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Line Array
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Rat Sound Deploys L-Acoustics KARAi At Orange County’s Galaxy Theatre
Orange County’s 40-year-old Galaxy Theatre changed ownership back in August and has now undergone a significant metamorphosis into two separate live performance spaces: the intimate 350-capacity Constellation Room and much larger Observatory, which can accommodate an audience of over 1,000.
One of the primary improvements made to the venue in the process was the installation of L-Acoustics KARAi line source arrays provided by Certified Provider Rat Sound Systems of Camarillo, California.
Jon Reiser, along with business partner Courtney Michaelis and a third silent partner, are the team behind transforming the Galaxy from a lackluster aging venue into an edgy hipster hangout that consistently attracts some of the brightest up-and-coming acts like Foster the People, Crystal Castles, The Naked and Famous, Young the Giant, Tyga and Warpaint. Reiser is no stranger to SoCal’s indie music scene having previously spent five years as a partner and talent buyer for Costa Mesa’s Detroit Bar.
Shortly after purchasing the Galaxy, Reiser brought in L.A.‘s Foster the People to play the newly dubbed Observatory. Knowing that the club’s pre-existing PA system wouldn’t be adequate to cover the crowd for such a popular band, he turned to Rat Sound to provide a temporary dV-DOSC rig while simultaneously initiating the design process to permanently integrate a new KARAi system.
Today, the Observatory features left and right arrays each comprised of six KARAi elements flown adjacent to two SB18i subs. Four SB28 subs are also located down on the floor—two housed in bunkers inside the stage plus one on each side of the stage.
A custom enclosure built across the front of the stage houses four coaxial 8XT front-fill speakers, while a single 115XT HiQ flown in the center of the house two feet downstage of the stage lip serves as a downfill. All systems are powered and processed by LA8 amplified controllers housed in racks at the monitor mix position.
Rat Sound provided not only the installation of the L-Acoustics arrays, but the rest of the venue’s sound and lighting systems and acoustic treatments as a full turnkey package.
Rat Sound director of installations David Myers notes that the rental dV-DOSC system helped minimize the venue’s downtime to only two nights despite the significant amount of remodeling and equipment upgrades.
“With the new acoustic treatments and KARAi system in place, the Observatory sounds phenomenal,” says Myers. “KARAi is extremely coherent; it’s like having the artist right in front of you in a studio environment. And the bands, engineers, promoters and audiences are all loving the sound. The Naked and Famous recently played the room and their front-of-house engineer told us after the show that we had totally spoiled him for the rest of the dates on their tour.”
Reiser adds, “The Naked and Famous immediately booked another show with us for March and I know that a big part of that was because of how impressed they were with the system and production level. We’ve had a lot of really great shows in here lately—including Scott Weiland, two nights with Young the Giant, and an epic New Year’s weekend with ATB and Tiesto—and everyone’s walked away at the end of the night being very happy with the house sound.”
The Right Sonic Blend For An Electronic Ensemble & The New York Philharmonic
Reinforcing the live performance of a motion picture score at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center
The Philip Glass Ensemble, along with members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Collegiate Chorale symphonic choir, recently performed Glass’ powerful score for the 1982 landmark motion picture “Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out Of Balance” as the film screened at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center.
The two exclusive live performances (and screenings), held on consecutive nights for sold-out audiences at the 2,738-seat home venue of the Philharmonic, presented some sound reinforcement challenges.
The hall does not have a house system, yet the Philip Glass Ensemble, founded by composer Glass in the late 1960s to perform his experimental minimalist music, is always amplified when playing live.
As a result, Dan Dryden, long-time front-of-house engineer for the ensemble, worked with Audio Production Services of Amawalk, NY to design a reinforcement system to serve the unique needs of the event while fitting within the scope of the hall.
“With an event like this you want all of the instruments, acoustic and electronic, to sound like they belong together,” Dryden explains. “The sound system needs to be clean and consistent, in addition to being capable of covering the entire hall without impeding any stage site lines.”
He adds that, in general, he prefers the footprint of compact line arrays, and following a site review, decided that approach would work for this project as well. The choice was the compact RCF TT+ Series, with single arrays each comprised of 10 TTL31-A modules flown left and right, attached to the overhead stage grid.
A view of Avery Fischer Hall with the main RCF TTL31-A arrays flown to each side of the stage. (click to enlarge)
“When specifying systems for the ensemble I’m looking for smaller line arrays with flat frequency response,” explains Dryden. “These were perfect. The low-mid frequencies are rich and warm, and the coverage was excellent.”
The overall footprint of these arrays indeed was relatively miniscule, measuring just less than two feet wide by only about 10 feet deep. The self-powered, 2-way active line array modules are outfitted with a single-8-inch cone driver and three compression drivers feeding a horn with horizontal dispersion of 100 degrees. They proved capable of covering all four levels of seating (main and three balconies) as well as boxes.
“The arrays had no problem throwing all of the way to the back row of the top balcony without any need for delay fills. We had plenty of power for the space,” Dryden states.
The mains were joined by four RCF TTS56-A dual 21-inch subwoofers, two side-by-side on each side of the stage, and each of these sub sets hosted a single TT25 compact powered loudspeaker supplying in fill presence, particularly for higher frequencies.
The house loudspeaker complement was completed with front fill via four TT052-A low-profile 2-way loudspeakers deployed evenly along the front lip of the stage.
The ensemble, positioned centrally on stage, was comprised of eight players, including three on keyboards, three more on woodwinds, one soprano vocalist, and for this show, a bass vocalist. The orchestra’s 30-piece string section and 19-piece brass section, as well as the 40-member choir, resided in a semi-circle around them.
Each string instrument – violas, cellos and double bass – was outfitted with a DPA 4061 omnidirectional miniature clip-on microphone, while Sennheiser MD 421 II dynamic mics were stand-mounted for each trumpet, trombone, French horn, bass trombone and tuba in the brass section. Each two vocalists of the choir shared a Shure SM58 mic, also stand-mounted.
A closer look at one of the compact arrays that provided the advantage of a minimal footprint. (click to enlarge)
The ensemble feeds went directly to both front-of-house and monitor consoles, with Dryden manning a Yamaha PM5D board for house and Stephen Erb on another PM5D for monitors.
