Elton John | Live in New Plymouth | New Zealand 2007
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- čas přidán 14. 02. 2014
- I was approached by eltonjohn.com to shoot and edit a behind-the-scenes doco for the fans, basically showing people what my dad does at the 'sound check' before the show. I was also asked to shoot bits and pieces of the show itself. This is the end result.
Even if you're not a fan of Sir Elton this is a unique look into the world of sound engineering and live concert production, and a chance for those of you who ARE fans to see a little piece of what was an absolutely amazing performance. - Hudba
Definately amazing in every wway!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Alot of the audience dont realise but these guys make the gig sound great...
As an engineer just a one-man solo show is like a dream come true and a nightmare come true all at once. It's great in that if you get it right, it's extremely good, but you have to have EVERYTHING exactly right like he said, otherwise you'll know. It's like being naked. If you're in perfect shape, naked is great, but if you're not then maybe a more covering swim suit is better for you lol.
Being a musician myself and loving Elton for almost 30 years this video is a true gift. Very interesting!! Elton’s crew is -and always has been- incredible!! Thank you💗
NO MATTER WHAT , THE SHOW MUST GO ON
This is the part I like the most about Sound. Good Sound Engineers are the real reasons why we are hearing good music, even when the musicians mess up, you won’t hear it due to the properly engineered sound.
I met FOH Matt Herr. The guy with glasses and the raincoat on yesterday. Really nice guy and i don't envy what he does.
what a cool documentary......and even cooler dad....i've been an Elton fan since 1971....I saw him 4 times live between 73-75.....when he played in Oakland, Ca in 1975 I had front row behind the stage seats and my dads instamatic camera...when he ran around the stage (Elton, not my dad) he shook all our hands.
when I went down to the front, he had 3 Roland space echos.
thanks for making this.
Well done, Arron! An excellent edit and job. Been listening to your dad's work for many years. Excellence obviously runs in the family. Thank you so much for sharing this. - Marcus
All those amazing songs just Elton and his piano. Incredible
I guess this venue allows musicians to literally *Stage Dive*
Very interesting, thanks for posting!
Salute to the hard working crew of this sound system
Thank you so much for uploading this video. I’d always wondered how Clive Franks used to tune the PA’s. I read some where that back in the day, he would use no music but his voice to tune the PA. To see that being done is great.
Great footage of the New Zealand concert!
Fascinating. Need to see more of this.
Great video. I wish they had more videos like this where we can see all the sound check and the equipment they use.
I can tell you what some of the main pieces of equipment are. Since this was filmed, a lot has changed.
Good morning, all professionals for sure with a high technical level ... all that was missing was a microphone for communication between the stage and the front soundboard. The technician was shouting, ending the vocal chords ... "I'm glad you didn't have to sing at night ..." Hug.
Hi literally had a radio mic at the beginning of the video
great work
this is such a good video. thank you.
Mixing over water is interesting. I have worked in that situation before. Actually we had a small lake between us and the act. It's very live and and sound really reflects over water.
Excellent.
This wasn’t really that long ago, but live sound tech has come light years since this.
My idol!
Nice to know that we small-time sound guys aren't the only ones who deal with headaches night to night!
13:49 ... Elton John's sense of humor is always a treat :)
Just watching the engineer getting everything in order was stressing me out. Such complexity, so many different channels, mics, etc. One thing goes wrong, it could potentially be a daunting task to figure out what it is.
love to see analog mixer ...different levels of engineering
Not really different level. Just different ways of working.
Wasnt your Dad dressed in the crocodile costume at the Hollywood Bowl show in 1974? That was so great !
HELLO, I also EQ a sound system by using my voice to find the funky frequencies.
Of course this is after using some digital smart system....the ear is still good.
And yes I walk the listening area as different places in the room will sound different.
😄
How cool. I met Clive Franks at the open (and now gone) Universal Amphitheater, Oct 6, 1979. It was a solo show, except for Ray Cooper in the second half. Elton was sick and collapsed in the beginning of “I Think I am Going to Kill Myself.” They were using a great system from Clair Brothers Audio. Clive was nice to speak with me. I was just starting out and had a decent run in the biz for a few decades.
2020 like
Any person critizicing this crew, has no idea about anything. I wanna see you mixing for Sir. Elton instead of talking shit from your couch.
