Front of House mixer Mark LeCorre is certainly a busy man. Whether out touring the world with artists such as Avril Lavigne, Dido and The Tragically Hip or working in his home studio, Renaissance Digital, with a continual run of popular Canadian acts, he always maintains one constant; the Sonnox Oxford EQ. We caught up with him recently in between shows for a quick chat about taking his favorite EQ on the road.

How has using the Oxford EQ's with Digi's Venue console made your work on the road easier?

"I've been out with The Tragically Hip since January touring with a Venue board, and the Oxford has been invaluable. I put it on the stereo output section of the desk, because it's a great sounding EQ. I can also insert it on any output I need, and on the input side I've been using it on most channels across the mix. I use the Oxford as my main tone-shaping EQ - say if there is a kick or a tom or an acoustic that has some frequencies we want to notch out."

How do you take the EQ from one show to the next?

"We usually have the same board, but if not I throw in my USB data-stick and iLok and just load up my show and the plug-ins, simple as that."

What makes it different from the others?

"The Oxford EQ is really nice because it's a nice balance between clinical and neutral. It doesn't color things in a negative way, and it's very musical sounding, which means I can pretty much get all the sounds I'm looking for. I love having the Hi and Low pass filters with the different slopes, which makes it extra versatile."

What about off the road uses?

"I remember I was just in a studio situation in Toronto, and they didn't have the Oxford plug-ins there. I was trying to mix a track, and the tone just wasn't there. I took all the settings from another EQ they had, then went home and replaced them with an Oxford EQ. Suddenly it really came alive, even with the same settings of the other EQ. It made a huge difference. I can't wait to try the Dynamics and the Inflator!"

Interview and editorial provided by Rich Tozzoli