All of the orchestra and choir feeds (more than 80), meanwhile, routed to a DiGiCo D1 Live console. There, Dan Bora did a mix of the individual stems that were then supplied to the house and monitor consoles.
“One big challenge for a performance of this scale is the number of inputs,” Dryden notes. “In this case we decided to utilize a sub mix, which ended up being a very big job. Not only did Dan Bora have to make sure signal integrity and placement of each of the microphones were good, but the mixes provided to house and monitors were key to the sonic performance.”
All effects were supplied via the PM5D consoles with the exception of a Lexicon 300 reverb at front-of-house that Dryden likes to apply to certain passages or sections.
The ensemble on stage surrounded by the orchestra and choir during one of the performances of “Koyaanisqatsi.” (click to enlarge)
“The Lexicon algorithms are excellent,” he says. “I’ve used Lexicons forever – for me they’re the smoothest, best-sounding digital reverbs.”
Monitor engineer Erb fed mixes to 12 dBTechnologies DVX D12 powered 2-way loudspeakers that acted as stage monitors for the ensemble - keyboards, woodwinds, soprano vocal and bass vocal.
The strings, brass and chorus sections were served monitor mixes with stand-mounted dBTechnologies K70 multipurpose ultra-compact loudspeakers (also powered).
Dryden reports that the project produced the results he was seeking. “I think it’s always important to remember that you need to work with a room rather than try to impose your will upon it,” he concludes. “In this case, it’s a terrific room and, when equipped with the right system, it sounded fantastic. The musicians in the symphony and the chorus added so much to the ensemble’s performance. It all added up to a lot of fun.”
Julie McLean Clark is a writer and marketing consultant working who has worked in the pro audio industry for more than 15 years.
Oslo Audio First Rental Company In Norway To Invest In L-Acoustics KARA
Oslo Audio has become the first rental company in Norway to invest in L-Acoustics KARA WST line source loudspeakers, ordering 24 cabinets from local distributor Scandec Systemer.
The KARA loudspeakers are powered by L-Acoustics LA-RAK amplified controllers and supplemented with SB18 subwoofers.
“KARA has a flexibility that will enable us to use the system for pretty much all venues in Norway,” says Paal Klaastad of Oslo Audio. “For us the audio performance of the KARA system was never in question. As a long-time L-Acoustics user, we are confident that the sound quality is first class. The reputation of the brand ensures that the end users are also confident of the system’s performance.
“The scalability of the system, its integration with the LA-RAK platform and the ease of rigging and handling makes us confident that this will provide a good return on investment for years to come. We look forward to putting the system to use, and to collaborating with other network agents in Scandinavia.”
Oslo Audio’s new KARA loudspeakers were used for the first time at the 10-year anniversary concert of Crystal Canyon Studios, with a lineup of Kåre & The Cavemen, Ulver, Paperboys, Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O and André Holstad.
That system consisted of the 24 KARA cabinets with 12 SB118 subs and six 115XT HiQ coaxial monitors, powered by LA-RAKs.
AED Rent First Adopter Of JBL Professional VTX VT25 Line Array Loudspeakers
Belgium-based AV rental system provider AED Rent has signed on as the first adopter of the just-introduced JBL Professional VTX V25 line array loudspeaker, as well as a strategic partner in the VTX Network.
AED Rent is known in Europe as a market leader and a total system provider.
“Our mission statement is quite simple: To develop and maintain a flexible group of companies on a Pan-European base that offers a total solution for the professional in the AV industry,” says Glenn Roggeman, CEO of the AED group. “AED Rent is not just a rental company but an equipment bank, not only in sound, but also in lighting, rigging and video equipment. What makes this business quite unique is large quantities, industry standards, state-of-the-art products, and a young rental fleet with fast and accurate service.”
“We chose to purchase the JBL V25 because I think JBL has it spot-on for the future,” he adds. “JBL has always been known as the best component builder. Today, thanks to Paul Bauman, they not only have the components, but also the speaker boxes to make a terrific system.”
The VTX V25 is a full-size, 3-way, high-directivity line array element. The VTX V25 features two 2000-watt, 15-inch Differential Drive woofers mounted in die-cast aluminum baffles, with four 8-inch Differential Drive mid-range transducers and three of the revolutionary new D2 dual-diaphragm dual-voice-coil compression drivers mounted on a 3rd generation waveguide and patented RBI Radiation Boundary Integrator assembly.
“The technology JBL is using in the V25 is on the cutting edge,” Roggeman states. “If you see how much power the system is driving, it’s way above any competition. If you see the weight of the cabinets—82 kg—this is another attractive element, because in the future, environmental issues will play a bigger role in our business. A cabinet of 110 kg that needs to be transported will be more expensive than a cabinet of 82 kg.”
“We are thrilled that AED Rent has chosen to support the groundbreaking VTX V25 product,” says Paul Bauman, senior manager, Tour Sound, JBL Professional. “AED Rent’s technical expertise and leading position in the industry will be tremendous assets in our introduction of the V25 to the market.”
Electronic Versus Physical: An Analysis Of Shaping Array Directivity
Electronic modification of an array’s directivity is not always a substitute for good old mechanical arranging or aiming. Here's a look at the differences
Modifying the directivity characteristics of loudspeaker arrays through electronic delay has become increasingly popular.
Whereas 20 years ago the only option was expensive dedicated digital delay units, and a few years later the original BSS Omnidrive was a luxury, the advent of inexpensive digital processing has changed the game.
The design of complex arrays using a relatively high number of processing channels, as required to electronically modify the directionality of an array, is now affordable and widely implemented.
However, virtual (electronic) modification of an array’s directivity is not always a substitute for good old mechanical arranging or aiming, as the two methods have widely differing radiation characteristics off-axis (i.e., to the back and sides).
Let’s look at the differences in the two approaches, how they differ across a number of array types, and suggest applications where each of them should be used with subwoofers.
Arrival Times
The reason why physically moving a loudspeaker backward is different from delaying it electronically may not be intuitively obvious, but is easily shown graphically.
Figure 1a shows two loudspeakers (“A” and “B”) located left and right at equal distance from both a listener positioned in front and another listener positioned behind.
Figure 1: Loudspeakers equidistant to listeners (1a); loudspeaker B moved back (1b); and loudspeaker B electronically delayed (1c).
