Los Angeles, CA (December 20, 2018)—So many artists wanted to participate in the One Love Malibu fundraising concert in the aftermath of the devastating Woolsey Fire that veteran engineer Joe Wohlmuth had to expand his Focusrite RedNet recording setup at the last minute.
We Are Hear, the artist company established by producers and songwriters Linda Perry and Kerry Brown, organized the fundraising concert with the Malibu Foundation, which was created following the recent fire, to support and rebuild the community of Malibu and its neighbors. Held December 2 at the 588-acre King Gillette Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains, the fundraiser featured a long list of celebrity performers, including Katy Perry, Alanis Morissette, Robin Thicke, Macy Gray, Natasha Bedingfield and Gwen Stefani.
“When I did our first site visit with We Are Hear for the One Love Malibu fundraiser and saw the lineup, audio setup and the input list, it immediately became apparent that we needed a Dante solution to record the show, with at least 32 inputs, and in a small footprint,” says Wohlmuth, whose credits include work with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Michael Bublé and Nelly Furtado. “I did some research and decided that for the features, size and price range I was looking for, the Focusrite RedNet HD32R was really the perfect piece of gear. I rushed out and bought the last one in stock from a dealer to try out. I loved it and was ready to go.”
But celebrities, some of them impacted by the fire, continued to sign up to help the community. And as the event grew, so did Wohlmuth’s RedNet needs. “At the last minute, we added another full drum setup, additional guitars, vocals and various production audio feeds. Now we needed another RedNet HD32R unit to handle all the inputs, but my dealer was sold out of them.”
With the clock ticking, Wohlmuth picked up the phone. “I reached out to the amazing people over at Focusrite Pro in Los Angeles, who came to the rescue and were able to get another RedNet HD32R in my hands in time to get it racked up and ready for the show. We ended up with 63 inputs and recorded the entire eight-hour fundraiser without a hitch.”
The event raised nearly $1 million. All proceeds and donations went to the Malibu Foundation, which has pledged to help rebuild and regenerate Malibu, focusing on those most in need, such as the uninsured, those living paycheck to paycheck with no resources and animals in refuge and care. Going forward, the foundation will promote proper wildfire prevention and land stewardship initiatives.
Focusrite • pro.focusrite.com
