Live Mixing Classes with Robert Scovill

Ansata, the authorized representative of AVID professional audio products in India – joined hands with the leading audio brand to deliver a series of intense live mixing masterclasses in Mumbai and Bangalore, which was conducted by Robert Scovill. He is a decorated veteran sound engineer and a winner of 6 TEC Awards as best live mix engineer. He shared some invaluable pearls of wisdom in addressing a live production scenario.

The masterclasses, which were conducted in Mumbai at Hotel Sea Princess – Regal, while in Bangalore on at The Chancery Pavilion hotel, were meticulously designed by team ANSATA and AVID to help users get the most out of mixing with the AVID Venue systems.

Robert from his vast experience shares the mixing aesthetic values and nuances using his favorite console VENUE S6L and gave tips & techniques and stressed on making the most out of the digital console. In the session he made aware of how a master craftsmanship of sound Engineer should be, integrating and incorporating new technology, to better enhance and refine the arts of mixing craft.

He brilliantly explained on VCA grouping strategies, effective use of matrix, analog vs. digital metering and share more intricate tricks such as the Abbey Road Reverb Technique, New York Compression and more. Robert also discussed aspects such as delay compensation in the live world scenario and dealing with latency in digital consoles.

The sessions in both cities enjoyed a rousing response, clocking approximately 120 attendees in total, with visitor profiles across both cities comprising serious participants from the realm of live sound encompassing aspirants, amateurs and professionals. Some of the country’s top engineers like Mujeeb Dadarkar, Ashish Saksena, K.J Singh, Lee Braganza, Hozaifa Sayed, Dwayne Das, Bruce Rodericks, Mark Thomas, and Sean Bout; along with noted industry professionals like Felix Remedios, Warren Dsouza, Manish Mavani, Anish Purao etc. who are the head honchos of some of India’s leading sound rental companies were also present.

Reputed engineer Ashish Saksena (personal engineer to Farhan Akhtar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy), aptly shares personal views saying, “Every time Mr. Scovill comes down we learn something new and amazing. This time was no different; we had an awesome workshop on mixing workflows and console management for a large number of tracks, and the entire experience was very enlightening to say the least. An amazing experience indeed”.

Hozaifa Sayed (senior faculty, department of sound at SeamEdu Media School) added to this saying, “It is always a pleasure to learn something new, and when it comes from a world renowned and respected engineer like Robert Scovill, the experience is just enhanced to a whole new level. Getting to know the intricate details of the VENUE S6L system and learning the finer nuances of the craft of live mixing from Robert was enlightening on so many different levels. The way he incorporates real-world examples into his dissertation is absolutely amazing and makes the entire experience of learning so very relatable and memorable.”

Jaigopal a.k.a Joe (director of Pondicherry based audio rental company Sound Garden) commended the session for being a holistic learning experience as he shared, “Not only is Robert an amazing engineer, he’s also a truly gifted teacher. This was not your typical masterclass which is usually only about the product and nothing else. Instead, Robert’s focus throughout the session was more on work ethic with an emphasis on understanding technology in a broad sense. That’s what made this session truly amazing, and a real masterclass in every sense of the word”.

Appreciation was reciprocated, as Robert praised the attendees, he commented “India is a very fertile ground filled with energy right now with regard to music and concert production. If I contrast this visit to my last visit just a few years ago, the amount of growth in both knowledge and of modern audio concepts and techniques is striking. There is a real and sincere hunger for insights in how the rest of the world works and they are putting that knowledge to use here. I am also thrilled by the amount of VENUE console adoption that has taken place in this region of the world. I’m so thankful to have a company the caliber of Ansata representing VENUE as well as other Avid products. Leslie (Lean) has enlisted and groomed a very well rounded staff at Ansata and they are positioned perfectly to positively impact the landscape of pro audio through intense dedication to education of users at every level of competency here in India.”