 |
|
|
| “Summer
Nights” on the Pier
|
| 
The view on Pier 62/63 prior to showtime.
|
|
On a balmy summer’s evening in
the Pacific Northwest, there are few nicer pleasures than a sunset
stroll along Seattle’s downtown waterfront, with its Olympic
views and ocean breezes. One Reel, a Seattle-based non-profit organization,
along with AT&T and Volkswagen have teamed up to present a summer
series of twenty-two concert Summer Nights at the Pier during June,
July and August. |
This year’s headliners include Lyle Lovett, Melissa Ethridge,
Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, Earth Wind & Fire, Bjork, John Hiatt, the
Beach Boys, the Doors and others. The purpose-built open-air theater,
located at the city’s Pier 62/63, hosts around 4,000 guests in a
bleacher-style setting.
Because of the site’s close proximity to businesses, residences
and a city park, overall volume is strictly monitored by the city. The
venue has traditionally faced the typical issues of achieving good sound
at less than optimal levels. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that
the stage is built directly on the pier, with multiple reverberant factors
in the structure and the surrounding water.
And with the exclusive condominiums across the street being home to a
number of prominent local attorneys, judges and even an ex-mayor, exceeding
noise limits can be a risky proposition. Indeed, playing a show at The
Pier may be a revered tradition for many artists, but it can also be a
tightrope act for their Front Of House mixers.
Over the years a number of different approaches have been taken in designing
and building a suitable audio system for this difficult venue, and all
have met with varying degrees of success. Accepting the challenge again
this year was Seattle’ Carlson Audio, who provided a main rig of
16 EAW KF730 SLAM (Small
Line Array Module) cabinets, eight flown at 30 feet on either side of
the stage.
| 
One of the new EAW KF730 compact line arrays
|
|
Yamaha PM3500, anchoring FOH.
|
“The city’s got very stringent SPL limits,” explained
Carlson co-Director Jonathan Stoverud-Myers, “but we still need
to strive to create a positive concert experience. We need to get a full,
rich sound at a volume that doesn’t exceed 92 dB, A-weighted, at
Front of House. The 730’s have helped us to achieve that. Their
pattern is well focused, and their response is smooth across the entire
range, it makes it possible to get a good, punchy and defined sound, even
at lower volumes.”
Augmenting the KF730 rig are side fills that are "Audio West"
cabinets with a
JBL 15-inch and 2-inch
TAD driver on a JBL horn. Plenty of low end is provided by four EAW SB1000
subs. QSC PowerLight
PL 6.0 amps power the entire system with only one amp required for each
eight-box KF730 array.
The mix position hosts a 48-channel Yamaha
PM3500, with a BSS http://www.bss.co.uk Omnidrive applied to the overall
FOH mix. An Ashly
Protea programmable EQ is applied to the side fills and various aux sends.
On stage, Carlson is providing a small batallion of 14 Clair Brothers
12AM monitor wedges, being fed by the Ramsa 840 mixer. Mics are predominantly
Shure SM58, Beta58,
SM57, SM81, and Beta 52, with Shure’s U4 UHF systems used for wireless
needs.
| 
Plenty of effects and processing electronics.
|
|
QSC PowerLight amps drive all loudspeakers.
|
With a new visiting engineer for every show, the fine art of getting a
great mix while toeing the volume line can be particularly difficult.
“The DCLU (Department of Construction and Land Use – the city’s
noise police) guys are on hand, measuring from FOH, at every show,”
explains Myers. “Of course, the engineers we see for these shows
are some of the best in the industry, which helps a lot. Most guys will
concur, it’s much harder to mix a quiet show than a loud one, but
these are the guys that can get it done, while still maintaining the dynamics
& subtleties of each performer.”
Myers and FOH System Techs Allan Bagley and Tom Pfaeffle are on hand throughout
the shows as well, to provide the consistency and familiarity factor of
people familiar with the venue.
The FOH position is also outfitted with near fields, to provide another
means of making sense of the mix. “We have a pair of EAW JF60’s
on the meter bridge as reference monitors,” relates Myers. “It
helps us get a bit of a close range perspective at FOH.”
| |
| Ken's Links: Quite simply, the biggest (and ever-growing) list of pro audio
and related links on the web! Get there from here... |
| The Loop: PSW's weekly e-mail newsletter keeps you up to speed on the
happenings in pro audio and new features on PSW. |
| Live Chat: Transcripts and the gateway to conversations top FOH &
monitor engineers, recording engineers, sound designers and industry
leaders! |
| Church
Talk: The latest "how to" and case studies specifically
for worship system technicians. Also audio product reviews
and files from Technologies for Worship Magazine! |
Industry Biz: The business news on the companies of pro audio, and people
driving them. Perspective, features, analysis and latest news! |
Fun: (Mostly) audio and musician humor. Comics and funny images. Get
your daily dose of audio-related fun. |
| Classifieds: Sell & buy gear! Find a gig! Post your résumé! Find
employees! Tell the world who you are! |
|
|
| DAW Nation: Continuing coverage of the hottest segment of the recording
industry, digital audio workstations and related products & people! |
| Tape Op Archives: A growing selection of the best articles from one of the recording industry's best magazines. Not available anywhere else! |
| Bookstore: Purchase the most valuable pro audio reference texts,
including audio engineering, sound reinforcement and recording techniques! |
Calendar: The industry's most comprehensive listing of audio and
AV-related trade shows and conventions. What's coming up? Find out! |
| White Pages: Enter your listing in the pro audio industry's most rapidly growing on-line personnel resource, and/or find someone you need! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