Leaving aside subtleties such as the location of the time origin of the loudspeakers, since it does not influence the basic concept being discussed here, sound from loudspeakers A and B will arrive at the same time to both listeners.
If we move back loudspeaker B (Figure 1b), then loudspeaker A is closer to the front listener, so sound reaches that listener earlier. Behind the loudspeakers, of course, the opposite occurs.
If we return the loudspeakers back to their original positions, and then apply electronic delay to loudspeaker B (shown in Figure 1c as a diverted path length to the listeners), we see that the output of loudspeaker A arrives earlier than B in both cases (in front and behind).
Thus, it is graphically clear that physically moving enclosure B produces a significantly different result to electronically delaying it.
Focus On The Effect
Let’s now look at the implications within the context of a vertical array of loudspeakers, and predict the coverage of a column of omnidirectional sources.
Figure 2: 3D balloon for mechanically tilted array at 100 Hz (2a); vertical polars for mechanically tilted array at 80, 100, 125 and 160 Hz (2b).
I often prefer to display results via polar plots, because with plane mappings it’s often difficult to understand the behavior at distances other than those close to the system being modeled.
Also note that I’ll use mostly omnidirectional sources instead of “real-world” sources (with a certain degree of attenuation at the back, i.e., not perfectly omnidirectional) to focus on the effect that the arrangement is causing on the directional response of a single loudspeaker.
In Figure 2a and 2b, we have physically tilted a 12-element array that is 23 feet (7 meters) long downward by 30 degrees.
The front part of the radiation points down 30 degrees, and the back part points up 30 degrees, while left and right (i.e., 90 degrees to the sides) are pointing straight, as if the array had not been tilted at all.
Figure 2a shows a three-dimensional directivity balloon resembling some sort of “flying saucer” at an angle, while Figure 2b shows polar plots for the third octave bands between 80 and 160 Hz (the main lobe gets narrower as frequency increases).
In Figure 3a and 3b, the sources are delayed so that the main radiation is (electronically) steered 30 degrees down (by applying increasingly larger delay times from top to bottom).
The balloon looks a bit like a fat cone, showing that the 30-degree downward angle is taking place all around the array, not just in front of it.
Figure 3: 3D balloon for array with delay steering at 100 Hz (3a); vertical polars for array with digital delay steering at 80, 100, 125 and 160 Hz (3b).
This behavior is emphasized by manufacturers of electronically controlled (“digitally steerable”) column loudspeakers, correctly emphasizing that the use of their products yields better coverage than a single, down-tilted conventional enclosure.
Pointing Lobes
To provide another example illustrating the differences between mechanical tilting and delay steering, we modeled one of each in a room, this time using loudspeaker data with realistic nonperfect omnidirectionality.
The resulting pressure maps have been plotted onto the walls as well as the floor, and we’ve also drawn lines, at different horizontal angles, that represent the direction in which the main lobe is pointing.
In Figure 4a (mechanical), the lines follow the shape of a disk, which means that some of the lines are pointing to the walls, and the mapping indeed shows that significant SPL is being radiated towards the walls.
In Figure 4b (electronic), the lines form a cone and sound is mostly focused on the floor.
Figure 4: Room mapping of mechanically tilted array (4a) and an electronically steered array (4b), both at 125 Hz.
The 125 Hz octave band was used for the room predictions; while it is probably somewhat unrealistic of typical subwoofer bandwidth, the narrower coverage is helpful to exaggerate the effect for clarity.
It can also be seen that the covered area is roughly rectangular for the mechanical case and rounder for the electronic one. (Some may recognize the CADP2 graphics. What a beautifully elegant piece of software that was! RIP.)
Exploring Arcs
From the explanation earlier in this article, we can guess that an electronic arc (where input signal is increasingly delayed as one goes from the center to the edges of the array) will display identical front and rear radiation for omnidirectional sources.
A physical arc, in the far field, also provides symmetrical front and rear behavior – but - at close distances, rear levels will be higher.
This is because circular arc sources arrive simultaneously at the circle’s center, i.e. the array’s “virtual origin.” Accordingly, physical arc best practices should avoid any arc that displays an inconvenient center, particularly at center stage.
Figure 5a, 5b and 5c present polars for a physical arc of eight subwoofers spanning 120 degrees with a radius of 10 feet (3 meters).
Figure 5: Horizontal polars for six-element physical arc in the near field (5a); mid field (5b); and far field (5c).
In the near field (Figure 5a), the buildup of sound pressure at the back can be observed, with the array being an average of around 6 dB less sensitive at the front for theoretical omnidirectional sources (though this number changes widely with frequency as seen on the plots).
This translates approximately to the same level back and front for a typical real-life subwoofer (with a certain degree of directionality). Also, in the near field, the rear pattern is narrower at the back.
As we get farther from the array though (Figure 5b), the polars become symmetrical, with the same levels being radiated to the back and front. This was calculated at a distance of 98 feet (30 meters) from the center of the array.
Figure 5c shows the far-field results, made up of equidistant enclosures that would “virtually” follow the same arc as the physical arc above.
Unlike the physical arc, the electronic version shows the same levels back and front both up close and far away from the array.
Figure 6: Side view of stage showing the difference between mechanically aimed arrays (6a) and electronically steered arrays (6b).
In general, an electronic arc is preferred because it does not suffer from pressure build-up behind the array, and it requires less space in front of the stage.
And unlike array steering, where each element requires a different delay time, we can use an even number of elements, so that pairs can share the same delay, meaning one amplifier channel can power two boxes if needed.
Given today’s prices, an extra DSP unit dedicated to subs does not seem too much of a luxury. Mathematically, calculating required delay times for a straight line array of equally spaced boxes may be complicated.
Figure 7: Top view of stage showing the difference between mechanically aimed arrays (7a) and electronically steered arrays (7b).
However, a piece of string can be used to mark a circular arc on the floor as physical reference for measuring “virtual” distances for pairs of subs.
Case Study A: Flown array of subwoofers on an open-air concert. When flying a subwoofer array, if the array is mechanically tilted, the rear radiation lobe will point upward (Figure 6a) and minimize trouble.
Yet it might be tempting to go with a “clean” hang and implement electronic steering, in order to digitally down-aim low-frequency (LF) radiation.
