Georgia on My Mind: Journey with Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap's Final Tour: A Look Back at His Sound and Crew
Ronnie Milsap, the legendary country-pop musician, concluded his live touring career in October 2023, marking the end of an era for fans and music enthusiasts alike. Throughout his career, Milsap performed on stages across the USA and occasionally served as the opening act for other artists.
One constant in Milsap's live performances was the use of Shure microphones. The main vocal mics were Beta 58s, while Shure SM58s were used for vocals during the Doo Wop segment. SM57s, on the other hand, were used to mic guitarist, band leader, and tour manager Jamie Brantley's guitar amps.
The role of FOH (Front of House) engineer and production manager, Kerry West, was instrumental in shaping Milsap's live sound. West, who joined Milsap's crew in August 1993, was a big fan of line arrays and digital consoles. For several summer gigs, including Chastain Park Amphitheater, Tony Cottrill, a faculty member at Belmont University, used a Yamaha M7CL console.
Cottrill also utilised user-defined keys on the M7CL to manage various elements of the show, such as individual monitor mixes, the four mic configuration for the a cappella "Doo Wop" feature, the iPod for walk-in music, and more. Bias Peak was used on a MacBook to playback loops used to enhance a few songs, and Metric Halo's Spectrafoo audio analysis tool was used for determining ringing and feedback frequencies.
The Chastain venue, one of the first gigs West worked with Milsap, was a "candlelit in the park kind of thing". The venue boasts an L-Acoustic V-Dosc array permanently installed. For outdoor dates like this, Milsap used a Yamaha digital grand piano, along with a combination of keys including a Yamaha DX7's mono out fed through a vintage Roland Dimension D and processing from TC Electronic, and even a MIDI-controlled Alesis Nano piano for certain sounds.
Stage monitoring for Milsap's band consisted of 11 total mixes, including stereo sidefills, different keyboard and singing positions, and Galaxy Audio Hot Spots on the piano. The Hot Spots were fed by the only outboard processing in the rig-a Presonus Eureka feeding a BSS FCS966 graphic EQ feeding the monitors, which sat in the vocal mic's null.
Milsap's "dream team" for technical support was completed by the addition of Marty MacKeever, keyboard tech. Milsap called Kerry West their "spiritual leader," and West acknowledged that his job was more than technical, stating that fostering the confidence Milsap had in him was a big part of his job.
More Shures-a combination of SM81s, 91s and 98s-handled drums, with keys, bass and acoustic guitar fed direct. Brian Matney, a comedian who warmed the crowd for Milsap, used the only wireless microphone provided by the venue.
In addition to his live performances, Milsap released a new CD titled My Life. However, since his retirement from live touring, there are no active live touring arrangements, band lineup, or sound system configurations to report, nor specific information about Kerry West’s role with Milsap’s live shows.
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