DAS Audio has released the Event Line Array Systems Performance Simulator, allowing quick and easy calculation of Event 208A or Event 210A systems coverage of a given audience or audience area.

The Event Line Array Systems Performance Simulator is available online via the DAS website. Use is quick and intuitive – select a system, whether the loudspeakers should be flown or ground stacked, the area to be covered, or the number of people in the audience. Click on Calculate, and the simulator outputs  data, including the number of Event 208A or Event 210A systems required, configuration options, coverage maps and rigging data. Areas up to 115ft by 115ft or an audience size of up to 4,900 people can be configured in a few clicks.

‘The Event Systems Performance Simulator is an intuitive tool that enables anyone working in sound reinforcement and visiting our website to quickly resolve questions regarding area coverage,’ says Jaime Villegas, General Manager at DAS Audio USA. ‘Designed specifically for our Event 208A or Event 210A systems, this innovative tool is yet another example of how DAS strives to make every aspect of using our company’s products a world-class experience. I’m confident our sound reinforcement customers will find much to like.’

More: www.dasaudio.com

Guatemala’s largest electronic and alternative music event, the Empire Music Festival attracted more than 15,000 festival-goers  to its four-stages set-up at Finca El Jocotillo. Over two days, they saw acts ranging from Incubus, Zedd, and Café Tacuba to Skrillex and Paul Van Dyk.

Guatemala sound company Blessure, with Alan Mejia at the helm, was called in to handle the sound for the festival, choosing systems from sound reinfocement specialist DAS Audio. DAS Audio Systems Engineer Vicent Olucha made the trip from Spain and was also on hand to help the Blessure team set up and adjust the small army of systems deployed for the event.

The hard-hitting performances that took to the EMF’s main stage required an equally powerful sound system, and after studying the stage’s particular requirements the sound technicians designed a solution based on DAS Aero Series 2 line array systems. A total of 16 Aero 40A Alas (Advanced Line Array Systems). These high-performance line arrays were combined with 16 DAS UX-221A powered subwoofers, groundstacked in front of the stage to ensure excellent low-frequency support.

This was rounded out with eight DAS Aero 12A line arrays as front fill, brought in to provide even sound coverage for the down-in-front fans. Two lateral sets of three Aero 40A systems, which were stacked on a LX-218CA subwoofer, handled side fill. This system was controlled by the DASnet remote management and monitoring system.

DAS Aero 20A powered line arrays and LX-218CA powered subwoofers were rigged at a second stage dedicated to DJ sessions and showcasing some of the world’s top artists. The Blessure sound team also rolled out a combination of DAS Convert 15A and LX-218CA subwoofers on this stage to take care of side fill.

The Empire Music Festival is quickly becoming one of Latin America’s highest profile music festivals, following similar multi-genre events that have grown in popularity in the US and Europe and incorporating their recipe for success – simultaneous stages on massive concert grounds, offering a variety of music and entertainment.

The fourth annual Adelfia Fireworks Fair in Bari drew 30,000 spectators turning out to see a series of firework displays designed by the top Italian companies. Accompanying them were DAS professional sound systems…

The festivities fall on the day that marks the festival of San Trifone, and culminate in a fireworks display that is set to music. Pyrotechnic Emotions of the Past and Present was a joint presentation from Nanna Fireworks and Pirotécnica San Severo, with Omnia Service handling the technical side of the show.

Omni Service paired with Antonio Armillotta to design the sound for this much-anticipated event, using a selection of DAS line array systems and Powersoft amplifiers. Two linear hangs of DAS Event 210A powered line array systems were brought in for the main PA and were paired with six DAS Event 218A, powered subwoofers explosive enough to provide lows that were the equal of the fireworks. Two relay towers equipped with a combination of DAS Aero 28 and DAS 218 subwoofer systems were also set up to contend with the large audience area.

‘The sound work was delicate in terms of the size of the space – we had to cover an area nearly 300m long in front but with a barely 30m depth. The objective was to ensure uniform sound along the entire front of the audience, which we achieved by setting up an extremely robust PA combined with lighter delay towers’, says Head of Omnia Service’s Audio Department, Alessandro Mazzetti. ‘The sharpness of the Event 210A systems and the high sound pressure they provided deserves a special mention. We were also impressed with the powerful punch of the Event 218A subwoofers, which performed flawlessly. The entire system performed with the solvency and reliability characteristic of DAS Audio products.’

A recent 26-date North American tour in support of her debut album Sit Still, Look Pretty saw American singer-songwriter Daya using an audio control package from Clair Global. Working with venue racks and stacks, the mix set-up included an Allen & Heath dLive S Class Digital Mixing System with an S5000 Surface and DM64 MixRack.

