With Capital Sound Hire providing full audio production for Il Divo’s album promotion tour, Amor & Pasion, the company’s recently purchased Outline GTO C-12 loudspeaker system is receiving its first major tour at arenas throughout the UK, Europe and Scandinavia.

Recording in seven languages, selling more than 30m albums worldwide and scoring 160 certified gold and platinum hits in 35 countries, Il Divo are the first ‘classical crossover’ act to reach the top of the US Billboard 200. For live work, Capital Sound has been the group’s audio supplier from the outset: ‘Believe it or not, this is year 12, says Capital General Manager, Paul Timmins. ‘Each successive Il Divo tour has brought new challenges and achievements for us as the band have grown and it’s now a very comfortable partnership’.

The system used for a recent show at London’s O2 Arena provides a snapshot of the current equipment configuration. It also highlights how (relatively) little equipment is now needed to deliver high-quality audio in major international concert venues.

‘Our designs for Il Divo have historically involved flying subwoofers and 2016 is no exception with Outline GTO Subs flown directly behind the main left and right arrays, each of which comprise 12 GTO C-12 modules plus a single GTO-DF down fill enclosure,’ says Capital’s Robin Conway, who designed the system. ‘There are also flown side fills for the stage (each containing six Outline Mantas28 cabinets), behind and in line with the main LR arrays. The positioning of these has improved the sightlines to the stage and screen significantly by reducing the overall profile of the flown systems. Flying subs may seem a little strange for this type of show, but our experience with Il Divo’s audiences suggest that they are not fans of large subwoofer stacks, so a combination of flown and discreetly positioned ground-stacked subs is the best solution for this client’.

Capital’s recent Outline purchase included a amplification and processing package, which has further enhanced the efficiency of the whole audio system. ‘The Powersoft X8 amplifiers are not only driving the main FOH set-up but also the onstage monitoring,’ Conway explains. ‘The flexibility of the X8 amps enabled us to build multi-purpose amplifier packages (each containing three X8s with custom PACom, NL4 patch and Dante Network Distribution), which combine all the power we need for both FOH and monitors into just six touring racks. This gives us a very efficient use of truck space as well as being quick and easy to move and use.

‘Even on this, our first outing with the new equipment, the Outline system has impressed us,’ he adds. ‘The flying systems are very simple to understand and the touring team are consequently finding it easy to communicate the processes to local crew during load ins and outs. The audio coverage is really accurate and the frequency response front to back of the audience plane is very predictable. Having phase coherent boxes also really helps with system set-up.’

 ‘Outline has always been the first choice in my rider as it delivers such pure sound quality and detail,’ says Il Divo FOH engineer, Matteo Cifelli. ‘Like it's predecessor the Butterfly, the GTO C-12 is outstanding on vocals and acoustic instruments so I could not imagine a better system for Il Divo.

‘The main advantage of this system is the unbelievable throw, which means we don’t use delays in most of the venues where you would generally need them. The clarity in the high-mid range is perfectly matched to what I hear at FOH, even 120m away. We achieved perfect coverage at the O2 in London with only 12 boxes per side on the main hang, and the recent show at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam confirmed the unbelievable clarity you can get, even at the very end of the second floor – no-one in this audience is penalised because of their seating position.’

‘As a studio engineer, sound quality is what I look for first, in any system,’ he continues. ‘Having produced the tracks that are being performed on this tour, I know how they must sound - the C-12 is the only system I have used so far (and we have used many in three months of touring around the world) that delivers the exact mix and balance I was listening to when mixing the tracks in my studio in London.

‘The support from both Capital and Outline is outstanding. The GTO C-12 is a brand new system for all of us, so we are still experimenting with different configurations every day. Outline have been very supportive, sending their engineers to help us set up the system in the best way possible and they are always available with suggestions and support.’

‘Our decision to buy into Outline, while possibly surprising for some, was actually a no-brainer for us,’ Timmins says. ‘Having got to know the company over a period, we realised that we were dealing with quality people who have a genuine passion for audio, producing great products that simply sound amazing. These were the real drivers behind our investment in the GTO C-12 system. We heard the large-format GTO in 2012 while our inventory featured two main loudspeaker brands and in late 2015, when we decided to expand our offering further, Outline was at the top of our list.

‘Further tests conducted in London’s 02 Arena just blew us away with the power and tonality of the GTO C-12 line array, driven with the extraordinary Powersoft X8 amplifiers. The low weight, compact footprint and intuitive packaging of the GTO C-12 system makes it perfect for our market place, which goes from large theatres to arenas and outdoor festivals across mainland Europe.

‘During and since our purchase the support from Giorgio, Luca, Giulio and the team in Italy has been incredible,’ he closes. ‘It’s the perfect fit for a manufacturer and rental company that we both have similar ethics of service, support and relationships.’

Following the successful UK and Europe legs of their Amor & Pasión tour, Il Divo are preparing for a further 40 dates across the US and Canada between September and November 2017.

With London-based Capital Sound having supplied an Outline GTO C-12 system for Europe, Special Event Services (SES) is stepping in with its GTO C-12 to for the North America tour.

Advances in audio technology are bringing multifunctional systems that can be used for film screenings as well as live performances and presentations within the reach of venues with scarcer resources. One such is in Southwest Italy – a new ‘cineteatro’, an increasingly popular concept for regional venues in continental Europe.

