Guadalajara, Mexico, September 18, 2025 — Veteran front-of-house engineer Fernando Guzman has been touring with GRAMMY Award-winning Música Mexicana star Peso Pluma as he and his band performed at arenas and festivals across North America, Mexico and Latin America during the last couple of years. Earlier this year, Guzman made a change to his rack of outboard analogue processing at FOH, adding a Harrison Audio D510rack 500 Series Rack with integrated D510dante interface, outfitting it with Harrison and Solid State Logic modules.
“The rack is versatile and a super easy way to get in and out of the console with just a network cable. I have access to all 10 module slots. It’s just amazing,” says Guzman, who carried the rack in his Pelican case for a couple of festival shows. “This is one of the most convenient tools I can see in the live market right now, because you can carry up to 10 analogue processors in a very tiny format and swap the modules out as you need for the production.”
Guzman has been in the business for over 30 years and has worked with major Mexican artists including Juan Gabriel, Caifanes, Cafe Tacuba, RBD, Jenni Rivera, Espinoza Paz, Chiquis, Tigres del Norte, Manu Chao, Benny Ibarra, Alejandra Guzman, Emmanuel and OV7.
When fitted with the optional Dante interface card, the D510r 10-slot 500 Series rack can seamlessly integrate Harrison’s 32Cpre analogue microphone preamp, Comp dynamics and MR3eq modules, or any third-party 500 Series modules, into a hybrid workflow. Those modules can be easily integrated into channel insert, subgroup, mix bus or other signal paths on any Dante-equipped live sound or music production console. “The patching is great because there's no hard patch – it’s all done via a routing matrix,” says Guzman, who uses a Dante-enabled Solid State Logic Live console to mix Peso. “You can optimize routing really fast and very effectively using Dante; it’s a very efficient and flexible workflow.”
The Harrison 500 Series captures the unmistakable character and sonic heritage of Harrison’s legendary consoles. The 32Cpre+ incorporates Harrison’s renowned high and low-pass filters alongside the same transformer-coupled microphone preamp found in the new 32Classic console—a design that traces directly back to the iconic 3232 mixing desk. This preamp delivers the rich harmonic depth, warmth, and musical detail that have made Harrison consoles a first choice for engineers and artists across generations. The Comp compressor reflects Harrison’s decades of signal-processing expertise, offering smooth, musical dynamics control that enhances presence without sacrificing natural tone. Meanwhile, the MR3eq, inspired by the 3-band parametric design of the classic MR3 console and complete with a high-pass filter, provides precise yet musical tonal shaping, letting you sculpt everything from subtle alterations to bold, colorful character.
Bridging the unmistakable Harrison studio sound into Peso Pluma’s live shows is a key priority for Guzmán. “Peso records regularly on the Harrison 32Classic console at Prajin Parlay Studios in Los Angeles, where the transformer-balanced mic pre delivers an exceptionally warm and full sound,” he explains. “SSL Live consoles are so transparent that they let me introduce different sonic flavors and deliver them to their fullest—bringing Harrison into the live setup was essential to maintain that direct connection to Peso’s studio sound.”
Peso is at the forefront of Corridos Tumbados, a type of Mexican regional music that has been updated with elements of Hip-hop, Trap and Reggaeton. Guzman applied a combination of Harrison and SSL 500 Series modules to the lead vocal and several of the traditional Mexican instruments played by the band. “I like the analog sound coming out from the SSL console, so I use these tools just to give things some character, to add some flavor and color,” he explains.
Central to the sound of the band is the tololoche, which is similar to a double bass and provides both melody and percussion. “I really need the tololoche to sound amazing and to be the foundation in the mix. I used a chain with a Harrison MR3eq and a Comp module on both microphones. We have one mic in the box of the tololoche for the low end, and we have one on the neck for the slap and the percussion effect.”
Guzman used a Harrison 32Cpre for the requinto, a smaller version of the classical acoustic guitar. “I found that the Harrison mic pre brought a little bit of flavor to the requinto. I like it very, very much.” He patched his guitar group output through an SSL ULTRAVIOLET Stereo Equaliser module, a 500 Series module derived from SSL’s Fusion processor, several of which Guzman carries in his outboard rack when touring with Peso. “That gave the guitars a little bit of spice to pop out of the mix, when needed.”
He inserted a Harrison Comp compressor combined with an SSL E-Series EQ module into the lead singer’s input channel, he says. “And the trombone, which is also very important, ‘talking’ with the singer back and forth, had the same processing chain as the guitar, a Harrison MR3eq and a Comp module, and it worked very well.”
Guzman recalls having a conversation with a friend and fellow live sound engineer a few years ago. “He said to me, ‘We really need a 500 rack with a Dante module.’ So when I received this rack, I sent him a picture and said, ‘Your wishes have come true, brother.’ He got very excited. I'm pretty sure that this Harrison rack is going to be very popular for touring. And, of course, it's a double-purpose rack — you can take it from the studio to a live show and back to the studio. That's amazing.”