Meet Mark Fawcett: The classical audio specialist who trusts Ovation for live shows

With 20 years’ experience in the recording industry, Mark Fawcett is a sound and recording engineer who has established himself as one of the most in-demand classical music specialists in the UK. He has worked with symphony orchestras and world-renowned musicians, including Nicholas Daniel (oboist and conductor), Mike Cox (lead flautist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra), Julius Drake (internationally acclaimed pianist), and Tony Britten, composer of the beloved Champions League theme music.

He also somehow finds time to play in a Neil Young tribute band that he started, and has produced and released three albums of his own solo material. Fawcett talks to Headliner about his career so far, how he became the go-to man for classical recording, and explains how Merging Technologies' Ovation is essential to his theatre production work, shares his first impressions of Ovation 11, and why he always chooses Ovation over other audio sequencer solutions.

Hi Mark, how are you doing today?

I’m well, thank you. This is a busy time of year for those of us in the music industry, which is always a good feeling when running your own business!

Could you tell us a bit about becoming interested in music when you were younger, and when you began noticing a passion for the technical side of the industry?

I first discovered the Beatles in the early ‘80s, around the age of nine. This inspired me to learn the guitar, and I was very fortunate to discover a mentor who introduced me to the music of Larry Carlton and Mike Stern. Looking back, I reckon this was pretty cool for someone that young! I started writing songs to express the angst of my tender teenage heart. I think it’s fair to say that I became obsessed with guitars, amps and songwriters - reading about the gear and listening to everything I possibly could.

During my mid-teens, I discovered Hi-Fi and wanted to bring audiophile sensibilities to live performances and recordings, always wanting the very best that I could have. I observed to myself that this was a kind of vanity, but carried on anyway, an attitude bringing pain and satisfaction in equal measure.

On that note, how does a Durham University physics graduate end up as a recording engineer? There must be some through lines between the two things…

Oh, there is definite commonality between the two. Studying science teaches a method for learning and problem solving, something so important in the audio industry. And it instils a belief that you can learn. If one person can understand something, then so can we all. We need not be defeated by the amazing and complex advances in the industry. It is simply a question of humbling yourself and following the logic of new technology rather than imposing your own logic, which is naturally based on previous experience and older methodology that will hamper your ability to ‘get with the program’.

Has classical music been a long-term passion of yours, and did you always see yourself placing your focus there? Or was it a little more organic than that?

I was exposed to classical music from an early age through my parents’ love of it. My father was, for a time, the vicar of Thaxted in Essex, and attending all the concerts at the Thaxted Music Festival, I heard some truly excellent music. It was there that I met Nigel Kennedy, who made quite an impression on me. He had just released his Vivaldi: The Four Seasons album. My father also insisted that I study classical guitar if I wanted an electric guitar, which I really did.

Recording and working with classical musicians has been a good fit for me. It appeals to my desire for pure and realistic audio and enables me to be part of a creative process way beyond my own musical skills. I also seem to have a good rapport with classical musicians.

You’ve worked with Tony Britten, composer of the Champions League theme music. Does this mean you have a hand in that iconic piece of football music?

I worked closely with Tony on the remix version of the theme used as players walk into the stadium. However, I expect no one hears that through the cheering! I have also consulted on the mastering process for the 2025 relaunch of all the music and then on quite a few of his other projects, recording, mixing and mastering. I have also played guitar on some of them.

You’ve worked with musicians from such legendary ensembles and institutions as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, and the Royal Academy — what are some of the things you’ve learned and taken away from these kinds of sessions?

Most importantly, never to step over an instrument case or touch an instrument without permission! Avoid making any sound whilst musicians are playing. Never be afraid to admit that I don’t know something, such as musical terms, or indeed where they are in the music. To always audition test recordings properly. Prepare thoroughly for sessions to avoid any possible delays. If I’m unsure about miking a particular instrument, I ask the player; they will undoubtedly have been recorded by someone amazing in the past!

If someone were looking to get into classical music recording, what would you tell them about that world in particular?

The most important thing with classical music has always been to maintain the dynamic range and balance of the instruments. However, we shouldn’t be ruled by this as there are some really excellent and transparent tools available that can enhance a recording and make it function better on the listener’s playback systems. Of course, good judgment needs to be exercised in their use. A major difference between classical music and other genres is that close miking is not such a good idea – these instruments are designed to be heard from some distance and in a beautiful acoustic space. If you get too close, they can sound unpleasant, unbalanced and unrealistic.

Like all production environments, all communication should be directed through the producer, conductor, or director. My father always used to say to me, ‘Never walk into a room talking’, and this really does apply to classical sessions. Listen to the music, listen to your client and read the room.

You’re also in a Neil Young tribute band. Have the bookings increased since he was confirmed as a Glastonbury Pyramid Stage headliner? And please tell us about your own music, also!

It has certainly brought him to the fore, and this has increased the number of inquiries, but it’s difficult for me to do much performing as my audio business is so busy and frankly makes more money!