The Tempio del Popolo (People’s Temple) cineteatro is located in Policastro Bussentino, and presented audio installer Disc Up Production with a major challenge, as its audio system was only seriously considered by the developer during the final phase of its construction. This meant that the company’s Angelo Auleta had to design a system deliver high-quality cineteatro sound, but on what had become an extremely limited budget: ‘The budget meant that we had to make an important decision about how to deliver the best possible audio quality, but where we could compromise in terms of equipment,’ he says.

Yamaha Commercial Audio’s CIS line provided the solution, allowing Disc Up to provide a high-quality theatre system that also delivers the main cinema sound, with full system control and processing by an MTX3 matrix processor. Such is the quality of this main system that Disc Up was able to use low-price, third-party loudspeakers for the cinema surround element, ensuring that the overall project came in on budget.

The Yamaha equipment includes a pair of IF2115/95 loudspeakers for the main LR sound, a centre IF2115/AS and two IS1218 subs. The system is powered by a PC2001N and two PC9501N power amplifiers, with control and routing handled by the MTX3. An MG16XU mixer is provided for live performances and background music, while a DCP1V4S wall panel provides overall control.

The two IS1218 subs are flown above the spectators, level with the sixth row of the venue’s raked seating and aimed downwards. This provides a very consistent low frequency sound throughout the auditorium and also keeps the subs out of sight of the audience.

‘Disc Up and the Tempio del Popolo staff have been surprised and impressed by the power and quality of the Yamaha speakers,’ reports Wouter ‘Tony’ Verkuijl of Yamaha Music Europe’s Italy branch. ‘It is a large auditorium and in both Theatre and Cinema modes the system delivers great consistency, clarity and punch. It has proved to be very capable of scaring people when sudden dynamic scenes occur in movies.’

The combination of the MTX3 and DCP1V4S allows the system to be completely reconfigured at the touch of a button, an important factor in regional venues, allowing the system to be operated by non-technical people: ‘The venue is delighted to have a high-end solution that can be operated by any member of staff,’ Verkuijl adds. ‘Cinema or Theatre modes are selected using one button and the volume of the entire system can be controlled with the rotary control of the DCP1V4S. The finesse of the MTX3 and DCP1V4S control means that even the walk-in music for Cinema mode is programmed and processed differently through the MG16XU, compared to how the mixer is used in Theatre mode.’

More: www.yamahaproaudio.com

British Multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier rose to internet fame putting his own spin on classic songs ins split-screen YouTube videos. He has since collaborated with world renowned musicians, as well as continuing to develop his own sound – and gaining a well-deserved reputation for exceptional musicianship and musicality.

Meeting via Facebook in 2014, Collier struck a working relationship with Ben Bloomberg, a PhD student and part of the Opera of the Future research group at MIT. Together – and with the help of others – the pair have developed unique instruments such as Collier’s own signature harmoniser, and even live performance software that allows Collier to interact with an ensemble while on stage – sending notation, directions, and articulations in real time to different parts of the ensemble via smartphones to enable group improvisation.

Recently, Collier performed at the Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge in Massachusetts, as the culmination of a week-long residency at MIT. That performance – Imagination off the Charts – incorporated an 85-piece orchestra, a 60-voice choir, and a full big band – all on stage with Collier. The focus of the show was the performance of six commissioned arrangements of songs from Collier’s In My Room album, plus an experimental piece using Collier’s and Bloomberg’s improvised performance software as its foundation.

Bloomberg was at FOH for the event – a challenge for which he chose SSL’s L300 live console.

The system had 96 channels of SSL preamps, plus an additional AES/EBU Digital Stagebox feeding the PA. The L300 has a maximum I/O count of 600 channels and 192 available paths – Collier came close to maxing out the L300’s path count.

‘To be able to find a desk with that amount of resource able to fit into the space we had was fantastic,’ he says. ‘I’m not sure anything else could have done it. It’s shocking how flexible you can be with that number of inputs and only 26 faders on the surface.’

Seven schools contributed performers to the ensemble, including MIT, Berkeley, and the New England Conservatoire. ‘We couldn’t absolutely predict how many instrumentalists we would get,’ Bloomberg says. ‘Even on the day of the show we had to add two violas. Also, we didn’t actually rent anything for the show – we used some mics from different recording systems, mics from the music department.

‘We ended up with 84 inputs from the stage made up from instrument sections, choir mics, and soloists. The idea was to let the acoustic sound of the strings be the base and then fill in around that. Thanks to the flexibility of the SSL we could run all those mics, plus more recording mics and a recording feed from the console. We actually recorded 85 tracks at 96kHz on a pair of laptops.’

Aside from the sheer number of inputs, there were plenty of other challenges for Bloomberg in the run up to the show, ranging from only having two full rehearsals and two hours with the full ensemble, to the issue of hanging a d&b naudiotechnik Y-Series PA in a hall that had never hung a PA before (involving the building’s original architects and two structural engineering companies).

‘Because of the limited time we had in rehearsal, just configuring things that fast was a challenge in itself,’ says Bloomberg. ‘We used different layers for different parts of the show – making up various tile layouts for different aspects. We made good use of Stems for instrument groups so I could jump into any section via the stem and use the Query (‘Q’) button to spill those groups out across the faders as I needed to.

