Live sound from the studio with Luca Colombo
Live sound from the studio with Luca Colombo
The outstanding guitarist from the Sanremo Orchestra chooses RCF EVOX 5 to achieve the “live audio feeling” in his studio. Luca Colombo is one of the most sought-after and critically acclaimed guitarists in Italy; he has performed with top Italian artists such as Eros Ramazzotti, Marco Mengoni, Nek, Max Pezzali, Mango, Anna Oxa and others. He has played as first guitarist in numerous orchestras during important TV shows (including the Sanremo Music Festival, since 2007) accompanying international artists like Robbie Williams, Lionel Richie, Al Jarreau, Phil Collins, Leona Lewis, Rebecca Ferguson, Jennifer Lopez, Brian May, Michael Bublé and James Blunt - just to name a few. Widely recognised for his personal and versatile style, Luca is equally versed and emotionally expressive within genres as diverse as rock, fusion, jazz or pop.
We met Luca in his studio, where he was shaping new sounds for a big concert in Malta with the Rockestra and for the show Casa Mika on the national Italian TV Rai2. Asked why he chose the RCF EVOX 5 Luca answered: “I was interested in listening like it sounds on a real live sound system in my studio. I usually shape my sound in the studio on the Kemper Amp (a Guitar Amp Simulator), I then test the guitar sound live, but I constantly realise that the perceived sound from the studio monitors is misleading, mostly because of the lack of bass frequencies. That’s when I decided to try a number of small live sound systems. All of them sounded very good, but when turning up the volume, the definition went away.” And he stated, bracing his guitar: “It was a different story with the RCF EVOX5: the sound definition is precise, especially if you push hard with the volume. I have chosen them because of the definition at medium and low frequencies above all and… well, it's even an Italian brand! I keep them mostly here in the studio, but I will also use them for masterclasses or showcases.”
Luca uses tons of different guitars and effects to play an enormous amount of different music, from the classic Italian “canzone” to funk and heavy rock sounds.
Every detail of his guitar sound is crucial, and since he has a sound engineer on the majority of concerts, “things are different in the small venues, and I need to find a good balance by myself,” he says. “After a few weeks of use I'm delighted: the feeling of the ‘live’ sound on the EVOX 5 is huge, and it’s perfect for small shows, master classes or just for having the ‘real concert feel’ here in the studio.”