‘Daya hits big notes and her lyrics are very empowering,’ says FOH engineer Daniel Reed. ‘I wanted her vocal to be clean and distinct so the audience could clearly understand her lyrics and sing along to her songs.

‘I kept my channel EQs fairly consistent and as flat as possible for Daya’s vocal,’ he explains. ‘ I know which frequencies I want to hone in on using the multi-band compressor on the dLive’s Dyn8 dynamic processing engine and, when Daya sings louder, certain frequencies can still stand out so I isolated those with the dynamic EQ section of the Dyn8 to keep her voice strong and full throughout the performance without having to hack away at the channel EQ.’

Reed managed the tour’s multiple sources with dLive layers. He kept frequently accessed inputs, effects returns and DCA masters on top, with an iPod input and pink noise source on lower layers. And, since each of Daya’s pop songs have a specific BPM, Reed used Scenes to program them into the dLive delay units.

‘That way, I didn’t have to chase it or tap along with the song to get the delay right on the vocals,’ he says. ‘Some of Daya’s songs are more subtle while others are more dynamic and upbeat,’ he says. ‘So, I might add some more length into my snare and vocal reverbs and kind of dub it out with the stereo tap delay using spatial panning.’

On prior tours, Reed used Waves plug-ins to achieve these results: ‘This time, I decided to run with the dLive’s onboard effects, which don’t have the latency and processing overhead. That way, I had the settings the way that I needed them and I had all my effects pre-programmed into songs using dLive scenes. The effects and compressor emulators sound fantastic and are fun to work on, so it was an easy decision to move away from external plug-in or effects processing.

‘For this tour, we wanted Daya’s live performance to take her music to a new dimension, beyond what everyone hears on the radio, something her audience would always remember,’ Reed closes. ‘And, that’s the beauty of the dLive,’ he continued. ‘It’s so clear and transparent that I didn’t need to do very much to make all of that happen.’

More: www.allen-heath.com

Italian manufacturer dB Technologies has unveiled the BH Powered Speaker Series.

The new loudspeaker line aims to provide ‘a professional yet efficient sonic performance to every user’, combining an extremely efficient class-D amplifier with aggressive sound pressure levels (up to 126.5 dB for the 15-inch cabinet.

The family includes four two-way cabinets, all of which are equipped with premium 1-inch compression drivers and respectively 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch woofers.

The design features a asymmetrical horn ensuring a wide and uniform throw pattern. The dB Technologies team has crafted accurate digital sound processing, allowing users to choose between two EQ presets: Flat or Boost. The lightweight cabinets (14-38lbs) are fitted with a clean and full grille, offering portability with three handles (one per side and one on top). Each cabinet can be used horizontally as a stage monitor (with two angles) and features a pole mount cup for a tripod stand or stacked on dB Technologies Subwoofers.

More: www.dBTechnologies.com

Hitting the road for The Puff Puff Pass Tour Part 2, Snoop Dogg toured the US Midwest and West Coast in the company of hip-hop artists such Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The Diamond Lake Elsinore was the venue for the Southern California show – an 8,000-capacity stadium that can be transformed into a concert venue with a seating capacity of 14,000.

Having recently added dB Technologies’ VIO L210, VIO S318 line arrays and DVX DM15 TH stage monitors to its inventory, Advantage Event Solutions (AES) provided the PA system for the event. ‘We were looking for a system that provided excellent sound quality with full networking and DSP at an outstanding price point,’ says company owner, Jesse Cochran. ‘To meet the requirements of the sound crew and the venue, a complete dB Technologies’ VIO line array and sub system was chosen, debuting the system’s first activation in California.

The installation comprised 18 VIO L210 elements (nine per side), and ten VIO S318 in a centre array. dB Technologies Control8 interface was used to network the boxes together over Cat6, providing full system control, individual adjustment, monitoring, and system tuning.

‘Hip-hop shows are very sub intensive,’ Cochran notes. ‘Having the networking built in to every dB Technologies box enabled us to digitally array the subwoofers for even SPL and quick set-up.

‘The dB Technologies’ VIO series is efficient,’ he adds. ‘We covered the entire venue easily. It also performed well, the FIR filters ensured perfectly coherent coverage even at a long distance. The networking and DSP in every box ensured it sounded great anywhere in the venue,’ Cochran adds. ‘The audio crew was surprised at how easy it was to fly the system, without a drop of sweat, just using the DT VIO L210 trolleys.’