‘The Query button is something I hadn’t seen before, but I think that’s what made the whole event work. I could jump into layers, in and out of stems and VCAs, and do fast assignments – it works in a clear and intuitive way.’

Bloomberg also made good use of the L300’s internal effects racks. He had several reverbs set up for different the different ensemble sections, which meant that he didn’t lose important treatments if the arrangements changed during the performance. There was a de-Esser and an exciter on Collier’s stem, and the SSL Bus Compressor across the drum stem, but he did find that the standard processing included in every Live processed path – dynamics, tube emulation, EQ, all-pass filter, delay and so on – were plenty for most instances. ‘The special thing about this desk,’ Bloomberg reflects, ‘is that you really don’t have to work very hard to get it to sound good. You bring the faders up and things sound pretty amazing already.’

More: www.solidstatelogic.com

Preparing to embark on a world tour of arenas and festivals in support of their Automaton album, Jamiroquai will have engineer Rick Pope and a Yamaha Rivage PM10 mixing console at FOH for at every show.

Pope has worked with the band and it’s frontman Jay Kay for 23 years, both live and in the studio, and with Yamaha digital consoles for almost as long. ‘I grew up on the Yamaha PM1D and then the PM5D,’ he says. ‘I have always liked the workflow and the way that Yamaha digital consoles have their own operating system from the ground up. It makes them incredibly stable – I’ve never had a single fault in the 20-odd years I’ve been using them, which you can’t always say about other consoles.’

With the album having gone to No.1 in the iTunes chart in 24 countries and Top Ten in several more, ticket demand for the tour is high. And with the inherent challenges of festivals to add into the mix, Pope is happy that the Rivage PM10 will have almost everything he needs. ‘The first thing about the PM10 is that it’s very user-friendly. I haven’t had to look at the manual once, which I think is always a really good sign,’ he says. ‘It really is the easiest console I’ve ever used and I’ve used them all over the years.’

Alongside the reliability, user-friendliness and flexibility of the platform, it’s the audio quality and processing of the Rivage PM10 that many engineers have been extremely impressed by. Pope is no exception. ‘First, the clarity on the top end is amazing, it’s got the clearest imagery that I’ve ever heard on a board,’ he says. ‘Being able to put eight inserts on to a channel is insane, you can’t do that on most other desks. And you can EQ for days.

‘On top of that, the effects really are the best available. Previously I have always had at least some outboard, but the onboard processing on the PM10 is absolutely stunning. For example, I used to take a TC Electronic 6000 out with me, but the emulation of it on the Rivage PM10 is spot on. I also really like the Open Deck circuitry emulation – I put it on the LR buses and it sounds amazing at 96kHz. I even put it on Jay Kay’s vocals. It gives the sound real depth and adds a certain warmth.

‘I also love the Rupert Neve Silk emulation, which I am starting to blend on the drums, while the reverbs are absolutely stunning. And  I really like the USB recorder, which allows me to record the show in different formats/sample rates without any external equipment.’

Band members have also been won over by the new desk: ‘They were over the moon with it; the first gig we did with it [in Paris] was absolutely stunning. We are all very happy and I’m really pleased to be taking it everywhere with me this year,’ Pope says. ‘It’s got everything you need. When the update to include the onboard Eventide H3000 comes along later in the year, I won’t have any outboard equipment whatsoever. I will be able to turn up, switch the desk on, load the show from a USB stick and I’ll be ready.’

More: www.yamahaproaudio.com

A prominent live music venue in Japan has upgraded its FOH system with the installation of an Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing system.

Located in Matsumoto City and opened in 2002, the AlecX Livehouse hosts a variety of local musicians and touring major artists. The venue is committed to providing top quality sound and lighting equipment, and the incumbent console needed upgrading – to this end, has selected a DM48 MixRack with dLive D5000 Control Surface.

The dLive system is equipped with a Dante network card, enabling the system to provide recording facilities as well as live sound reinforcement. To enhance their system, the venue plans to purchase a ME personal monitoring system to manage different artists’ various monitoring requirements.

‘The fresh looks of the S5000 surface, combined with the more powerful, higher resolution sound quality of the system made it the perfect choice for Livehouse,’ says Chief Engineer, Takuya Kitamura. ‘As soon as dLive was installed, the system outshone the venue’s previous console. dLive is also very flexible, providing recording options, and easily expandable and future proof as the business grows.’

More: www.allen-heath.com

Featuring some of the world’s premier DJs, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Yuma Tent’s aim was to recreate the experience of a high-end nightclub. With this goal in mind, sound designer George Stavro, owner and head designer of Sonic Lab Audio and Integral Sound, chose a JBL VTX loudspeaker system.

‘This year, we were able to reorient the Yuma Tent to be more conducive to great sound and also to design a system from a clean slate,’ Stavro says. ‘I chose the JBL VTX system as I believe the V25-II is a true full-range speaker with an extremely smooth and extended high frequency response, and a LF response down that extends down to 40Hz. The V25-II stacked on top of the G28s with S28s and VRX 932s across the front of the stage formed a great system that managed very high SPL for more than 12 hours a day without becoming aggressive or fatiguing.’ 

