Linkin Park has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and after a seven-year break from recording and touring, a new line up drove the band’s eighth studio album ‘From Zero’ into a stadium-filling spectacle with audio design, reinforcement, and global support from Sound Image.
"The most important aspect of our production, regarding this artist, is the quality of their audio, and that's why we chose our vendor," begins Joe Skarzynski, Linkin Park's Production Manager. No stranger to this camp, or advocating for Sound Image's service, Joe has moved up through the ranks to help take the reins in the band's new chapter as part of a production leadership team comprising Linkin Park’s longtime road collaborator, Tour Director, Jim Digby, Assistant Tour Director, Fiona Booth and Production Coordinator, Tori Merrick.
Following the devastating loss of former front man Chester Bennington, members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Joe Hahn and Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell, have been joined by drummer Colin Brittain and co-vocalist, Emily Armstrong who are not only continuing the legacy that has resonated with millions of fans, but are now performing their biggest concerts to date.
Helping to develop the audio rig that would handle this major comeback, Sound Image, which had historically supported the band, was engaged once again. "Our number one priority is establishing a sound that can be replicated in every city and in every stadium for fans across the world," explains Jim. "Furthermore, we need professional crew who are as excited as us to be working on this tour, which is such a special project. We need competency, consistency, and customer value, and Sound Image and Clair Global understand those needs with total professionalism.
"Our artist wants to ensure that the essence of Linkin Park's songwriting skills, the music that is embedded within them, is accurately represented through the PA sound and through the energy of their live shows. We are all tasked with keeping true to their music and making it sound great again today."
Joe furthers: "Our engineers are doing a great job. We have people across our whole audio team who help to steer the ship in the right direction, and work well in every situation, so thank you to the whole Sound Image team, and of course, to our Account Executive Kevin "Tater" McCarthy and Sound Image President, Jesse Adamson, for giving us such an awesome crew."
Part of keeping this tour running smoothly, especially for those impacted by grief, revolves around keeping the crew as content as possible. In the UK, mental health charity Music Support was on site for one-to-one peer support. "With such a busy schedule, everybody needs space to have their emotions heard and to be cared for as an individual within such a big team," continues Joe. "It's important, and we try to provide as much of a family style relationship as we can. Having resources available, not from another crew member, but a trained ear that can handle complex feelings, goes a long way."
Jim agrees: "There's little we can do about the grind of the touring schedule, but out of respect for the team, Joe, Tori, Fiona and I, in our roles as production leadership, want to nurture when we hit these kinds of hurdles, it's what keeps us moving together.
"What we sometimes forget in our business is that as we are doing business, life goes on. The more you nurture a team of professionals, the more you can withstand the kind of rigors that we face out here without encountering a crisis. Adding decompression moments into your schedule is a necessity now."
This ethos hasn't gone unnoticed by the crew. "It's nice to have been asked to work with such a legacy artist because their fans are quite amazing," beams FOH Engineer Jim Ebdon. "Jim Digby has put the best crew together and it's a very healthy situation. You can't often say that in touring, but here, people are prioritized. Jim is so great at recognizing if we need some morale. And the band is so appreciative of their crew that it's a refreshing, positive change. When the people on stage are interested in what you do, and when the crew are so conscientious in their jobs, it makes the difference."
On his introduction to rap infused, electronic-led nu metal, he states: "I listened to them for two months in preparation, and when we started rehearsing and I heard Emily sing live for the first time, I thought 'this is going to be amazing!' The hairs on my arm are standing up even talking about it now. I was blown away by her vocals. The mix is big, with lots of exciting low end; their new album sound has those low, sub drops and the vocals sound great, so it's a lovely show for me to mix every night. I didn't get much rehearsal time with the PA system, but Sound Image, and the wider Clair teams everywhere we've visited in Europe have done a great job."
With DiGiCo at both ends, Jim operates on a Quantum 852 mixing over 100 inputs. He shares SD-Racks and operates across an Optocore loop in conjunction with the Quantum 338 console in monitor world. Primary inputs are split into Neve RMP-D8 Dantemic preamps & delivered to both consoles via an extensive Dante network with a Prodigy. MX joining to provide 96 to 48k sample rate & format conversion for broadcast applications.
Jim has dual Fourier Audio transform.engine in a main & backup workflow that are connected via another Prodigy.MX that handles changeover between the Quantum 852’s dual engines & Fourier. The same Prodigy.MX also manages the 128ch at 96k into Pro Tools for nightly archival & virtual soundcheck use cases.
"Mike Shinoda, being the band's producer, engineer, writer and singer, listens to the board tape every night," continues Jim. "He has really interesting comments for me and he's making me a better mixer every day. And Bill Chase, our Systems Engineer, knows exactly how the PA should sound.”
Vocalists Mike and Emily sing through DPA d:facto microphones. "It really suits them both, this capsule doesn't color the sound in any way, and that's perfect as we have very strong singers. For their older songs, there was a lot of vocal effects that Mike sent me the plug-ins for, but my outboard is the same as I've used for a long time: a Tube Tech CL-1B and a Teletronix LA-2A compressor on my vocal chain that go into a mono bus then into another vocal bus. I do have a couple of analog compressors on drums and bass guitar, a couple of reverbs, but mainly, everything is in the Quantum 852. I love the bright screens as we're working outside so much, and ergonomically, I like the layout of it; it's a very nice desk to operate."
The entire audio system has been built with robust, independent redundancy, designed by FOH, Systems & Network Engineer, Ricki Cook. "We have such a good crew from Sound Image. Ricki is extremely knowledgeable about all the equipment and what happens in the 'engine room', as it were," Jim confirms.
