Beginning the European leg of their First Love World Tour in November 2018 to promote the release of their sixth studio album, amo, the sound team behind British rockers Bring Me The Horizon decided to take the d&b KSL System on the road for one of its first ever major tours. The tour opened with performances in Germany, before travelling through Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and France, and ending in the UK with two flagship gigs at London’s Alexandra Palace.
The hot-off-the-press KSL System is the latest loudspeaker line from d&b, designed to deliver the recognisable features of its SL lineage, from broadband directivity control to advanced rigging options. The KSL System can be used as a standalone, self-contained package, a delay, or fill accompaniment to GSL. SSE Audio Group’s Miles Hillyard oversaw the implementation of the KSL and GSL Systems for the tour, specifying it to complement SSE Audio’s d&b GSL package.
‘What better way to showcase the new KSL System than on a BMTH tour?’ asks Hillyard. ‘Historically, we have used d&b J8s for their live shows, including the surprise performance at the Reading and Leeds festivals… but for this tour we had the opportunity to upgrade and I offered the KSL System to production manager Rob Highcroft.
‘We rigged the KSL as side hangs, to complement the larger GSL main hangs. The cardioid characteristics of the KSL and GSL were most notable, and the modern drivers make the System sound really transparent.’
The set-up comprised 24 GSL8s and four GSL12s for the main hang, 12 V12s used as front fill, 20 KSL8s and four KSL12s as side fill, with 13 SL-Subs. The system was powered by forty-eight d&b D80 amplifiers.
Jack Murphy was system technician for the tour: ‘It was our first time using both the GSL and KSL Systems and the cardioid nature of the cabinets was instantly noticeable. Rear rejection levels and “cleanliness” on stage were noted by the band, monitor engineer Jared Daly and FOH engineer Oliver Hutchinson. We all agreed that the System maintains the d&b signature quality in the HF and the lows and low mid-range are fuller and more defined. We were also impressed with the new SL-SUB, the output and quality of them is something else.’
The KSL is smaller than GSL (K denoting kleine, small, but nicknamed ‘Karl’ in the d&b universe) and brings the SL-Series’ familiar two-way active design, high SPL and impressive low frequency cardioid performance to a far wider range of applications. And of course, like all of the range, it sits comfortably within the familiar d&b workflow.
‘When the KSL was deployed as a full side hang, its performance was right up there with the GSL,’ Murphy observes. ‘The transition into using it as a side hang and also for delay purposes – as it was used for the Alexandra Palace shows – was seamless.’
During the central Europe dates, venues varied from flat floors to arenas to theatres of different sizes and shapes. ‘The relatively lightweight nature of the GSL and KSL cabinets means we could always fly the appropriate number, not just enough, whether it was in one, two or three-point configurations,’ Murphy explains. ‘We also used the KSL as a small ground stack in situations where flying points weren’t available, or where a full side hang was not necessary. Even a small, four-box groundstack gave a great full mix.
‘On BMTH, we keep the barrier tight and for the first time have introduced a thrust. The precise prediction of ArrayCalc, alongside the cardioid nature of the cabinet meant we could reduce the spill onstage and keep it constant with the varying room styles and constricting trim heights. It’s worth putting the effort in to get the results that the GSL/KSL Systems provide. I’m looking forward to working with it again.’
BMTH tour North America in spring 2019, where SSE will again be supplying a KSL System.
More: www.dbaudio.com
