A classic Gamble console

Sound Image’s current touring inventory also includes the Yamaha PM1D digital mixing system. Dave Shadoan was actually involved in the development of the PM1-D, contributing his thoughts ever since the original inception of the project. But Sound Image does not discriminate, also offering the Innova SON console, from France, for clients who prefer its features.

I have mixed on many Sound Image systems, all the way from the smaller composite cabinets and subs, last summer with Craig Chaquico and Guitars and Saxes, to Cake a few years ago, for thousands of fans at San Diego’s outdoor Street Scene festival. I have also gone to an outdoor venue adjacent to the San Diego harbor, called Humphrey’s, which has been a Sound Image account for some time now. I mixed Blinker the Star there, opening for the B-52’s. By then, I knew that if I walked into a gig that Sound Image was supplying, the system would be up, and clean, and tuned into a workable state.

C.K. on a Sound Image system, 1999 (photo: D.J. Dougherty)

The techs would actually know how to use what was in the racks out front. They would not be in a state of maddened desperation. They would have loaded in at an hour that might not have been a lot of fun for them, but gave them enough time to have the rig totally together, instead of flailing away at the last minute.

Sound Image is currently installing the dbx Driverack into Humphrey’s. Also selling as an install item, the ACE 1250 carbon fiber box (which can do double duty as a wedge) is going into casinos as an FOH box, hung in 3x2 or 3x3 arrays, above the same G-5 sub used in the arena systems. Probably 300 of the 1250 cabinets (also known as the Sound Image G-2) exist in road cases of two or four, either in the Sound Image shop, or out making money with tours.

Classic wooden Sound Image wedges

The 1250 composite boxes, when combined with the 215PCM sub, produce a really surprising amount of level, and are powered from QSC amps that live in the sub. Thus, no amp racks or corresponding long cables, for a less crowded stage.

I first met Michael Adams at NAMM a couple years ago. Conventions can be weird places to meet people, but the small ACE 500 series composite mini-monitors really caught my eye, and can put out a huge amount of clean signal, for their size. Michael also showed me a pair attached to the bottom of a mic stand, configured for Stephen Stills to use during a CSN acoustic set. So, it was a pleasure when Dave Shadoan and I drove over to drop in on Michael at the ACE factory, not far from the Sound Image shop, and we could visit without a bunch of conventioneers and audio terrorism in the background.

Michael Adams back in the day

Michael’s history in audio goes back to 1974 and Silverfish Audio, including work with Pablo Cruise. You kids probably never heard of them, but they were a big deal, kind of like Creed or Staind is today. Check out this picture of Michael (center) from those days, for examples of hairstyles primarily worn by Scandinavian metal bands today. Hey, my hair looked like that back then, too!