Doing this, however, means that corresponding rear radiation will also be aimed downward, presenting potential noise problems with nearby housing, as shown in Figure 6b.
Case Study B: Opening up left-right subwoofers. Invariably, when left and right subwoofers are used, interference creates the notorious power alley, where LF system response is audibly louder.
Additionally, bass coverage is not uniform since interference patterns change with frequency.
One way to minimize left-right interference is to aim subwoofer arrays away from each other in order to reduce overlap.
If we aim the array physically (Figure 7a), the back radiation lobe will point to the stage, increasing LF spill (again, the extent of this will be reduced through the use of cardioid subs, be it off-the-shelf cardioid models or array elements made up of a cardioid arrangement).
However, if electronic steering is used (Figure 7b), the back lobe will point away from the stage.
Figure 8: 3D view of a flown 360-degree array.
This is actually the same as Case Study A, except for the fact that we are dealing with horizontal, not vertical, coverage.
Case Study C: 360-degree subwoofer array. Certain arena applications might call for 360-degree horizontal subwoofer coverage, as well as some degree of downward firing toward the seating.
Achieving this with mechanical aiming is just plain impossible, but it can be accomplished through the electronic realm.
The suggested design makes use of a somewhat unusual configuration. Since real subwoofers are not entirely omnidirectional (a typical 18-inch subwoofer box may show 4 to 6 dB less at the back relative to the front), to achieve the same level at both back and front, we use a “face-to-face” deployment.
And it might seem a bit counterintuitive, but a physically phase-aligned pair can also be achieved if the correct spacing is used between the two.
To avoid flying too much weight, we could alternate every other element in the array as seen in Figure 8, an arrangement that also minimizes obstructions to the expansion of the wavefront.
Figure 9: Horizontal and vertical polars of 360-degree array at 100 Hz.
This two-column arrangement with electronic steering would generate the directivity balloon seen in Figure 3a (except that the sides would be slightly squashed), with the horizontal and vertical polars that can be seen in Figure 9.
As with any low-frequency array, a longer array generates a narrower radiation pattern, which means that different venues would require different lengths to suit their geometry.
From the point of view of level consistency, the arrangement in Figure 8, with real non-perfectly omnidirectional sources, would send slightly less SPL to the sides (in our case, around 3 dB less for a real single 18-inch front-loaded subwoofer), which would be desirable on a rectangular arena to compensate for the difference in distance to the closest and farthest tiers.
On the other hand, given the uniform downward profile, this configuration would be ideally suited, angle-wise, for circular venues such as a bullfighting ring or a Mexican Palenque.
Watch That Space
As we know from line array “laws” there is a maximum spacing between sources for any given frequency.
Figure 10: 3D balloon for 6 element array with delay steering at 160 Hz (10a); Vertical polars for a six- element array with delay steering (10b) and with mechanical aiming (10c) at 80, 100, 125, 160, 150 and 250 Hz.
If that spacing is exceeded, the array loses the ability to control directivity, with higher frequencies showing lobes at the wrong angles and eventually losing directivity control. This is even more so for an electronically steered array, which requires a tighter element density.
Figure 10a shows a three-dimensional representation of the directivity balloon of an electronically steered array with excessive spacing (4.5 feet).
A significant top lobe can be seen that will surely create reverberation issues at that frequency in an indoor venue.
Figure 10b presents 80 to 250 Hz one-third octave polars for the same array where the three highest frequencies have gone haywire across the top part of the curve.
In contrast, a mechanically tilted array of subs (Figure 10c) with the same spacing only shows misbehavior at 250 Hz, which corresponds to a wavelength that correlates roughly to the spacing between sources, so it’s no surprise.
José (Joe) Brusi is an independent electroacoustical consultant. And thanks to Joan La Roda for the field phase measurements of the alternate face-to-face subwoofer configuration.
The Old Soundman: Dealing With Indoor & Outdoor Venue Issues
Think it’s a picnic running sound inside a club? Think it’s nothin’ but a party running sound outside? The OSM has news for you!
Old Soundman,
Yes, Stip!
I occasionally run sound for a band that tends to play local hole-in-the-wall venues.
Okay, we feel sorry for you, now move on!
The “stage” for the band is always in one of 2 places: in a nice boomy corner, or, better yet, right in front of that brick or paneled wall.
These are the times that try men’s souls!
I guess you might be a female, so no offense intended. I don’t know what “Stip” is short for. I am pretty sure that Jacquie (below) is…
One of many problems I run into (including the lead guitarist who insists he hears better with his knees)...
I know that guy! and I think half our readers at home do, too. He must have cloned himself a dozen times in each and every state of the union!
...is cymbal bleed-thru on the vocal mic’s. If I try to spare the audience the shrill ring of these upper frequencies by pulling back the highs on the board, I seem to lose clarity in the vocal.
That is not an illusion, Stip. That is, indeed what is happening, you are perceiving it correctly.
This problem gets worse when the guys are playing at a particularly loud stage volume, and I need to crank a little more vocal, which of course starts to feed back when the ring of the cymbals hit the mic’s, then come thru the monitors and hit the mic’s again…
You know the sad, sad story.
Help!!!
Stip
I do indeed know the sad story. And even sadder is the fact that the list of remedies is a very short one. I’m a straight shooter, Stip.
Move back the drum riser. Can’t. You’re stuck in this little club with a stage the size of a saltine.
Now that you mention it, some cheese and crackers would really hit the spot right about now! Wait a minute, you were saying something about cymbals …
The drummer can be asked to use lighter cymbals with a shorter decay time. But since he is a club guy, getting paid very little beyond the endless chain of longnecks he consumes, he probably only has his local music store’s finest, thickest bang-a-langa models.
Don’t tell me he wears those warm-up things on his wrists? You do have it rough, Stip.
I would be fired if I mentioned a brand name here, but it is kosher for me to tell you that you want a hypercardioid mic for your singer, and he needs to stay right on top of it.
The most radical thing you could do would be to ask the band to buy an infrared gate device to put on the mic, so that when his head moves away, it mutes the mic.
However, this has the undesired effect of really changing your mix, since that is the loudest mic on stage.
When that cymbal noise becomes the evil frosting on the cake of a monitor mix, isn’t that just the worst? You can try to identify as narrow a band as possible to reduce, on the graphics for the affected mixes.
