But while his mix is more sedate on this trek, it’s also more com-
plex and considered. In addition to the singer and her acoustic or
electric guitar, the stage includes Lights’ core band members – gui-
tarist Brodie Tavares, keyboardist Adam Weaver, and drummer Maurie
Kaufmann – plus a string trio anchored by cellist Kevin Fox, also the
orchestrator for these shows, and a violinist and violist local to each
city. The result is more mics on a more diverse range of sources than
a typical gig with Lights and most of his other clients.
“Our mic kit will rival anything out there,” Kaplinski says with
a small air of pride. The package is comprised of mics from his and
monitor engineer Dave Thiel’s personal collections, supplemented by
a few DPA models direct from the company’s Canadian distributor,
GerrAudio. “When we did the CBC [for a First Play Live performance],
apparently it was the best mic kit they’d ever seen come in with an
artist.”
The package includes: DPA d:facto handheld supercardioids for
vocals; DPA d:vote 4099s on all the strings; an sE Electronics Voodoo
ribbon mic for dry guitar; a Beyerdynamic M160 ribbon for Weaver’s
Wurlitzer; and a drum package with a Shure Beta 91A and Audix D6
on the kick, a Shure Beta 56A and DPA 4011 on the snare top, Senn-
heiser 604 on the snare bottom, Neumann KM184 for hi-hats, DPA
4099s for the toms, and an Ear Trumpet Edwina as a mono overhead.
All of the direct sources go through a Rupert Neve Designs RNDI.
As for the rest of the package, which was sourced through PRG
Toronto save for the units in his FOH rack, Kaplinski offers an over-
view of his rig topology, starting with his Digico SD11 console. He
notes that the overall system design is based on that used by FOH
engineer Andy Meyer for Justin Timberlake’s 2018 Man of the Woods
tour (as covered in the August 2018 issue of Professional Sound).
Despite its small footprint – which was particularly attractive
for this application – the SD11 packs all the punch he needs. “For
12 faders, it’s one of the most powerful desks out there. There aren’t
many shows I can’t do on it these days, provided it’s under 96 inputs,”
he says, citing advantages like isolated gain tracking and a seamless
workflow with Thiel’s SD11 in monitor world, which means no extra
splits. “It’s really tight, really concise, and really fast. I love the sound of
Digico consoles; for me, they’re the best out there right now.”
Rounding out his FOH rack are: an Antelope Orion converter
and interface, which is basically his I/O for anything external; a UAD
Apollo 8 interface; RME MADI converter; Rupert Neve Designs 5045
Primary Source Enhancer, Portico II Channel Strip, and Portico II Mas-
ter Buss Processor; Smart Research C2 compressor; and an Empirical
Labs Distressor.
“I’ve been on the Apollo 8 train for about three years now, and I
love it. It just takes everything to another level,” he says, noting he uses
the Lexicon 480 plug-in on Lights’ vocals and has tapped into the new
Chamber Reverb for the string section and background vocals. “The
integration with the console is amazing, too.”
As for the rest of Lights’ vocal chain, which Kaplinski admits also
mirrors Meyer’s set-up for Timberlake, he says: “The 5045 is a really
powerful piece to be able to get the vocals loud and present and pull
down the stage ambiance.”
The master buss processor helps to widen his PA image, which
has been especially beneficial on the acoustic run. “Instead of just mak-
ing things louder, I try and get things wider and lean on that dynamic.
It really helps to bring all these different sources together with the
right nuance,” he offers.
The audio systems all sit on an Optocore fibre network – one
more tip of the cap to Meyer – which helped to keep everything lean
CHRIS KAPLINSKI’S FOH SET-UP
and portable. “The whole set-up, including lighting, had to be really
efficient,” Kaplinski stresses. “We’re a crew of three on the production
side, and there are days where we need to have everything up and
running within a couple of hours.” Thanks to the fibre solution, he says,
they can have every audio component up and running within 20 min-
utes of the truck being unloaded.
Discussing his approach to his mix, Kaplinski says, first and
foremost, he wanted to stay true to the original Skin & Earth Acoustic
recordings. That’s where Lights’ penchant for all things technical was
particularly valuable. As her fans can tell you, the artist is something
of a creative polymath and has been recording and producing music
since her teens.
“She just doesn’t stop,” Kaplinski says, admiring his client’s hus-
tle with a huge grin. “She’s the busiest person I’ve ever seen, and
works harder than anyone else. That inspires me and inspires our
team; she really sets the example for what’s going on. Like, she built
this career, and it’s easy to see why she’s been so successful. She’s
running this show.”
Her technical prowess is just one part of that, but one that Kap-
linski enjoys tapping into. “It’s great to be able to ask her how some-
thing was done on the record; she can always tell me right down to
the detail and I really like diving into those conversations,” he says.
“She knows exactly what she wants to hear and how to get it.”
He also relishes the relationship he’s forged with Thiel since
joining Lights’ camp in 2017. “We’re just super nerdy and both seem
to want to make things the best they can possibly be,” he shares,
pointing to the unique mic collection they assembled for the tour as
an example. “We get excited about gear and the possibilities of what
we can do. We were experimenting and tweaking things right up to
the last day of tour, and then even texting each other photos of used
gear for sale on the flight home [laughs].”
Ultimately, the engineer was very proud of the experience that he
and his collaborators were able to deliver for their audience – impactful,
immersive, and inimitable. “The dynamic range at these shows was just
so incredible,” he stresses. “It sounded massive – very ambient, but
really punchy and transient. We were getting such rich sounds and,
from a kind of selfish perspective, it was so rewarding to get to work in
this kind of environment with this team. It was just so much fun, and I
can honestly say it’s one of the best tours I’ve ever done.”
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief of Professional Sound.
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 37