Cinematic energy, studio sound
The partnership between Sweetwater Studios and We Came as Romans began last year when the group’s initial touring plans around the 10^th Anniversary of To Plant a Seed were cancelled due to the pandemic lockdowns. Longtime customers of the Sweetwater Sound retail branch, the band’s production team got in touch with the studio to put together a streaming performance that was worthy of the band’s formidable live reputation and would satisfy their dedicated fanbase. “The tour getting cancelled was a big loss for all of us, so we really wanted to find a way to give something back to our longtime fans,” explained We Came as Romans Production Manager Corbin Alvae. “Once we’d settled on the idea of a streaming live performance, it occurred to us that the best place to do that would be at Sweetwater.”

Sweetwater Studios Producer/Engineer Shawn Dealey took on the task of serving as production manager of the performance, drawing on his dual experience in both live and studio environments. The band was filmed playing in Sweetwater Studios’ Performance Theatre with their full touring sound and lighting rigs, including VividLED panels provided by Chauvet.  The goal was to capture all of the energy and intensity of the band’s live shows with an approach to camera and lightning that would match that excitement. “We really wanted to give this performance a cinematic look and feel without losing the energy that makes something like that special,” explained Dealey. “We have a lot of experience doing these types of events live, so pulling the puzzle together with video as well came second nature to us.”

From an audio standpoint, Dealey and the Sweetwater Studios team worked hard to ensure that the video would have studio-quality sound to match the impact of the visuals. He utilized a variety of high-end Telefunken microphones and Rupert Neve Designs RMP-D8 preamps to capture the live audio, which was then mixed in Sweetwater Studios’ Studio A. “One of our guiding principles at Sweetwater Studios is that we want to capture performers giving their best performances in the most real and organic way possible,” said Dealey. “When you do that with the kind of studio tools we have access to here, you ensure that you’re getting the best of that performance in terms of delivery, but without losing anything in terms of audio quality.”

“The team at Sweetwater completely understood what we wanted to do from an experience standpoint and were very focused on just making sure it looked and sounded absolutely perfect,” concluded Alvae. “We were truly blown away by how it came out in the end. It was such a good feeling working with them knowing how much they cared about doing this the right way.”

Live in the studio
For the band’s upcoming performance of To Plant a Seed, the production will move into Sweetwater Studios’ Studio A, allowing them to perform in a more intimate setting while still capturing the same intensity and high quality of audio and video. “The size and infrastructure at Sweetwater Studios make it possible for us to produce these streaming performances in a variety of settings without any compromise in quality,” said Dealey. “It’s something we’re incredibly proud of, and it allows these artists to give it their all without having to worry about the end product. We’ve got it all handled.”

For more information about the performance and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://thebarricade.live/

For more information on Sweetwater Studios please visit: http://www.sweetwaterstudios.com/