I’m not gonna lie to ya, Stip, everything I have said boils down to band-aids. I am pretty much doctor dan the bandage man here. Stip, it is hellish there where you are. But the bigger gigs are hellish in different ways.
Okay, I’m just trying to cheer you up! on the big stages, it is really fun, sonically, when the drum riser is a mile behind the singer.
Would it make you feel better to hear how Jacquie gets treated? Sure it would!
Just had an outdoor gig. Singer was freaking out, saying “the sound sucks” when in actuality it didn’t suck at all. Tried to tell him (from my limited experience) that running sound outdoors is quite a bit different from running sound indoors.
Since I’m a rank amateur at this, is there anything specific I can tell him to shut him up? He’s a great singer, but like most musicians, he has high end hearing loss.
Thanks mucho. Dig your site. You crack me up.
Jacquie
Thank you, Jacquie! My, what excellent taste you have in humor. I am a much funnier man than others, am I not?
What you are going through reflects the agony of having a limited number of clients. If I read between the lines correctly, you don’t want to just tell this guy to take a hike.
Most of the self-righteous hornblowers over on the live audio board would be real quick to say that you should proudly tell this character off, and then march off into the sunset, with your pride intact, and your wallet quite empty.
Well, I guess some of the more sensible ones who read a lot of self-help books would advise you to talk to the guy when he is calmer (since right after a gig is a notorious time for musicians to make ludicrous remarks, usually due to their lack of confidence in their own abilities.)
In the past, I believe that the lads and lasses of the L.A.B. have recommended gently informing your yodeler that there is no “suck” knob on your console. And, that the way for him to win in life is to express himself as clearly as he can, to the limits of his ability.
He may continue to say “wull, I dunno, Jacquie, it just sucked, y’know?” most of us would shake your hand if you just hauled off and slugged him then. But we live in a very litigious society, so it is best not to.
What you are digging for is him saying something like “there was too much low end” or “it was too trebly.” Precise technical terms like that. Is he criticizing the monitor sound or the house?
Hey, you know what? You sound like you have your head on straight. I think you’re gonna go far, with or without this dullard! You rule, Jacquie!
Luv
The Old Soundman
There’s simply no denying the love from The Old Soundman. Check out more from OSM here.
Martin Audio MLA Boosts Brixton Academy For Chickenfoot In Concert
When Brixton Academy was built in art deco style during the cinema boom of the late 1920s, it was never expected to be hosting concerts for high-octane rock bands like supergroup Chickenfoot (led by former Van Halen legend Sammy Hagar).
Ghosts of Brixton’s cinema past remain within this Grade II-listed building, and the bulging balcony facade has proved the downfall of many a sound system, returning the firepower off the stage and bouncing the sound waves back at the band.
But Martin Audio was able to pull off a rare feat when the Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) made its debut there, provided by Capital Sound.
To the benefit of front of house engineer Michael “Ace” Baker, Martin Audio R&D director Jason Baird and system tech Mark Edwards simply notched out this chunk of the coverage pattern in the dedicated optimization software.
“Chickenfoot is one of the loudest bands that have played through the system, so we stood onstage and switched the MLA’s DSP from a setting that didn’t notch it out to one that did, using the tablet PC over the WiFi link,” explains Baird. The difference was plain to hear, with an obvious reduction in reflections off that deep balcony front.
Baker had wanted to pilot the MLA since hearing it in demo Las Vegas last summer. Knowing that his monitor engineer Jim Jorgensen was about to join Martin Audio he applied pressure, so that by the time production arrived in Brixton, there were nine MLA elements and an MLD downfill ready to be rigged each side, with six MLX subwoofers ground stacked on either flank.
“I had been hugely impressed with MLA and could see the math behind it, but there’s only so much you can learn under demonstration conditions. I had to get the system out there,” Baker says. “Some people were doubting whether this was a true rock ‘n’ roll box––but this is one of the most rocking boxes I have ever mixed through.
“In fact it is a true concert arena PA, capable of producing a ‘big’ PA sound rather than just pumping out pure volume. I noticed it particularly around the kick drums and toms and yet I’m barely tickling it, there’s just so much headroom.”
He was also impressed that despite the consistency of coverage in the house, none of it was blowing back at the band onstage. “That’s what got me so excited. Initially, all that computer stuff looked like something I wouldn’t be able to handle, but then Mark showed me how simple it was––all you need to be able to do is measure correctly and you are done.”
Baker says that MLA has given him the freedom to exploit “extra places where it can go, the incredible spatial and panning effects that I was running through.”
The engineer started working with rock legend Sammy Hagar four years ago––who in this configuration was fronting a top line-up comprising Joe Satriani (guitars), Michael Anthony (bass, vocals) and drummer Kenny Aronoff (filling in for Chad Smith, who was off with the Red Hot Chili Peppers).
At Brixton, he was able to mix the sound flat on a Yamaha PM5D and that, according to Mark Edwards, is because MLA sets itself up to produce a neutral, balanced sound. “Because the system is so responsive to system EQ, if there’s a bit too much sub in the room it is easy to notch a tiny bit out.”
“There are a lot of good systems out there but only a few have been truly groundbreaking;” Baker concludes. “Right now, this is the one that has everyone talking about it. There will be a lot of touring ahead this year and MLA is the system I want to use from now on.”
Clair Global Deploys Unique Solutions For NHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, had the hometown Flyers playing the New York Rangers before a crowd of 47,000, in addition to a television audience on NBC.
Clair Global provided house sound and a broadcast mix for the between-period performances by The Roots, using three unique solutions: mobile loudspeaker carts that allowed the line arrays to be lowered and flipped out of site lines as needed; custom modular diffusion/absorption panels that were used to convert an equipment room at Citizens Bank Park into an acoustically favorable studio control room environment; and the Clair CF 1090 Fractal Antenna for the RF system.
“The NHL and broadcasters in general have strict height requirements so as to maintain sight lines and a clean broadcast image,” explains Kevin Sanford, president of Wireless First, a Clair Global subsidiary. “With only two week’s notice, we engineered and constructed a brilliant solution to meet these guidelines.”
