Cutler is plenty busy pulling double-duty
as the tour manager and monitor engineer. It
was him and Good’s usual monitor engineer,
Luke Purchase, that collaborated on gear
choices; however, a late scheduling conflict
led to Sullivan stepping in on short notice
and inheriting what had already been spec’d.
Basically, Cutler says, the SC48 is a tried-
and-true workhorse. “It works, sounds good,
and easily integrates with Waves [plug-ins],”
he puts in.
A complement of d&b audiotechnik
monitors and drum subs are running onstage
for Our Lady Peace to supplement the band’s
in-ear mixes, with the monitor amps going
directly in via AES. As for the IEMs, it’s a com-
plement of Shure PSM1000s for both artists.
“There’s a lot more panning going on
in the ears than most of the other bands
I’ve worked with,” says Cutler about one
unique aspect of working with Our Lady
Peace. “Other than that, the guys have great
sounds, and that makes mixing easy. We
have a three-point talkback system on deck,
so on-the-fly changes can happen quickly.”
Despite not having much of a say at the
outset, Sullivan says he’s more than com-
fortable at the SC48. “I’ve been touring with
and using SC48s and Profiles for a number
of years with other artists,” he says, “and it’s
been working just fine.”
He’s also a big fan of the PSM1000 units,
saying he’s been requesting them on the
road for years now. “They’re the best-sound-
ing and most reliable for RF IEMs, in my
opinion, and have been rock solid [on this
tour] as usual so far.”
Though Good and the band don’t rely
on the stage package, drummer Blake
Manning does take advantage of a Porter &
Davies BC2, which mounts onto the throne
to offer a good, physical “thump” when the
kick drum sounds.
“Everyone’s mixes are pretty straightfor-
ward,” Sullivan says about Good and compa-
ny. “The guys all want a bit of everything to
varying degrees, with their primary instru-
ments on top.” That said, there are quite a few
changes from song-to-song, so he’s been
taking advantage of snapshots in the SC48.
“Every musician is different in my ex-
perience,” he continues. “It’s really a matter
of learning how each individual wants and
needs to hear things to be most comfort-
able onstage and give the best perfor-
mance each night. Matt and the guys have
been playing for a long time, so it’s been
pretty natural building a rapport with them
and understanding what they’re looking for.
MEYER SOUND LYON MAIN ARRAYS &
LEOPARD SIDE HANGS
“EVERY MUSICIAN IS DIFFERENT IN MY EXPERIENCE. IT’S REALLY A MATTER OF LEARNING
HOW EACH INDIVIDUAL WANTS AND NEEDS TO HEAR THINGS TO BE MOST COMFORTABLE
ONSTAGE AND GIVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE EACH NIGHT. MATT [GOOD] AND THE GUYS
HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR A LONG TIME, SO IT’S BEEN PRETTY NATURAL BUILDING A
RAPPORT WITH THEM AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR.”
-MATTHEW GOOD MONITOR ENGINEER MATT “SULLY” SULLIVAN
It’s a down-to-Earth group across the band
and crew who are all looking to put on the
best show possible, so I really couldn’t ask for
a more enjoyable time out here.”
Considering the nature of the tour – co-head-
lining acts who consider each other friends,
some shared systems and crew members,
and a relatively tight timeline ahead of the first
show – camaraderie was integral to its overall
success on several different levels.
“I love working with the VER team up
here in Toronto. They have some solid folks
working in that shop. Whenever I rent from
them, it’s plug and play,” Brody enthuses.
“Rarely do things go wrong, but when they
do, VER will go the extra mile. I had a screen
die on the S6L and the recovery process was
incredible. We couldn’t get a replacement in
Toronto and shipping from the States wasn’t
an option time-wise. Shawn Loftus from
VER drove to Montreal to get a screen, then
flew to Halifax to personally deliver and rein-
stall it. If that’s not customer service, I don’t
know what is.”
He and Palmer also praise Malone specif-
ically. “It’s really great to have him beside me
during the show,” Brody continues. “It’s like
having a co-pilot when mixing. I’ll ask him to
take walks or make global EQ changes. He
can be my ears in places I can’t easily get to,
and I’m always open to his recommendations
during the show. Quite the luxury, really.”
VER’s Erik Paquette and Randall Knight
were also name-dropped a few times by
both bands’ crews.
With state-of-the-art systems and a pair
of heralded artists with new music to share,
the Our Lady Peace and Matthew Good
co-headlining run avoided the “nostalgia
vortex,” as Good and Maida put it in joint a
pre-tour interview. Instead, the bands are
bringing fresh sounds and old favourites to
diverse crowds of music fans in a range of
venues across the country.
Canadian rock is alive and well.
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief
of Professional Sound.
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 33