More: www.dBTechnologies.com

dBTechnologies has added the VIO L208 to its VIO line array family, offering a new acoustic design and lighter and faster rigging elements. It can serve as a compact stand-alone system as well as a fully compatible down-fill for the VIO L210 and VIO L208 hybrid systems, completed by the VIO S Active subwoofer.

VIO L208 is a two-way active line array system equipped with 2X8-inch neodymium woofers and 1X1.4-inch neodymium compression driver (2.5-inch voice coil). The transducers are positioned behind an all-in-one panel, which acts as a phase-plug and a HF horn. The waveguide behind this panel contributes to the creation of a cylindrical wavefront, much to the advantage of hghi-frequency throw distance. Each module of VIO L208 is driven by a class-D Digipro G3 900W amlifierr module with auto-range PSU. Thanks to the advanced sound processing of FIR filters, VIO L208 performs clearly and perfectly. The preamp module is also equipped with a digital optical isolation, guaranteeing interference-free input signal.

Like the larger VIO L210, VIO 208’s lightweight wooden enclosure comes with a built-in rigging system made for simplicity and speed: a back central rigging strand allows users to set the relative splay angles directly in the dedicated transport cart DT-VIOL208, which is able to house four modules plus one flying bar. While lifting up the array, the rigging strand will automatically block the systems at the preset angles with no need of heavy lifting.

The dedicated three-point flying frame DRK 208 allows a precise inclination of the array to be set and will carry an optional inclinometer laser pointer. When not in use, the flybar can be stored in the transport cart.

Onboard manual processing of the system, while any preset can be changed remotely with the new Aurora Net control software from dBTechnologies.

Key features:

• Class-D 900W RMS amplification.
• Up to 133.5dB SPL.
• Optimised for acoustic and mechanical compatibility with VIO L210.
• All-in-one phase plug and HF horn front panel
• Waveguide HF design enhancing.
• DSP with linear-phase FIR filters.
• Precise horizontal and vertical coverage (100° x 10°).
• Fully compatible with the new Aurora Net software.
• DSP Presets for acoustic customisation.
• Built-in flying hardware .
• Wooden box finished with scratch-resistant Polyurea coating

More: www.dBTechnologies.com

dBTechnologies’ VIO is a large-format, active line array platform, claiming ‘revolutionary new technology and exceptional performance’.

With an integrated three-point rigging system offers precise adjustments and fast, one-person set-up while specially designed transport carts speed system load-in/load-out at all types of event including outdoor festivals and concerts. VIO’s L210 full-range line array module features two high-power 10-inch woofers with 2.5-inch voice coils and a 1.4-inch compression driver with a 3-inch voice coil. The L210 boasts a unique acoustic design with aluminium LF phase plugs and a newly-designed HF waveguide to achieve precise coverage control, high efficiency and very high SPL while maintaining voice intelligibility and musical sound quality.

VIO’s S318 subwoofer is a powerful low-frequency module with three 18-inch woofers in a compact enclosure. Two of the S318’s woofers are half horn-loaded and one is front loaded, and they feature mechanically-aligned voice coils for controlled LF phase response. A simple software adjustment converts three S318s (one facing rearward) into a high-output, cardioid-pattern subwoofer system for greater LF control and throw distance. Equipped with polyurea-coated 18mm multiplex wood enclosures and amplifier rain covers, VIO’s line array modules are sturdy and lightweight.

A 900W Digipro class-D amplifier with advanced 56-bit FIR filters powers the L210 to135dB SPL. Three of these amplifiers allow the S318 to reach 143dB SPL. Optically-isolated digital inputs are optimised for a clean, noise free system, and integrated RDNet software provides real-time networked system control and monitoring. Exclusive dBTechnologies Composer software adds simple and accurate system coverage and SPL prediction along with centralised system voicing while available GLL and Ease Focus files enable consultants and system designers to use industry-standard system design software.

 ‘VIO embodies the best of dBTechnologies’ expertise,’ says Sales & Marketing Director Giovanni Barbieri. ‘Our R&D group combined advanced DSP features with specially designed transducers to create a high-performance line array that can be quickly adapted to the most challenging acoustic environments. VIO is attractive, rugged and lightweight with smart, three-point rigging, user-friendly software and dedicated transport carts making it an attractive business solution for growing pro audio companies and rental providers.’

More: www.dbtechnologies.com

dbx has released the CT3 and CT2 cable test accessories for live sound and studio applications.

