Firehouse Productions supplies Soundcraft Vi1 for Arctic Monkeys

Firehouse Productions has provided a Soundcraft Vi1 for Arctic Monkeys’ new tour, which kicked off recently at the Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington.

The New York-based firm supplied the console for monitor engineer Will Doyle, who has plenty of experience with Firehouse and Soundcraft’s range of desks from previous tours with the group.

“The Vi1 was a great choice, especially for a massive and spectacular venue like the Gorge (Ampitheatre),” stated Doyle. “It has a small footprint meaning it’s easy to travel with and there is no hassle fitting it anywhere; but it still has nearly all the features of my usual Vi6.”

Since forming in 2002, Arctic Monkeys have released four studio albums, and are currently working on a fifth.

“We’re excited to get this tour underway,” Doyle continued. “It’s a Soundcraft Vi desk, so it sounds just like the others in the range and feels like mixing on a sound desk or console rather than a computer. With custom user layers and VCAs for each mix, I found there’s a lot less button pushing than some other consoles, which means more time looking at the band.”

Doyle, who uses the desk for stereo ears, wedges and side fills, believes the board feels a lot like an analog desk, and allows for the easy managing of all the channels on each layer. “The board responds beautifully and is extremely user-friendly,” he said.

The engineer is also a fan of the ViSi Remote iPad app, a tool that helps him eliminate many challenges before a show. “With Soundcraft, I am always confident in what I need to do. This was a great show and I look forward to continuing our journey with Soundcraft,” Doyle concluded.

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