Three’s Company As Yamaha Tours With Margriet and Maarten

Two of the Netherlands best known musicians, Margriet Eshuijs and Maarten Peters, are currently playing an intimate series of concerts as a duo. Joining them on the Vuur (Fire) tour is a Yamaha 01V96i digital mixer, which plays a key role for the duo both on stage and in the studio.

As well as enjoying major success in the Netherlands with other bands and as solo artists, real life couple Eshuijs and Peters have worked together for many years, with Peters writing and producing many songs for Eshuijs’ solo career. Such has been their success that Eshuijs has been awarded all of the country’s top music awards - including three Edisons and a Golden Harp - as well as bring appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Both also tour as part of a full band production, but the Vuur tour has given fans a chance to see the duo in an intimate setting, telling anecdotes and stories between performing a mixture of their own and other artists’ songs.

Lourens Bood is the tour’s audio engineer and unofficial ‘third member’. Although using mainly in-house PAs, a Yamaha 01V96i console is providing continuity from the studio to every live show.

“We purchased the 01V96i because we knew it would be great for both recording and big enough to handle the Vuur live shows,” says Lourens. “With Margriet and Maarten handling all the instruments and vocals, it has enough channels and processing power for these shows, but is very easy to move on my own. I also use the USB port for playback and recording a stereo mix of each show.

He continues, “At home Maarten uses a Yamaha Tyros keyboard for songwriting. Using it with the 01V96i it has resulted in excellent demos and using the same console live assists with translating the songs to the live environment.

“The only change I’ve made to the console is to add a set of wooden side panels. We think it makes it look a little more classy,” he smiles.

Another Yamaha keyboard making a significant impression is the new CP4 stage piano, which the duo are touring with. “I absolutely love it. On previous tours I have used pianos that the venues own, but the CP4 sounds so good that there is no need for us to go to the trouble of amplifying acoustic pianos any longer,” says Eshuijs.