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Toto take DiGiCo Quantum 852 and Quantum 338 on world tour

When a colleague suggested to Ken Freeman, Toto’s front-of-house engineer, that he should swap to DiGiCo, he agreed and the switch became permanent. Starting with an SD 10, then the Quantum 338, he upgraded to a Quantum 852 for the band’s “Dogz of Oz” tour.

“With my previous console, I always had to run a Waves server for EQ and compression, but when I switched to DiGiCo, I was able to lose the server”, Freeman explains. “I use MainStage as my host software with Universal Audio and Liquidsonics for delays and reverbs. I have a scene for each song in MainStage, which I change via MIDI from the console. I also carry a 500 series rack of Empirical Labs outboard compressors.”

For the latest tour, Bernd Wittenberg of Go Audio, the band’s European supplier, suggested the upgrade to the Quantum 852, and Freeman decided to try it. Freeman notes that particularly the Mustard processing sold him on the Quantum Series: “Having the extra bank means I’ve always got track of my Groups, or effects, or aux sends right in front of me on the small faders. I like to mix centrally from the DCAs, so the inputs can sit either side of my main mixing fader bank. It gives me a visual representation, which I like. I use the Mustard processing and the Chilli (multi-band compressor/expander) all the time.”

Like Freeman, Toto’s monitor engineer Steve Kallos used to work with an SD10, but when this console was not available, he also switched to the Quantum 338. For Kallos, the Nodal Aux processing has been a game-changing feature, alongside practical benefits, such as the increased brightness and ergonomic layout of the screens on his Quantum 338. “One useful feature with the new v20 update is the addition of Mustard processing on each channel strip”, he adds. “The Mustard Source Expander (MSE) is particularly useful to me as it keeps stage noise on selected mics down to the very minimum.”

Toto’s rehearsals for the “Dogz of Oz” tour were held at Go Audio’s facility in Hamburg. Freeman and Kallos say they’re grateful for the positive relationship with Go Audio. “I’ve worked with Bernd for fourteen years, and the company has grown exponentially during that time”, shares Freeman. “Bernd has always gone the extra mile to support us, and not just because he loves Toto. The isolated control room is a huge plus; I can set up with a pair of Genelec reference monitors. Go Audio have been our European suppliers for the entire time I have been with Toto.”

2025 is another busy year for Toto, with dates in Australia and New Zealand in the spring, plus concerts across America in the summer already selling out.

(Photos: DiGiCo)

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