Set in Southern California’s hot and dusty desert, the main festival stage employed 16 JBL VTX V25-II boxes in four platform-elevated ground stacks of four around the Yuma Tent. Twenty-four dual 18-inch subwoofers were deployed, including 12 JBL VTX G28s and 12 JBL VTX S28s, which were deployed in an EDS-array across the front of the stage and in a cardioid configuration underneath the main PA stacks in the tent. The system was powered by four Crown VRack 4x3500HD and four Crown VRack 12000HD rack packages, with the entire system using JBL Performance Manager 2.0 for system equalisation and real-time monitoring.

‘The sound system designed for the Yuma Stage by our sound designer George Stavro was amazing,’ says Hollywood nightclub owner and Yuma Stage curator Kobi Danan. ‘On his recommendation, we used the new JBL line array system that sounded great over both weekends. It was by far the best sound, and the most successful Yuma Tent to date.’

In addition to the main PA system, a DJ monitor system was designed to offer significant impact and clarity, but in a relatively small footprint. With the use of VTX-standard V5 tunings, the DJ monitor system provided a sonic signature that gave the performing artists a precise idea of how their music was translating to the audience. Onstage, two stacks were used, each made up of three JBL VTX V20 loudspeakers with one JBL VTX S25 subwoofer and one JBL VTX S28 subwoofer. After three days of performances, ‘the DJs had nothing but praise for the S28/S25/V20 DJ monitor system,’ Stavro says. ‘The entire package made for a very impressive PA system and created an incredible environment to enjoy dance music for all six days.’

Unofficially regarded as the opening event for the summer festival season, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It was founded by Paul Tollett in 1999 and is organised by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Live. The event features many genres of music, including rock, indie, hip-hop and EDM, as well as art installations and sculptures. Six stages continuously host live music across the grounds for two consecutive weekends. The Yuma Stage was introduced in 2013.

More: www.jblpro.com

JBL Professional has released HiQnet Performance Manager 2.1 software, bringing new additional for measuring and tuning live sound reinforcement systems.

Performance Manager v2.1 integrates Rational Acoustics’ Smaart acoustic testing and measurement software directly into the Performance Manager workflow, providing unprecedented access to measurement information over the network in real time.

‘We are pleased to collaborate with Rational Acoustics to integrate industry-leading Smaart technology directly within our software platform, which now includes extremely powerful measurement integration for seamless measuring and tuning operations,’ says Harman Professional Solutions Tour Sound Systems Product Manager, George Georgallis. ‘With v2.1, real-time frequency and phase response measurements are displayed and controlled within Performance Manager, allowing engineers to measure and adjust system parameters from one screen. This simplifies and accelerates the system optimization process while eliminating opportunities for errors’

Smaart acoustic testing and measurement software is the most widely used software for real-time sound system measurement, optimisation and control. The dual-channel, FFT-based software provides diagnosis and solution of problems by viewing the frequency content of signals and measure the response of electrical and electro-acoustic systems in detail. Smaart can be used to identify tones or frequencies of interest, and to help with feedback suppression and channel equalisation. In this way, Smaart can accelerate and streamline the process of setting up and aligning JBL speaker systems in a performance environment.

‘JBL has taken great advantage of the Smaart API to provide an elegant, easy-to-use interface for controlling and viewing Smaart measurement data within the new Performance Manager 2.1,’ says Rational Acoustics Director of Technical Services, John Aldrich. ‘This integration underscores the shared commitment between both companies of providing comprehensive and powerful software toolkits for today’s audio technicians and engineers.’

In addition to Smaart software integration, Performance Manager 2.1 features an entirely new Go-Online mode that offers more intuitive options for system synchronisation and management of online devices. A new Line Array Control Panel makes using the Line Array Calculator, a key tool for system configuration, more intuitive and easier to use. In addition, features have been added to Select Input Source mode to make managing and monitoring AES audio distribution a simpler operation. Finally, a number of bug fixes and key performance enhancements improve on the user experience, speed and ease of use.

A series of performances by George Strait at the Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena saw in-house engineers work with production engineers from VER to design a massive, 14-cluster JBL VTX line array system to serve the in-the-round audience.

With a six-cluster JBL VTX line array system serving as the permanent house system, ATK Audiotek installed 72 VTX V25-II elements and 36 VTX S28 subwoofers, powered by 18 Crown V-Racks.

‘The George Strait production crew of Paul Rogers and Stacey LaBarbera knew there was a nice JBL VTX system at T-Mobile already, and because we have the same system, they asked if we could marry our systems to create something very special,’ says VER National Audio Sales Manager, Joe Casanova. ‘So that’s exactly what we did. We came up with a massive, 14-cluster, double in-the-round VTX rig that worked astoundingly well. Paul Bauman (Associate Director, Global Tour Sound Business Development, Harman Professional Solutions) was very helpful in so many ways. He’s a smart man, and it’s always a pleasure to work with him on projects like this.’

The VTX V25-II is a full-size, three-way, high-directivity line array element using a fourth-generation waveguide, which improves long-throw performance and wavefront control. Crown I-Tech HD amplification with BSS OmniDriveHD V5 Processing, and JBL HiQnet Performance Manager configuration and control software complete the system package.

With today’s connectivity, a system of this size can come together pretty quickly,’ Casanova says. ‘We connected our system to the house system via Dante. Basically, the house system’s six clusters took care of the upper bowl area, and the eight additional arrays we brought in took care of the lower bowl and floor area. We had a total of 152 V25–II elements and 48 VTX S28 subs in use. It sounded amazing.