During lockdown, I recorded my fourth album of original music, but found it so hard to mix – I felt under such pressure to make it sound good. Imagine someone not being impressed with the sound quality. I also found that the mixes didn’t transfer well between systems, certainly not given the scrutiny I was putting them under!

I should just say that making music is one of the most wonderful things I do. I love Don’t Spook the Horse (The Neil Young Tribute Band) — the music is essentially quite simple, but as a result gives such room for self-expression. I like to think we pay tribute to the man and his music; it is not our intention to produce a facsimile or an entertainment show. He should be able to come to one of our gigs and not feel we’re mocking him.

LIVE SOUND

For your work as a live sound engineer and sound designer, you work closely with Merging Technologies’ Ovation software. Could you tell us a bit about how you use it and how it makes life easier for you?

I have been a long-term user of Merging Technologies Pyramix, and so I find Ovation very intuitive to use. Setting up cue interactions is fantastic – all bases are covered in the menus. It really is a question of if you can dream it, you can make Ovation do it. I always try to make operating a show as simple as possible, so work spent in the design stage pays great dividends on the road.

How essential is a reliable show sequencer like Ovation to your role in theatre production, and what specific tasks does it streamline for you during a live performance?

Ovation is absolutely paramount; it literally runs the show. I have never found anything I need to achieve that Ovation cannot either automate, or at least take on the heavy lifting of. The choice between these two routes is down to how interactive I need to be with the actors.

Can you share a specific instance where Ovation’s sequencing capabilities played a critical role in the success of a challenging or high-stakes performance?

This is a simple thing, and perhaps it's because I’m a bit old school, but in complex shows with a large channel count it sometimes makes sense to run the Ovation mixer alongside a standalone mixer (I use DiGiCo SD series desks). In these instances I have been able to create MIDI cues in my Ovation sequence to fire snapshots on an SD, turning on and off radios, switching to different mixes for songs, etc.

This is a really powerful combination, especially as the MIDI cue itself can be triggered by other cues (and at marker points within cues) using Ovation’s comprehensive interaction rules.

In complicated shows with multiple radios, you do not want an actor/vocalist going on stage with a muted mic, or leaving stage with a live mic. You can find yourself in a situation where you have an awful lot to do during short scene transitions, and so can easily get things wrong. But not with a bit of preparation and programming.

The point about controlling everything from a cue sequence is that if you press the space bar at the right time (which can vary quite a lot between performances), then the rest falls into place. You have to be ‘in’ the performance and following the script, not fiddling with menus and windows.

How do you find Ovation for those heated moments of troubleshooting in a live scenario?

The thing with Ovation is that you can see directly under the hood. Some may feel that it is not as pretty as other audio sequencer solutions, but we are doing this as a job, right? We need to see and understand what is going on and how cues are interacting. With Ovation, you really can. Which means if something needs changing at the last minute, or if something is not working as anticipated, you can quickly see why. Just check out the comprehensive cue properties window.

OVATION 11

Can you share your initial impressions of Ovation 11 and how it compares to previous versions in terms of usability and functionality?

Opening it for the first time, you can’t help but notice there has been a terrific improvement in the interface; it is a joy to set up the workspace just as you want it. The mixer interface is vastly improved with all features accessible from the mixer window.

What are the standout features of Ovation 11 that make it particularly suited for demanding theatrical performances, such as opera and large-scale productions?

All professional theatre is demanding, no matter how big the production. You can’t afford for things to go wrong, especially if you want to keep getting work. The integration of Ovation with the Pyramix DAW is fantastic and provides a super smooth workflow from SFX creation to playout in theatres. When bringing sound to a theatre, if a director wants a change made to the sound design, they want to hear it asap, and actors too will be relying on becoming familiar with any changes for their blocking and timing; they have to commit everything to memory so delays in the process can be stressful and costly. Changes need to be made fast and to a standard whereby they can be signed off.

Each cue can be assigned four rehearsal points which become active when in show mode. This enables you to quickly return to points required by the actors, but then carry on with the run as normal with all cue interactions engaged. Rehearsal points can be disabled globally - this naturally adds to your peace of mind come showtime as you definitely don’t want to leave any on.

Merging Technologies provides an ASM service (Annual Software Maintenance) which includes telephone support. Here in the UK this is delivered by EmergingUK, and I have to say that on more than one occasion they have got me out of hot water!

The integration between Ovation and Pyramix sounds incredibly efficient. Can you talk about how the ‘export to Pyramix and back’ workflow saves you time and improves cue editing during tight rehearsal schedules?

In fairness, a lot of the kind of edits that may be required by the director at the production stage can be achieved within Ovation: fades, trimming, looping and adding effects, etc. However, more subtle and refined results can be had by taking a brief excursion to Pyramix, and Merging makes this very easy to do. Just have both programs running and hit ‘Edit in Pyramix’, then do what you want in Pyramix and hit ‘Publish in Ovation’ – it replaces the old cue, which is in itself a time saver, though you can set it to create a new one if you like.

Of course you can also load the Pyramix project you originally created the cue in and make edits there, and then publish to Ovation.

