When Chris ‘Privet’ Hedge set out on the current world tour as Front of House engineer with Simply Red, there was one piece of equipment he would not have left home without: a DiGiCo D5 console.

This year, the tour has taken in Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and the USA before heading for Europe, starting in Glasgow, at the end of March. That is a lot of different environments. Why did Privet choose the D5 and how has it performed?

“I’ve used the D5 for three years now, with KT Tunstall, Mika, Alicia Keys and now Simply Red,” he says. “It has a very natural sound and all the artists I’ve used it with are primarily organic, live acts. I find the console very easy to lay out and operate intuitively; it's very much a mixer's console.

“I'm using one of Brit Row's Version 4 D5s and I use it very simply. On the current tour we have 48 mic inputs and, as well as the onboard FX, I have four engines of TC6000 and an SPX990 plumbed into it. The only external inserts are an Avalon 737 on the lead vocal and a Waves MaxxBCL. I use one stereo Toms group and four stereo matrices: one to an XTA448 for EQ and zoning, a spare, one for CDR and one to a distribution amp for media.

“We’ve been using a variety of different speaker systems and I save a show session file for each manufacturer, as there are slight, but crucial input EQ differences from system to system. I have a snapshot for each song, although only faders, cuts, FX, midi and aux sends are automated. A good number of inputs are completely 'safe'. The snapshots give me a basic DCA shape and any FX changes for the start of each tune and after that, I just mix.

“The current tour is in three sections. The first, now completed, was the world leg, where we played every type of show imaginable, although they were mostly big outdoor gigs. We carried control and used local racks and stacks. Currently, we're playing arenas using a Brit Row V-Dosc system, and later in the year it’s back to outdoor shows and festivals. Of course, the footprint is a consideration – even at large shows – every seat that's taken out to accommodate control is money wasted.

“The way I use the system has roughly stayed the same throughout the time I’ve been using it. All I needed to learn with setting up digital boards, after years of using XL4s, was to think in advance what I wanted from it in each application and lay it out accordingly at the start.

“I use the D5’s internal effects throughout the show. I have a huge ’80s snare reverb, a few delays, and some gentle chorusing 'wobbles' on the brass. The majority of the FX are on the TC6000 though. I'm only using the IPCs on this show to delay the matrix feeds to media.

“For me, though, the best thing about this D5 has been its reliability on the world tour. No amount of chucking it on and off airplanes, lorries and forklifts has caused a blip in its operation. Naturally, as with any equipment on such a hard tour, a little regular tightening up and re-seating goes a long way. And threatening it with a hammer…....”