The dbx CT3 is an advanced cable test unit allowing evaluation of a variety of cables. The ubnit offers common connectors such as RJ45, RJ11, Midi, speaker twist, XLR, RCA phono, BNC, DIN, TRS, TS, DMX and Banana. It can be split into a Sender and a Receiver to allow preinstalled and long cables to be tested.

The dbx CT2 similarly offers common connectors such as speaker twist, XLR, phono, BNC, DIN, TRS, TS, DMX and Banana, allowing cables with different connectors at each end to be tested. With illuminated LED indicators and a simple rotary dial, users can quickly establish whether a cable is wired and functioning correctly, or if it is dead and in need of repair.

The testers are available in the UK through Sound Technology, with the CT3 at £99 RRP (ex VAT) and the CT2 at £29.99 RRP ex VAT.

More: www.dbxpro.com
More: www.soundtech.co.uk/dbx

dbx has announced the Di4 active four-channel DI box with line mixer.

Offering four channels, the Di4 allows conversion of unbalanced signals into balanced output suitable for use with mixers, PA systems and recording consoles. The unit also functions as a multi-channel stereo line mixer, allowing connection of keyboards, samplers and modules and independent XLR balanced outputs to be sent to a stagebox. A 20dB pad accommodated high-level signal inputs and ground (earth) loops can be cured using the earth lift switch. The Di4 also offers a headphone output.

Level and pan can be set for all input signals to a single stereo pair of RCA connections on the rear of the Di4.

The dbx Di4 is available now, priced at £99 RRP inc VAT in the UK via Sound Technology Ltd.

More: www.dbxpro.com
More:www.soundtech.co.uk/dbx

Dee Sound & Light recently invested in an SSL L500 Plus live digital console and a stock of ML 32.32 Stageboxes for its Dee-Digital dry-hire business. The first L500 in Belgium, the desk has been on a number of large-scale tours around Europe.

‘We invest in the high end,’ says Dee Sound & Light founder and MD, André Schneider. ‘Low-end or short-lived technology is not a good investment for a dry hire business. We need to know that a product will be in demand over the long-term and that the manufacturer will continue to support and develop the technology.’

Dee Sound & Light specialises in rental and production in both theatre and the music touring markets all over Europe and the world. Comprising two main departments  – DEE-Backline Rental and Dee-Digital Console Rental – the company supplies every production component and has been operating for more than 25 years.

This experience informed the L500 purchase: ‘I believe in this console,’ Schneider says. ‘Over the three years since it was first launched, it has proved itself on the road. Sound quality has been the one of the biggest attractions, but the large input count, the flexible architecture, and the huge range of internal effects are also important in the touring market these days. You don’t need to take racks of outboard - you can mix a complete show with just this console, without compromise.’

The L500 cabling and Stageboxes will be available to hire separately if required. Dee’s L500 was supplied by Belgian SSL distributor, Joystick Audio.

Noi is a new high-energy lounge/bar located in Delhi’s most high-end mall, The Chanakya, where an in-house DJ that transform the locale into a nightly hot spot. The client, real estate mogul DLF India, took the project to system integrator Macbee in search of the best-sounding bar in Delhi – with interior designer Rockwell Group USA requiring an absolutely discreet audio system without any acoustic treatment to compromise the interior concept.

Another challenge was that the seating at the bar and in the courtyard is positioned very close to the walls so any surface installation could cause a poor experience for those close to the speakers rather than in the middle of the areas.

With these requirements, Macbee wanted to take advantage of SPL consistency from a line array set-up even though most bars and clubs in Delhi employ point sources. The only manufacturer able to satisfy the design requirements and meet both technical demands was K-array, with its small footprint systems and Pure Array Technology.

For the bar, a system comprised of four Python-KP102 line arrays, two Thunder-KMT18P subs and four Rumble-KU212 subs were installed and powered by a Kommander-KA84 amplifier. Eight Python-KP102 line arrays, two Thunder-KMT18P subwoofers and four Rumble-KU212 subs powered by a Kommander-KA84 amp were installed in the double-height courtyard. Additionally, four Python-KP52 loudspeakers paired with two Thunder-KMT12P subs powered by a Kommander-KA24 amp now serve the outdoor lounge.

The speakers were placed in the corners and the subs were set behind the seating with two in the ceiling in the courtyard area, so they were completely hidden but yet able to give the low energy required for the weekends when there are around 500-600 people and the bar turns into a nightclub.

‘We were able to achieve a very high seat-to-seat consistency in terms of smooth bass response as well as SPL,’ says Macbee Sound Consultant, Sawan Nichani. ‘The most amazing response from the management was that they were able to sit right next to the speaker and still have a conversation. Not only were we able to just achieve – we exceeded the clients’ and designers’ expectations both in terms of performance and looks using K-array unique audio solutions. This place is now one of the top three places in New Delhi.’

