By 1995-98...there were at least a dozen "rider friendly" horn loaded multiway modular systems being built/sold by reputable manufacturers.

Ken: What is different mixing the Pope from Tina?

David Scheirman: The difference between mixing Pope John Paul II and Tina
Turner is the length of the skirt :-)

Moderator: Whose is longer??

David Scheirman: Whose is longer? Not Tina's. But seriously, folks: Papal projects require a tremendous amount of advance planning, and the gig is all about site coverage calculations and multi-input combining and output mix matrixing. A pop artist or major tour by somebody like Tina Turner, you are focusing on getting large-venue sound to be "like the record".

The audience paid their tickets to hear their favorite artists singing their favorite songs, not just whatever new reverb program or kick drum mic you feel like trying out on them that day. (Dave Natale is the long-time mixer for Tina, by the way, he does an incredible job. In fact, on his most recent tour, he's been mixing both Joe Cocker and Tina on the same show.)

Chris Kathman: Have you ever known the trauma of a band ordering you to NOT emulate the record, and the crowd getting upset? That can be hellish.

David Scheirman: Well, Chris, yes, that has happened to me. I won't relate which artist or situation, but let's just say that particular band doesn't sell many albums these days. And that production manager is working at a small town hardware store, last I heard.

Chris Kathman: Justice!

David Scheirman: Justice, and an interesting point: if a band (or a soundmixer) is not pleasing the crowd...nature will take its course.

Chris Kathman: I met Art Steele last night, he was saying that the A-7 was developed in an airplane hangar and to this day it achieves better intelligibility in that setting than any other speaker.

David Scheirman: I've not had the pleasure of meeting Art Steele. I have no doubt that PA gear developed to get good full bandwidth intelligibility and coverage in an airplane hangar would sound better in more concert-friendly
venues.

Van: What is the biggest change in Tour Sound since 1985?

David Scheirman: The biggest change since 1985? Well, probably a few things:

Change #1, the rapid growth of regional rental service providers and their
increasing ability to provide a quality crew, and rental system.

Change #2, the rapid growth of manufacturers trying to copy "the big boys" in their sound reinforcement speaker system designs.

Change #3, the baby boomers growing up....kids who used to hitch-hike to rock concerts now control City budgets and are on the board of directors of performing arts centers. That means, they know what sound "is" and they want to be sure their venue or program provides it.