Rising Stars: Aldis Petersons

It’s Monday morning, which can only mean one thing; a brand new instalment of our Rising Stars focus.

This week we chat to FOH engineer Aldis Petersons …

Where did you study?
I took a Live Sound Diploma course at Alchemea College in London.

Which band/project are you currently working on?
I’ve just returned from the sea. I was a sound engineer on board the Queen Victoria. I think I’m done with ships for now, so I’m looking forward to find an interesting band or project to work with and try out some ideas.

Where are you based/working at the moment?
I’m based in London – South West to be more precise. You can find me in two most popular live venues in Streatham: The White Lion; great pub where you occasionally get surprise visits from the likes of Willy Mason and Manu Chao, and in the award-winning Hideaway Jazz Club.

Which audio console are you currently using? And how many channels?
As I’m mainly mixing in smaller venues I get to work a lot on analogue consoles. Usually no more than 24 channels. I use all of them only if there’re several bands so I don’t have to share too many channels. Occasionally you get an LS9 here and there.

While on Queen Victoria I had the privilege of working on an Avid D-Show. With two sidecars I had 32 channels in one layer so I didn’t have to jump between the banks too often on the bigger shows.

What decision process was behind the choice of this console?
At the moment I work with what’s in the venue. Not quite there yet to be able to choose. But more often than not I’ve been lucky to work with well-maintained equipment so I never complain, really.

Do you use any outboard effects/EQ, and if so, what are they used on and why?
Like with the consoles, I just use what’s available to me in different venues. On QV I had more variety with plug-ins, but I still chose to use outboard Lexicon 960 reverb as it worked great in the theatre, especially on vocals.

What is your console of choice?
When I first saw an XL4 as a kid, with several outboard racks and two million LEDs and knobs, I was mesmerized and thought that the sound guy is the coolest job on earth. I still prefer analogue but digital has come a long way and is becoming more analogue-like I think. I’d go with one of the Venue systems, as that’s what I’ve been working with the most. I’ve seen Allen & Heath iLive in action and was impressed. The little Presonus Studiolive is a bit of a gem I think.

If you could tour with any band/artist who would it be?
Although they are not my most favorite band, a tour with Pink Floyd on FOH would do me. It doesn’t get much better than that really.

To get involved in our Rising Stars column, whether you are an engineer who is new to the industry and would like to be featured, or an experienced engineer who would like to nominate a particular student/apprentice, please contact Audio Pro International editor Daniel Gumble on daniel.gumble@intentmedia.co.uk or 01992 535646.

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