2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards Extravaganza Features Yamaha PM10
Monitor Mixer Uses New Digital Board Supplied by Acoutech
The Billboard Latin Music Awards are the culmination of the Billboard Latin Music Conference that took place April 24-27 at the Ritz Carlton Miami Beach. The televised awards presentation was held on April 27 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. The longest-running event in the world dedicated to Latin music, the ceremony celebrated its 23rd year and featured performances by Jennifer Lopez, Daddy Yankee, Ricardo Arjona, Alejandro Fernández, Gente De Zona, Banda MS, CNCO, Morat, Nicky Jam, Zion & Lennox, Wisin, J Balvin, Yandel, Ozuna, and Reik, to name a few.
Up front at the monitor mix position, engineer Jason Spence, President of J Sound Services in Nashville, used a Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 Digital Audio Console. Acoutech of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida provided the console for the show. “The decision to use a PM10 was decided upon by Acoutech and Spence as we needed to ensure there were enough mix busses available for the number of artists and acts on stage,” states Robert Acito, Acoutech.
“Stepping up to the console it felt familiar, reminiscent of the PM1D on which I logged many hours and hundreds of shows, says Spence. Most impressive though, and foremost, the console sounded fantastic!!! I felt that I was hearing the instruments with more precision and resolution than I've heard from a digital console. The Rupert Neve Designs SILK feature added a depth to my mixes that has been illusive in most digital mixers.”
Spence said he ended up engaging SILK on every channel. “Even without adding selectable 'Blue' or 'Red' characteristics that facilitate sonic shaping right at the input stage, just turning the transformer emulation on had a special sound. I also extensively used the on-board plug-ins including tc Electronics reverbs and Neve EQ's and compressors. My standard channel strip set up for vocals ended up being transformer on with Smooth EQ and a Portico 5043 compressor. I also used the Rupert EQ 773 and Portico 5043 compressor on acoustic guitars. My other favorites include the EQ-1A on snare, U76 on electric guitars, Opt-2A on electric bass, and Buss Comp 369 across stereo mixes. The Eventide H3000 was not available on the version I mixed on, so I’m anxious to mix my next show on the PM10 with this addition.”
Spence participated in Yamaha authorized dealer training so he was familiar with the PM10 hardware components. He also spent a day during the week prior to the Billboard Latin Music Awards with Yamaha programming his template for the show. “After a couple days of rehearsals, I was getting around on the PM10 quickly. My time with Yamaha during rehearsals was spent going into more depth of the console’s functionality and idiosyncrasies. Although the surface was similar to the PM1D with its selected channel strip, the software was much more like the CL Series.”
“The PM10 worked as expected and performed well," adds Acito. "We also used a Dante HY-144 card to split the pre-amps to the front of house mix position using two Yamaha RMio64-Ds to feed the music console MADI off of the console’s pre-amps.”
Typical of any award show Spence has mixed, he was responsible for operating the PM10, but did have a few guest engineers come in to assist in dialing up what their artists prefer to hear. “I received numerous comments on the PM10’s quality of sound starting the very first day, notes Spence. Jason Atwell, who has been the IEM pack technician on the show for more than ten years, noticed a significant improvement immediately. And, of course, the positive comments continued throughout from the artists and their staff.”
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