“We brought in ten rolling carts that allowed us to lower and flip the PA out of site lines as needed and that allowed us to easily roll them into position on the field,” says Jason Spence, music engineer with Clair Global. “The NHL team was very impressed by how well we stayed out of their way. The ability of Clair Global to conceive and construct such an involved solution in just two weeks is, to me, as impressive as the solution itself. I don’t know of any other company that could pull it off.”
“A music truck wasn’t part of the plan at the NHL Winter Classic, so we needed an acoustically-controlled environment in which to prepare a broadcast mix,” Spence adds. “Again, Clair Global rose to the challenge and constructed modular mobile acoustic panels that we could use in whatever space we encountered. It turned out to be an equipment room. Where others may have thrown a bunch of packing blankets around to simply suck the life out of the room, the Clair panels offered frequency-balanced absorption on one side and diffusion on the other. We turned the equipment room into a well controlled room that sounded really nice.”
But the line array trucks and custom sound panels weren’t the only Clair innovations at the NHL Winter Classic. The new Clair Global CF 1090 Fractal Antenna provided transmission to the Sennheiser 2000 Series wireless personal monitors worn by Patti LaBelle, who sung the U.S. National Anthem, Melanie Fiona, who sung the Canadian National Anthem, and, of course, The Roots. The CF 1090 Fractal Antenna is so small that it did not offend the aesthetic sensibilities of television crew. Additional wireless equipment included Shure wireless microphones for the performers.
The team deployed by Clair Global included sound designer and FOH engineer Tommy Holmes; system engineer Monty Curry; music mixer Ron Reeves; monitor mixer Chris “Koz” Costello; RF engineer Jeff Briggette; and technicians Anson Moore, Richard Schoenadel, and Paul Cervenansky. They used Avid Profile consoles at front of house and in the broadcast mix room and a Yamaha PM1D at monitors.
Because of the challenge of firing line arrays upward from the ground to the tiered stands at Citizens Bank Park and because they tied into the stadium’s house PA system, the Clair technicians were careful to time align the entire system for maximum impact. “It took time and expertise, only the latter of which we had in spades,” concludes Spence.
d&b audiotechnik Announces Several Updates On Software Workflow Tools
d&b audiotechnik has announced several new updates for its ArrayCalc simulation software, R1 Remote control software and the R10 Service software, as well as a firmware update for the E-PAC amplifier.
The new d&b ArrayCalc V6.7 software, available in March 2012, will contain the d&b R1 Remote control software’s export function, which removes the original copy and pasting process of the amplifier settings from the simulation software ArrayCalc to the R1 Remote control software.
It also automatically generates a workspace in an R1 project file as well as exporting the amplifier settings to an R1 control settings file. This workflow sequence replaces the manual process entirely.
From virtual optimization in the ArrayCalc simulation software to the rapid verification of the simulated settings and the fine adjustment in real life on site, using this d&b software offers an effective workflow for users from their laptops.
The service workflow has also been streamlined so that the d&b R10 Service software from V2 onwards automatically and on demand searches for the latest available amplifier firmware versions and Remote software updates on the d&b server via the internet and downloads them. This removes the need to manually look for any updates on the website.
Even though the E-PAC amplifier was discontinued in 2007 it is still being supported with a new firmware update V4.17.
Adamson Systems Engineering has announce the latest milestone in its continuing work on Project Energia, with beta test of the new Blueprint software suite now underway.
In addition to the standard simulation features found in the company’s Shooter program, Blueprint also includes more advanced features such as 3D mapping, multiple virtual microphone locations for examining frequency response throughout the venue, and multiple source setups. These parameters and more are being evaluated as part of the beta testing process.
In addition, Shooter files can be uploaded for instant use in Blueprint. Also, Adamson has also integrated an export feature that allows clients to convert venues into 3D CAD files.
Blueprint is also an integrated control surface for Energia DSP and diagnostics.
On another note, the first North American tour with the Adamson E15 went out with Duran Duran in late 2011.
Front of house engineer for the tour, Snake Newton, discusses working on the Adamson E15 rig in the video below.
L-Acoustics U.S. Sets Training Dates for KARA, KUDO & SOUNDVISION
L-Acoustics U.S. has announced its first two product training sessions for 2012.
The first three-day training is set for February 20 to 22 in Red Hook, NY and will specifically focus on the new KARA modular line source system and SOUNDVISION version 1.9.
The second session, hosted in Oxnard, CA exactly one month later from March 20 to 22, will cover the large-format KUDO line source system and SOUNDVISION.
“We’re particularly looking forward to our KARA and SOUNDVISION session in Red Hook as it marks our first official East Coast training,” says L-Acoustics head of U.S. touring support Scott Sugden. “We’ve had a lot of interest in a regional event like this from our eastern customer base and we’re very happy to now make it a reality for them.”
Primarily designed for technicians, mix engineers and sound designers referred by L-Acoustics Rental Network agents and clients, the first two days of each training will offer a blend of theoretical knowledge and field procedures focusing on operating and optimizing either KARA or KUDO in a safe and controlled environment.
A third day, which can be attended separately or in conjunction with the KARA/KUDO training, will be dedicated to covering the manufacturer’s SOUNDVISION 3D acoustical modeling software.
Upon completion of these seminars, attendees will receive a certificate of attendance.
The number of participants for both the Red Hook and Oxnard training sessions is limited to 12 people and priority will be given to L-Acoustics Rental Network agents and system owners.
For additional details on the training seminars and their related costs, click on the Support tab at www.l-acoustics.com or contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
JBL Professional Introduces Next Generation VTX Line Array Series
JBL Professional today announced the introduction of the VTX Line Array Series designed for portable and fixed-venue system operators.
The first product from the VTX Line Array Series is the VTX V25—a full-size, 3-way, high-directivity line array element. The VTX V25 features two 2000W, 15-inch Differential Drive woofers mounted in die-cast aluminum baffles, with four 8-inch Differential Drive mid-range transducers and three of the revolutionary new D2 Dual-Diaphragm Dual-Voice-Coil Compression Drivers mounted on a 3rd generation waveguide and patented RBI Radiation Boundary Integrator® assembly.
“Of all the achievements JBL has made over the years, the VTX Series stands as a milestone in the practical application of creative engineering,” said Paul Bauman, Senior Manager, Tour Sound, JBL Professional. “VTX truly represents the next generation in line arrays—an evolution of JBL’s industry-standard VERTEC that heralds a new era in performance, system integration and user-friendliness.”
