A recent investment in 32 Alcons Audio LR24 mid-size line array systems by Creativsound in Berlin and Event-Net in Halle/Saale has expanded the rental pool available to the three members of The Ribbon Network in Germany.
Together with ILS Medientechnik from Leipzig, the partners support each other by renting out Alcons sound systems via The Ribbon Network. ‘Uwe Biesgen and I tackled the LR24 investment together,’ says Kay Schöttner, MD of Event-Net. ‘For several years, we have been working with The Ribbon Network platform in such a way that our companies and ILS Medientechnik from Leipzig helped each other out with Alcons products if necessary. Since we all have different systems in stock, we complement each other well.’
In his capacity as FOH and system technician, Biesgen has overseen several productions with the larger-format LR28 line-array modules in recent years. ‘It is too large for many of our applications, however,’ he says. ‘Therefore, the desire arose to have a smaller system available that would bridge the gap between the LR18 compact line-array module and LR28. In addition, the little brother of the LR28 should be more economical to operate – ie with fewer amplifier channels and, if possible, NL8 cabling.
‘By the end of 2019, the idea of purchasing a larger system together came up,’ he continues. ‘The background was that both Kay and I had handed in our LR16 double 16-inch systems in permanent installations. Since Thomas and Mario Ils had previously invested in LR18 as our cooperation partners, we very quickly came up with the idea of expanding the jointly existing portfolio upwards. The previously successfully completed classic production on the Hamburg Rathausmarkt provided the benchmark for determining the size of the system. However, the completion of the LR24 was delayed and a test planned for early 2020 had to be postponed. Then Corona came and the investment had to wait.
The three partners have put their new addition at work on new such as the Open Air Festival 2022 in Bremerhaven. Biesgen chose a set-up comprising ten LR24/90 and two LR24/120 per side for the main stage, as well as a bass array consisting of 20 BC543 triple 18-inch cardioid subwoofers with cardioid characteristics for even distribution.
‘The passive filtering of the midrange and high frequency unit, supported by the complex DSP algorithms of the four Sentinel 10 amplifiers, saved another channel,’ he reports. ‘As a result, the NL8 cables that we already had could be re-used. Another advantage of the LR24 is that the LR24 is equipped with the same excellent rigging system as the LR28 double 14-inch larger-format line-array modules.
‘The LR24 offers unimagined possibilities, it reacts to the finest nuances from the console and delivers powerful low-mids with warmth and in the highs absolute clarity,’ he concludes.