This is the reality of touring world wide.
It’s messy, gear is less than ideal but you get through it.
I can’t even count the times I was in a FOH tent in the mud and rain trying to make the best of it. But the show goes on and you make sure the crowd has a great time.
118db! @10.20 And great FOH sound! (Neat video too)
wheres that wireless mic you were throat singing into ? use that to talk to the stage guys ...good grief
I use a PM5000 at church and I’m always curious how other PM5K users set up the buses. How were the buses on the console set up for Elton John’s analog shows?
TheBest
❤️❤️❤️❤️👍❤️❤️❤️❤️
Before the invention of the “shout box” I guess.
This guy is getting a good sound but his workflow is very brute force and PAINFULLY slow in my opinion. Even if this was a studio and I'd still think this was too slow. Also he seemed very quick to blame other pieces of gear rather than troubleshooting things himself. I mean he's mixed Elton John and I haven't but still.
Será que há cinco anos não existia TalkBack ainda? Kkkk O cara gritando na FOH
Long live analog FOH :)
As singers get older, they more and more "sing-talk" their hits.
This was before the invention of FOH Talk to Stage
bennygreen1 😂😂
118dB blasting through Elton’s Monitors….. my goodness
These days the average stage volume is about 90-100db due to most musicians wear IEM's We got told by a member of crew yesterday that Elton's monitors produce 120-130db and Elton says they're not loud enough. I was about 10ft away from the stage and it was extremely loud especially the crash cymbals but the sound was clear. Luckily i didn't leave with tinnitus or slightly going deaf afterwards.
120-130dB?! I think we can agree that the stage is louder than FOH pov from that point.
I can’t even pass 110dB onwards, that will kill hearing aid, my Live Sound and Studio career 😬
@@asyariaspari When we was allowed to go the front of the stage it was even louder but very clear.
10:39 119 Gigawatts? Great Scott!
whats the board he ios using looks super fleshed out! i love me some good naloug goodies
It's a Yamaha PM5000, analogue at its finest!
Except maybe a xl4 😉
Fantastic footage. 118db coming from his monitor speakers - Way too high - but if that what he prefers.....
Tony Walsh it's not "too high." it's his personal preference.
He sits right in front of them on stage.
118db isnt as high outside compared to inside. all about the SPL
@@420wizdumb6 SPL doesn't care if you're inside or out. Sure, inside a lot of that might be room refelctions, so the speakers themselves might not be 118 but the summed pressure will be. Whereas outside, most of that is probably just the speakers.
Point is, 118 is still 118 whether out or in, and it's really fucking loud
No Talkback Mic ?
How much were the tickets for this gig?
Halo
What pa is that ? ....he does seem to have a huge heap of ground stacked sub for solo show
I'm not sure what specific PA it is, but I know that when in New Zealand they would usually hire everything locally from a company called Oceania, most likely to save money transporting loads of equipment long distances for just one show. As for the subs, it may be a solo show but there's a lot of power in both Elton's voice and his piano that is fully enhanced by having a mighty and dynamic low-end. Plus you also want those bass frequencies to reach all the way to the back of the venue, so in this case more is most definitely better.
L-Acoustics V-DOSC / SB218
It's the L acoustics V-dosc tops and L acoustics SB218 subs. They have since been discontinued and replaced with the L acoustics K2 system.
Could be from college hill productions as they are the l acoustics partner in nz. Could also be Oceania/Norwest...
Good old Clive Franks he's worked with Elton for decades.
Happily retired now!
Same guy here 'psx' who posted below , I'm watching this again thinking I'd love to get into this field. What do you study, some kind of community college 2 year program in sound production I'm assuming? This kind of work is to be found on cruise ships for one thing. I've got the presence and pretty much still the vocals to play a piano bar on a ship I'd say, but I jut never developed my set past billy and Elton songs much, so I think I'd rather work where more work is to be securely found - the technical side. If anyone knows good schools in Northeast USA for this kind of work please let me know. Either this, piano tuning, or both perhaps :)
Frater Tenc Also they clearly have recorded Elton's playing of probably almost EVERY major song he plays live via MIDI - if they could release the MIDI files even for a cost, I'd pay. You could easily transpose them too into sheet music and then get the *real* deal what he plays while singing (hint -it's not the melody like in sheet music) :)
Frater Tenc feel free to check out my channel, I know a lot about EJ's playing if you're interested
I'd love to see MIDI files too
Thanks Max, will do. Matthew :) Well so far I once called Billy Joel's publicist and the woman who answered gave me an email to send any ideas to. I made it clear I was not selling my idea, but intellectual property is a very 'real' thing in law now, so perhaps I can draft up some kind of letter of intent for we Elton fans to email to his publicist or the appropriate person(s). If someone comments on this in the near future I'll be reminded, at least. But yeah, it's sad not many artists own their masters and all that.
