An early adopter of KLANG, David McEwan, FOH Engineer for Nitin Sawhney, had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to upgrade the band’s monitoring solution with a KLANG:vokal system. When Sawhney announced the Identity Tour for 2024, McEwan knew that the right moment had finally arrived. Streamlined workflows are integral to the way Sawhney works and utilising KLANG:vokal has improved efficiency across the whole sound system.
The Identity Tour was a paired back celebration of the album by the same name, featuring collaborations with some of Sawhney’s favourite international friends and artists, described as ‘a love letter to who we all are.’ The tour completed dates across the United Kingdom and Portugal, including a set at Glastonbury Festival.
McEwan chose KLANG for the tour because band members had loved it in the past and he was keen to recreate the easy-going vibes that they all remembered from a previous tour.
“We first used KLANG a few years ago. We were definitely early adopters,” McEwan enthused. “We remember that first tour with KLANG as a halcyon experience, it was just one of those where everything went right and using KLANG was a contributing factor.”
In October 2023, the band performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of Journeys, a festival recognising diverse journeys and identities through music. The RAH offered another opportunity to use KLANG and it was the same outcome. The band were happy and comfortable on stage, everything worked without any issues and they left knowing that the upcoming tour dates would be enhanced if they could purchase a KLANG system of their own.
“When we heard that the RAH was keen for us to use KLANG, we were excited. It coincided with the start of our next tour, so the stars were aligned,” McEwan continued. “Andy Huffer at HD Pro Audio was able to supply a :vokal system and we knew that incorporating it would reduce our hire costs, meaning the purchase would pay for itself over the course of that one tour, making it very cost-efficient.”
By using KLANG, the band have been able to reduce their touring equipment and their sound check time, which is now down to under half an hour. Using a Yamaha DM7 at the front of house position means that the :vokal unit can take audio directly from the RIO, with reverbs provided by the playback laptop, eliminating the requirement for a separate monitor console. Monitor engineers can oversee mixes, responding if needed using the KLANG:app. Personal control of their mixes is also possible for musicians, meaning they have complete autonomy.
It is not just time and cost savings that has got McEwan excited about his new streamlined workflow: “We use six mixes for musician monitors with six additional mix-outs being sent to the reverbs. It means that the musicians can set up their own effects returns without having to worry about affecting the front of house mix.”
The musicians have access to their mixes via the KLANG:kontroller, this handy device is Powered over Ethernet (PoE), so it is a tidy and reliable set-up. Across multiple venues the band has the consistency they need to perform at their best and this is a major bonus of using the KLANG system, as McEwan explains: “It is a safe standalone system with a consistency of workflow across multiple venues, regardless of hire stock or venue rider,” he said. “Being in control means that the musicians are always happy with their mix. They control their set-up, and when the shows expand, there is capacity in the system for us to accommodate guests.”
Adding to a KLANG:vokal system could not be easier. The standalone units self-configure, so expanding the network is intuitive and stable, as McEwan concluded: “Nitin appreciates streamlined technology, so with this efficient slimmed down tour, knowing that the equipment is stable and easily adaptable means that he is happy. When we can just trust the equipment, it makes for a successful tour and happy musicians, what more can you ask for?”
