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[Bobber]

In the Paris photo, what is the box on the floor, to the left of John's acoustic guitar?

It looks like a pedal to switch channels on the amplifier.

[Xose]

I have got some info about PA system used here in Spain at their gigs in Madrid & Barcelona in July 1965, as well as the company which provided the backline. I will let you know...

Casa Alberdi, from Barcelona and distributors of Vox gear in Spain, provided the PA system as well as the amps for the other acts (=I mean, non-Beatles one) both in Madrid and Barcelona:



For Alberdi this was a very good chance to display that they were selling same gear as the one used by The Beatles:



According to the agreement, signed by NEMS and Francisco Bermúdez (=ruler of the Spanish Management Agency who brought The Beatles to Spain) and dated 5 February 1965: "...It is agreed that you provide first class dressing room accomodation and a first class public address system with at least 3 microphones..."

You can see the Vox amps privided by Alberdi to the other groups, behind McCartney at this photo (=from Barcelona's gig):



The agreement also specifies accomodation and transport inside Spain for at least 9 people.

Who??

John, Paul, George, Ringo, Brian, Mal, Neil??, Alf Bicknell and Wendy Hanson...

Xosé

[REDD51]

Although I've continued my research, and been to a couple of AES conferences where I took the opportunity to ask a few questions of those whose given task and specialty it is to document and research the history of live and recorded audio..........the one thing that's still completely missing in this minor puzzle is a single guy making a statement along the lines of "I mixed the Beatles".
Because the Beatles were quite young, and audio technicians at the time were probably a decade or more older, it may not be something we'll ever really be able to hear somebody say.

Although we have some anecdotal evidence where it does appear that specific technicians were involved in both setting up, and "mixing" the Beatles live shows, what's still missing is any evidence that any one person mixed more than one Beatles live show..........that person whom you could legitimately call the Beatles live sound engineer.

Currently, and without any solid evidence (just a gut feeling, and some further anecdotal information that passed my way in the last year) I have come to believe that the Beatles live sound engineer.........for all intents and purposes.......was Mal.

[Casbah]

Quite honestly, in most cases, I dont think there was an engineer. These systems were primitive. Not much mixing was needed. I imagine that it went something like, turn power on, put volume up, stand by in case of feedback. Not even sure about that last part. Im imagining some janitor guy turning the amps on in a closet somewhere in the stadium. 

But for musicians out there, think about when you did your early gigs, you usually rented a PA, set it and left it for the night, which is equivalent to a lot of these gigs.

Still, it would be nice to hear from SOMEONE who twiddled a few knobs for the boys. And maybe Mal DID handle some of that..

Can't we just send an email to Paul McCartney? I think Im going to. Who knows what will happen.


 

[In My Life]

Can't we just send an email to Paul McCartney? I think Im going to. Who knows what will happen.

If you do get through to him tell him I said hi and that I think he's cute. 

[Bobber]

If you do get through to him tell him I said hi and that I think he's cute. 

Oh, and ask him who sings the aaaah's in A Day In The Life.

[Bobber]

"...It is agreed that you provide first class dressing room accomodation and a first class public address system with at least 3 microphones..."

That was never going to be a well mixed show, was it?

[REDD51]

The primary reasoning behind my thoughts that Mal was their "live sound engineer" revolve around the fact that there is written and anecdotal reference to Mal handling all the instruments.

Moving the instruments around, tuning and re-stringing guitars, making sure guitar cables were in the right place prior to the shaw, setting up Ringo's drums and packing spare drum heads, etc.

Mal did all of that.
The nascent field that was "live mixing" would (perhaps) just be viewed as an extension of Mal's general roadie duties.

And yeah, wouldn't it be great if you could just sit down (or write) Paul to chat, and get a few old technical questions answered 

(of course there's always the possibility that Paul might reply along the lines of "dunno, I just showed up and played".)

[Casbah]

(of course there's always the possibility that Paul might reply along the lines of "dunno, I just showed up and played".)

I have to agree there. Depending on his mood