At the heart of VTX is the D2 Dual Driver, a revolutionary device developed by JBL that dramatically improves the sound and performance of high frequencies. D2 overcomes the limitations of conventional compression driver technology: limited high frequency extension due to mass of the diaphragm and voice coil, and distortion characteristics that arise due to dome breakup modes.
JBL’s patented Radiation Boundary Integrator combines the high frequency and mid-range sections of the VTX V25 so the transition across each band is uninterrupted, undistorted and seamless. A patent-pending, tuned resonant absorption chamber (TRAC) is integrated into the waveguide itself, effectively eliminating throat-related cancellations due to back pressure from the mid-range section. VTX’s refined RBI waveguide implementation provides improved horizontal coverage—broader and more stable.
The VTX Series draws from the expertise and integration of the entire range of Harman Professional audio technologies. As a result, in addition to the best sound possible, setup, tuning, networking and controlling the VTX Series is efficient, intelligent and truly a system solution.
For example, the VTX Series features Crown Audio VRack DSP and amplification. VRack is a rugged touring rack fitted with three Crown I-Tech HD Series power amplifiers, power input panel, and custom-engineered input/output panels that is available in two configurations: VRack 12000 and VRack 4 x 3500 are loaded with three IT 12000HD and three IT 4 x 3500HD amplifiers, respectively.
Apart from the performance advantage of a standard package ensuring that VTX Series enclosures are optimally powered and processed, VRack ensures compatibility for cross rental between VTX Network Partners. Since VRack is supplied with all components installed and internally connected, there is also no need for laborious rack building; no chance that a component might be improperly connected; and a dramatically lower chance of connection failure.
The patented workflow paradigm of the Performance Manager interface guides the system designer through the complete system design, configuration and control process and, in many ways, the entire process feels and acts like a simple step-by-step wizard.
Using JBL HiQnet Performance Manager control software and with reference to measured spatial response, circuit level gain and JBL Line Array Control Panel tapering adjustments are performed as a first step in system tuning with the VTX V25. Once SPL and frequency response has been optimized on a circuit level, global equalization can then be applied to the entire array to compensate for room-related effects. This patented approach to system tuning has been specifically designed into the workflow of Performance Manager.
VTX’s patented SAFE suspension system is streamlined for speed and efficiency with improved hardware for faster setup with fewer pinning operations and greater security. A custom-designed protective cover and dolly makes transport easy and the suspension process fast, efficient and safe.
All suspension hardware is integrated into the enclosure and strategically positioned for fast and secure operation. Front flip hinges and captive rear hinge bars utilizing a unique Angle Stop Mechanism (ASM) allow for efficient assembly that is not only secure, but anti-rattle. Also included is provision for mounting a Laser Sighting Module accessory for greater ease and precision in array focus and system tuning.
The VTX Series complies with Harman’s GreenEdge initiative, combining environmentally friendly design with dramatic energy savings without compromising the excellent performance for which Harman products are known.
Like all JBL Professional products, the VTX Series is comprehensively tested in JBL’s power testing facilities. Unique in the industry, during the design phase JBL power testing submits each component and system to 100 hours of continuous, high level input, ensuring that your system will deliver extraordinary sound even after years of hard use and thousands of hours of performance.
“The VTX Series is a result of JBL’s continued effort to deliver more powerful, more compact, lightweight and flexible sound reinforcement systems,” Bauman commented. “JBL has invested heavily in the tools necessary to design, measure, evaluate and refine components throughout the development cycle. In addition to state-of-the-art CAD systems, we have developed proprietary R&D tools unique to JBL. With these tools, we are assured of meeting each product’s intended design goals, able to find opportunities for even better performance, and perhaps most important, have the resources to develop technologies that never existed. The VTX System is a premier example of this.”
Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Helps St. Matthews Church Get Message Across (Includes Video)
Nestled in the rolling canyons of Pacific Palisades, California, Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church is one of the area’s oldest and largest parishes.
The sprawling 42-acre grounds are home to multiple buildings including St. Matthew’s Day School and Pre School, as well as recreational facilities and the acclaimed Moore Ruble Yudell-designed sanctuary.
While wonderful to behold, the sanctuary’s stunning architecture, with its soaring ceilings and exquisite glass work, has long suffered from problematic acoustics.
As Daniel Bae, project manager for Sierra Madre-based Platt Design Group, explains, the room’s previous systems did little to alleviate issues of intelligibility and poor sound distribution.
“A lot of the complaints about the previous systems had to do with speech intelligibility and coverage,” says Bae. “The room isn’t very deep, but it is very wide, so time alignment was a major problem.”
“When the sanctuary was first built, we had two speakers on the ceiling,” adds Jeremias Mendez, plant manager at the church for more than 30 years. “One side of the room was completely dead - people were only able to hear the sermon from a few seats.”
“It’s my understanding that the sanctuary’s architecture was designed to make the most of the choir and organ, and not the sermons,” observes parishioner Jim Dutka, the project leader behind the drive to upgrade the church’s audio system.
Dutka and company contacted Platt Design Group, who recommended a pair of Renkus Heinz Iconyx IC-Live steerable arrays, one on either side of the proscenium. “The IC-Live enabled us to steer the sound where it needed to go - away from the walls and reflective surfaces and into the seats,” Dutka says.
Not surprisingly, aesthetics was also a major concern. “Renkus-Heinz provided custom paint for the IC-Live cabinets, helping them to blend almost invisibly into the sanctuary’s beautiful architecture,” says Bae.
“We have a number of older parishioners who have traditionally relied on hearing-assisted technology systems every week,” says Dutka. “Since we’ve installed the new system, many of them have come to us and informed us that they no longer need the assisted listening.”
Gabisom Deploys Outline GTO For Rock In Rio Festival
The 2011 edition of the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil featured a bill that included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Coldplay, Metallica, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Jamiroquai, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Shakira, and many others.
The sheer scale of the event is impressive, with a 150,000-square meter audience area at the Parque do Atleta in Jacarepaguá that can accommodate 800,000 people.
