Kevin Lemoine FOH Mixer Green Day
Sydney, Australia – March 2014… In the latter part of February and early March, punk rockers Green Day toured Australia—affectionately known as the Land Down Under. Consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, drummer Tré Cool, and guitarist and backing vocalist Jason White, Green Day performed at the annual Soundwave Festival in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. While it was a hectic schedule, the band’s sound remained consistent, thanks in no small part to the performance of their LTD-2 Compressors from Shell Rock Iowa-based Chandler Limited.
Austin, TX-based audio technician Kevin Lemoine serves as the band’s FOH (front of house) and broadcast engineer. Lemoine has handled touring sound responsibilities for a number of well-known acts since 1990, including The Black Crowes, Iggy Pop, Jane’s Addiction, Flogging Molly, and The Reverend Horton Heat, among others. With a background this comprehensive, Lemoine certainly knows what to look for in a quality signal processor. He discussed his fondness for the Chandler Limited LTD-2.
“I was introduced to Chandler Limited products by Green Day’s studio Engineer, Chris Dugan,” Lemoine reports. “Chris put me in touch with Wade Goeke [Chandler Limited’s chief engineer and owner] before our South American tour leg somewhere around 2008 or 2009. Wade sent out pretty much one of every limiter/compressor he had for me to try and I ended up purchasing ten of his LTD-2s for my rig. I’ve been very happy with them.”
Green Day's collection of Chandler Limited LTD-2 Compressors (Rack 1)
Lemoine notes that his use of the Chandler LTD-2 processors is strictly for live performance. He discussed his fondness for the LTD-2. “Prior to discovering the LTD-2, I never seemed to get both performance and tone from other competing products,” he explained. “Either I’d get something that sounded good with weak performance or something that operated great but sounded sterile. With Chandler Limited in the equation, I get both fantastic functionality and unparalleled performance.”
“I use the LTD-2 on both electric and acoustic guitars, piano, saxophone, and all backing vocals,” he continued. “The LTD-2 provides perfect control for each application and adds an incredible amount of tone to everything I run through it. This processor is very versatile, very exact, and extremely pleasant on the ears. Everything on the LTD-2 is set up well, is easy to use, and gives me the comfort of knowing that I can get this to be very aggressive or super soft with results that you can really hear.”
For any major act on tour, the ability to get questions answered or other forms of manufacturer support in timely fashion are crucial. On that note, Lemoine rates Chandler Limited best in class. “Without hesitation, “he says, “the folks at Chandler Limited have the best customer service in the business. Any questions or concerns I’ve ever voiced have been responded to promptly with an open mind as to what I’m looking to accomplish.”
Green Day's collection of Chandler Limited LTD-2 Compressors (Rack 2)
Before shifting his attention back to the band’s hectic schedule, Lemoine offered these final thoughts on his experience with Chandler Limited’s LTD-2, “I really am thrilled with the Chandler gear. This equipment is handmade, works exactly as it should, and sounds better than any other product I’ve encountered. To me, that’s golden! I can’t thank them enough for delivering a product that does exactly what it should, with the build quality and reliability that inspires confidence. I have the greatest respect and admiration for Chandler Limited. Heck, I wish that I could work there!”
To learn more about Green Day, visit the band’s website at www.greenday.com.
