics on Z-bars, and Joe Vitale’s DW drum kit with Audix mics. (click to enlarge)

Caldwell explains that they used d&b wedges on their recent European leg. Crosby insisted on keeping his M2 and as a result, Caldwell plans on using an entire complement of d&b wedges on the next tour. (When not touring with CS&N, Caldwell is the audio department head at the 2,000-seat King Center in Melbourne, FL.)

The show features two acts: an acoustic set followed by an electric set with a full band. Josh Mellott assists Caldwell on stage with the wedges and the microphones, which are all Audix.

Vitale’s drum kit is mic’ed with an Audix D6 on kick, while snare and rack toms get D2s, floor toms get D4s, and overheads and hi-hats get SCX1 pencil condensers. D3s are applied on all guitar amps as well as on Todd Caldwell’s Leslie cabinet.

All vocal mics are Audix OM6 except for Vitale’s drum vocal, which benefits from the tighter pattern of an OM7 that helps to isolate his vocal from his drums.

Mike Klvana’s portable Logic remote recording system with Focusrite mic pres. (click to enlarge)

Mike Klvana recorded 50 of the tour’s shows on a Mac-based Logic portable recording system from a second split on the snake.

His rig includes a 4-channel Focusrite Liquid 4Pre mic preamp for CS&N vocals, Grace Designs m801 mic preamp for backing vocals, acoustic guitars and audience mics, and three 8-channel Focusrite OctoPres mic preamps for the remainder of the inputs.

Klavana also uses a PreSonus HP4 headphone preamp, and credits his Ultrasone Pro 550 headphones with a reduction in hearing fatigue from monitoring on headphones all night.

Mark Frink is Associate Editor of Live Sound International magazine.