‘The house guys were very accommodating – they let us have full access to the house system,’ he continues. ‘Our system engineers Kevin Valind and Eddie Harbin did a superb job of tuning the system. They were able to bring the house arrays in a little, turned some elements off, and really tailored the sound for the arena and to the ear of George Strait’s FOH Engineer George Olsen. Everything was powered by Crown. Both our systems have the same amps, so we used Performance Manager 2.0 for efficient and precise control of this large-scale system.’

Designed for optimum performance and set-up simplicity, the Crown VRack Complete Amplification System provides a turnkey amplification package. With Crown-engineered components already built in and no assembly required, it’s an easy-to-configure, all-in-one amplifier solution that eliminates the time-consuming process of building amp racks.

‘What really stood out is the accuracy of the VTX system,’ Casanova says. ‘The intelligibility was stellar, and you could understand every word. The vocals were out front, and you could hear every note of every instrument. Every seat in the house got the same crystal-clear experience. This was just the first of several George Strait events at T-Mobile Arena, and everything went exceedingly well. The audience really got their money’s worth.’

More: www.jblpro.com

Confronted by high winds and driving rain, the three-day Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival pressed ahead with Palmetto Soundworks and a JBL VTX Series loudspeaker system recently.

‘We were in really poor weather conditions the whole weekend – we gave floating subs a whole new meaning,’ says Production Manager, Jared Miller. ‘The performance of the VTX rig was excellent, even with that much water. I was really impressed with the sound quality and reliability.’

The Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival line-up featured renowned artists, including Joe Bonamassa, The Robert Cray Band, John Mayall, Canned Heat, The Mavericks, Tab Benoit, Heritage Blues Orchestra and Sonny Landreth. To serve them, Palmetto Soundworks used JBL VTX Series line arrays for performance and ease of deployment. The system enabled guest engineers to mix the performances with minimal EQ adjustments.

‘The high end was really smooth, and the entire VTX system sounded really great out of the box,’ Miller says. ‘A lot of the guest engineers commented on the smoothness of the top end and the overall sound quality. From my point of view as a provider, it’s an easy day for me when guest engineers can start setting up, and it already sounds good. I don’t have to convince anyone of the quality of the VTX rig.’ 

The system included two main arrays of 12 VTX V20 loudspeakers, four groundstacks of three VTX G28 subwoofers, four groundstacks of two VTX S25 subwoofers and two VTX F12 for front fill. It was powered by Crown VRack 12000HD and VRack 4x3500HD amplifiers, which also performed well despite limited airflow. JBL HiQnet Performance Manager 2.0 software allowed the sound team to closely monitor the system through the bad weather.

‘Performance Manager 2.0 performed flawlessly – we knew we were going to have bad weather, and the software really allowed us to stay on top of the system,’ Miller reports. ‘The VTX arrays and VRack amplifiers performed great through some truly terrible conditions. There were no hiccups in the system.’

More: www.jblpro.com

Broadcasted live on TBS, TNT and TruTV, the third annual iHeartRadio Music Awards ceremony recognised the most popular artists and music over the past year, as determined by listeners in the US on the iHeartRadio digital music platform. Event integrator ATK Audiotek built the PA for the event around two 12-box JBL VerTec 4889 three-way line array hangs and two six-box VTX V20 centre fill clusters.

The 17,500- capacity Forum in Inglewood, California, that hosted the event presented a double challenge for the production team – the PA had to handle music duties essential to a televised live music event, and it had to deliver clear audio for the show’s dialogue, which included nominee introductions and winners’ acceptance speeches.

In addition to the VerTec arrays and VTX V20 clusters, ATK Audiotek used two 16-box JBL V20 side clusters, four six-box V20 delay clusters, two eight-box VerTec 4880A sub-clusters and a number of VRX932 front fill speakers.

‘This year’s set brought many challenges with ceiling pieces and video screens,’ says Mikael Stewart, ATL Audiotek VP of Special Events. ‘The JBL system continues to allow for complete flexibility without sacrificing coverage or quality. The V20 is a wonderful enclosure with punch and intelligibility. It integrates well with our existing 4889 system. With dialogue being equally as important as the music, I am never concerned that this PA will perform well.’

More: www.jblpro.com

A solo concert at a public swimming pool put DPA’s d:facto Vocal Microphone to the test recently, when one was used by French singer/songwriter Jekyll Wood for a solo concert at near Orléans. Despite the acoustics of the Jargeau public swimming pool and the hot, steamy atmosphere,  the microphone rose to the occasion and performed perfectly throughout.

‘The d:facto is really solid and I’ve never had any problems, indoors or outdoors,’ Jekyll Wood says. ‘I actually own two of them, but for this concert the stage was so small that I only needed one. I use d:facto on stage and for my live recording sessions because my voice is always so precise in my ear monitors. It has been my ‘must-have’ vocal mic for nearly four years now. Its brightness and its natural compression make it a great microphone in every circumstance, and on both acoustic and electric sets.’

The swimming pool gif attracted over 200 people, all wearing swimming costumes to attend: ‘I’ve never played beside an indoor swimming pool before and I was really curious about how it would sound,’ he explains. ‘Surprisingly, the sound was not at all bad and I had a great time. The audience was very relaxed and we had a lot of fun. Obviously, I felt the need to do some beatboxed aquagym and at the end of the gig I joined the audience in the water, although I was careful to leave my electronic equipment behind.’

