Roland hits the road with Toyah

Roland Systems Group (RSG) is currently on the road with 80s pop star Toyah Wilcox, with an M-300 digital mixing console and S-1608 stage unit specified for the tour.

Paul Nicholson, who runs Salisbury-0based Midas ProSound and Red Square Audio, has toured with Toyah for almost 20 years, in a role that involves specifying, supplying and operating audio equipment for both Toyah’s band and her other project The Humans. For the current UK tour Nicholson specified the Roland M-300 live mixing console, as well as the Digital Snake and S-1608 stage unit running both FOH and monitor mixes.

Designed to offer optimum mixing capability, the M-300 possesses 32 mixing channels, L/C/R outputs, 8 AUX buses and 4 matrices. Built-in REAC allows flexible system expansion, and as part of the V-Mixing System, including Digital Snakes, personal mixers and multi-channel recording, the M-300 offers a scalable solution for medium-sized venues.

‘The M-300 and Digital Snake system fits our requirement perfectly. Because there is minimum product involved, it’s very quick to setup and the sound check time is massively reduced which saves us having to arrive early at every venue. In fact, I can fit everything plus microphones, stands, DI boxes in the back of my car without folding the rear seats down, so it couldn’t be easier,’ commented Nicholson.

For each performance, Nicholson has left and right coming either from the desk or the stage unit. All band members are on in ear monitoring – the only monitors on the stage being for Toyah herself. Furthermore, there is no backline onstage as everyone is DI’d, while mixes from previous gigs are used so no repeat sound check is required. The M-300 also has the capability to allow one of the XLR inputs to be used as a talkback facility to AUX mixers, matrices or LCR. In this instance, used as a talkback mic from the desk to the stage to allow communication with the musicians when necessary.

“The sound quality of Roland is like being in a studio on the stage – the band just love it. When I ask them if they need anything else, such as ambient mics, I got a resounding no. I couldn’t be happier at the FOH. It’s been a great tour.”