The new Ovation 11 boasts a redesigned interface and customisable features like the integrated mixer. How do these enhancements improve your workflow when managing audio cues and playback during live performances?

Configuration changes can now be made very easily and directly from the mixer, so long as you are not in show mode. You can have mixer channels set up to separately control atmospheres, pre-recorded dialogue (I have to do this a lot), SFX, music, live mics, etc. Each can require different treatment and level changes on the fly. If you are in a different venue every night you need to be flexible.

Being able to load VST and VS3 plugins directly into Ovation is a powerful feature. How has that expanded your creative or technical options during live productions?

Well one really great thing is you can load up VS3 plugins to a channel whilst a cue is already running without any artefacts or audio interruptions – even on a native system. This means audio issues can be fixed during a show, and you can use your favourite plugins to do so!

For theatre productions, precision timing and automation are critical. How does Ovation 11 address these needs, particularly in terms of cue management, timecode accuracy, and integration with automation systems?

For my work, I tend to cue lights and sound separately with their respective GO buttons. However, if a dramatic section is accompanied by a backing track, an evolving atmosphere, or a timed cue stack, I have found it makes sense to start a timecode generator (unique to that cue) to chase the lights to. This is extremely easy to set up – you can also display a timecode window on screen so that everyone in tech can see that it is running.

Do you use any other Merging products, for example, the Pyramix DAW? Do you find they sync together nicely?

I use Pyramix exclusively. For creating SFX (and accessing and auditioning my SFX libraries), for live and session recording, editing, mixing and mastering. The fade editor is totally awesome, and I’m one of those weirdos who feel mixes sound better in Pyramix than in other DAWs! Or maybe it just enables me to do a better job.

By having both Ovation and Pyramix open at the same time, you can publish from Pyramix directly to an Ovation cue list and start using it in the theatre right away. You can be working with a theatre company, running a cue list you have previously prepared, select a cue that isn’t quite working and open it right away in Pyramix. You can re-edit, republish, and then you’re back in the room, and the company can sign it off right away. No fiddling around after the session, in time for the next day. It’s so efficient. Of course, this is all audio over IP, so the benefits are huge here as well.

OVATION VS QLAB

You’ve worked with both Ovation and QLab; what are the key differences that make Ovation your go-to choice for theatre productions?

QLab doesn’t even have a mixer! I know a lot of people work exclusively with QLab and create wonderful theatre, but I feel they would do well to check out the Merging workflow, especially if they come from an audio background; they will feel right at home.

The sophistication of cue interaction on QLab simply doesn’t come close to that of Ovation, but that doesn’t mean Ovation makes it hard. Personally I think it’s easier because the use of language is unambiguous. And of course it is possible to have multiple interactions.

And what if things go wrong and you need to move around the cue list? Again the interaction rules can come to the rescue because these can be created to encompass various pre-imagined scenarios. Like, “if this is happening, don’t do this, or only do this, or don’t stop this atmosphere,” – a direct consequence of being able to program multiple interactions. This is what it takes to design a show with security, so that the audience doesn’t know something unexpected has happened.

You’ve mentioned that cue interactions in Ovation feel more like programming. Can you expand on how that level of control benefits your creative or technical process, especially compared to QLab?

That is really what I was getting at when I talked about the use of language; Ovation is both logical and transparent and as a consequence the learning curve is so much better, and this goes for remembering how to do stuff. We’ve all been in a situation where you know that a piece of software does something but you just can’t remember how…well, Ovation allows quick navigation with minimal window opening and closing. It’s all in the cue properties; just expand the relevant sections. It feels like each function is explained as you interrogate them.

And if something is so configurable, how can you not be creative with it? It’s so satisfying being able to say yes to everything a director asks for..

One standout feature of Ovation is that it functions as a live mixer. How important is that flexibility in your theatre work, and how does it compare with what QLab offers in that area?

The mixer is one of the great things about the Ovation, particularly if using a low-latency MassCore machine — it’s just the same as the Pyramix mixer, and you can use all the plugins you love. Obviously, it’s a good idea to use the super-efficient VS3 versions so as not to introduce too much additional latency to live mics, mics that can be enabled in the cue list.

QLab mixing facilities are super basic, it simply offers a matrix – you can add FX – but be prepared to watch your latency go up, and if live mixing mics, this is not really tenable. Ovation MassCore is on another level: choose your plugins with a bit of caution and you will still have negligible latency.

I said earlier that on complex shows (with large bands/string sections, etc) I like to combine Ovation with a standalone desk, but some of my shows are pretty simple and control room space at a premium. In these instances I would definitely mix everything with Ovation, and if appropriate at a super high sample rate, and furthermore, avoid using the in-house console/matrix. You can set up all your audience zones (with delays expressed in metres or ms) and EQs directly in the Ovation mixer. Brilliant.

What projects do you have on the go, and how is the rest of the year shaping up for you?

I’m currently the technical manager on a UK regional theatre and fringe tour. I also have a significant number of front-of-house mixing dates at venues, alongside studio recording sessions. 2025 is looking good!

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