CLEVELAND, OH – Sound engineer Garry Brown started mixing for Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio's band in 2006, then moved into Phish's mixing chair when the band re-formed in 2009. Brown then switched to Midas digital mixing consoles prior to a three-week run with Anastasio in February, and then opted to bring the Midas XL8 on Phish's summer tour.
"I had been using a couple of other digital desks, but was never totally sold on the sound," says Brown. "I had always loved the Midas analog sound, so I thought I'd give their digital consoles a try."
Prior to the tour, Brown spent a few days test-driving, first the XL8 in England, then the PRO6 at Eighth Day Sound in Cleveland. "I found both consoles to be relatively easy to learn," he said. "The PRO Series is a lot simpler than the XL8, but they are based on the same concepts, so they're very similar. The XL8 in particular has an analog feel, but both are very accessible."
When Phish announced its summer tour plans, Brown made plans to bring the XL8. "With its physical layout, the XL8 has a more analog operational feel, which is great," said Brown. "The POP Groups are great. They make moving around the console a breeze," he added. "My VCAs are set up in my normal way, with keyboards split over multiple VCAs. The POP Groups are set up to view instruments by band member. I've also got all playback, audience mics and effects assigned to other POP Groups. It really makes navigation of all the inputs incredibly simple."
As for his overall experience on both the Midas PRO6 and XL8, Brown said, "The consoles themselves are great, both in terms of operation and, more importantly, sound quality. Everything I've been trying to get back into my sound since going digital, the Midas has it. It's a bit cliché, but I'm home."
Brown noted that ease of navigation is a key asset when mixing a Phish show. The band's freewheeling nature means that Brown has no idea what the group might play next, dictating the need for instant access to multiple input groups without relying on presets or scenes.
In terms of signal flow, the Phish stage uses 72 channels routed through a DL431 splitter and three DL451 I/O modules. "Learning the signal routing was actually the biggest challenge for me," Brown said. "But once you get your head around the patch page, it's very easy to patch and repatch channels as needed."
Brown credited the on-board effects engine and the console's ability to accommodate outboard processing.
"On Trey's February run with the PRO6, the internal FX proved themselves more than worthy of use. But when switching to the XL8 for summer touring with Phish, I decided to carry a computer for use with Pro Tools and Waves," he said. "For effects, I'm using the Lynx AES16e-50 interface, running Waves Multirack software. It runs flawlessly."
Another touch that Brown appreciated is the XL8's KVM switch, which allows him to display the Waves software directly on any one of the console's five hi-contrast video display screens.
"The lighting guys actually complained about how bright they are, but then they noticed that during the day, even in direct sunlight, the XL8 screens are still visible, while the lighting console screens are washed out," said Brown. Of the five screens on the XL8, Brown keeps three in default mode, displaying input channels and meters, while another displays the system's status page.
Brown also credited the board for the way it sounds. "I've used a lot of digital consoles, and I think you get used to the sound over time, maybe even changing your expectations," he said. "But the first time I used Midas digital, the sound quality just blew me away. The warmth, the richness, the depth, the thickness… it was all there. The preamps are amazing. The ability to overdrive them to obtain color, tone, even some crunch, without the worry of clipping the converters is such a great creative tool for a digital console. The EQ is pure Midas – need I say more?"
Phish returned to the road for 14 more U.S. shows in October.
For more information, please visit www.midasconsoles.com .