More: www.k-array.com

Dubai-based audiovisual integration company Delta AV Solutions has been appointed Martin Audio distributor for the GCC countries.

Set up three years ago as a division of Delta Sound (having bases in the UAE, Qatar and Hong Kong), Delta AV Solutions specialises in the sale and distribution of pro audio and control to the local rental and integration markets. ‘Nothing compares to products like the BlacklineX and CDD ranges; as Martin Audio is now being specified a lot on BOQ’s [Bill of Quantities] we are optimistic that these will slot in quickly,’ says Contracts Manager Gareth Armstrong.

A veteran of special projects in the region, he believes that Martin Audio plugs an important gap in Delta AV Solutions’ portfolio of Tier 1 brands and backs this up with a high level of support: ‘Their back office in particular is really strong,’ he says. ‘t can be difficult to know everything and Martin Audio is awesome in providing information and replying instantly to requests. In Dubai, Clients want everything yesterday, and so this is vital.’

Armstrong is also aware of Martin Audio’s technology’s value in addressing sound pollution problems: ‘I am presently dealing with just such a problem, similar to that of Hyde Park, where the proximity of other buildings around a site is making life tricky, and Martin Audio’s advanced software in dealing with containment issues will be a huge benefit.

‘We have several exciting projects in the pipeline and this will provide us with useful reference sites – as people really want to listen to the Martin Audio sound in a real-world situation,’ he adds. ‘We see this as a long-term relationship, and aim to do our best for the brand,’ he concludes.

‘Following a number of potential enquiries for the new partnership in UAE, working with Gareth and Delta AV was the obvious solution,’ says Martin Audio EMEA Sales Manager, Bradley Watson. ‘Gareth has been at the heart of the integration and pro audio market in Dubai now for more than 15 years – and with exposure like this, his relationships and links to the specifiers and owners is second to none. I look forward to a strong working relationship with Gareth and Delta for many years to come.’

Delta Sound reports the successful completion of several prestigious and ambitious projects with Merging Technologies’ Ovation Audio & Event Sequencer.

The companies’ partnership began in the UK and quickly expanded to Delta’s offices in the Middle East, where increasingly complex events are in the ascendancy. Delta has demonstrated the ability to provide world-class systems expertise combined with the technical support necessary to ensure that major events run trouble free.

A cross-country tour to over 60 large-scale venues including a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden has seen country music star Dierks Bentley confirming the success of his most recent studio album, The Mountain. The tour also marks a13th year on tour with Dierks Bentley for FOH and System Engineer James ‘Pugsley’ McDermott – but the first using PK Sound Trinity Advanced Robotic Line Arrays.

‘It’s been a technological advancement not only in deployment, but also sonically,’ he says of the new PA, which features full-size main hangs with up to 16 Trinity boxes on each side of the stage, plus a dozen Trinity 10s for side hanging and front fills.
The tour crew also flew six Gravity 218 subwoofers per side, with an optional six per side on the ground, which were used in different configurations to fit the size and shape of each venue.

McDermott believes that the addition of Trinity loudspeakers has brought the Dierks Bentley sound system to another level, giving the crew added flexibility to control the contours of the soundfield, especially in the mid and high frequency ranges – granting the crew increased three-dimensional sound shaping capabilities, and allowing them to fit the sound field to any venue’s dimensions using PK Sound’s Kontrol software. ‘Every Trinity box can be whatever you want it to be,’ he says.

While a 120° dispersion pattern can be an asset in some venues, it is too wide for others. Accordingly, Trinity’s adjustable soundfield enables the system engineer to tailor each individual box to be as wide or narrow as is needed for the venue. ‘Each box can be set from anywhere between 50° and 120°, and you can use them symmetrically or asymmetrically,’ McDermott confirms. ‘I was having problems with a side-hang blowing into a video wall to the side of the audience, and all I had to do was just close up the boxes that were pointed at it, and that solved the issue.

‘Once you start eliminating reflections and getting the rig to run efficiently instead of having to fight the reflections and fight with the room, that’s where the Trinity really shines, because you have the ability to take the room out of the equation.’

Production Manager Jay Ballinger – who, like McDermott, has been on tour with the Dierks Bentley road crew for more than a decade – reckons Trinity to have increased the crew’s efficiency by streamlining the rigging process, from load-in, to system setup, load-out and transporting to the next venue, making the whole process safer and faster. ‘I love how it flies vertical with the touch of a button,’ he says. ‘And with the built-in mechanics, it brings itself into curved position for the show.
‘Trinity takes up less space both in the truck, as well as on stage and in the wings. The tour has cut its cable trunks by more than half, and we went from full-size cable trunks to half-size ones. Plus, it’s safer, because there is nothing to get your fingers stuck in.’

