How KLANG Helps Musicians Manage Their Monitor Mixes

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The Phil Collins Story is a touring docu-concert production dedicated to the career of Phil Collins, known for his work with Genesis as well as his solo career. Six musicians perform Genesis songs and Phil Collins’ solo hits live, while video, projection, and lighting complement the performance.

Audio for the production is handled by sound engineer Theodore “Ted” Woolsey and engineer Ethan Ginsburg-Margo. One of the team’s tasks was to provide personal in-ear monitoring for six musicians without using a separate monitor console.

For the tour, Woolsey chose a DiGiCo Quantum 225 fitted with a DMI-KLANG card, which generates personal spatial monitor mixes within the shared DiGiCo system.

A Live Concert Within a Multimedia Production

The production premiered on February 3, 2026, in Syracuse, New York, before embarking on a 50-city North American tour.

According to Woolsey, The Phil Collins Story is difficult to describe as either a conventional concert or a film. It is a multimedia production in which the story of Phil Collins’ career unfolds alongside live performances of his best-known music, from his years with Genesis to his solo work.

Audio, lighting, and video operate independently, without automated timecode synchronization. The musical director runs a Logic Pro session from a laptop with a click track that provides timing and a common reference for both the musicians and the technical crew.

Consistent personal monitoring is therefore essential for the musicians. A familiar balance of instruments helps them perform confidently and keeps all elements of the production aligned from one show to the next.

Equipment Configuration

During rehearsals, Ted Woolsey uses the DiGiCo Quantum 225 to configure signal routing, prepare personal monitor mixes for all six musicians, and save the settings in snapshots for each song.

The monitor mixes are processed by the DMI-KLANG card installed in the console. During the show, the prepared monitoring settings are recalled together with the relevant snapshot, while the musicians can make adjustments through KLANG if required.

This allows Woolsey to focus on the main mix for the audience. For additional processing, he uses Bricasti reverbs, a Yamaha SPX2000 processor, and Waves plugins.

How the Monitoring System Is Built

All stage signals are connected to a DiGiCo SD-Rack stage I/O unit. The same set of input signals is used to create both the main mix and the musicians’ personal in-ear monitor mixes.

In large touring productions, FOH and monitors are often handled from separate consoles. Signals can be distributed between them through an analog split or shared digital infrastructure, which requires additional equipment, routing, and system configuration.

The personal monitor mixes for each song are prepared in advance and stored in the DiGiCo Quantum 225 snapshots. During the show, recalling the required snapshot automatically loads the corresponding monitoring settings. If necessary, musicians can adjust the levels of individual sources using KLANG on a tablet or smartphone.

The devices connect to the system over Wi-Fi and are used for control only. The audio signal itself is not transmitted over the wireless network: DMI-KLANG processes the monitor mixes within the DiGiCo system, after which they are sent to the in-ear monitoring signal chain.

This configuration eliminates the need for a separate monitor console and reduces the amount of equipment and the number of connections. At the same time, it requires careful system preparation and a well-considered redundancy strategy. The Quantum 225 serves as the shared platform for both the main and monitor mixes, so changes made in the input signal path can affect both parts of the system.

How Spatial Monitoring Helps Separate Sources

The purpose of KLANG spatial monitoring is to help musicians distinguish individual sources more clearly within their personal mixes, rather than simply adding an immersive effect.

In a conventional stereo mix, sources are positioned between the left and right channels. As the number of signals increases, individual parts can become harder to distinguish, and a musician may respond by raising the level of a particular instrument, making the entire mix louder and denser.

KLANG allows sources to be positioned not only to the left and right, but also around the listener. Vocals, guitars, keyboards, drums, the click track, and other signals can be placed in different spatial positions. This separation can help musicians identify individual sources more quickly and find the balance they need without excessively increasing their levels.

The result still depends on the original balance, the quality of the in-ear monitors, and the overall system configuration. KLANG simplifies the process of working with a personal monitor mix, but it does not replace fundamental engineering and proper system setup.

Conclusion

DiGiCo and KLANG allow much of the monitoring work to be completed during rehearsals and the results to be carried consistently throughout the tour. This approach relies on a highly skilled sound engineer who understands the entire system architecture, from the main mix to personal in-ear monitoring.

During the concert, the musicians receive pre-configured mixes, while the technical team works with a more compact and predictable system. This helps maintain consistent monitoring and repeatable settings from one performance to the next.