Dialing It In: Delivering Consistent Concert Sound For Paramore

He references Waves PuigChild 660, CLA-2, and SSL Channel as other key plug-ins, and also cites a Waves C6 multiband compressor, specifically, as integral to sculpting the overall tone of the band’s IEM mix.

“I’m also using the C6 on Hayley’s vocal over EQ now, because it allows her to hear the frequency spectrum she wants, but doesn’t knock any frequencies out completely,” he says.

Wireless IEM systems are all Sennheiser, a combination of ew 300 IEM G2 and G3 systems, joined by an AC 3200-II active 8-channel transmitter combiner and A 5000-CP passive antenna. Band members sport Ultimate Ears UE11 earpieces. “This is a very transparent, natural and warm-sounding IEM rig,” Bing notes.

Rock Solid
The primary goal of New Orleans-based FOH engineer Eddie Mapp, who took the reins just this past February, is maintaining the same consistency that Bing provides on stage despite not traveling with a house system.

“We’re doing theatres now, and then we go to Europe, mostly for festivals,” Mapp says. “Obviously, with the PA changing nightly, that’s a challenge, but I’m traveling with a Meyer Sound Galileo 616 loudspeaker processor and a Mac mini running (Rational Acoustics) Smaart 7, which helps me maintain consistency.”

Eddie Mapp at the Midas PRO2c he bought and is using on the tour. (click to enlarge)

He landed the Paramore gig on the recommendation of tour manager Andrew Weiss, who’d worked with him previously with Evanescence. Based on previous experiences with Midas PRO Series consoles, and seeking a smaller footprint, he chose a PRO2c for this run. In fact, he actually bought the PRO2c he’s carrying.

“I use the console for mixing, but not for system EQ or delays. I prefer to do that externally,” he explains. “With Galileo and Smaart, I can walk in anywhere and say, ‘give me a desk.’ Now, with my own console, no matter where we go, when I load my show file I know everything is rock solid.”

Mapp also works with the band on microphone selection and placement, and has largely continued the previous approach. However, he recently re-did the drum kit, with a Shure Beta 91A on kick in, Audix D6s on kick out and toms, a DPA 2011C for snare top, and DPA 4099s on snare bottom, hat and cymbals.

Dual d&b M2 wedges for bassist Jeremy Davis. (click to enlarge)

“I don’t use the kick in, just the kick out, to eliminate any potential phasing and anomalies,” he says. “The D6s are about two fingers off the tom heads. The proximity effect is pretty incredible so I still end up pulling out a bit of 200 (Hz), but in that position, it makes the toms sound huge.

“As for the DPA mics, Big Mick (Hughes) from Metallica turned me on to them. The drummer, Miles, has a minimal kit, with two crashes and a ride. I’m under-miking the cymbals to get a little more isolation, and then EQ each according to its individual tone. These mics also eliminate stands, so there’s less chance of anything falling over.”

Mapp has also implemented Pintech RS-5 acoustic drum triggers on kick, snare and toms to open up the side chain of the gates, another practice he credits to learning from Big Mick. “It helps isolate everything and allows you to bring the threshold back on the gate to pick up subtle nuances, even if the drummer’s just tapping the rim of a tom. I never have to look at my gates during the show. I know they’re opening, so I can pay attention to something else.”

The approach to miking Miles McPherson’s kit. (click to enlarge)

Taylor York’s partial drum kit is captured with Sennheiser e 904s, with a Shure SM57 for glockenspiel. “That’s what they had on them before and it’s nice to have a bit of variety, a different sound, as compared to Miles’ drums.”

On the bass, where Mapp is seeking both attack and definition, he takes a pre-cabinet feed via a Klark Teknik DN100 direct box (DI), and then post-cabinet feeds from both a SansAmp DI and a Shure Beta 52. Radial J48 DIs take acoustic guitars direct, with Radial JDIs for Howard’s keyboards and drum pad.