Ballinger notes that, on this first tour with PK Sound’s more efficient line arrays and subwoofers, his crew managed to gain 40 minutes in their day: ‘In a nutshell, it was about the bottom line. This is not a cheap PA, but at the end of the day it saved on touring costs, and it saved our crew from potential injuries, as well as truck space, weight, and fuel costs.

‘The real reason I fought for this PA is that we want the best gear we can get for our tour and our team,’ Ballinger concludes. ‘I want them to have the best tools to do their job, and this is the best PA out there, in my opinion.’

More: www.pksound.ca

Jeff Lynne’s ELO returned to the stage recently, performing a series of flawless shows in arenas around the UK, including four nights at London’s The O2. Fittingly – for the band has drawn musician’s from Gary Barlow’s band to complement Lynne and long-time ELO pianist Richard Tandy – Gary Bradshaw and Steve Lutely, who have both worked extensively with Barlow and Take That, took the FOH and monitor positions, each working with a DiGiCo SD7 console.

The whole ‘machine’, as crew chief Onno Ooms describes it, is the same as for Take That, with the SD7s and the rest of the tour’s audio requirements supplied by Newbury-based rental company Skan PA: ‘I’m using an SD7 because I wouldn’t use anything else,’ says Bradshaw. ‘On a tour this size there’s nothing better. I’ve used the SD7 a lot, so I know it inside out and I set it up the same every time, which makes life easy and means I can find things quickly. We have around 80 inputs and I’ve got left, right and sub for outputs. We have three hangs of speakers either side of the stage and flown subs, front fills and ground subs, then there’s a delay system all the way round. It’s very straight forward really.’

Bradshaw is recording absolutely everything, at Lynne’s request, running at 96kHz: ‘What’s slightly unusual is that the very first time I met Jeff, which was right before the Hyde Park gig, before he even said hello, he said, “can we have no effects on anything please?” And more specifically, no reverb, particularly not on the strings. Then he said, “hello, how are you doing?”.

‘Steve Jay, Jeff’s studio engineer, is out with us. He knows everything backwards, so it’s good having him around. We’re trying to get as close to the original sound as possible. There are a couple of little delays, but other than that there are no effects at all, which takes a bit of getting used to, but he just wants clarity and the SD7 allows me to give him that.’

Over in monitor world, Lutley uses an SD7 because, like Bradshaw, he reckons it to be the best monitor console currently available. His set-up comprises 14 stereo in-ear mixes, including techs, and a stereo wedge mix for Milton McDonald on guitar.

‘I also run the whole shout system and all band member talk microphones through the console to try and make communication during a show as simple as possible,’ he says. ‘The fact that we moved Jeff over to in-ear monitors for the first time meant that for this tour, more than ever, I needed a versatile console to be able to achieve all the “production” type qualities and subtle changes for each track (and sometimes during) that a world class producer is listening for. And it had to sound great…

‘The SD7 gave me all of these values plus the assurance that I know my way around it so well because it’s just so user-friendly. The choice of console has obviously worked as Jeff has been nothing but complimentary about what he is hearing.’

With such an experienced team, everything has run very smoothly, but is Lynne happy with the results? ‘He listened to what we were doing in rehearsals and I send him a recording each night,’ Bradshaw reports. ‘But really, if Steve is happy then Jeff is happy.’

‘I’m happy,’ smiles Lutley.

In her guise as Bat for Lashes, British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan is presently on a promo tour for her new album, The Bride, with a three-date run of churches and cathedrals in the UK and appearances on Europe’s summer festival circuit. With Arron James Smith (Manic Street Preachers, Soul II Soul, Mark Ronson) serving as monitor engineers, the mixing console of choice is a DiGiCo S21.

Having ‘worked either end of the multicore and enjoyed them both, he reckons that being at monitors allows him to work more closely with the band: ‘With Bat For Lashes, I’m working with some great musicians,’ he says. ‘The church gigs went amazingly and Glastonbury was great, too, particularly considering the weather. There was a fantastic audience there.

‘Peppe Mallozzi at Autograph Sales UK kindly provided me with an S21 console to demo and also the hire for the short UK tour,’ he continues. ‘The usability of the console is outstanding – not just for how I am using it on the shows, but in general. You can put an S21 in front of an engineer and know that you can show them round it in seconds if you ever need to and in the future training technicians and students on it will become a breeze.

