CLEVELAND – For a live sound engineer, few gigs are more challenging than mixing an old-school audio aficionado. But for veteran FOH engineer Wayne Trevisani, it's just another day at the office. When R&B standout Maxwell kicks off his BLACKsummers'night tour this month, Trevisani will be mixing the 10-piece band at the helm of an Avid VENUE D-Show System.
"This time out, Max really wants to go back to a true old-school R&B vibe," said Trevisani, "and you don't get much more R&B than the guys in this band. They're all such subtle players, and there's a huge dynamic range to deal with. I mix [the band's sound] very dry, like a 1960s R&B record, so everything's very punchy, very in your face."
Maxwell's audio standards are also exceptionally high, Trevisani noted. "Max has great ears, and he knows exactly what he wants to hear. Sonic quality is a top priority for him."
Trevisani, whose FOH credits range from Iggy Pop and Ted Nugent to Julio Iglesias, Dolly Parton, and John Hiatt, spends time between tours mixing records in his Pro Tools-equipped mixing/post production facility near Philadelphia.
"I'm an old-school engineer who came up on analog-live and in the studio," he said. "I've mixed on most every analog console, and I know the sound I'm looking for. So when we made the leap to digital, we did some really critical console comparisons. And VENUE won, hands-down."
In the analog world, Trevisani added, "I was a real minimalist. I'd never daisy-chain multiple devices. But in the digital domain, I can put four plug-ins on every channel, with no degradation of signal."
Trevisani favors the Waves Renaissance and C4 Multiband plug-ins for Maxwell and the band. "And I love the fact that I can install new plug-ins, and get new features via software upgrades, without having to buy a whole new console. To me, it's exciting to have that kind of control over my sound."
Trevisani also credited the VENUE system for its snapshot automation feature. "There's so much musical diversity in this show, and it's really useful to be able to assign plug-ins to do different things on different songs," he said. "I can get really creative with the snare drums, use different compressors on the bass-stuff that until recently would have been inconceivable in live sound."
Part of the band's sonic signature comes from drummer Chris Dave, whose kit comprises a kick and four snare drums. "He tunes one snare down almost to floor tom pitch, which gives it a nice, sweet low-end thump," says Trevisani. "Then he alternates between the other snares for different songs. Being able to set up different snapshots really helps me keep a handle on it."
The ability to interface a VENUE system directly with Pro Tools is another plus for Trevisani. "[Maxwell's producer] Hod David and I talked about [integrating Pro Tools recording] before the tour, and we agreed it made no sense not to record the shows. So I put together a Pro Tools|HD 3 rig, and we'll be mixing some of the tracks for possible release as a live CD or DVD."
Those recorded tracks also enable Trevisani to perform virtual soundchecks, saving time before each show. "It's great for me, because I can pull up last night's show and have things pretty much dialed in before the band's done setting up," he said. "And I can use the tracks to set up new snapshots, so I can play around with little touches like panning guitar parts or other intricacies.
"For me, the VENUE workflow is very ergonomic," he added. "The layout is so intuitive, it's really easy to get to everything. When you're working with a 10-piece band, you really have to have everything right there. And the system is just rock solid, day in and day out."
Even so, for Trevisani, the sonic quality is still key. "You could have all this cool technology, but if it doesn't sound good there's no point," he said. "I get the opportunity to present one of the best R&B voices in the world, and the VENUE system helps me to do that brilliantly, show after show. When Max listens back to my live recordings, he's always telling me how warm it sounds. When I get compliments on the sound from the artist and fans alike, that makes me feel great.
"I love having this kind of control over my sound," Trevisani added. "To me, this is exciting, because these guys at Avid are really getting it right."
For more information, please visit www.avid.com .