With sound engineer Nicolas Miljeu (with whom he set up the Label Time Is Out label), Wood has spent the past five years performing and recording as a solo artist. He can best be described as a one-man orchestra who combines the energy of rock and roll with pop melodies, soul, flamenco and electro beats. To date, he has released two discs – an EP entitled Only Son and a live CD/DVD entitled Not That Only Son.

‘When I’m recording, I often use DPA d:dicate 4011 Cardioid and d:vote 4099 Instrument microphones, especially for guitars,’ Miljeu says. ‘All DPA microphones reproduce the sound really faithfully so that you keep the tone of the original source. That’s what I love about them – they are so versatile and the compression you get allows you to deal with so many different sound sources in the studio. My d:dicate 4011s and d:vote 4099s have great presence, warmth and brightness and they are perfect for everything, even beatboxing. However, I tend to keep them in the studio because they don’t really fit my live needs – I have my d:facto for that.’

Jekyll Wood is currently finishng a new album for release in 2017. He is also working on live covers for YouTube and a new live show where he plans to use a wireless adapter with his d:facto Vocal Microphone so that he can move freely around the stage.

More: www.dpamicrophones.com

Jensen Transformers has announced four ISO-Max DI boxes – the Concert-1 and Concert-2 for instruments, and the Media-1 and Media-2 for laptops and other consumer-level audio sources.

The Concert-1 and Concert-2 are aimed at interfacing musical instruments such as acoustic guitar, bass and keyboards with the PA.

The Concert-1 is a single-channel direct box with standard quarter-inch input and throughput. Inside a Jensen JT-DB-EPC transformer performs the balancing and lowers the impedance to ensure optimal signal transfer from the instrument to the PA’s mic input. A 3.5mm TRS connector enables connection of a laptop computer to the Concert-1 and the signal is summed to mono by dressing the selector switch. This also turns the input and thru into LR quarter-inch jacks for stereo-to-mono conversion when used with a keyboard.

The Concert-2 is a stereo version that retains full stereo functionality at all times. The Jensen transformer is particularly important when used with high output instruments such as keyboards and active bass that can often overload active direct boxes.

The Media-1 and Media-2 are similar in that they are equipped with Jensen JT-DB-EPC transformers, but each is also equipped with a variable pad that enables precise adjustment of the input level to enable all types of media sources such as laptops, tablets, video players and DJ mixers to be connected using the quarter-inch RCA or 3.5mm inputs while allowing the user to set the signal level on the fly. The Media-1 is a single-channel device that automatically mixes the stereo source to mono saving valuable channels in the PA system while the Media-2 retains full stereo functionality.

The Jensen Concert and Media direct boxes claim linear performance from 10Hz to 40kHz. Galvanic isolation, internal faraday shielding and a mu-metal exterior combine to provide unmatched noise rejection and immunity from buzz and hum caused by ground loops. They are housed ine a rugged aluminium outer shell with a slide-in steel shell on which the circuit board, switches, connectors and transformers are mounted.

‘Over more than 40 years, Jensen has gained the reputation for offering the very highest quality transformers, both in terms of low distortion and noise elimination,’ says Jensen General Manager, Dave Hill. ‘And although Jensen transformer-equipped direct boxes are available from others, we felt that the time was right for us to expand our ISO-Max range by offering some designs that follow both Deane Jensen’s and Bill Whitlock’s commitment to achieving the very highest standards. These four new products bring advanced connectivity and features to the market that we believe will make them unique.’

MAP pricing for the series is: Concert-1 US$199.99, Concert-2 US$299.99, Media-1 US$219.99 and Media-2 US$319.99.

More: www.jensen-transformers.com
   

EAW has appointed Jim Bobel to the position of North US Sales Engineer, responsible for all sales in the Northern US States from the Dakotas to Kansas and across to the East Coast.

‘Having watched Jim in his previous positions, I have always respected his relationship building and customer focus,’ says EAW North American Director of Sales, Jim Newhouse. ‘His ability to grow new business and lead has set him apart from his peers. We are proud to have him join our team.’

Bobel began his career working for the Guitar Center, where he climbed the ranks to General Manager. Shortly thereafter he spent time as a manufacturers rep and in manufacturing sales. During that time he gained valuable experience about the market that is sure to benefit EAW customers.

‘I have always respected the EAW brand and reputation their products have in the industry,’ Bobel says. ‘I look forward to introducing even more audio professionals to the audio solutions EAW offers and help build the brand further in my territory.’

More: http://eaw.com

Eastern Acoustic Works has recruited John Mills as a Senior Applications Engineer.

A 25-year industry veteran, Mills most recently served as VP of Nashville’s Morris Light & Sound, where he worked for the past eight years. Over the years, he has commissioned and tuned more than 100 houses of worship and other installations and has mixed front-of-house at virtually every major arena and stadium in the continental US and Canada. He is also known for his FOH work withChris Tomlin, Lincoln Brewster, Shane and Shane and Paul Baloche, as well as serving as systems engineer for country music superstar Kenny Chesney.

‘We couldn’t be more excited to have John as part of our team,’ says EAW Director of Product Management, Jeremy Forsythe. ‘His experience and reputation speak for themselves but his personality and ability to form connections based in trust and respect is what stands out. EAW was built on relationships and a commitment to solving real world problems, and John perfectly embodies that spirit.’