Thank the lord for digital mixers...
Right😂 I honestly have no experience with analog
Nah, done both. Both have benifit, one is way more musical to play.
That's a lot of really important knob twisting.
No, it's a below average sound check video, of someone doing what every soundman in the world does.
Eltons ears must be absolutely wrecked.
Elton is probably a bit deaf after playing loud for decades. I've seen him live last year in Hove, UK and i thought it was going to be loud but in actual fact it was pretty quiet even 15 rows away from the stage but then again it was outdoors so the sound just escapes. I'm going to see him again this year at Manchester Arena, UK and i'll probably go deaf after that.
@@jaggass I was referring to his double pair of monitors. If he can't hear the separation in his vocal and piano through the single wedge then he's got serious issues.
Maybe he does have hearing loss.
@@jaggass Reckon so. I think most old rockers do!
@@gregchapman3519 Most old rockers will use wedges til they die simply because it's what their used to. A few have switched to IEM's like Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Francis Rossi etc.
what is the name of the song he sings 12:20
Daniel
what console is that?
Its a pm 5000 - a 4K doesn’t have red knobs
2..........
That’s why modern people like gaga ,or old rocker bonnie tyler use in ear monitor !
Why he doesn't a mic to speak with stage ?!
did he say 118dB? OMG!
So insane for keys/vox.
@@drewlassen4127 Even louder with the full band.
If that were true Elton would be deaf within 6 months
Ни хера себе он там на эквалайзере нарезал!
Ну и че ... настройка аккустики без зрителей в креслах? Тоже надо
I wish Matt would clean-up the mix on this Farewell Tour! I have a tremendous respect for him but my God, it's Elton's last tour and his piano is almost non-existent when the whole band is out there... the piano mix has no separation: the low-end is all mud and the mid-range is overpowered by everything. So disappointing, especially after seeing previous Elton tours in the same venues that sounded incredible.
Evan WHY POST AND THROW SHADE....LIKE YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT GREAT SOUND IS....
HAHAHA. ONLY A REAL BUTT HOLE SURFER THROWS DARK COMMENTS DURING THIS GREAT VID.
@paulthesoundguy1 First of all, for the record... I think this is a great video and I never doubted anyone's ability here. In fact, to counter what you said, I happen to work in this very industry, so I DO know what "great" sound is. Secondly, sound is completely subjective... you being a sound guy, already knows this. So just because I disagree with how it sounds, or feel it should be a certain way, doesn't mean everyone else should or does. I'm only speaking for MY own ear and MY first-hand experience when it comes to Elton. I've seen 10 of his shows, most in the same venues... I can tell you that the last shows I've seen (which were all Farewell shows), the mix wasn't as good (or perhaps 'as similar' is a better phrase) to the previous 7 shows/tours I've seen which sounded, in my opinion, worlds better.
I've been listening to audience recordings of shows from 6-8 years ago and then listening to audience recordings from this current tour, and there's a major difference in the mix... and mind you, the phones were worse 6-8 years ago than they are today. You'll probably think I'm crazy, but I actually think it's the Clair Brothers Cohesion Arrays. I can't recall off hand what Elton was using in the from say 2010-2016 until he switched to the Cohesions, but the sound was totally different, in a good way.
The last show I went to was Boston last November and the piano was truly non-existent except for when he was pounding the high notes, and I wasn't even in the back... I was in the balcony to the side of the stage with an array directly in front of me at eye level. Something was just off... the other couple Farewell shows I've been to were slightly better, but not great. And as a diehard fan, I'm disappointed by that... and I have every right to be. I'm sorry if you disagree, again... it's all subjective.
