Front-of-house engineer Paul “Pab” Boothroyd at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 14, 2014
Avid reports that Sir Paul McCartney and his band are using Avid VENUE live sound and Pro Tools audio production solutions from the Avid Artist Suite, powered by the Avid MediaCentral Platform, to mix and record the concerts for the 59-show Out There tour.
The high point of McCartney’s tour was an historic performance at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, where The Beatles’ last public concert took place 48 years ago, on August 29, 1966. McCartney’s most recent performance was also the stadium’s last show before shutting down after 54 years of hosting live acts and serving as home field to the city’s sports teams.
For the final concert at Candlestick, McCartney’s front-of-house engineer, Paul “Pab” Boothroyd, used an Avid VENUE | Profile System for mixing and Pro Tools | Software for recording the concerts. VENUE | Software running on the Profile system gives Boothroyd supreme integration with plug-ins and Pro Tools, delivering an exceptional user experience and streamlined workflows.
“I was using one of the first Avid VENUE systems when they came out, and then I moved to the more compact Profile System,” says Boothroyd. “With Paul, one minute we’re in a stadium and the next I’m mixing in a broom cupboard in the Cavern in Liverpool, so the Profile became my console of choice. All my effects are onboard, which simplifies my setup considerably. And the quality of sounds you can get from today’s plug-ins is amazing.
“We properly record everything Paul does—sound checks and shows—for archiving and for virtual soundchecks,” continues Boothroyd. “At Candlestick Park, for example, we threw in “Long Tall Sally”, which was something that he hadn’t done before, so that will be put away for possible future use along with the video and film footage that we also archived. If you want a proper multitrack Pro Tools recording, only Avid solutions can give you that kind of setup.”
Using the Virtual Soundcheck feature in VENUE systems, Boothroyd is able to take shows that were previously recorded in Pro Tools and play them back through the Profile System for quickly dialing in a sound check mix at the venue without needing the band onstage. This accelerates the set-up process and provides additional time for refining snapshots, plug-in settings and dialing in the perfect mix.
Find more information about the Avid MediaCentral Platform.
Learn more about the Avid VENUE | Profile system.
For information about Pro Tools | Software, go to www.avid.com/US/products/pro-tools-software.
