Avid System Chosen For Black Sabbath Tour

Avid has announced that its VENUE | S6L system is being utilised on Black Sabbath's 'The End' farewell world tour, by live sound engineers Greg Price and Myles Hale.

Price, who has mixed for rock bands Van Halen, KISS, and Rage Against The Machine, has been mixing front of house (FOH) for Black Sabbath since 1997.

"I've been famous for Ozzy's 'vocal pyramid'— his vocal chain of plug-ins — but then I got my hands on the new console," said Price. "Now I'm not using any plug-ins on Ozzy's channel, only a very modest channel EQ and an on-board brick wall limiter for when he screams into his mic. The sound is absolutely stunning — I've never heard Ozzy's vocal quality like this!"

The band also noticed the difference in sound quality. Monitor engineer Myles Hale explained: "As soon as the drummer [Tommy Clufetos] came in he said, '...what changed? These are the same speakers I've always had!' I explained to him that I wish I could say that I got better, but really it's this new console. It sounds like a... analog console except with all the great user features that come with digital."

Featuring an advanced live sound engine, VENUE | S6L offers power to handle huge channel counts while ensuring maximum stability and the lowest-possible latency. It is powered by the same VENUE software as other Avid live sound systems, allowing Price and Hale to transition from the VENUE | Profiles they've used on previous tours to the new system.

"With a push of a button it's reacting similar to my Profile experience, but it's so much more than that," said Price. "Everything is right in front of me, from my groups to my VCA's to my special inputs — and I can create a separate layout snapshot for every song in my setlist. The new Layout Mode is absolutely essential for me — it resonates with my style of mixing."

With a massive mix bus capacity, VENUE | S6L allows Hale to handle a multitude of mixes with immediate one-touch access to any mix on the faders. "Now I've got more auxes than I know what to do with," he said. "I've got spare tech mixes spun up in case the band want it differently. It's nice, my hands are no longer tied. Avid have made my job easier, which really is the key with awesome audio gear."

Using Pro Tools and VENUE's Virtual Soundcheck feature, Price and Hale are able to fine-tune mixes FOH and monitor mixes during rehearsal. Price added: "In pre-production, I set up the S6L and Pro Tools and record everything the band does. After they play a song, they come straight into my room and we listen and we talk about everything. I cannot work without Pro Tools and the synergy that it offers my artists."

"As part of the most trusted live mixing systems in the world, VENUE | S6L reinforces Avid's position at the forefront of live sound innovation," said Dana Ruzicka, Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Avid. "With demand for VENUE | S6L growing worldwide since its launch, Avid is poised to help live sound professionals take on the most challenging performances and tours around the world."

www.avid.com

(JP)