Charlie Bradley: Elevating Monitor Mixes with Sonnox Plug-ins
Veteran live sound engineer Charlie Bradley has honed his craft over two decades, mixing monitors for top-tier artists such as Robbie Williams, Annie Lennox, Snow Patrol, Mark Ronson, and Shakira. On a recent Duran Duran tour, we caught up with Charlie to discuss his experience with the Avid S6L console and his passion for Sonnox plug-ins in creating the perfect in-ear mix.
Finding His Path in Live Sound
Charlie’s journey into live sound was somewhat unexpected. “I did a bit of studio engineering and went to TV production school, but got bored with it and ended up in live sound,” Charlie recalls. Initially, monitor mixing was just the job available, but it quickly became his passion. "I love the interaction with the band and being part of the whole vibe on stage."
Despite not being musically inclined—he doesn’t play an instrument or sing—Charlie’s technical skills and understanding of music and frequencies made him a natural fit for monitor mixing. “Since I started mixing in-ears 15 years ago, it’s become more creative. It’s not just about ‘a bit more of this or that’ anymore; it's about delivering full stereo mixes,” he says. This shift requires providing great-sounding mixes as a foundation for the band, a new skill set Charlie embraced wholeheartedly.
Perfecting In-Ear Monitoring
Charlie and the four members of Duran Duran rely on JH Audio Roxannes for their in-ear monitors, while the rest of the musicians use JH16s. "I need to hear exactly what the guys are hearing, so it’s important to use matching monitors. Otherwise, it’s like trying to mix FOH from a different room—you’re not hearing what they are hearing," Charlie explains.
Charlie’s console of choice for years was the Avid PROFILE, largely due to his extensive collection of plug-ins compatible with Avid consoles. However, the need for more outputs pushed him towards the new Avid S6L. "On the last tour with Snow Patrol, I had to run two consoles to cover all the outputs needed for strings, horns, and backing vocals," Charlie notes. "The S6L has all the outputs I need, and the band noticed the difference right away—the mixes sounded better in their in-ears."
The Role of Sonnox Plug-ins
Introduced to Sonnox by Snake Newton, Duran Duran’s FOH engineer, Charlie began integrating Sonnox plug-ins into his monitor mixes during the current tour. "The Oxford Dynamics plug-in gave me a whole bundle of options in one place that I generally look for on a vocal," says Charlie, who uses it on Simon Le Bon’s vocals with gentle compression, warmth control, and some EQ in the upper-mids.
The Quest for Perfect Reverb
Transitioning from TDM to AAX DSP, Charlie found a lack of high-end reverb options, which posed a significant challenge, especially when mixing for artists like Annie Lennox. "You can’t provide someone like Annie with a cheap-sounding reverb in their in-ear mix. A nice, lush reverb is part of their vocal sound," he says. The Oxford Reverb became his go-to solution: "The ‘48 Thin Plate’ preset was exactly the clean plate sound I needed in an AAX DSP plug-in at 96k. It sounds great—you just can’t beat it."
Enhancing Dynamics with TransMod
While compression is essential for drums, it can sometimes dull the initial attack. For Charlie, the Oxford TransMod is invaluable. "It’s great for increasing the attack while leaving the rest of the sound intact. It helps make elements, especially drums, ‘pop’ in the mix without being overly loud."
Smooth and Transparent De-Essing
De-essing can be tricky, often resulting in a dull vocal if not done right. Charlie found the SuprEsser DS plug-in to be a game-changer. "It’s easy and intuitive to use, and I love the graphical representation of the audio signal you’re trying to de-ess. Being able to see and adjust the frequency band exactly makes it easy to dial in the right amount, ensuring a subtle and natural result."
The Sonnox Advantage
Charlie appreciates that Sonnox understands the needs of live engineers, always listens to feedback, and, most importantly, delivers great-sounding plug-ins. “Mixing in-ears is all about dynamic range and understanding compression. Sonnox plug-ins help me achieve the clarity, width, and separation I need for each mix, ensuring the band hears exactly what they need to perform at their best.”