The Marvels of Saudi Tour, performed by the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir, visited the Palace of Versailles in September 2025. The show featured a 64-person choir, more than 250 inputs on stage, and was broadcast live.
Three DiGiCo Quantum 852 consoles were used in the FOH, monitor and broadcast positions. The engineers relied on built-in features such as the Mustard Source Expander (MSE) and the highly customisable surface, which allowed them to access channels quickly and efficiently.
Formed in 2021 to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s cultural bond with the rest of the world, the orchestra has performed in some of the most iconic venues. In 2024, they played with the Royal Philharmonic in London, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and at Tokyo Opera City. The musical experience aims to build a cultural bridge between Saudi Arabia and each host country. Each show is unique to the country of performance, creating an authentic fusion of styles. In Versailles, there were two conductors and the musicians performed with a blend of traditional Arabic instruments —such as the oud— alongside French classics like the accordion. The 64-person choir included 16 French and 48 Saudi singers.
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The audio equipment was supplied by French rental company MPM, while the engineers came from audio solutions company Loud N Clear, a company with a long history working with the Orchestra. Loud N Clear joined the project through Benchmark, the producers and event managers of the Marvels of Saudi Tour, and one of Saudi Arabia’s most respected event companies. Both companies have worked with the tour since its inception. Founded in 1985 by Roger Bou Farhat, Loud N Clear quickly earned a strong reputation for delivering immaculate audio across all types of professional applications, while also providing training and hands-on experience for engineers. The company owns several DiGiCo consoles, including SD8, SD10, Quantum 338, Quantum 7 and two Quantum 852.
No matter the musical style, DiGiCo consoles adapt — that’s what we love most about them. One night we might be mixing a rock band, the next an electronic festival, or a classical performance. DiGiCo consoles give us the tools to handle everything without compromise. They are flexible, reliable and always deliver the sound quality clients expect, which is why they fit so well with the diversity of shows we do, Farhat explains.
Ellie Itief, who has worked with Farhat for 24 years on various projects, handled the broadcast mix for the Versailles performance, while Erick Deeb took the FOH position. They both explain that although the shows vary greatly, their workflows can remain similar thanks to the flexibility of the DiGiCo consoles. As Deeb points out, being part of the project has been full of proud moments, and visiting the Palace of Versailles was a dream come true both personally and professionally.
"I’ve used many DiGiCo consoles and they are definitely my favourite. When we’re touring, we can easily load our show onto any of them and the sound quality is always the same”, he recalls. “I want the audience to feel the acoustics of the room and the orchestra, so the PA must feel invisible. With DiGiCo I can go deep into the details, so the sound is as natural as possible. I can prepare everything with the offline software because it’s very similar to working directly on the surface of the console. As I travel a lot, I can easily build my sessions between shows, which is a huge advantage”.
For Itief, delivering a high-quality broadcast mix is about recreating the feeling of the room. The Versailles performance featured 16 cameras in the auditorium, so she also appreciated being able to dive into the finer details of the mix to fully convey the experience to the remote audience.
The acoustics of this venue are incredible; we both feel deeply honoured to work here. We have a huge number of inputs, so being able to configure the Quantum 852 exactly how we need it is a major advantage. We don’t need any external gear — we can rely on the onboard processing, EQs, reverbs and delays. This tour has visited some amazing venues; many engineers would dream of being part of it, she says.
Taking part in the Marvels of Saudi Tour has been an extraordinary experience for everyone involved and, as Farhat concludes, having the rock-solid reliability and consistent sound quality of DiGiCo consoles has given the engineers the confidence to perform at their best, no matter how imposing or historic the venue may be.
The DiGiCo consoles have proven their worth on this tour and, for a company like ours, they are the logical choice. They are reliable, flexible and truly trusted by engineers. Whether it’s a small show or a major international production, we know the sound will always be top-notch. Their flexibility makes managing an orchestral setup much smoother, and their reliability brings peace of mind to the entire touring team. For a tour of this scale, that level of consistency is exactly what we need. This tour has been amazing; the strong relationship and trust we share with Benchmark is a real privilege. Seeing the orchestra connect with the audience from the very first moment brings all the prep and technical work to life. It’s genuinely unforgettable and reminds us why we love what we do.