@@20gravedigger11 I'll tell you one thing that's definitely changed: in the last few years they've transitioned from an analogue to a digital mixing desk. The last Elton show I went to before the Auckland 'Farewell' concert last month was in Wellington in 2015, and Matt was still using the same desk my dad used for many years: the Yamaha PM5000. Now though its all gone digital, for better or worse. I myself had the luxury of sitting at the sound desk at the recent NZ show and I gotta tell you, I thought the sound was phenomenal! Was it as good as my dad's mix back in the day? As you've stated, sound is extremely subjective; comparing their styles would honestly be like trying to decide between an Aston Martin and a Tesla: they're both incredible, but the purists will always prefer the Aston for nostalgic reasons, even if the Tesla goes faster and costs less. It all just comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. Also, where you stand or sit in the venue has a huge effect on how good the sound is at most shows unfortunately, but I'm sure you probably know that.
M THEORY I’m so grateful you responded man because this wasn’t meant to put anyone down... and I love your analogy of the Aston Martin and the Tesla! I’m just such a huge fan and I feel something is different. I’ve never left an Elton concert disappointed before, but last November I did. Maybe it IS the analog vs. digital? Maybe it’s just a gain thing where the piano needs more? One thing I can say for sure - after giving more thought to this - is that to me, it seems there’s less of the Motif Rack (PowerGrand) in the piano mix than before, and as you know, that is way punchier and brighter than the MKS20. The Motif adds so much definition to the mid-range (I know because I happen to have both rack units for my own piano as an “Elton Rig”) and I’m starting to think maybe that is the difference. Either way, I love the video, and I wish more artists would what you did (without divulging too many secrets haha) because it truly is insightful. Again, I truly appreciate your response! Check out the video of my mini Elton rig in my channel!
@@MTHEORY321 I spoke to Matt yesterday about his mixing desk. He told me that the Yamaha PM5000 had a much warmer sound but the digital mixing desk sounds cleaner.
I didn’t like the bit where this FOH guy commented on o2 arena sound. He said he had got a pretty good sound in there unlike other acts that had played there and therefore Jimmy Page wanted to speak to him before he played there himself. The FOH guy would know it would be a completely different proposition mixing full bands in that space, compared with just focussing very carefully on a vocal, piano and bit of fx. Kind of felt a bit yukky to sneak a boast in there I thought. Interesting video though. Like the separate monitors for piano and voice!
He wasn't boasting at all, he clearly states that's what JIMMY had said while on a Radio show in the UK, and that the gig he'd seen was Elton's 'Red Piano' show at the 02 Arena (which featured the whole band, not just vocals and piano). The majority of shows Clive has mixed are full band shows; he knows his stuff trust me, and obviously Jimmy thought so as well.
Was a full band show at O2.........is hard to get a good sound and the bands mentioned. Did have bad sound....
All truths
It could well be surmised that Elton is just miming playing, given that it's all midi'd up including the backing parts. Fair enough, I probably would too; enough going on with singing, and fluffing the piano people will really notice, and be niggled by; definitely it's about putting on a good show.
A very good point. The harmonies for a start. ,meaning, a vocal harmoniser in the rack mount and even testing it on camera. Goodness. Maybe we really aren't hearing what we see.
You people are morons. This is a solo show. He’s used a vocal harmonizer on solo shows since 1979. Just because the piano is midi doesn’t mean he’s not playing.
Thank the lord for digital!
Thank science and numbers.
Good old New Zealand....
✔ Barely acceptable rain cover for hundreds of thousands of dollars of tech at a major event
✔ Crew yelling at each other from the booth to the stage (across a pond) about important technical decisions, instead of using radios
✔ Rain
He had a mic. in the beginning of the video?? I was thinking how the "big Guys" even have wireless talk back mics..
Was at that concert. It poured all day and stopped just at beginning of the concert. Not only was it pouring but I was a very cold rain. Loved this
God that sounds check must of sucked😂 glad they were able to do the show
How is Elton not deaf yet? he doesn't even wear in ear monitors when playing live
judging by the decibel levels in his monitoring setup, he is already deaf hence the need to have everything turned up louder than a jet engine.
4:18 hook up a talkback mic bro 👎-1
No se por que carajos grita tanto 😂😂.. Sabe mucho pero no es nada practico jajaja
no talkback.....
Damn, get a talk back mic, 200 night a year Yelling, silly