Generally, Duvall mixes Memphis Train Revue from offstage, in the traditional monitor position. When he ventures out into the house, he leaves his laptop behind, controlling it from his iPhone.
“I run something called iTeleport Jaadu VNC, which is a virtual network control app. It’s basically a remote desktop client that lets me access my computer directly,” he relates. “It’s basically a viewer, but it also lets me ride faders and spin knobs. So when it comes to fine-tuning the room, I just carry my iPhone.”
To have the entire sound system capable of operating without consuming floor space has definite advantages to the band’s clients.
Theater venues can actually strike their house mix position and sell those seats, while corporate and wedding events can accommodate more guests.
In addition, set-up time is greatly reduced, as Duvall simply pulls up his in-ear mixes from saved snapshots, and connects to the house PA system with two XLR’s out of the left and right outputs of the iDR-32.
Duvall is convinced that he found the right solution with Allen & Heath’s modular MixRack design. “The iDR-32 makes it a totally professional solution,” he says. “There’s no compromise. We get the same sound that we would with the mixing surface. I feel like I’ve helped make something here, like we’re a step ahead of what’s going on.”
Ultimately, the motivation behind the setup was to make Memphis Train Revue a more attractive band to hire.
“This band is absolutely amazing, but this set-up gives us a huge competitive advantage,” notes Duvall. “When our manager tells the talent buyers that we are not going to exceed the stage, and that we don’t even need any storage space, it really opens their eyes.
“In fact, we actually got two recent jobs, in large part because of all the benefits the iDR-32 provides. So literally, using this iDR-32 is helping Memphis Train Revue to get more gigs and make more money. And that says it all.”