Lalo Sandoval Chooses KLANG Immersive Monitor Mixes for Alejandro Fernandez

	"For the 2026 tour, we will be integrating even more musicians into the KLANG system," says Sandoval

Lalo Sandoval is an engineer with a deep passion for music and technology. Starting out with an audio rental company at the age of 17, he quickly advanced to become a monitor engineer for the band MANA, where he stayed for 14 years. He has worked with his current artist, singer Alejandro Fernandez, for over 26 years. Always eager to explore new technology, he first discovered KLANG while researching loudspeakers in Los Angeles. A colleague introduced him to a brand-new tool for monitoring, so he contacted his local distributor in Mexico. Since then, has never looked back.

"As soon as I heard about KLANG, I got in contact with my distributor and learned everything I needed to get started," he recalls. "From there, it was easy to dive in and keep improving. With my current artist, our approach is completely transparent. We discuss how KLANG works and the benefits it brings. He is always interested in exploring new technology."

Fernandez fills stadiums worldwide with a genre defying mixture of ranchera and pop music. He has sold over 20 million records to date and reached almost eight billion streams on Spotify alone. For Sandoval, working at this scale becomes significantly more efficient with KLANG's immersive in-ear mixing technology.

"KLANG:vokal is a great tool for an artist with an input list of around 80 channels," he continues. "The performances are often staged in the round, creating a full 360-degree experience. We are using a range of instruments including guitars, trumpets, tuba, accordion, keyboards, drums, and percussion, along with a choir. KLANG helps me reduce the stereophonic load, giving me more space to distribute the instruments while also lowering IEM levels."

Another complexity of Fernandez shows is the high number of wireless, close-mic'd instruments using radio transmitters and DPA 4099 capsules. Close mics can make IEM mixes sound unnatural, but being able to spread the signals around the listener reintroduces perspective, and makes everything sound more natural. KLANG:vokal elegantly improves clarity and makes it simpler to adapt to any microphone technique, thanks to its immersive spatialization.

"We are using 20 channels of wireless microphones, but this doesn't affect my work at all," Sandoval explains. "Wireless guitars, keyboards and instrument mics are all easily accommodated. For the 2026 tour, we will be integrating even more musicians into the KLANG system."

Sandoval begins to build his mix with the most dynamic instruments first, focusing on those that have the most movement, or effects added. Beginning with the guitars, trumpets or accordion, he ensures they are placed with intention before moving onto percussion such as toms, bongos and toys. Each cue is saved as a Snapshot for recall throughout the show. With the range of musical genres that Fernandez's shows can include, this approach enables him to smoothly transition between ballads, pop, and mariachi.

"KLANG lets me use lower levels," he explains. "That alone is a big advantage. Having a specific location for each instrument is another useful resource, as it provides ample space in your mix. Alongside the Snapshots, my KLANG mixes are stored according to each song, so I can move instruments in real time, fine-tuning the trumpet or guitar solos during the ballads, for example."

In 2025, Sandoval enjoyed working with KLANG:vokal, but in 2026 he is switching to DMI-KLANG integrated into his own DiGiCo Quantum 326. Each KLANG processor has different capabilities, but there are many similarities meaning your setup is easily transferred across any version of KLANG. There is a KLANG processor for every size of application, budget, or show regardless of weight restrictions, rack space or musicians involved.

"I really enjoy using KLANG," he concludes. "My good stereo mix has now become a great immersive mix. KLANG allows me to take exciting steps forward, improving my mixes. The world of audio is wonderful, especially if you are continually updating and experimenting with new technology. One thing I would tell future sound engineers and musicians is to always take care of their ears, protect yourselves from high auditory levels. KLANG's immersive monitoring helps make that possible."