The Foo Fighters played a two-night run at the Berkeley Community Theatre (Berkeley, Calif.; mid-July 2006) for their acoustic tour. Rat Sound is providing the gear, including an L-Acoustics P.A., which projects FOH engineer Bryan Worthen’s crystal-clear mix. “We’re hanging nine of the V-DOSC and three dV-DOSCs, with dV-DOSCs along the front of the stage for front-fills,” says Worthen. “The Arcs go wherever I need them to get maximum coverage, mostly for under the theater balcony when there is one.”
Worthen is mixing on a DiGiCo D5, which he likes for its functionality. “The worksurface is like looking at an analog console with its multiple screens.” Meanwhile, monitor engineer Ian Beveridge is on a Yamaha PM5D, using around 20 mixes and between 33 to 44 inputs, depending on the show. Vocalist Dave Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, bassist Nate Mendel and guitarist Chris Shiflett are all on wedges for the acoustic gigs; Mendel will use a Sennheiser G2 and Future Sonics ear molds for the rock shows.
“I always put myself in the seat of the ticket-holders,” Worthen says of his mixing style. “I am very particular about hearing every little thing and feeling it, too — whether it be the Foo Fighters loud rock show or Foo Fighters mellow acoustic shows.”
