Apr 1, 2011 6:53 PM, By Sarah Benzuly

Slash slinging his axe.

Martin Walker

Guitarist extraordinaire Slash is currently on the European leg of his worldwide tour. Mix caught up with production manager/front-of-house engineer Martin Walker.

How did you get involved with this tour?
The previous engineers are good friends of mine, and they needed someone to take over when they left to go back to their main gig: Linkin Park. Ken “Pooch” Van Druten [Linkin Park FOH] and I go back a long way and we worked together on Judas Priest, so he offered me the gig.

Why did you choose the DiGiCo SD8 board?
I love the DiGiCo range and felt that this was the most sensible desk to take from that range when we were doing a U.S. club/theater tour [last year]. I’ve carried it on through this year because it was just so easy to use and I was already set up to go on it.

Do you have a mixing style for Slash?
I keep things very simple—no plug-ins, no outboard. I use the graphics a lot and I use just four onboard effects. I feel that Slash’s style is very straightforward and needs no fancy treatment. The sounds coming off the stage are great and easy to work with. It’s a joy to work on—there’s plenty of dynamic and plenty of room for a few nice effects to come through. I have a great range of Shure mics, particularly the new KSM313s that I use on Slash’s guitar, but nothing out of the ordinary to be honest.

Where can we find you when you’re not on the road?
I live in the middle of nowhere in a tiny village in Lincolnshire, England, and spend as much time as I can with my wife and two small daughters, but time not on the road is rare. I have been with Judas Priest for the last 11 years and they keep me busy a lot of the time, and when I’m not out with them, Major Tom keeps me busy on Rod Stewart or I find myself behind the desk on Whitesnake, Testament and Mastodon, among others.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

Mix Books

Modern Recording and Mixing

This 2-DVD set will show you how the best in the music industry set up a studio to make world-class records. Regardless of what gear you are using, the information you'll find here will allow you to take advantage of decades of expert knowledge. Order now $39.95

Mastering Cubase 4

Electronic Musician magazine and Thomson Course Technology PTR have joined forces again to create the second volume in their Personal Studio Series, Mastering Steinberg's Cubase(tm). Edited and produced by the staff of Electronic Musician, this special issue is not only a must-read for users of Cubase(tm) software, but it also delivers essential information for anyone recording/producing music in a personal-studio. Order now $12.95

Newsletters

MixLine

Delivered straight to your inbox every other week, MixLine takes you straight into the studio, with new product announcements, industry news, upcoming events, recent recording/post projects and much more. Click here to read the latest edition; sign up here.

MixLine Live

Delivered straight to your inbox every other week, MixLine Live takes you on the road with today's hottest tours, new sound reinforcement professional products, recent installs, industry news and much more. Click here to read the latest edition; sign up here.