Setting the standard for all tribute acts, the Australian Pink Floyd Show reckons to have sold more than four million tickets to performances in 35 countries, bringing a concert experience that is often indistinguishable from the original – any era you want.
Handling the sound reinforcement for the band has fallen to Capital Sound on many occasions – including their recent UK and European theatre tour. With the FOH team of sound engineer Trevor Gilligan and system tech Mark Edwards, Capital Sound rolled out a DiGiCo SD5 mixing desk, Martin Audio W8LC Compact Line Array, and created a library of presets for Powersoft’s proprietary Armonía software to serve new X Series amplifiers. A newly configured returns rack – designed by project manager, Robin Conway – ensures the new platform is operating at its best
Gilligan – with 35 years in the industry working with the likes of Kasabian, St Etienne, Buzzcocks and the Hoosiers – reckons the Powersoft amplifiers have already proven themselves with Outline Butterfly PA system on an earlier tour. ‘The new X8s have opened up the whole sound field in terms of vocal separation,’ he reports. ‘And the smooth, seamless power means you don’t have to drive them hard. Just like the last time I used Powersoft, you immediately notice the clarity and sonic power.
‘The UK tour package is now so compact that it requires a truck fewer than previous years,’ he says of the Aussie Floys shows. ‘Every space saving helps, and certainly the X8s have helped enormously in that respect. And you just switch them on, and off they go...’
For Conway, the new X8 inventory was a no brainer after long experience of Powersoft in the active Martin Audio systems Capital Sound runs in rental stock, including the flagship MLA. ‘When we made the purchasing decision we knew we were investing in a significant platform – it was totally logical and we had no worries about the reliability of Powersoft. It has amazing broadcast quality.’
He adds that, having recently converted to a Dante returns core, the X8s onboard Dante facility provided a compelling reason for purchasing: ‘It made complete sense and simplifies the signal chain, with seamless integration. It is exactly what we are looking to achieve in standardising our rental infrastructure.’
Capital Sound runs four touring racks, each consisting of three X8 – giving 24 amplifier channels per rack. ‘This gives us just 12U of real estate, drawing very little power and easily fitting within a 63A, three-phase touring power supply system; this makes it a hugely efficient option.
‘On this tour the boxes have sounded incredible; having a powerful, DSP-driven amp with power, headroom, functionality and the ability to drive different boxes is perfect for our needs. Also, Armonía gives us massive control and flexibility – it means the signal chain is no longer convoluted because we can bring everything into a single piece of software.
‘We are finding new features of X8 every day and going forward we expect more of our engineers to move from their present set-up onto Armonía.’
