Despite the current lockdown regulations severely affecting artists’ ability to make a living, many South African musicians continue to push the boundaries and explore new technologies to create and share their work online.
Steven Bosman of @Drum Above is a versatile and talented South African drummer who decided to use the lockdown to create some content for online streaming.
Lighting of the room was achieved using a combination of Robe and Claypaky LED moving head fixtures, which are ideal for touring and live events but are also extremely versatile and can be adapted to the small studio space with ease. “I was super excited with the amazing lighting design for the videos,” says Steven. His team used a combination of Robe Esprites and the Robe Spikies to create a dramatic and highly versatile design, featuring some engaging gobos for the four videos shot during the session. A strip of Robe Tetras were used to create a perfectly uniform wall of light – a signature of the fixture – behind Steven’s drum kit to generate a feeling of movement and depth during his performance. Also, the compact but powerful Claypaky B-EYE added a dramatic punch when it came down to washing the performance area. The lighting rig was controlled using a grandMA3 Light console in Mode2, which is another piece of technology that is famous for its performance on live events and in studio environments alike.
Steven and his crew used Audix microphones to record the session. “The Studio Elite 8 drum set mic, which we demoed during the session curtesy of DWR Distribution, is specially designed for the needs of a professional drummer.” When asked what his first impression of the microphones was like, he said: “These mics are just the best thing since sliced bread.”
In addition to distributing the complete range of Audix Microphones, DWR is also the distributor of KLANG:fabrik. This revolutionary in-ear monitoring system is designed to create an immersive soundscape for artists while recording or performing live. “I feel very privileged to have been allowed to experience the Klang effect first-hand, which made my entire audio world feel like a 3D experience.”
Steven goes on to explain that on the recording side, a DiGiCo S31 was used. “With its renowned preamps, the built-in UB-MADI with its 48ch of I/O onboard the console made it very easy to connect the console to a computer and its DAW, making the recording very easy.”
“There is a common perception that DWR Distribution deals primarily with the bigger players in the technical, production and rental space. However, we are passionate about our industry and all of the people involved – from the biggest rental companies to the solo artists that want to discover something new,” says Vincent Niekerk of DWR. “I am blown away by the warm welcome that I received as well as the great advice and the opportunity to experience this level of technology first-hand,” concludes Steven.