Gabisom Audio Equipment, sound provider for the show and one of the world’s largest audio rental companies, deployed Outline GTO line-source loudspeakers on the “Sunset” stage, featuring a diverse array of acts including Joss Stone and local favourites Sepultura as well as Titãs+Xutos Pontapés, Afrika Bambaataa, Matanza and Milton Nascimento.
Gabisom’s choice of GTO followed extensive testing carried out during the summer with the assistance of Outline technical staff, in order to verify the systems’ performance prior to Rock In Rio.
Faced with an audience of up to 60,000 at the Sunset Stage, the Brazilian rental company installed a 12-per-side GTO system, supplemented with GTO-LOW bass extension and GTO-DF down fill elements. Just eight Outline LAB 21 subwoofers were ground-stacked to provide the necessary low frequency performance.
Sound engineer Fernando Luis Leite had a busy event, mixing front of house for both a ‘classic rock jam’ featuring Ed Motta and Andreas Kisser of Sepultura, as well as Brazilian act Baile do Simonal who produced a unique mix of samba, rap, baião, soul, jazz, afro-beat, pop, funk and rock for the huge festival crowds.
“‘The Outline GTO was a very pleasant surprise for me,” Leite says. “The two bands I mixed are totally different, one playing classic rock with five guitars, and the other a pure Brazilian sound with lots of percussion and horns, but the GTO system handled them both really well. It throws long distances very effectively while maintaining excellent intelligibility even at serious volume.
“The Rock In Rio crowds expect it to be loud and it was - we were working at around 115 dB(A) at the mix position but I was really satisfied with its performance.”
Brazilian metal legends Sepultura were mixed on the Sunset Stage by Stanley Soares, who also handled front of house for French industrial percussionists Tambour du Bronx, and he notes, “I was very impressed with the sound, very clear and tons of pressure, especially for an occasion where I was working with both a very heavy rock band as well as a large group of percussionists.
“I realized right after I played some music through the system that I would have fun - great tonality, amazing high and low frequency response.”
Festival Altavoz: Delivering Diverse Styles Across A Huge Coverage Area
The sound reinforcement system assembled for the roughly 80,000 music fans in attendance was no small undertaking
For three wild days and nights, music enthusiasts of every popular genre in Medellin, Columbia recently had the opportunity to enjoy live performances of their favorite artists at the 8th Annual Altavoz International Music Festival, more commonly known as Festival Altavoz.
Key acts at this year’s festival included Mexico’s alternative rock band Plastilina Mosh and Latin Grammy Award-winning rockers Molotov, the English punk band The Adicts, as well as Argentina’s Bajo Fondo Tango Club.
Held at Estadio Cincuentenario, a large multipurpose arena and surrounding grounds that serves as home to a variety of sports and entertainment events, the sound reinforcement system assembled for the roughly 80,000 music fans in attendance was no small undertaking.
Medellin-based event services and production company Hangar Musical designed and deployed the system, along with handling video, lighting and staging.
Hangar Musical’s Santiago Velez, who served as technical producer for the festival, notes that the concert system was developed to serve the wide variation of artists and musical styles. “The acts were able to work with a flat, balanced system that gave them complete freedom to mix however they wanted,” he adds.
Far & Wide
The outdoor coverage area was quite large, measuring roughly 300 feet long by 200 feet wide.
A look at the various line arrays deployed at the main stage. (click to enlarge)
To provide commensurate long throw and broad horizontal coverage, Hangar Musical crew deployed a system headed by 32 DAS Audio Aero 38A 3-way, medium format, powered line array elements - flown 16 modules per side at a height of 33 feet.
Low-frequency support was delivered by a combination of 12 Aero 182 arrayable subwoofers - ground stacked six enclosures per side - augmented by yet another 12 DAS LX-218A powered subwoofers (also six enclosures per side).
The band Descomunal performing at Festival Altavoz, with DAS Aero12A stage fill arrays and Road 15A monitor wedges. (click to enlarge)
The extreme sides of the wide audience area, the Hangar Musical crew flew ten DAS Aero 12A powered 2-way mid-high line array enclosures.
These were positioned five modules per side, 20 feet up in the air and were angled 45 degrees from the house mains.
Meanwhile, the far corners of the stage hosted two Aero 12As per side, stacked, to bolster front fill.
Velez and his crew also added delay loudspeakers to insure coverage reached all the way to the back of the area, flown from towers positioned roughly 165 feet from the main stage.
This portion of the setup included four DAS Aero 50, 3-way, large-format line array enclosures per side, driven by Lab.gruppen FP 9000 power amplifiers rack-mounted beneath the delay towers and which were accompanied by another three Aero 182 subwoofers per side.
Considerable Numbers
Velez utilized Lake processors to dial-in and optimize the main stage portion of the system, with a dbx DriveRack processor deployed for the delay system.
Four outputs of the DriveRack fostered a cardioid arrangement. Another DriveRack signals for TV and radio coverage of the event.
“Antonio Villamizar, our setup engineer, did an amazing job working with the system and the Dolby Lake processors to make the system fully functional for everyone,” says Velez. “The sound system exhibited deep bass, perfect mids for the vocals, and high frequencies reaching all areas. The coverage was excellent at all frequencies.”
Approximately 115 feet out from the stage, the front of house position was equipped with two Yamaha digital consoles primary mix engineer Federico Lopez: a PM5D and an MC7L. These consoles managed a large number of inputs – primarily microphones, both cabled and wireless. A third Yamaha board - another MC7L – was provided for monitor mixer Byron Ospina.
The view from front of house, about 115 from the stage, outfitted with Yamaha consoles. (click to enlarge)
The microphone package included several models from the Shure Beta and SM Series lines. Mics from AKG (D 112, 414, and C451), Sennheiser (MD 421 and MD 441), Audio Technica (AT4033) and RØDE (NT5) were also available in considerable numbers, as were Shure wireless mic systems, including six PGX24/Beta 58 packages.
Up to 10 DAS Road 15A powered, 2-way stage monitors were deployed on stage as needed, bolstered by ground-stacked Aero 12A arrays for stage fill.
“All of the artists told us they were able to give a great show since they were comfortable with the stage sound,” Velez concludes. “The reaction from the crowds was equally gratifying. The hip-hop and electronic fans had all the bass they wanted. while the metal and punk fans heard all the distorted guitars without hurting their ears. The event was a huge success.” R. Maxwell is a freelance technical audio writer.
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