Donny and Marie Osmond continue to bring their popular stage show to audiences of all ages while on tour with a Studer Vista 5 serving as the front-of-house mixing console.
Donny and Marie’s performances include a 90-minute variety show, highlighted by many of their original hits with a mix of special effects and dancing. New York-based Sound Associates provided the Vista 5 console as it is “the most sophisticated board and perfect for theatrical performances,” according to Lucas Rico Corrubia, front of house engineer, PlanetRoadie Sound Design. “After trying an assortment of digital consoles, we went with the Vista 5 because it still has the analog feel that I love so much.”
David Bullard, system designer for Sound Associates, notes, “On the road there isn’t much time for setup and tuning. We have to be ready to go feeling confident that the show will go smoothly and most importantly, sound beautiful.”
The transition from analog to digital was daunting for Corrubia, but after trying the Vista, everything felt right. “It’s amazing, for someone who has been mixing for over 30 years, I was able to make the easy switch and noticed right away the value of the digital console,” he says. “The layout is user-friendly and provides me with anything I could ever want in a board.”
“I love the programming and the snapshots,” Corrubia adds. “Being able to save cues and settings makes my job even easier. With 12 people on stage with a variety of roles, it helps greatly to have a whole section of the board dedicated to making changes on the fly. I don’t need to scroll through pages or settings to change a fader or EQ, it’s all there when I need it.” Lucas explained how this allows him to make very few changes during sound check and he can be confident that everything is set up correctly.
Corrubia says there has never been an issue with the console; in fact, the board is able to detect potential problems. “If for some reason something isn’t hooked up correctly, the Vista 5 lets you know and it’s easy to trace the problem. Everything about the console is easy to work with and just makes my job easier.”
“When artists recognize the sound quality, you know you are doing something right,” Lucas continued. “They think it’s me, but it’s really the console! Studer is definitely moving in the right direction and I appreciate everything they have done to allow me to get everything I need out of the console.”
