French Folk Legend Francis Cabrel
POWERED BY 
for "Trobador Tour"
For more than four decades, Francis Cabrel has released gold, platinum and diamond album releases and number one hits that has spellbound audiences throughout the French-speaking countries of the world with a genuine, acoustic touch in combination with strong melodies and poetic lyrics. Cabrel has also been touring continuously, giving his fans the opportunity to experience the music the way it was meant to: Live!
Gearing Up
for the Trobador Tour
For the Trobador Tour, the acclaimed touring company Audio Concept in Montauban in southern France provided a sound reinforcement system and experienced audio engineers that would deliver stellar live sound for the audiences, as well as the musicians on the stage, no matter what the venue night after night. At the heart of the technical setup, Audio Concept chose
two Midas HD96 consoles supplied by EVI Audio France – one for Front of House and another for monitor mixes on the stage.
The live rig comprised of HD96 consoles and two DL231 Active Microphone Splitters with 24 input and output channels with each input channel featuring two independent Midas microphone preamps, along with DL155 and DL451 interfaces for AES3 and Dante connectivity via the Klark Teknik KT-DANTE expansion cards.
Finally, DL231 multi-mode optical fibre modules kept cabling at a bare minimum without sacrificing sound quality or the all-important reliability, which is naturally paramount in a live production environment.
MIDAS HD96
Live Digital Console Control Centre with 144 Input-Channels, 120 Mix Buses, 96 kHz Sample Rate and 21" Multi-Touch Screen
Workflow Wonders
Sound engineers Ludovic Lanen (FOH) and Sebastien Bramardi (Monitor) taught us about their hands-on experience with the HD96 system when put through its paces during a solid stint on the road.
“…there are some features that I simply don’t understand that other brands have not picked up on. For instance, having two pristine microphone preamp inputs on every channel of the DL231 active mic splitter allows for feeding both the FOH and Monitor consoles from the same point in the audio signal chain – and then all discussion about who gets to have more headroom simply disappears.”
“One of the things that I have found to increase the operational workflow the most on a daily basis is being able to ‘freeze’ one or more fader type inputs on the main layer – for example input, send or output. This way, I can keep them right at hand as needed even when I change the layer.”
– Ludovic Lanen
Sebastien Bramardi also elaborates: “I have used Midas consoles since they were all-analog, as well as the PRO 2 and PRO 6 series, which really excelled at bringing together the best from both worlds, integrating analog and digital in a seamless, effortless and natural way.
And I just love having all of the necessary high-quality processing tools built right into the HD96. I no longer need external processing units in racks on the side, as I now have the amazing VSS4 algorithm right at my fingertips – and it’s just perfect for vocals and guitars, which were obviously very central elements on the Trobador Tour.”
Agent 001 and 002
Audio Concept were among the first to experience the HD96 at an EVI Audio demo and training session in 2020, and they soon decided that the HD96 would be an even better fit for this tour than their PRO 2 and PRO 6 consoles. For instance, the PRO 6 would often end up taking too much space at the side of the stage – especially with external processing racks. Further, they were also highly attracted to the opportunity to cut down rack space even more with regard to
I/O connectivity, as well as a far more simple – yet rock solid – cabling solution via the DL231.
In fact, they were so keen to get their hands on the HD96 consoles for this particular tour that they ended up with the very first units made – the consoles with serial numbers 001 and 002!
Finally, looking ahead of the curve, Audio Concept also immediately recognized the benefit of the physical design that allows for easy access to the ‘engine’ in case of future service – as simple as popping up the hood on a car. That said, HD96 is truly a very sturdy console, and both 001 and 002 have served reliably for Audio Concept without any problems whatsoever during the first full year of touring the roads of France. But should the need ever arise at some point down the line, it offers great comfort to know that it will be quick and easy to get them fully up to speed again. As always time is of the essence, and valuable production time is no exception!
FOH and Monitoring Set-Up
Bring it Alive
Midas believes that mixing engineers are the voice of the artist. That trusted bond demands the sonic integrity that only Midas provides. The Brand is obsessed in delivering outstanding solutions that capture the essence of your live audio. Founded in 1970, Midas’ name is recognized as the premier designer and manufacturer of audio mixing consoles. To this day, the award-winning Midas Preamplifier and Latency Compensation deliver unsurpassed sound qualities.
PRODUCTS USED
• Midas HD96
• Midas DL231
• Midas DL155
• Midas DL451
• Klark Teknik DN9680
• KT-DANTE
