Wiz Khalifa

With a string of Gold and Platinum albums, along with multiple No. 1 chart singles to his name, there can be no doubting that Wiz Khalifa is one of the biggest names in the world of Hip-Hop.

With a style, image and personality as big as Wiz’s, it should come as no surprise that his live shows are just as wild. The responsibility for pulling that show together lies at the feet of Wiz’s musical director, Kenneth Wright.

We were recently invited by Kenneth to come and check out one of Wiz’s amazing live shows, and why iConnectivity interfaces are his one and only choice.

As with most large-scale shows nowadays, Wiz performs with a full live band which is augmented with pre-recorded elements. It’s an essential part of the knockout Wiz Khalifa concert experience. Kenneth’s job as Musical Director is certainly a busy one; playing both bass guitar and keyboards, and also directing the band, it’s fair to say he has his hands full!

When it came to choosing a playback system for the Wiz Khalifa tour, Kenneth chose iConnectivity and the PlayAUDIO12 to replace his previous playback setup. It’s a choice which is being echoed throughout the industry.

“With all that I have to juggle with, the least of my worries is my Playback”

Taking a look at Kenneth’s corner of the stage, it would be easy to miss the single PlayAUDIO12 which nestles neatly in Kenneth’s equipment rack. Two large bass amplifiers, coupled to a pair of huge bass cabs flank one half of stage area. The rest is made up of stacked keyboards and pedals.

Kenneth Wright in sound-check at the helm of his monster stage rig.

On a show of this scale, a computer failure cannot be allowed to bring down the show, so a streamlined and simple redundant playback solution is essential. Kenneth runs a pair of 13” Apple MacBook Pros “I wanted the 13” laptops as they’re smaller and a lot easier to deal with”, and an AKAI MIDI keyboard to switch between songs in Ableton Live.

“I love the fact that I can take this rig anywhere, from the States to overseas and back and not have any issues. It makes my life a lot easier!”

We wish Wiz, Kenneth, and all the crew on tour the very best for every show they perform. If you’re able to catch Wiz Khalifa on tour, we’d highly recommend it - it’s a show you won’t forget!