‘EAW has been at the forefront of loudspeaker design for more than 40 years, and now the company is taking another leap forward with innovative, forward-looking solutions,’ Mills responds. ‘They company has put together a great engineering team under Geoff McKinnon, Kenton Forsythe has returned, and the future looks bright. It’s a great time for me to bring my experience and skills to EAW.’

More: www.eaw.com

Providing a refuge between tours, the farm in Bon Aqua, Tennessee, owned by Johnny Cash is now open to the public as the Storytellers Museum & Hideaway Farm – along with the nearby general-store-turned-live-music venue where he often played small shows.

Recently, famed Nashville trumpeter and audio engineer Dan Oxley oversaw the installation of two Danley Sound Labs-based sound reinforcement systems at the Storytellers Museum, one for indoor performances for up to 150 people and one for outdoor performances for up to 2,000 people. ‘True to Johnny’s spirit, we wanted to create a living museum, where great musicians can still connect with appreciative audiences,’ he says Oxley.

Given his expertise, his older brother and the establishment’s owner, Brian Oxley, gave Dan the responsibility of readying all aspects of the live music experience at the Storytellers Museum. The building itself was originally a general store that was later converted to a live music venue before indie record label guru Red Wortham converted it to a recording studio.

The younger Oxley researched a sound reinforcement system that would meet his high expectations for the Storytellers Museum...

‘A lot of the companies that I contacted for demos and pricing information had a cocky attitude, like “you’re gonna have the privilege of working with our stuff”,’ he says. ‘Danley was totally different. I talked to [Danley president] Mike [Hedden], and he was super excited about the project. He travelled out to visit the property with some Danley boxes to demo.

‘They sounded fantastic – more like a hi-fi system than a PA – and Mike’s whole attitude was so accommodating. It was clear that we wanted to work with the sound of the Danley boxes and with the people who stood behind them.’

The indoor stage uses a stereo pair of Danley SM-100 loudspeakers and a single Danley TH-118 subwoofer. The outdoor stage uses four weatherised Danley OS-80 loudspeakers, two for main stereo coverage and two for out fill, plus two Danley TH-118 subwoofers. In addition, the stages share four Danley SM-80M loudspeakers for use as monitors. Three Danley DNA 20K4 Pro and DNA 10K4 Pro four-channel amplifiers not only power the system, but also provide all of its input conditioning and loudspeaker conditioning DSP. Currently, Oxley uses a rack-mount PreSonus mixer with an iPad interface to mix, but he will soon upgrade to a physical PreSonus Series 3 console.

‘When I listen to live music, I always want a hi-fi experience,’ Oxley says. ‘I want hi-fi impact and clarity, but most PAs sound, well, like PAs. The Danley boxes give me that hi-fi sound – we could easily put up a screen and show a movie – and they continue to sound that good even at the high volumes needed for a show. We’re all thrilled with the new venue and look forward to making it a staple of the Nashville experience.’

‘Johnny Cash was known for honesty in his music and being someone the common man could relate to,’ Hedden adds. ‘We share those values and hope many people will take the time to experience this amazing place. To be able to work with Dan and his incredible family makes it even more special.’

More: www.danleysoundlabs.com

The 2017 Isle of Wight Festival saw K-array’s flagship Firenze touring system in use on both the Hard Rock and Jack Rocks stages. Starsailor frontman James Walsh was one of the established acts appearing on the outdoor Hard Rock stage. Providing the core of the system on this stage were just six Firenze KH8 panels per side. Low-end extension was courtesy of four KS8 subwoofers per side, while five Dragon-KX12 front fills were also deployed.

‘Once again, the easy-rigging, space-conscious and consistent performance of the K-array technology proved to be an important asset throughout the event, freeing the engineers up to concentrate on getting the best possible mixes for what was a diverse roll-call of artists on both stages,’ says Dave Wooster of UK distributor, 2B Heard.

‘It really took no time at all from setting the system up – itself a quick process – to getting great results and knowing that we would be able to deliver excellent sound for the many acts playing the stage over the course of the festival’s three days,’ says Hard Rock stage FOH engineer Christian Lewis, who also mixed on a Firenze system for Diversity’s recent UK tour.

Previously described by Lewis as the ‘next step in the evolution of speaker systems’, the Firenze KH8 makes use of Slim Array Technology (SAT). Based on an innovative flat panel design that enables optimum directivity via digital acoustic steering, each self-powered IP45-rated enclosure houses 16 neodymium transducers (eight 8-inch for LF, eight 4-inch for MF and four 1.4-inch high frequency compression drivers). Panels are anchored in pre-cabled groups of three for rapid rigging and deployment, while entire systems are flown in a straight line with the option to precisely tilt individual panels as required.

Onboard each panel is an IP65-rated electronics module delivering eight channels of Powersoft DSP and amplification, utilising the Armonia platform for system EQ and control, and providing 2kW on each output. System optimisation to suit the venue can be achieved using AFMG’s Ease Focus software, which also forms the control interface for the creation of all required FIR algorithms. Additionally, all of the Powersoft amplifier modules are IP-addressable, paving the way for quick and seamless configuration updates. The result is a system that suits every environment, no matter how challenging.

