Dickie Chappell has worked closely with Peter Gabriel as producer/engineer and executive at his UK-based Real World Studios and record label for more than 15 years. A long-time proponent of Oxford Plug-ins, he recently used them with Sinead O’Conner in studio and on the road with Peter Gabriel. We caught up with him amidst a flurry of activity while out on Gabriel’s recent European tour.

You used the Oxford Reverbs recently on a Sinead O’Connor track?

Yes, we just did a track for a film that’s coming out and they are looking at an Xmas release for it. I got a phone call from producer, Dan Lanois a few months ago. He said they have this little thing going on over in Dublin, I want you to be involved. We decided to do it with a portable SSL system, and we eventually just loaded it right into Sinead’s house. The track was finished in a few days and the mix was just approved.

Sinead loved the Oxford Reverb right off. She and Dan Lanois said they thought it sounded really natural. I also used the TransMod plug-in on the drums and a bit of the Inflator to keep things in check when I mixed the 5.1 version of the song.

The Reverb was also used on the surround sound mix?

Yes, we used the Oxford Reverb on the 5.1 mix and Sinead really liked the sound of it. Dan hadn’t really heard it before, and we all were commenting on how natural it sounded. Paul Frindle (one of the original developers of the Sony Oxford console) did a fantastic job on it. I think this reverb has a particularly natural sound.

Did you use it in all 5 channels?

Yes, it was in all of the channels for the 5.1. For Dan (Lanois), he’s been working with U2, and programmer Tony Mangerin immediately asked ‘what’s that sound, I need that to take with me for U2’. So they were going to be using the Oxford’s as well. With Sinead, I had to print the Oxford reverb all the time, because Tony was running Logic and it wasn’t available yet (which it is now). They would send me comments and I would reprint the references, but I would always print the Oxford because they liked it so much.

What do you particularly like about the Oxford Reverb?

You know, when you walk into a space you never hear things completely equally, there’s always something off center, and that’s what draws you into it. I think that’s what the Oxford achieves. It’s all I ever use for spaces now.

You recently used Oxford Plug-ins with a Digidesign Venue desk on Peter Gabriel’s tour.

Yes, I mix Peter’s monitors on the road and also look after his stage rig. Front of house engineer Ben Findlay used a Digidesign D-Show Venue console and I used a Digidesign D-Show Profile. We’ve both got them loaded up with Oxford plug-ins, EQ, compressors, Reverbs, etc.

Which plug in do you use the most with Peter?

We use the EQ a lot. Peter’s voice needs a lot of EQ for his in ear monitors, so the Oxford really shines there. Also, the filters really help shape my sound. In the studio we don't need much EQ for Peter but when we are on the road, it’s very different. Its important to that he can hear himself very clearly.

How do you typically have them set?

I roll off a lot of bass and boost the High-Mids (HMF) and High (HF) frequencies quite a bit so that he has a really full mix. After that I go into the Oxford Inflator plug-in. That helps keep his vocal at constant gain - with him hearing the processing. It’s a great plug for enhancing without taking over, We’re also using lots of Oxford Reverb, on a long plate setting. Additionally, the drums are grouped and run through the TransMod plug-in and further processed with an Inflator. It’s just like being in the studio, which is why we wanted to go with the Venues and Profiles. They - along with the Oxford Plug-ins - help us keep our sound as consistent as possible.

Interview and editorial provided by Rich Tozzoli

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