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Marc Carolan at a U2 concert where MUSE was the opening act

Carolan's new setup

Adam Taylor's monitor bunker during the Drones 360 Tour

Backing tracks and click-tracks

Muse make increasing use of backing tracks when performing live. This is a recorded track that the band play along to in order to add extra layers to their music which cannot be played by only three people.

This includes, for example, the orchestral strings in "Butterflies & Hurricanes", the synthesizer arpeggio in Bliss and the "Now, I want it now" backing vocals in "Hysteria" are played by Morgan Nicholls.

To keep in time with this track, the band have a digital metronome – synchronised to the recording – playing through their In-Ear Monitors, which the audience do not hear. A click track is also used in some songs which do not have backing tracks in order to keep in time with synchronised guitar effects like delays, for example in "Sing For Absolution".

FOH console and rack

For a long time, FOH engineer Marc Carolan used a Midas XL4 and a Midas PRO 6 mixing desks along with a rack filled with:

• Empirical Labs EL8 Distressors and BSS Audio 901II multiband compressors for vocals and various other elements (Carolan reffers to the latter as his swiss army knife);
• GML 8200 EQ on the main L/R bus;
• Yamaha SPX 2000 on snare;
• Dbx 160s on kick and floor toms;
• Tube-Tech LCA-2B on bass and guitars;
• Eventide H3000 for vocal processing;
• Yamaha SPX2000s for drum effects;
• Line 6 Echo Pro for vocal delays;
• Bricasti M7 for reverbs;
• Tube-Tech SMC-2B multiband compressor;

As of Autumn of 2018, he switched to a smaller, more compact Avid Venue S6L digital console, coupled with Midas XL4 pre-amps in three rack units. He still uses the outboard gear.

He's also been seen using the Genelec 8020 reference monitors at rehearsals.

Monitors

In-ear monitors

Matt with Sennheiser EK300 beltpack

All three band members use 'Westone' UM2 In-Ear Monitors (IEMs).

The whole purpose of In-Ear Monitoring is to reduce outside noise so that the artist can listen to the mix at comfortable levels thus saving his/her hearing, and as each set are custom made to fit their ear perfectly, over 20dB of isolation is given. The wireless transmitters used to be Sennheiser G3 300.They've now upgraded to the Senheiser 2000 transmitters.

Also, Dominic has two L-Acoustics dV-SUB subwoofers sitting behind him to add more low end to his monitoring needs and Chris has two d&b J-SUBs for the same reason.

Monitor console and rack

Muse's long time monitor engineer, Adam Taylor, used to use a Digidesign Profile desk (for Automation, Delay & Reverb purposes) and a Midas Heritage 3000.

Sometime during later tours he upgraded to a Midas Pro 9.

PA System

Before The Resistance world tour, Muse used an L-Acoustics V-Dosc system and Marc. As of TR tour, Marc Carolan's PA system of choice are the d&b Audiotechnik J-Series speakers.

During The Resistance tour, they used the following set up:

• Main Array: J8/J12
• Centre Hang: Q1
• Subs: J-SUB
• Fill with Subs: Q10
• Amps: 96 D12 amps (digital in)
• A/D Conversion: Apogee Rosetta 800
• System Processor: Dolby Lake

Since the Drones 360 tour, they started using d&b's array processing, allowing them to have an even coverage along the entire venue.

Plectrum

Main article: Plectrums

Maraca

Two maracas were used by Christopher Wolstenholme for the verse of "Endlessly" during the Absolution Tour.

Cabasa

Morgan Nicholls uses a cabasa during Supermassive Black Hole and Psycho, live. It was previously referred to as a "shaker" by fans, but when asked at the Royal Albert Hall gig on 12th April, 2008 he revealed that it was a cabasa. This has become a point of humour among Official Message Board members.

Llama toenails

Used on "Screenager" and "United States of Eurasia", on which Matt described them as being "back with a vengeance".

Harmonica

Chris plays a Muse custom Lee Oskar harmonica, to play "Man With A Harmonica" as an intro to Knights of Cydonia. Before this, Chris was taping two Lee Oskar diatonic harmonicas together as one alone couldn't achieve all of the notes needed for the song.

References

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