KNOXVILLE, TN — Will Madera, front-of-house engineer for Pitbull (winner of a Pensado Award, Live/FOH – Excellence in Live or Front-of-House sound), and Gabriel Gill, front-of-house engineer for Farruko, have each chosen the Waves eMotion LV1 mixing console on their joint tour.
Will Madera notes, “The state of music is constantly evolving, and when the Waves eMotion LV1 mixing console burst onto the scene, there was no question in my mind that it would change the future of live sound. Its innovative touchscreen console surface and superior sound quality with incredible headroom have made it my clear choice. It’s also perfect for a true lover of plugins: the ability to use eight plugins on a channel strip is phenomenal, and it makes the LV1 a true game-changer. It was the number-one choice for our U.S. tour. As a producer/engineer for Pitbull, it is extremely beneficial because I can now utilize all my Waves studio plugin chains with the LV1, sonically making my live shows sound like the records. Along with Asst. Engineer Jesus Canton, my right-hand man in the studio and for live sound, we constantly mix records and use all sorts of Waves plugins to shape our sound. It allows me to bring the warmth and musical experience that the audience expects to hear.”
Madera adds, on his favorite Waves plugins, “The Waves SSL E-Channel is my go-to plugin from the studio to live; on my LV1, I use it on almost every channel – it’s my bread and butter. It translates exactly how I want to EQ my instruments and brings that classic SSL sound. Since the first time I listened to the Waves H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb, it has been my favorite reverb plugin. I use it on snare, percussion and vocals. It is absolutely phenomenal! Another favorite is the Waves Vitamin Sonic Enhancer, and the name says it all! It provides ‘La Vitamina’ to my left and right. As a multi-band harmonic enhancer, it is the key to keeping my mix warm, smooth and very powerful.”
Gabriel Gill remarks, “I had been looking at the eMotion LV1 mixing console in January 2016 at the NAMM convention. After a day spent in New York at a Waves Seminar, I knew that would be the next board on my rider. The portability, ease of use and integrity with my Waves plugins are very important things for me. But above all, the sound quality of the board was the determining factor. Being able to integrate my Waves servers, computers with Waves TracksLive together with the DiGiGrid IOX, in such an easy way, makes my setup time a lot quicker. With shows every day, spending less time in setup allows me to spend more time for sound check, or Virtual Sound Check and recording the show using TracksLive. Also, having used Waves products in the studio for over 11 years, bringing them over to the LV1 is very beneficial. Knowing what the producers use in the studio lets me get my artist’s vocals to what the audience is used to hearing on the recording. It also lets me experiment with new sounds in the studio, before I try them in a live situation.”
Gill adds, on his must-have Waves plugins, “Using the Waves L3-LL Multimaximizer on my L/R channel lets me bring up my entire mix while keeping it nice and clear. It gives me the control I need in order to be able to compress a specific band, but not compromise my dynamic range. Ever since using the Waves H-Delay Hybrid Delay for the first time, it has become my main delay on all my vocals and snares. I love the flexibility of being able to use it for effects or simply to hear a short vocal delay. I started experimenting with using Waves Renaissance Bass and Waves LoAir and have never looked back. I utilize the Renaissance Bass to get the ‘smack’ of the kick and bass, while using the Lo Air to get the rumble in the subs.”
