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The James Brown tour gets on up with Focusrite
Gavin Pearce is the FOH engineer for James Brown’s live show and is currently touring the world with the Godfather of Soul. As well as having a stack of gear in his studio, Gavin uses the ultimate portable interface to record each show - the Focusrite Saffire.
With a musical upbringing Gavin Pearce was almost destined to end up with a career in sound but at the age of 18 when he took his first sound job he could have hardly dared to hope to be doing what he’s doing now.
“I wasn’t quite sure what to do with an insert at that point,” he laughs, “but one day a week turned into two which turned into seven and here we are! I have toured with several Broadway shows and music acts. The most notable are James Brown [on the current tour], Three Mo’ Tenors, Cook, Dixon and Young (also the current tour) and John Legend.”
Pearce is already a huge Focusrite fan. “I buy Focusrite gear because I like the way it sounds. I have 16 Channels of the Focusrite Platinum series, nine channels of the Focusrite Green series and a Focusrite OctoPre with the digital I/O option.”
But while on tour there is just one piece of gear that he needs for recording. “I have been using a Focusrite Saffire,” he says. “It has been traveling with me on the road for recording the shows. It’s nice and small and sounds great.”
As well as recording the shows the Saffire is also needed after they finish. As the unit is so portable and easy to use, it is in demand by various members of the James Brown band for use on their own projects!
“The band members like to track a lot on the road, so they will borrow the Saffire from me if I'm not helping them. There’s Fred Thomas, The James Brown band’s bass player since 1971. He and the other guys have been working on solo stuff in their hotel rooms. I help a little here and there and lend my Saffire as much as possible. It’s working out so well that Robert ‘Mousey’ Thompson (James Brown’s drummer for 13 years) and I are getting ready to work on his solo project in my studio.”
Gavin has just finished the latest leg of the James Brown tour but will soon be embarking on the next one, but with demand being so high, maybe he should pack one or two extra Saffires!
Gavin Pearce’s studio and live tips • “I find my self doing less EQing with Focusrite gear in the studio. I choose a mic, place it and it sounds the way I think it should.
“Live and studio stuff are two very different animals. I see some studio guys come out to do live stuff and they fail because they don’t understand the basics. There are so many more factors involved when you try to make something live loud. My live sound philosophy is to make it only as loud as it needs to be to be clear and good. Evaluate the venue, maybe the screaming guitar doesn’t need to be in the PA, or maybe that snare drum doesn’t need to make people blink every time it hits. Don’t send them home with their ears ringing. That helps me too!”
2nd June 2006
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