‘The S21 is so visual for setting up your patch and dynamics and, with the RTA (Real Time Analyser) in the dynamics, you can see exactly what the signal is doing. And the sound quality is second to none, which is really important with this band.’

Smith uses 40 console inputs and 12 outputs. Instead of using a DiGiRack – and to save space in his van pack – he has a D-Sub DMI card fitted in the console to give 16 extra line-level inputs on top of its 24 mic preamps.

‘So far, the band have been nothing but complimentary about the tone and audio quality of the S21,’ he reports. ‘The mic preamps and the tube emulators really give an amazing result. I believe that all consoles can be made to sound great, but this DiGiCo makes it so easy, the usability is second to none. The footprint of the console is perfect for keeping the size of transportation to a minimum and it’s even small enough for me to fly with if necessary, rather than hiring abroad.

‘Natasha has been really happy with the sound recently and, with Sennheiser ew 300 G3 wireless IEM systems and Ultimate Ears UE7, it’s made a great combination.

Smith also wlecomes the service he receives from DiGiCo and Autograph: ‘I’m always happy with DiGiCo,’ he says. ‘The guys and girls there provide some of the best customer service out there, and Tim [Shaxson] is always on hand to help me find any info I need. I’m hoping that in the not too distant future I’ll be buying an S21 for my own company, Brighton Rock Productions. It’s a great piece of equipment and great value for your money.’

More: www.digico.org

A club in London’s Wood Green is unlikely setting for a group of US marines celebrating their final night before heading to war, but when those ‘marines’ are students from the adjacent Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (MATA), in a musical named Dogfight, the location begins to make sense. Sound engineer Chris Maniadakis chose DiGiCo’s entry-level S21, supplied by Autograph Sales, to collar the production’s sound.

Set in 1963, Dogfight is set around a group of young marines readying for service in Vietnam. They set up a cruel game dubbed a ‘dogfight’, where each sets out to bring the ugliest girl he can find to a party…

The MATA production took place in March at the nearby Karamel Club, the main performance on a stage in the middle of the venue, with the live band in one corner. The audio system was designed and supplied by Tony Gayle Audio, with Chris Maniadakis mixing the show. ‘I chose the DiGiCo S21 because I like its sound and small footprint,’ Maniadakis says. ‘Unfortunately, I’m not a regular DiGiCo user, but the S21 is so user-friendly that I didn’t need any assistance. I read the manual once and found it very easy to set up and use.’

The show requires 20 band inputs, 16 wireless microphone inputs for the cast and four effects inputs, with eight matrix outs for the PA and a stereo pair for live recording. Maniadakis created 28 snapshots for mixing the show and was very happy with how the S21 operated.

‘For me, the sound quality and functionality makes the S21 the best console I have used. I particularly like the rotary controls beneath the twin screens as they provide a very easy and fast way of adjusting gain input levels and routing signals to the auxes’ Maniadakis says. ‘Everything on the console is straightforward to set up and operate, and you get excellent results.’

More: www.digico.org

Headliner Luke Bryan and tour mates Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch are now into the second year of their Kill The Lights tour, which began in 2015 and has secured in excess of 120,000 ticket sales in 2016. This success and Bryan’s status as ‘Entertainer of the Year’ with both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Country Music Association (CMA) saw it inaugurate the new US Bank Stadium – the NFL’s newest venue and home to the Minnesota Vikings.

The tour played the stadium just weeks after its ribbon-cutting ceremony and official grand opening, and three weeks ahead of the first regular NFL season game. The gig saw a DiGiCo mixing desk in use at every FOH and monitor position in the house. Headliner Bryan is using a DiGiCo SD5 for FOH and an SD7 on monitors; ACM, CMA and Grammy Award winners Little Big Town have two DiGiCo SD10 consoles with them for FOH and monitors, as does Platinum-selling artist Dustin Lynch.

To be the first music performer in a massive new venue like this was ‘almost overwhelming’ for Erik Rogers, Production Manager and FOH engineer for Dustin Lynch, who as the opening act on the tour was literally the first artist to sing a note there. ‘We’ve done stadiums before and the size isn’t intimidating,’ he says. ‘But to walk out onto a stage and be the first one to play there, that feels amazing.’

Clair Global technicians – the tour’s primary sound reinforcement provider with additional consoles provided by Spectrum Sound and Special Event Services – spent time reviewing the new venue’s blueprints and using predictive tools to structure the coverage perfectly for Clair’s new Cohesion CO-12 touring system. There challenges; for instance, Rogers notes that the FOH position is slightly off centre, and that the distance from the stage to the FOH position was about 100m – right at the limits of their digital snake. But the capabilities of the DiGiCo SD10 console, supplied by Special Event Services, more than offset any challenges.

