Billie Eilish’s FOH Engineer, Drew Thornton (Podcast Episode 6)

Since Billie Eilish began touring, Drew Thornton has been the Front of House Engineer-taking this show all over the world to arenas, stadiums, and festivals. Drew shares his approach and techniques as a live audio mix engineer in this in-depth interview.
Drew’s Instagram: / drewmthornton
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[@davidwainscott4583]

I heard Drew's mix at Music Midtown 2023. It was perfection. I knew the issues he had with Billie's vocal, and she sounded amazing. As a live engineer since 1977 and touring FOH in the 80's for everyone from The O'Jays to Beatlemania to Guns 'N Roses, it was the best mix I've ever heard, and with all you had to deal with. Kudos Drew. Great interview Joe. Learned a lot.

[@radioflyer2030]

24:08 As a live sound engineer, the greatest favor you can do yourself is to buy your own console. Even if it's just a used Presonus StudioLive rack, Yamaha TF rack or Behringer x32 rack, the ability to try any idea you come up with at any time of day or night is priceless. Record the live shows you work on to a DAW whenever you can (with permission, of course), so you always have a library of live concerts to rework on your own console at home. You will quickly find yourself moving ahead of other engineers that don't do anything / practice anything until the next time they are standing in front of a venue console.

[@djabthrash]

Workaround if you don't own the console : recreate the workflow of said console in your DAW (using the same kind of EQ, gate, compressors, FX, numbers of busses, etc) and mix in your DAW as if you were mixing the show live. I do that in Reaper to train for gigs on Midas M32R and Presonus StudioLive 16R.

[@viincentfonkert2870]

Very very true, thanks for the tip!

[@radioflyer2030]

@@djabthrash - Absolutely true. A note of caution to those trying this technique for the first time... be sure to set up the DAW **exactly** like a hardware console... hardware is always going to be more limiting... in a DAW you can do amazing things that even the top end hardware won't do, let alone the lower cost consoles at most venues. Also, the Yamaha, Presonus and Behringer apps will run without the hardware connected, and while they won't let you do stuff that isn't possible once the hardware is attached, you can still create a configuration that is going to be just awful if you load it at a show. Finally, depending on where in the world you are, and what kind of sound work you do, you may find that owning your own console gets you jobs / extra work you might otherwise not get. I've had the awesome opportunity to work with some semi famous Latin pop stars when they played at local venues simply because I own my own console & in-ears hardware, and I'm one of the few sound engineers in my country that really knows how to do proper, separate in-ears mixes for each musician in the group.

[@djabthrash]

@@radioflyer2030 agreed 100%

[@jas_bataille]

I really wish all the young singers that comes to my stage wishing and trying to hard to sound like Billie could understand the level of not only technique and control, but also the sheer amount of technical work involved on the FOH side to make vocals as breathy and quiet as those come alive on stage. Also, that they will have to deal with the heartbreak that it's impossible to sound like this starting to play live. Billie knows how to project very very well and her breath control is beyond belief, but it's not gonna work without the insane compression, EQ, verb work AND the tracks. There are quite a few young singers who need to understand that you cannot simply replicate this live even if you do know how to sing really well.

[@HoldenLeDinh]

Thank you for this! It’s really helpful to get an inside look on professional live sound. As a solo gigging musician, with the occasional band gig, it’s mind blowing to know the precision you guys are performing and the fact that what y’all are doing during the show is a performance in of itself🤯

[@iConnectivitySupport]

Great convo gentlement. Nice to see some familar faces talking about what we love on our KZbin feed.

[@dwaynearthur1476]

Great interview , Both parties bring their insights into doing live sound and it is greatly appreciated ! 😊

[@mattrixx_audio]

Just saw this and the point about the LR buss processing, as opposed to backing up to the source or groups for broadcast, is soo relevant now, especially in the ATMOS broadcast world. Buss processing doesn't do anything in the bed and object world. ie Doesn't do anything with objects tracks and only messes the balance with them when used on the bed buss. Great interview guys. And massive respect to Drew's Billie mixes, which sound amazing.... now I know why. Great attention to every detail. Oh and "Mix like a Brit..." love it.. Always said that the British SE's were doing the biggest cleanest mixes in the live world through the 80's 90's..... Super big and clean.

[@xicoamc]

This was awesome! Would love to see a walk through his show file with a virtual playback to really get a grasp of what he is doing

[@anthonycarrillo8390]

Great video guys! Thank you

[@jstov]

Great interview, thanks for sharing!

[@stephane2347]

Awesome podcast/interview !!! Thank you 🎉

[@learnlivemusic]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment. ✌️

[@TheViken1]

great guy, great interview

[@djabthrash]

Great chat.

[@christiansoldier1118]

Have you tried the Yamaha's DANSE?

[@mitas3484]

Was surprised they run it on the C1500, but very capable console for sure!

[@nomadine85]

When you say Billie didn’t like the mix on BBC live lounge, does that include her covers from way back? Like “The end of the world” and “you don’t get me high any more”? Or do you mean the bbc live coverage of festivals?

[@philflyzuckermanmusic6137]

I am curious to know if sound engineers get regular hearing tests?

[@mjrausch]

In my touring experience, not regularly. I’m sure there are plenty with hearing loss, but as the degradation is gradual, the engineers with hearing loss may be able to work around it.

[@TheRockRoomPhilZuckerman]

@@mjrausch Thank you for your reply.

[@djabthrash]

This is the video where he described his (now old/outdated) "Main / LR Bus Processing". EP1 - Main / LR Bus Processing (A Sum Of Two Busses) : kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIGnYZ2io9OInK8

[@josiahsmiley8477]

How do live engineers like Drew protect their hearing in big stadium shows when, like he said, even the crowd is clocked at 118dB. Do they use attenuators or IEMs or something?

[@josiahsmiley8477]

@tylerbliss3554 but 118dB does permanent damage in mere minutes afaik, I mean anything above like 102 is gonna do damage in mere minutes is my understanding

[@Jade_crtn789]

So interesting

[@veniaminkalman]

Is Drew still a FOH for Billie?

[@richardbelisle4807]

The only time in all my touring that I got a band to do what a wanted was a top rated cover band….where everything was direct…with in ears… The sound was record quality…

[@jas_bataille]

What you wanted? Based on what position...??? The FOH isn't here to tell the band what to do. We're here to support the band in getting *their* sound. If all you wanted during your career was your sound... then you needed to start your band. Plain and simple. I get record quality artists all the time.

[@djabthrash]

@@jas_batailleI guess he meant "to be cooperative ".

[@garethde-witt6433]

Uck

[@markmalonson7531]

I'm gonna watch the video is it really that good are you guys doing something cool or are you full of s***.

[@tx3851]

No front of house can make up for awful hushed vocals....

[@morbidmanmusic]

What shyte are you talking?

[@shyboy2112]

big tech entered the chat to show the pros how it's done