Their recent UK tour marked the first time that Level 42’s FOH engineer, Mark Clements, had moved away from the equipment supplier the band have used for the past 25 years. Having worked with Merlin PA on overseas and festival packages, it was seen as a natural move to tour the UK with the same rental company.
A further reason for the switch was to move to Electro-Voice’s X2 system, which Clements had heard several times. The solution’s size and form factor made it the perfect choice for a concert hall tour, but the technical qualities of the X2 also made it a strong choice for Level 42.
The gigs called on the versatility of Electro-Voice and Dynacord equipment to ensure the best-possible experience, no matter what kind of venue the band was performing in. The British jazz-funkers used the Electro-Voice X2 as main PA, driven by Dynacord TGX amps with control from SoniCue software.
‘The percussive and transient nature of Mark King’s bass style really shone through with the use of the X2’s 12-inch driver on the Mid Band Hydra,’ reports Merlin PA’s Neal Allen. ‘That’s what the technology in the MBH allows you to deliver.’
The capabilities of the X12-128 dual 18-inch subwoofers were also an important factor for the performances. ‘This tour was one of the first where we consistently used a cardioid sub arrangement in almost every venue,’ Allen continues. ‘Due to the nature of the stage setup, some venues required a supercardioid sub design, which dramatically cleaned up unwanted resonance onstage for Mark.’
In addition to the X2 main PA, compact 8-inch two-way XLE cabinets were called into action to provide further support. ‘XLE was required to provide extra intelligibility and consistency,’ says Allen. ‘This was particularly important at Sheffield City Hall, which is a notoriously tricky venue to contain with a full house when you need to cover all three floors.’
A further aspect that enhanced the tour was the Dynacord electronics and software that drove every performance. ‘TGX amplifiers and SoniCue sound system software provided the backbone power to the Electro-Voice system,’ Allen notes. ‘The intuitive nature of SoniCue enabled us to make effortless on-the-fly changes at different locations, while also providing an overall picture of all aspects of the system.’