He also says the virtual soundchecks he can do are as precise as the real thing: ‘I actually played back a show we had just done in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Sixty-four tracks at 96kHz sent via Madi to the [DiGiGrid MGB Madi-to-SoundGrid interface] then to the Cat5 cable and through the Lightning connector from the MacBook. The virtual playback is all we need and the SD10 handles it so well.’

Frank Sgambellone, FOH engineer for Luke Bryan, had a similar experience being the first to play a new major venue, although he began planning for it in January, when he learned that Bryan’s shows would be followed the next night by Metallica. The two bands’ production teams worked together on issues such as the size of the stage, making it work to comfortably accommodate both artists’ needs.

‘When you have two very different productions coming together in a building that no one’s ever heard before, it has to be a group effort,’ he says. And Sgambellone is equally effusive about how the DiGiCo SD5 he’s using helped him adapt. ‘In terms of sample rates and channel counts, the DiGiCo is absolutely bomb-proof. I have been on the front end and the back end of that console and have never had a problem with it. It does everything you want it to do. What I really love about it is that it gives me the ability to do whatever I need to do at a moment’s notice, and in a way that’s comfortable for me. I don’t have to dig through manuals to find what I need. It’s incredibly intuitive for the way I work.’

Being the first in a major new venue has its challenges. Rogers says one of the benefits of the community of touring audio professionals is how they’ll alert and inform each other about what to expect in an environment they may have never worked in before. This time, though, they were the first. ‘We’ll be the ones who let everyone else know how it went here,’ he says. ‘Fortunately, it went great.’

More: www.DiGiCo.biz

For Ricky Martin monitor engineer Steve May, DiGiCo consoles hold two big advantages – high I/O capacity, which means he is never in danger of running out of inputs or outputs, and the ability to switch seamlessly between consoles in the range. Both have made life easier as he and FOH engineer Chris ‘Privet’ Hedge travelled round Spain and Portugal on the current leg of Ricky Martin’s international tour.

Running from late May to mid June, the tour has taken in many of the major cities in Spain, including Madrid, Granada, Valencia, Seville, Barcelona, as well as the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, and finishes in Bilbao. Three rental companies are supplying equipment, with PRG Spain and Llusovi each handling six shows and Fluge two. The equipment inventory varies from company to company and although Steve specifies an SD7, depending on availability, he has used both this and an SD5 as his monitor console, whilst Privet has been able to use his preferred SD10 throughout.

‘I’ve been using DiGiCo consoles pretty much continually for the past ten years,’ May says. ‘I like the way racks work, the sonic quality of the consoles and the way the inputs and outputs work – you can put channels anywhere you want to on the board.

‘I originally specified the SD7 for Ricky because of the number of inputs and outputs it has available. As well as touring, he’s been a judge on the Spanish, Mexican and Australian versions of The Voice, so it’s really useful to have enough capacity to leave scope for guests on the show.

In general, May has around 95 inputs and 64 outputs that include vocals – both main and backing – drums, guitars, bass, percussion and keyboards, as well as effects, his Pro Tools rig, and comms. He uses no outboard effects, relying solely on those onboard the console.

‘There isn’t much rehearsal on this tour, so having a familiar board is always a big help,’ he explains. ‘Ricky likes to do duets with guest artists. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but you can guarantee that if I didn’t allocate the channels, it would. That’s another reason why the capacity of the console is important.

‘I always try to keep things as simple as possible, because when you swap between consoles it makes things less complicated. When you’re using the software to convert from one console to anther – in this case the SD7 to the SD5 – and you have to take channels off, there are always bits you forget to do, so I try to reduce the risk of that happening to a minimum. However, this isn’t a complicated show, so I don’t have masses of cues.’

Each show is recorded using via a DiGiGridM recording interface, with the video and Pro Tools engineers taking an audio recording from Privet, allowing them to add videos to Ricky’s website and social media sites.

In terms of wear and tear on equipment, the tour has been gruelling, with bad roads between venues and dusty bull rings on the itinerary: ‘The equipment is all really good and has performed extremely well, but the climate alone has taken its toll,’ May reports. ‘All the rental companies are great though, and anything that needs replacing gets replaced. I’ve also had a bit of help from DiGiCo due to a network problem. Having a direct line to people I know and being able to talk it through on the phone is invaluable.’

More: www.digico.org