Multi-platinum recording artist and two-time Latin Grammy Award winner Karol G recently completed the U.S. leg of her headlining Mañana Será Bonito tour that will continue in early December in Medellín, Columbia, supported by front of house engineer John Buitrago and monitor engineer Robinson Barrera both working with DiGiCo Quantum338 consoles supplied by tour vendor Clair Global.
“Quantum is the future,” says Buitrago. “I love how DiGiCo understands what front-of-house engineers need when it comes to mixing in many different environments. But it’s the console’s processing power that’s really the story.” On a tour that tops over 100 inputs, Buitrago says the Mustard and Spice Rack processors have made a significant difference, for starters, by reducing the need for outboard processing. “Using Spice Rack and Mustard, I get direct access to every processor I need, which saves me time, increases precision, and avoids external DSP issues,” he explains. “And the processors are the highest quality I’ve ever heard from within a console. For instance, the Mustard optical compressors have a super-fast response on transients. Just spectacular.”
Buitrago’s Quantum338 is on an Optocore network that also links the second Quantum338 at monitors, a pair of 56-input SD-Racks, one on the main stage and one on a smaller satellite stage, and an 18-input SD-MiNi Rack, as well as an Orange Box used to host track playback. While the networked system offers reliability, the SD-Racks’ Stadius microphone preamps provide sonic clarity that he says supports increased direct-input instrumentation on the stage, including keyboards, but also for guitars, as those now utilize Kemper modeling amplifiers. “We can apply any of the processors to any instrument, and that gives us very consistent tonality,” he says.
Over in monitor world, engineer Robinson Barrera has found that the combination of the Quantum338 and a DMI-KLANG card for in-ear monitoring has improved his workflow and the onstage experience. “There are a lot of songs but also a lot of ‘moments’ — spoken introductions to songs, transitions, costume changes — as many as 50 of these moments per show, and I’m able to use the combination of snapshots and worksurface layers to easily manage all of those,” he explains. “The way the Quantum338 is laid out and the flexibility with which I can configure it makes setting up custom workflows so easy and intuitive. I have macros for every instrument and vocal that give me the combination of sound and processing I need instantly as the show moves along. In terms of processing, I especially like the Mustard optical compressors and EQ. I use both on various channels, especially bass and ambient mics.”
The transition to the DMI-KLANG card on the Quantum338 for monitors on the tour was smooth, says Barrera. “We started with Karol’s mix and quickly had the rest of the band switched over. By the second show, everyone was adjusting their own mixes — the transition was easy and comfortable for everyone. What the musicians are telling me is that they’re enjoying their mixes more than ever before. With the Quantum338 and DMI-KLANG, they can hear the difference because there’s no ear fatigue or straining to hear. This technology is making our work better.”