‘The location of the stage near to a busy thoroughfare as well as typical festival noise regulations meant that we faced challenges that had to be accommodated throughout the event,’ says Lewis. ‘I am glad to say that we were able to achieve dynamic, impactful audio for all of the artists that appeared.’

Located in a medium-sized tent, the unsigned acts-oriented Jack Rocks stage represented more of a controlled environment in which to put the festival’s second Firenze system through its paces. This time the configuration – overseen throughout proceedings by FOH engineer Shaun Trotter – was based around two KH7 line array elements and one KS8 subwoofer per side.

As with the KH8, the KH7 self-powered, mid-high line array speaker employs Slim Array Technology, and features a quartet of 12-inch coaxial Neodymium magnet woofers, providing multiple set-ups, including both vertical and horizontal use. Designed to be able to cover everything ‘from Bach to rock’ – including the rock acts who graced the Jack Rocks stage – the KH7 offers auto configuration, digital acoustic steering and Firenze’s characteristic quick set-up and ease of use.

‘I do a lot of gigs where the PA has to be like the opposite of a well-mannered Victorian child: heard but not seen,’ says Trotter. ‘The JD Rocks stage was housed in a small marquee with close sides and a low roof, which meant that the bands’ backline and stage spill was extremely loud, and I was impressed that a box as visually discreet as the KH7 could keep up.’

With around 60,000 fans making the trip to Newport for this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, the event was another successful instalment in the history of this iconic musical extravaganza. It was also a powerful demonstration of why K-array’s Firenze is likely to appear at many more festivals to come.

‘The performance of the Firenze Slim Array Technology at the Isle of Wight Festival underlines the fact that it is more than capable of coping with the time-poor, expectation-heavy requirements of a busy festival site,’ Wooster says. ‘I think it’s safe to say that we can look forward to both the KH8 and KH7 systems popping up on more festival specs during the months ahead.’

The annual two-day Kappa FuturFestival electronic music festival in Turin attracts more than 40,000 fans to a disused warehouse in Parco Dora. This year, they were here to see the likes of Gandalf, Monika Kruse, Sam Paganini and Solomun, and treated to a sound system provided by Rome-based Loud Professional.

 According to Loud Professional founder Valerio Cherubini, Kappa is the best Electro Music Festival in Italy and one of the five most important summer festivals in Europe: ‘The location inside Parco Dora is absolutely unique as is the atmosphere created at sunset after the sun goes down,’ he says. ‘The crowd is really warm, and into their music.

Opening with an all-star gala event featuring Las Vegas natives The Killers, Wayne Newton, Shamir, the Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas’s new T-Mobile Arena is equipped with a Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker system – courtesy of Delicate Productions.

Chosen a to ensure consistent coverage throughout the venue, the installation is part of a two-year project representing an investment of US$375m. The 20,000-seat arena will host over 100 events a year, including sports ranging from UFC, boxing, hockey and basketball to concerts and awards shows.

Monitor engineer Kevin ‘Tater’ McCarthy was introduced to Klang:fabrik 3D monitoring through the rider for a tour with Linkin Park: ‘I can’t say enough about how great this thing is,’ he enthuses. ‘And it benefits in ways you might not think of.’

A pair of Klang:fabrik units reside in a rack beneath McCarthy’s DiGiCo SD7 mixing console. ‘I’ve been able to substantially lower levels in the in-ear mixes for the entire band – especially the click track,’ he continues. ‘I just move that right to the front centre of the 3D field, like it’s right at their forehead, and then I cut its volume in half. The sound sits there in its own little bubble and, since it’s not sonically competing with anything else, it does not need to be nearly as loud.’

Volume is an issue that Tater has spoken out about in the past, and the band members are all careful to protect their hearing from damage – especially Brad Delson, who plays with foam earplugs and over-the-ear, gun-muff style headphones.

Klang:fabrik allows an engineer to determine the best mix of inputs, outputs and sampling rate for the specific act or situation. ‘I’m running the Klang at 96kHz and can use all eight outputs and have enough processing for 27 inputs,’ McCarthy says. The show is actually more like 95 inputs, so he’s running a mix of stems and individual channels.

Adding Klang:fabrik to the system has also allowed him to eliminate some other gear. ‘We used to use a single Aviom unit for the drummer, and I was able to ditch that completely,’ he reveals. The Klang:app runs on anyt platform, so instead of the Aviom he’s got an iPad on a stand next to him, and now has more control than before.

‘This is not the kind of box where you try it and you’re not 100 per cent sure you hear what it’s doing,’ he notes. ‘With the Klang, you start moving sources within that 3D field and just move them the tiniest little bit and it is noticeable like you can’t believe. The first time we used it with just a crew check, I moved the bass guitar so that it was coming from way behind them. And when the first bass note hit, literally every person on that stage turned around 180° and took a step backwards.’

The members of the band are also impressed: ‘The first time using it with the band, the DJ wasn’t there and his tech was covering those parts. I accidentally dropped him out of the 3D mode and into straight stereo. Now keep in mind that stereo just meant my “old” mix without the 3D field. I swear he looked like he was going to drop to his knees when I inadvertently put him back into 2D.’

The tour is set run deep into 2017. ‘We’ll be out for the rest of the year and we bought two units so we have a backup,’ McCarthy says. ‘It’s not an optional thing at this point. The Klang:fabrik is now a staple part of the monitor rig for Linkin Park.’

More: www.klang.com