Ricki manages the complex audio network with total confidence: "I toured with the band from 07-09 and was delighted to be asked to head up the early system design stages. I’ve really enjoyed introducing some new technology into the system as I'm very comfortable with it, especially given the amount of networking on this show. I like to do everything over IP but still have a large amount of MADI & other legacy audio interfaces to accommodate and my job is made easier with the use of the DirectOut Prodigy series. The band run the MPs on stage too and have taken advice and input on the design of their playback and backline systems. As a result, we've built a backline and audio package that gels together really well between artist and crew."
Audio Systems Engineer Bill Chase is handling a substantial Adamson PA system - over 300 VGt's (including delays), VGs, and CS10 speakers are driven via Milan on a separate network also managed by Ricki & driven via Adamson’s network Gateways & yet another Prodigy.MP loaded with AVB & Dante interfaces. Flown end fire subs and large cardioid ground sub arrays help achieve the desired impact. Bill notes: ”The low-mid punch is very impressive. We want the same impact everywhere in the venue, while not losing the little details within the music, and bringing out the full experience the fans expect of the band. That's something that this Adamson rig does really well.”
The current PA design is one of five variations used throughout the tour. He furthers: “For stadiums, we have a standard large format design. There is a 24 box main hang paired with the flown end-fire sub arrays, and an equally large side hang. These cover most of the stadium floor and side seating, while four 16 box delay towers and a 270 hang of 8 more VGt help cover what the main and side cannot reach. The end-fire arrays place 12 VGs in front of another 12 VGs spaced 66-inches apart and angled outward. Using Adamson’s EF66 preset we can get all forward energy with very little to the rear and on stage. This really helps us get the low impact to the farthest seats without crushing the front row.”
A Sound Devices Nexus system is used for wireless test & measurement into a computer running SMAART for precise PA tuning. The Sound Devices & Computers all interface with the Prodigy.MP via Dante.
Bill continues: "Nothing is ever cookie cutter with Sound Image, this rig in particular is probably one of the most intricate I've worked with as far as how we interface with backline and between monitors, front of house and the PA. It's networked perfectly with a lot of control available to the artists and the techs. This kind of outcome is only possible when you build something very specific."
The PA team is completed by PA Techs Tania Lopez Martinez & Robin Blanchard who joined the tour for the US shows this year and carrying onto the EU for the stadium shows the team was joined by PA Techs Joseph Walton & Marc Zedda, Delay PA Techs, Harry Thatcher, Jack Madden and Rowan Cahill.
Mixing 6 x mixes for the band, Monitor Engineer Pasi Hara has a further 2 x guest mixes, and another 8 x crew mixes fed into dedicated combiners and antennas. All IEM are Wisycom with MPR-50 packs. Headphones are JH audio with the new JH Pearl system for all band and select crew members.
"I have a couple of hardwired mixes for stationary crew also but I'm trying to keep things organic, so whatever the band gives me, I clean it a little and give it back to them without over processing it," says Pasi. "By simply using some special vocal effects and distortion they've become accustomed to when making the new album, it allows their in-ear mixes to feel familiar when performing the newer songs live.”
The band are very open to suggestions and has a clear vision what they're doing: “So much so that they ask us, the crew, what they can do to make the show better for us. It's unheard of! With the dedication that has gone into this project, I don't think I've ever worked in a touring environment that's been as satisfactory."
Using the Quantum 338 with Pulse upgrade, Pasi adds: "Besides the main Optocore loop, I have a secondary loop for my local immersive KLANG:konductor IEM monitor mixing system with Optocore cards fitted within."
Waves is mostly used for effects, but also as inserts on selected inputs such as drums, bass and vocals. Pasi records to Reaper through a pair of DiGiGrid MGBs, running 128 channels at 96k. The same computer also hosts Wavetool for audio and RF monitoring. He continues: "I start mixing with no automation, and my cue notes I learn by hand. Then, I automate certain things that need to move; I leave my drums and most of the vocals alone, but we do run levels on guitars, the DJ, keys and for playback.”
The complexity of the rig took some integral pre-production time, as Pasi notes: "During our prep at Sound Image's San Diego shop, we were treated very well. Even when we were working under a secret name, you get the same service if you're a big act or unknown. They're a very good company to work with."
Pasi works closely with RF Tech and Comms expert Katlyn Mountain. Katlyn oversees the band's RF while also looking after Pasi as Monitor Tech, Comms Techs Jess Hammersley and Robin Blanchard, and Stage Tech Amy Truong.
This team are deploying a package of Wisycom MTK982 dual channel IEM transmitters and Shure Axient Digital receivers with RF over Fiber. "Almost everyone across the crew is on the Bolero standalone comms system, or Wisycom MPR50 IEMs with the new JH Pearl modification,” begins Katlyn. "We are using around 90 x radios (Motorola XPR3500e) which we also have tied into the Riedel Communications standalone system and over 50 x packs.”
Katlyn loves working on these larger, longer tours. “It has given me an opportunity for growth, and a chance to learn from others around me. I’m fortunate when it comes to this tour; it allows me to have the opportunity to see and be around many different RF environments, and I always strive to face them as a positive challenge. Having an amazing crew also helps keep the positivity! Touring with them has truly been a gift - this team is the closest thing you could feel to being with family."
In closing, FOH Mixer Jim Ebdon agrees: "This business is all about relationships and it seems to me, certainly in my career, that Clair Global, and its brands, really looks after you. As a vendor, their brands have your best interests at heart. We are a family because they're very attentive to the small needs, and that means I never have to worry - I can do what the band wants me to do, which is to concentrate on mixing them in this new, exciting era."
Linkin Park’s ‘From Zero’ world tour is currently in South America and is set to end in Switzerland on June 30th, 2026 - a long stint away from home made possible thanks to a real road family.
