Ripe's 2025 North American Tour Powered by Waves LV1 Classic Console and InTrigger Drum Replacer

	Front-of-house engineer and production manager, Eran Ben Zur

Front-of-house engineer and production manager Eran Ben Zur (Dweezil Zappa, Stick Figure) has chosen the Waves eMotion LV1 Classic mixing console and Waves plug-ins for Ripe's 2025 world tour, with the InTrigger Drum Replacer in particular playing a major role in shaping the band's live sound.

Ripe, a Boston-based band formed at Berklee College of Music, blends funk, pop and rock, with three full-length albums and appearances at major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Firefly. With millions of streams and sold-out headline tours across the US, Ripe has built a reputation for high-energy live shows and dynamic musicianship.

Ben Zur comments, "I specifically chose the LV1 Classic for this tour because of its amazing sound quality, unprecedented console headroom, intuitive GUI and powerfully streamlined workflow. Navigation is extremely simple, patching across multiple window views is fast, and toggling between stage I/O and virtual soundcheck is effortless. And best of all, it's also incredibly easy to emulate original album sounds using the LV1 Classic's integrated Waves plug-ins. Compared to other systems I've used, the LV1 Classic stands out as top notch as far as sound quality, workflow efficiency and creative flexibility are concerned."

Describing the impact of the LV1 Classic on Ripe's show, Ben Zur notes, "Every show file includes snapshots for each song, with live mixing moves like delay throws, special effects and solos. These snapshots make a huge impact. The band's last album, Play the Game, is highly produced with a variety of unique vocal and drum effects. Recreating those sounds live was both fun and impactful for the audience. We used Waves plug-ins such as InTrigger for drums, H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb for snare and vocals, H-Delay Hybrid Delay, and even guitar stomp effects from Waves GTR Solo bundle on vocals. I even keep a macro for an emergency 'Oh Shit' snapshot, a solid, generic mix which is ready to share with house engineers if outside factors cause disruptions mid-show. This ensures the LV1 and Waves setup remains uncompromised."

When it comes to workflow and usability, he notes, "My approach to live mixing mirrors a studio mindset: I aim to leave rehearsals with a mix that could be printed and delivered as a finished master. With consistent musicians, gear and console, the only variables are the room and PA system. I then use the LV1 Classic's internal alignment tools to adapt my mix to each venue, ensuring consistent house sound and L/R recordings every night."

He adds, "The LV1 Classic's interface and ease of use are amazing. When first receiving the desk, I felt at home in less than five minutes. Furthermore, its compact size and portability are crucial for Ripe's tour logistics, which involve a bus and trailer and frequent fly dates. By the time the front-of-house techs introduce themselves, I'm already unpacked, connected, and ready to go."

Ben Zur's setup includes an LV1 Classic console connected to the stage via Cat6, with a stage rack featuring three Waves IONIC 16 stagebox units. Two computers manage multi-track recording for every show. He remarks, "I rely on three Waves IONIC 16 units for 46 stage inputs. The sound of these preamps is simply incredible. I also use Waves' MyFOH remote control tablet app to fine-tune while walking around the venue, which is a major help."

Commenting on his "must-have" Waves' InTrigger plug-in, he states, "We wanted to bring something fresh to the show, enhance drum sounds, and recreate the vibe of the new album. Waves' InTrigger was released just in time. It's incredibly easy to use for drum replacement, offers a stack of samples, snapshot recall, humanize control, and above all, zero latency."

"Before rehearsals," he adds, "the only drum samples I had (apart from the plug-in's preset library) were from the album's stereo mix. I learned how to use InTrigger to isolate the kick and snare from that mix, bounce a single hit from each, and create custom samples. Loading those samples into InTrigger on the LV1 Classic worked like a charm. Now, both kick and snare have dedicated InTrigger channels. In total, I run three kick channels (kick in, kick out, kick trig) and three snare channels (snare top, snare bottom, snare trig). Inputs are duplicated from the main kick and snare mics to the InTrigger channels. The plug-in's threshold, gate, humanize control, and layered samples trigger perfectly, delivering the original album sound on the road. The result is phenomenal. Depending on the song and album, I'll either blend the live mics with InTrigger or, for certain tracks, use only the InTrigger samples. And yet, it's still our drummer playing live, which makes it all the more exciting."

He adds, "Other must-have Waves plug-ins in my setup include the Primary Source Expander (PSE), which keeps vocal and brass channels clean by removing stage bleed; Scheps Omni Channel 2, my go-to for guitars, drums, and brass; and the F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ, which I rely on for vocals and acoustic instruments thanks to its precision and transparency. I also make heavy use of the H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb for creative vocal and snare effects, delivering everything from subtle ambience to bold, dramatic textures. Finally, my custom master bus chain, which I nicknamed 'the Benzonayzer,' features the NLS Non-Linear Summer, SSL G-Master Buss Compressor and the Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain, delivering a tighter, wider mix that sounds polished and powerful without affecting levels."

He concludes, "I believe the Waves eMotion LV1 Classic helps deliver studio-quality sound with added excitement, even within the budget constraints of mid-size touring. Live music should feel special, and the LV1 Classic provides the tools to make that happen. I'll absolutely continue using it for future tours and corporate events, with the latter particularly benefiting from features like Dugan Speech, which automates real-time gain control for multiple microphones to ensure seamless speech mixing. The Waves eMotion LV1 Classic truly stands out as an outstanding mixing desk for any scenario."