Mark Frink (Lúnasa)
Mark Frink got the call to mix traditional Irish supergroup Lúnasa’s 2008 tour when their regular sound engineer couldn’t make the trip.
Before this, the five-piece instrumental group relied on the old-fashioned type of one-off, using the provided sound system in its entirety. Having recently used Yamaha’s LS9 console, it occurred to us that we could provide a much higher level of consistency while greatly simplifying the day-to-day chore of preparing each new “system-du-jour.”
The LS9 has a “virtual rack” that provides eight devices, the first four being graphic equalizers, while the last four can be digital effects instead. Yamaha provides an alternative type of graphic EQ called a “Flex 15 GEQ” which doubles the number of channels at the cost of being allowed to employ only half of the filters.
This is a wise compromise, since it’s well known that too much EQ is being used if more than half of a graph’s sliders are employed.
This leaves the second set of four engines of the LS9’s virtual rack for 48 different kinds of Yamaha’s SPX-type internal effects, which include the new REV-X algorithms found in V2 of the PM5D. This allowed dedicated REV-X Halls for Kevin Crawford’s flute, Cillian Vallely’s pennywhistle and uilean pipes and Sean Smyth’s fiddle.
As it happens, the 16-channel version of the LS9 measures just 19 by 20 inches and weighs about 26 pounds, and is small and light enough to fit into a Hardigg military road case that allows it to check into flights at less than 50 pounds. The fact that it is so small meant that in venues where they didn’t want to strike the house console, the LS9-16 could simply be placed on an adjacent rack or table.
The second part of the plan is a Ethersound snake, based around Auvitran’s AVY16-ES Ethersound card that fits into the LS9’s single MY-card slot.
The stage end of the snake employs two of RAPCO’s 1U “Digiphy” 8-channel mic input and one 8-way line output device, duplicating the 16 mic inputs and 8 line outputs at the back of the console down at the stage in a 3U rack.
Eight line outputs feed five separate monitor mixes, along with stereo mains and aux-driven subs, which are really just for the electric upright bass.
Mixing monitors from Front of House is best done only by the experienced, the foolishly brave or those intimately familiar with their artist. On the LS9, double-pressing the mix select button put the console into “Sends On Fader” mode, often called “Fader Flip,” making it quick and easy to look at and adjust auxiliary sends, important when going through the iterations of bumping up levels in individual mixes (and ultimately restoring them).
Extras on the console include playback and recording to and from a USB memory stick. Even at the highest available MP3 bit rate of 192 kbps, a weeks worth of double set shows fit onto a 1 Gig stick.
Even though 16 faders was just the right number for my 12-input show, users of the LS9-16 give up two features that make the larger desk a bit more usable.
First the small desk lacks a gooseneck lamp connection. Secondly, the ability to turn all of the 32-channel LS9’s faders into a complete graphic EQ makes it easier to visualize them.
A redundant 50 meter length of RAPCO’s DuraCat ruggedized CAT5e cable served as the main snake, and coiled neatly into the back of the stage rack. The finisher was one of RAPCO’s dual-box 6-Pack sub-snakes that lived pre-labeled in the back of the rack for rapid deployment.
The great benefit of carrying a digital console and snake is that it reduces specifying a sound system to simply ordering speakers. We traveled a typical dartboard itinerary that had us spending equal amounts of time at the venue, sleeping and traveling, roughly eight hours of each.
The consistency and confidence of having the LS9 every day meant it was easy to succeed when the going got rough.
Lúnasa’s The Story So Far, a greatest hits compilation, was remastered by ex-Waterboys bassist Trevor Hutchinson, who plays electric upright. Lúnasa plays Irish festivals in Boston and Albany this month.