Front-of-house engineer Omatali Beckett (Gwen Stefani/Monitor, Mariah Carey/Monitor, T-Pain/FOH) and monitor engineer Dwight “Coolie” Bancey (Jimmy Cliff, Billy Ocean, Cham) choose the Waves eMotion LV1 Live Mixer and Waves IONIC 16 stageboxes for the 2024 tour of Jamaican GRAMMY® Award-winning singer and rapper Sean Paul.
“The decision to use the eMotion LV1 for this tour,” comments Beckett, “was driven by practical considerations and clear advantages. The eMotion LV1 system offers excellent dynamic range and headroom, making it competitive with other leading digital mixer brands. The sound quality of the LV1 is clear, punchy and pristine! This is the first time we’ve taken the LV1 out on tour with Waves IONIC 16 stageboxes. The quality of their Waves Signature Preamps is unmatched. Plus, the ability to toggle between pure preamp sound and enhanced richness on a per-input is second to none.”
Beckett continues, “In addition, the eMotion LV1’s compact form factor made it the ideal choice. It is lightweight, and it’s the only mixer that could fit comfortably in the limited space available within the trailer on the back of our tour bus. With limited room for gear, having a compact mixer allowed us to optimize storage and transport logistics. The LV1’s portability and space-saving design is unparalleled, an indispensable asset for our touring setup. At each venue, the stagehands effortlessly loaded and unloaded two Pelican cases on wheels.”
He adds, “The LV1’s simplicity is amazing. It’s easy to build a show file from scratch and quickly set up the L+R mix. The interface feels familiar, it’s intuitive, and the screen functionality simplifies tasks like adjusting EQ, compressors and effects. It sports an efficient workflow with simple routing and having stock plugins, streamlines the mixing process and enables real-time learning. You can effortlessly balance and understand musicians’ performances per song. Overall, the eMotion LV1 enhances efficiency and creativity during live shows.”
Remarking about setup time, he notes, “The eMotion LV1 rig offers an impressively quick and easy setup process. From pushing the gear to connecting it to the front-of-house (FOH), you can have everything ready in just 15 to 20 minutes! Getting sound out the PA included!”
FOH Omatali’s setup includes one Waves IONIC 16 Stage Box as Local I/O, one Waves Axis Scope, one Waves Extreme-C SoundGrid Server, one Waves FIT Controller for eMotion LV1 and a NETGEAR GS110TPv3 switch.
Omatali adds, “For networking during the tour, we used the FIBERFOX hermaphroditic adapter, connecting it to the Netgear GS110TPv3 switch using LC to LC cables. This allowed us to run fiber between the front of house (FOH) and monitor positions.”
Waves plugins, seamlessly integrated within the eMotion LV1 interface, play an essential part in Omatali’s live mixing: “My must-have Waves plugins are first of all the TRACT System Calibration plugin, which is an excellent system analysis tool (used in conjunction with Smaart v9) to take measurements, click FIR filters, and mix the show. The Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain provides a finishing touch to the mix during mastering. I use the F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ to remove harsh frequencies while preserving the musical essence, especially on vocals and keyboards. Scheps Omni Channel 2 is a versatile utility plugin that works wonders on vocals, bass, guitars, kick drums and toms. I use BB Tubes when I want saturation on vocals, bass, guitars and occasionally keys. Waves’ PSE (Primary Source Expander) is a next-level noise removal, effective for creating separation without isolation on vocals.”
Monitor engineer Dwight “Coolie” Bancey comments, on choosing the LV1, “We selected the eMotion LV1 for Monitor primarily due to its superior sound quality. The LV1’s sound quality is exceptional. The audio is crisp, clean, and clear. Also, it is extremely compact. It enables a rapid and straightforward setup. Once the gear is in place, it takes just around 10 minutes to get everything ready! Furthermore, the LV1’s networking is effortless. The system seamlessly integrates, making networking a breeze. And, being modular, it provides flexibility for rearranging components and easy troubleshooting if needed.”
Dwight’s setup includes three Waves IONIC 16 SoundGrid stageboxes, one Waves Axis Scope, one Waves Extreme-C Server, one Waves Fit Controller and one NETGEAR GS110TPv3 switch. The systems are connected via Fiber cable.
On his go-to Waves plugins, Bancey notes, “The Waves Feedback Hunter is a must-have. It has a remarkable impact on my monitor engineering and has become a staple in my toolbox. It’s indispensable for managing feedback. This plugin lives up to its name — it works so effectively that it feels almost magical. It is also a confidence booster as I trust Feedback Hunter implicitly. Even in time-critical situations, I can run it, hand the talent their microphone, and confidently say, ‘It’s go time.’ Its reliability and ease-of-use truly make it an incredible asset. Feedback Hunter revolutionizes how I handle feedback during gigs.”
“Other plugin favorites,” he adds, “are the Waves SSL Channel G-Channel, which I use on kick and toms. It adds tone and character to drum sounds. I use Renaissance Reverb to enhance drum and vocal reverbs. Waves H-Delay Hybrid Delay is absolutely perfect for vocal effects, and I use the Vitamin Sonic Enhancer plugin on my IEM matrix bus for mastering. Furthermore, I rely on several default plugins (filters, compressors, and EQs) within the eMotion LV1, to tackle latency and refine the sound on my Ableton tracks.”
Omatali sums it up: “The LV1 embraces cutting-edge technology and innovation, making it perfect for those who embrace new tech. It has an impressive input capacity with 64 channels and can easily accommodate even the most complex setups. This rig performs flawlessly with rock-solid reliability, ensuring consistent sound quality night after night. It features effortless adaptation and it’s intuitive and user-friendly. The Waves eMotion LV1 and IONIC 16 stageboxes totally redefine ‘excellence’ in live sound.”
